The Basement Men & The Concrete Man

I needed to have my basement restored following some water damage. Steve and his crew were able to put in new flooring, drywall, baseboards and paint. I am very pleased with how well our basement looks. Steve was very responsive, meeting me for an estimate on the same day that I initially contacted him. The price was reasonable and he was able to start fairly quickly and was flexible with my schedule. Steve was able to match all the materials to what I had throughout my home and was very patient and helpful during my flooring selection process. Thank you Steve for always being friendly and professional. I appreciate all that you have done (including the little extras) to help make my basement look amazing!!!

Everything went extremely well and the projects stayed on schedule. Steve's handymen were always right on time each morning and were courteous throughout the process. The work that was completed was top notch and exceeded my expectations. I wouldn't think twice about who i would call for a contractor after the work the Basement men did.

We hired Steve and his team for kitchen remodel. The process went so smoothly we hired him again to remodel our basement. Both rooms were complete gut jobs and even added a full bath. Steve is very responsive, patient and involved in every aspect of the job. In fact, we just hired him and his team again to update other parts of our home. Don’t hesitate, give him a call!

It went fantastic. We hired Steve to remodel the basement/storage units of our condo building. They installed new drywall on the walls, updated the lighting, installed individual storage units and finished the floor. Steve and his men were professional to work with, reliable, cleaned up after themselves, were completed on time and respectful and responsive throughout the entire process. All members of the association were happy with the work and we would all use Steve and his men again in the future.

The Basement Men did a great job ! They got it done quickly and efficiently. Steve was very responsive and the men were a pleasure to have in our home. I would definitely recommend them !

I was referred to The Basement Men from a local moms group (it turns out his wife is all over promoting their company). After briefly looking at Angie's List and seeing mostly positive reviews, I went ahead and scheduled him for an estimate. We had just purchased a new house and was on a tight timeframe for several projects. We wanted carpet pulled out and vinyl plank flooring installed in the basement and Steve provided a quote at $7k. We also discussed removing a wall in the kitchen and adding some lighting as well as tile removal. His quote was $3k but was a guesstimate since he couldn't see the property in person (as we had not closed on the house). I went ahead and gave him a deposit ($2,500) for the basement floor but asked to hold off on making a decision for the kitchen. In the end, after doing some more research on Angie's list, and talking to a few people personally about their work, we decided to hire someone else for the kitchen. We just weren't comfortable putting all our "eggs in one basket" with one contractor. The day the basement work started, I gave Steve another $2,500. he indicated his installer would be done in a week and asked that I be ready to pay him in full on that day which I said would be fine. Steve was pretty upset we didn't hire him for the kitchen work and said he only gave me a great price for the basement as he assumed he'd get more work from us. He asked us if they could skip painting the quarter round finishing trim since the carpet removal was thicker than he expected and because he gave me a great price, expecting other work. We agreed to this. His contractor who did all the actual work, Martin, was great. Unfortunately, as we had other projects happening simultaneously in the house, two workers needed to access some plumbing in the basement. Martin could have worked through it but to make things easier on him and those plumbers, said he would return the next day (which I was totally okay with and appreciative of). I called Steve right away to give him a heads up to let him know the work would be running a day late. He still insisted I pay him on the original completion day even though the work wouldn't be finished. The day we were supposed to meet for the final payment, I was running very behind at the doctors office due to being pregnant with twins and experiencing complications. I asked if we could meet a day later (once the work was complete) to make the final payment and this is when Steve lost it. He was screaming at me demanding that I hold up my end of the bargain and that I was wasting his time. He accused me of not wanting to pay him. At this point of being berated and screamed at in an unprofessional manner, I was totally not comfortable paying him for a job that hadn't been completed (he even asked if I would post-date a check). He threatened to pull Martin off the job. He was completely irrational, not willing to listen, etc., and I had to hang up on him. I was still at the doctors when this phone call happened and my doctor became very alarmed as my blood pressure had skyrocketed. I ended up having my husband call him and Steve was much calmer with him. We agreed to give him 1/2 of the remaining $2k. Then the next day, when the job still wasn't complete as they needed to wait for more flooring, he asked for the other $1k. We gave him $500. Then when it was finally complete the next day, we gave him the final $500. I see now from reading other reviews here and on other platforms, that this is a familiar tactic he uses demanding payment before completed work and only shows up to collect a check. Steve did apologize but his apologies were full of excuses saying he had given us a good price that cut too far into his own margins as he was relying off other work he thought he'd get from us (and that the flooring material costs had increased which was an extra $200-$300). He also was concerned i would start bad mouthing him. Well, if you want other work, behave professionally. I also had not bad-mouthed him up to that point but I finally decided to write a review so any one else contemplating his company know what they are dealing with. I’m not even sure if some of these reviews are even real on Angie’s list. In the end, the work was nice that his contractor did, but not worth dealing with the owner of company whatsoever.

Steve is very responsive and easy to reach. The work is done efficiently. Prices were competitive. They work hard to make sure the work was done well and to my liking.

Our project required basement wall restoration from another project where we needed to partially remove the walls from the floor to about 56" up the wall. We needed the walls restored and additionally wanted flooring put in to provide a finishing touch to the restoration. Steve was very prompt with providing a quote and then working with us to fully define the project. He assisted with material selection and project refinement. Because he was so professional was added a basement bathroom remodel to the project. His team was extremely professional and presented suggestions on improvements. Steve worked with us to define the change orders to reflect these changes and provided reasonable prices for the changes. His team took our todo/punch list at the end of the project and addressed the issues without a fuss. They swept and then washed the work area on hands and knees when they were through. I can't tell you how pleased we are. I would gladly ask the Basement Men back to perform more work. In fact, I have asked for an additional quote to paint the house interior in the fall.

Steve and team were great to work with. They were able to start on our project almost immediately and finished in a timely manner. Even when we had some minor issues they were quick to suggest options and did their best to give us the basement we wanted. We would definitely hire them again.

The project went well from start to finish. Steve Lauer and all members of the remodeling team were professional, on-time, and knowledgeable. Steve's expertise and experience with basement remodeling make this company stand out. He and his team went the extra mile to ensure that we were happy with both the process and the finished product: a a bright, functional, welcoming space.

It's all about customer service! It is so refreshing working with the company that puts the customer first, we absolutely love the service we received. Knowledgeable, professional and the deep understanding of their work. White glove service all the way to the front door.

Steve was honest, professional, reliable, kind and a pleasure to work with. The workers were excellent. Precise, clean, punctual, amazing craftsmanship. We highly recommend The Basement Men as an example of how work can and should be done.

Steve was honest, professional, kind, reliable and a pleasure to work with. The workers were excellent. Precise, clean, responsive, amazing craftsmanship. We highly recommend The Basement Men as an example of how work should and can be done!!

The Man were on time , quality of work great and Steve was nice to work with, i will definitly hire him to do our kitchen remodeling

Readers beware: this is long but honest and important if you are considering hiring his man. When we first met Steve, he was awkward but we liked the work he showed us in his notebook. He explained his process and it seemed to be what we were comfortable with. He also gave us a really low quote which my husband thought was actually a fair quote for a small bathroom. We had just finished a renovation on our entire house- except for this one bathroom, so we are familiar with how these contractors and how their contracts go. Anyway, we signed and were excited to get this project started. The contract said we had to give a 50% deposit and a 50% completion check. So we gave the deposit and they started the project. Things were going pretty smoothly, but Steve was a little annoying when it came to payments. We decided to remove some concrete and he said it was an extra 600 dollars. We agreed to the cost. The following day he came over to collect a 50% deposit on the concrete job and the following day he came over to collect the rest. We thought it was odd that he needed two payments for such a small bill or why he couldn’t have just added it on to the final invoice. As odd as we thought this was, we let it go as it was a small thing. He then asked for more progress checks and we stupidly gave him them even though our contract said absolutely NOTHING about progress checks. We started to notice that Steve ONLY came over when he wanted to collect a check. He never checked on the project or even seemed to care about it unless a check was involved. Our previous contractor was here every single day and was an active part of the remodel. So strange. We went through a polar vortex which delayed our counters from being installed. Steve was on us about it but it wasn’t something that we could control. The second the counters were installed we contacted Steve to let him know. He said that his workers would be over the next day. The following day we expected the guys to show up, and they didn’t show up in the morning. Steve called my husband and texted him asking if it was ok if he came over for a completion check. What???? The bathroom wasn’t completed or anywhere near it. My husband told him that he wasn’t comfortable with giving him a check until it was completed and Steve asked if we could write a post dated check instead. My husband said it depended on how much progress was made that day but he wasn’t sure he feels comfortable writing the check. Well, 12pm rolls around, no workers, they showed up at 1:15!! We didn’t care that they showed up so late, but we knew that the bathroom would be nowhere near completion to write a check for Steve. My husband texted Steve to inform him that he would not be writing a check that day. Steve did not like that answer. One of his workers came to find me and had Steve on the phone for me. Steve told me how rude my husband’s text message was to him and how it’s not ok for my husband to say he will write and check and then go back on his word. I reminded steve that our contract states a “completion” check and the bathroom isn’t completed, therefore he should not be getting a check. He proceeded to push me into writing a check and post date it, and he would not accept no for an answer. When I told him over and over that he won’t get a check until it’s completed since that’s what the contract said, he told me we were playing dirty and kept saying “so that’s how you want to play this game”. He mentioned that we delayed his project with the counters and he took a higher paying job than ours and now has to pull his men from that job to finish ours. So I told him to have his men finish today and we will hire somebody else to complete the job. He said he would pull his men from our job and reschedule in a couple of weeks when they finish their bigger job. Finally I cut him off and told him I had to deal with my two small children and hung up. I was waiting and waiting for his men to leave, they never did. My husband got a lovely text that Steve was pulling his guys, and my husband didn’t respond. When he came back from work at 5:00 the workers were still there. So it was an empty threat. They didn’t leave until 6:30 and then my husband got yet ANOTHER text saying that the men made lots of progress, how about my husband gives him half of the completion check?? Are you serious??? Is this real?!?! My husband said nope, not until the job is complete. The men showed up the next day (Thursday) , Friday, and were at the house from 8-6:40 on Saturday. They came back Monday as well. We heard that the workers got in trouble for installing our mirrors, painting our trim, and potentially sealing our tiles. They finally finished Monday afternoon and Steve texted my husband about when he could come collect his check. He agreed on 5:15 and didn’t show up until almost 6. HE DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO SEE THE FINISHED PROJECT!! Can you believe that?! What contractor doesn’t want to see the work his men did on a job?! This was the most disturbing, uncomfortable experience and I would never ever ever work with Steve again or recommend him to my worst enemy. The way he spoke to me was unacceptable and inappropriate and the harassment for a check made him come off desperate and shady. It’s a shame because his workers do a good job and some were pleasant to be around, but save yourself the hassle and do NOT use this company. We would have rather paid 3 times more than we did just for a more pleasant experience. Update 1/04/2020: I wrote a former review, but I wanted to provide an update. It hasn’t even been a year and our bathroom is completely falling apart. It’s a nightmare. The toilet wasn’t installed correctly, the floors weren’t installed correctly, the grout job is crumpling. Such a nightmare!!!

I needed a total floor replacement suddenly in one room and the crew did a great job on it. They worked diligently and carefully, consulting me on all decisions and answering all my questions. The new floor is very solid and looks great.

We heard about Steve and the Basement men from a friend of ours. After receiving several quotes we felt that they were very competitive in terms of price. We negotiated what we wanted done and the entire process only took two weeks. Along the way we were given progress updates and pictures. We were given sample books to pick what we wanted and upon completion the quality was very good. Steve's wife, Amy, was easy to deal with. When Chase Quickpay was malfunctioning she even came to pick up a progress check. They were always quick to reply to my questions and were available almost anytime. 5 stars!! We need to finish a basement soon and will most likely use them.

Steve and his crew at the Basement Men transformed my basement from a dark & damp dungeon into an amazing extra living space for my family. There is nothing better than having some extra room to play during these cold winters spent indoors.

Good company and great work. Would use them again. Steve is a nice guy and easy to work with. Tony does prime workmanship.

We had a great experience with the basement men. Steve was very communicative and the crews were wonderful. It was a big project with a lot of unexpected issues, and they still managed to finish a few weeks early and go only a smidge overbudget. A summary of work: -Repitch and pour new sidewalk to prevent water damage -Repair small crack in concrete foundation -Basement finishing (electrical, framing, insulation, drywall, 7 new windows, etc) -Partial rebuild of stairs -Creation of hybrid kitchenette/laundry room -(Unexpected) bathroom remodel -Vinyl plank flooring installation -Install two metal sliding doors -Paint ceiling We would definitely use them again. The one thing I would note is that I sourced most of the finishes (floor, tile, cabinets, countertop, etc), which I would recommend if you have the time. Some of the suggestions TBM provided ended up being pricier and, in my opinion, slightly more basic looking. But Steve was super helpful answering my questions so I could find what I wanted and had no problem installing what I purchased. I've included some pictures. Note that several were taken before the project was fully completed.

Steve and his crew were great. They showed up on time and everything was done according to plan. The basement living area had previously been gutted to install drainage tile. Steve’s crew framed/built/and painted the drywall within 2 weeks and had the floor finished in a day. Everything looks great and I will definitely hire them for any possible future projects.

The work was completed with high satisfatory. The owner is very professional and accommodating to various requests along the project, and the contractors are very good at what they do. Flexibility was one of our main reasons to choose the service provider, and be sure work closely with them to create a plan that fits your need.

Went great. Everything went as planned. It was a very fast and efficient job, and the final product looks excellent. They stuck to the originally agreed upon price and were very responsive throughout the entire process.

Guys did a great job. Corrected anything we didn’t like. Showed up on time and kept us up to date on the progress and completed as promised. They did 2 bathrooms for us (and have also done kitchen remodel work and handyman work and paint jobs on multiple occasions). Price is fair and reasonable.

The work was accomplished promptly, professionally, and on very short notice before my replacement laundry equipment was delivered. I called The Concrete Man on July 26 and spoke directly with Steve Lauer, who came that afternoon to provide the estimate. His Concrete Men arrived on July 31 to frame and fill the platform extension, and they returned the next day to remove the wood frame and offer advice about curing and painting the pedestal before the scheduled laundry equipment delivery on August 7. Thanks to their willingness to squeeze me into their busy schedules, it all worked out in time.