Budget Basements

We just had our basement finished by Budget Basements. I recommend them very highly. I have worked with many contractors over the years and can honestly say that Phil has been the best by far. We met with Phil, outlined what we wanted, he sent us pricing and drawings then we proceeded, very simple and straightforward. I had 3 quotes and Phil was right in the middle. I hired him based on previous on line reviews and made a great decision. We made a few changes on the fly, no issues at all. He completed the job in about 6 weeks and it would have been less had the building inspectors not been on holiday for Christmas break. I received daily calls from Phil regarding the status of the job and what was scheduled for the day and week. His crew was skilled and conscientious. Jordan and Julio did the framing and other tasks, their work was excellent. After they completed the framing I inspected with a level and tape, every single board was perfect. Plumbing, HVAC, painting and electrical contractors were equally as skilled. Every night the basement was cleaned as much as possible. Everyone who worked on the job was excellent. Drywall was screwed, not nailed, Phil requested I contact the initial builder of the condo and get the floor molding supplier to match the rest of the house. These are just a couple of the small details that made the job go from good to great. Our basement looks fantastic and we couldn't be happier.

Phil and his crew were great to work with. Great communication, always on time, and very easy to work with. He transformed our unfinished basement into exactly what we were looking for. Phil made it easy to reach out to him with questions or unplanned design changes. I had a good feeling after the initial consult and I'm glad we went with Budget Basements. Thanks Phil!

Went great. Phil was amazing to work with.

Phil was fantastic!! By far the best contractor I have worked with. The project went just as scheduled, and budgeted for. His workers were respectful and cleaned up after themselves every day they were here. My basement looks great and is exactly what I'd hoped it would be. I have received multiple compliments!!

Phil and his crew are such nice people to work with. I had some walls put up, drywall, pot lights installed, electrical panel upgrades, ceiling sprayed black, banister installed. It looks beautiful and the added living space will be very nice! I would go to this company first for basement remodeling. The whole thing was done in 2 weeks...efficient and the guys were very competent. I'm a very happy customer!!!

Phil and his crew are the best of the best. Being military retired my standards are high when it comes to attention to detail, punctuality, honesty and integrity. Phil and his dynamic team met and exceed my high standards in my basement remodeling project. Each phase of work projects (prep, drywall, duck work, electrical, city inspectors, etc) was planned and coordinated with precision and attention to detail. Communication (day and night) was superb and addressed promptly. If I had a thought, concern or question and e-mailed or texted Phil after hours he responded promptly. He was always on the clock and readily available for his customers. Lastly, my wife is a gifted decorator with many changing ideas throughout the project. Phil worked with her and always was professional in addressing changes and providing outstanding advisement, even if it was contrary to what was being requested. Phil was a little higher than the two other quotes I received prior to the job, but due to his great work I never regretted the few extra bucks for the type of quality work. Even the various city inspectors all commented on the outstanding work Phil and his crew had done. This made us feel that more assured that we made the right choice. The comments we have gotten about the basement from friends and family have all been sublime and laudatory in praise.

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I could not be happier with the overall project and the work performed. Whatever I write in this review will not fully express the appreciation I have for the integrity, effort and the quality of the work performed by Phil Polansky, the owner of Budget Basements. I can "brag" that I have a basement designed, and constructed by Phil and his employees and his contracted associates. It is somewhat similar to what people might say when they have a Frank Lloyd Wright designed and built home; I have a basement designed and built by Phil Polansky.

We are perfectly happy with them. We have no complaints whatsoever. They remodeled our basement, started from scratch cause the basement was unfinished. They put up walls and flooring, kitchen and bathroom. They did the whole thing. Electrical, plumbing, they did the whole thing. They basically gave me an entire new house. My basement is an apartment. Basements is what they do. Basements are what they do and they do it well. I have no problem recommending them to anybody. They were right in the middle. We got 5 quotes. There were a couple that were a little bit lower. There were two that were higher. They were right in the middle. I feel like we paid around $45000 all together. It was right on the budget quoted. A couple of items went over budget but we knew it would and a couple of items were under budget. Overall it was right inline with what they told us it would be. Their office is only couple of miles away from the house so the owner Phil, he was here everyday. He called all the time, checked in with us. If had to call him, which I did once or twice with a question, he called me back within an hour, so they were very responsive. They told me the work would start at 8 on the first and at 7:45 they were pulling into my driveway. The guy is a pro. He knows what he's doing and he knows how to deal with people. He said he'll do kitchen too, but he doesn't do kitchen designs. He does basement designs and setup. He said he'll do our kitchen if somebody else does the design.

Phil, at Budget Basements, helped us to design, refine, and realize a wonderful "man cave." My husband and I have undertaken a number of renovations, and we both agree that this project was one of the smoothest, most successful projects we've ever engaged in. The job was completed, with high quality, ahead of schedule, and on budget. The process was as close to painless as any construction project can be, and the results are wonderful. We'd hire Budget Basements again, and are happy to recommend them to anyone!

Phil was great to work with and made sure all details were to our liking. Very well priced and would highly recommend.

Fantastic. I spent eight months ripping out my old finished basement and it was ****, so I decided to hire out the rebuild. I got two estimates from businesses that do "wall systems" and three estimates from local contractors. Phil was by far the best. Not just in price, but in how he explained everything and how he presented the estimate. He provided a design picture of the work and a breakdown of the costs by type (drywall, electrical, ceiling, etc.) and by item. Phil was super easy to work with and all his guys were great. I've gotten lots of compliments on the basement and my co-workers want to hire him too. The barn door he built is amazing and everybody loves it! I am 100% completely satisfied with my new basement. Phil took all the weight and stress off my shoulders and the basement looks fantastic. Customer service was above and beyond.

The entire experience went great. Before settling on any company, I did extensive research on both on Angie's List and using Google searches. I had about 8 contractors come in to give me estimates. We chose to go with Phil because I got the best feeling from him, he had a great price, and had good reviews here. I don't regret it for a moment. Phil and his crew were a great value, timely, courteous, updated us (be it in person, over the phone, email, or text). Phil worked with us to get exactly what we wanted, and he had the entire thing done in less than a month, which is incredible for the large size basement we have. He came in both ahead of schedule, and charged us a bit less than he estimated. They cleaned up great, and left the basement in a wonderful state.

Budget did an excellent job at a very reasonable price. They were attentive to our suggestions and did their best to get it done the way we wanted. We are very satisfied.

Fabulous. I couldn't have expected better service. Good quality work and workers who arrived on time, cleaned up, and were very respectful. No problems at all. Phil is a great guy to work with.

They did a wonderful job. I highly recommend them.

Phil and team did an absolutely outstanding job on our complete basement finish.  Not only did the finished product turn out great, but the process went so smoothly that it completely exceeded our expectations.  As one trade finished, the next one was queued up ready to go, so there was no waiting around which was much appreciated given our demanding timeline.  I would not hesitate on recommending Budget Basements to family, friends, and/or colleagues given the hugely positive experience my wife and I had with Phil and his entire crew.

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We had three companies come out to give us estimates and design ideas.  After we met with Phil, there was no question who we wanted to work with.  All the estimates were around the same price, but Phil was just very honest, professional, and easy going. We knew that he was the right fit for this large project.  We really were very unsure as to design layout, and he walked us through every step of the way and came up with a great design.  He also came up with ways to improve or change the design as the project was underway and also was very open to any changes that we wanted to make.  He was very patient with us in regards to timeline of picking out materials, finishes, etc. 
His crews were very professional and anytime we had an issue with any of them, Phil took care of it immediately.  He was readily available via text/phone about any issue.  The communication was superb during the entire project.    Kerry was a amazing to work with as well.  Phil and Kerry almost became like family to us in the 5 months there were working with us. My daughter still asks about them!
I just wish Phil would consider building homes.  I would hire him as our contractor in a heartbeat.

Excellent. Great communication. Phil is serious about doing the right thing and making the customer happy. He also has very good guys working for him. I would definitely recommend Budget Basement.

I required a few changes to the first quote and Phil was very cooperative. Although I was surprised at how late the workers started (after 9:00am) they were very efficient. They cleaned up very well.

We decided to have our basement finished and received 3 estimates. Budget Basement was the last bid and as soon as Phil walked in we knew he was the one we wanted. Phil did measurements and got back with us in 2 weeks like he said he would. His quote was in the middle but he knew what he was talking about so we signed with him.
Phil told us it would be a few weeks before he started and that was perfect for us. Everyone of his guys were on time, knowledgeable, cleaned up everyday and super friendly to our dog who loves everyone! We loved how Phil would recommend things that we didn't think of to improve what we wanted.
We heard from Phil on a daily bases and if we had questions he would call or come over. Everyone of his guys did an amazing job! If I had to do it all over again, I would in an instant!
Budget Basements, Phil and all of his guys turned our empty space into extra living space.
Don't hesitate to call if your looking to have your basement done!

We used Budget Basements to completely remodel our basement. Overall, it was a great experience and we would definitely use them again. The overall square footage of our renovated space was about 1500.
We contacted Phil, the owner, through the Angie's List website in early June about a quote for our project. He called the next day and scheduled an appt one evening that week to meet at hour home. I had some ideas for the project and a list of what we really wanted out of the space. After taking a look at our space, he had several ideas for layouts and that day we agreed on a general plan for the space - approximate location for our kitchenette, bathroom, media area, play area and a separate office. Phil said he would get back to me in about 2 weeks with a complete quote and plans for the basement. He emailed me a complete plan and detailed quote in 3 days. His overall plan and blueprint really demonstrated his experience with these projects because he really maximized the use of space and flow through the basement. His quote was competitive and with his reputation through Angie's List and his references we chose him to complete our project. 
We started our project with demo of the existing basement in late June. Phil's guys, Jordan and Julio, took about 2-3 days for the full demo. They were very efficient and clean through the whole process as they took the space down to the studs and joists. Before construction, Phil referred a good foundation repair guy who filled some foundation leaks (rod holes). Along the way, we worked with Phil to finalize the design and layout of the kitchen and other carpentry. Phil was also able to give us a good idea of the cost of any potential changes and the impact on the budget/estimate. We chose to use the cabinet company Phil recommended and we were able to take advantage of his builder prices for materials.  
The construction process took about 6-7 weeks. Phil and his team started with the framing. He did uncover some small structural issues (wall with bowing studs) that he did correct. Also, he was accommodating in allowing us to tweak the design a bit as things progressed (we enlarged the bathroom by a foot).  Over the next weeks his main subcontractors for the heating and cooling, plumbing, and electrical came through and did their work. All of these guys did great work and were trustworthy and polite. The electricians were especially helpful in discovering and fixing some small problems. Phil scheduled all needed inspections with our city and the whole inspection process did not slow down the project. The inspectors did comment on the good quality of the work done.  
The drywall process overall went well and the finish product is excellent. The drywallers did have to return a couple times to make some finishing touches. The tile also looks great and phil's subcontractor here did a good job with the backsplash and bathroom. We did have a problem with a cracked tile and broken grout, but Phil had the tiler out the next day and the problems were fixed quickly. The painting was the only area that was a bit of a headache and that crew had to return several times to fix some imperfections. However, we learned that Phil does demand a very high standard from his subcontractors and he always made sure that the finished product was just what we wanted.  We also went through phil's preferred source for granite countertops and these were done well and at a good price. Here again, there was a small issue with the finish on the corners of the island, and Phil had it fixed the next day. 
A special note should be made about some of the carpentry that Phil and Kerry completed. They did some great work around our fireplace, the stairwell, shelving and with the cabinetry. Our media area is all custom and was designed to match the cabinets in the kitchen area. They also put up some custom wainscotting along the walls and bar and it all looks fantastic. 
We did take on some areas of the project ourselves.  Flooring is not typically a part of Phil's quotes, but he does have some people he can recommend. We also ran our own networking cable, speaker wire and media cable, though the electricians could have done it as well. 
In summary, Phil and his crew were wonderful to work with. We had no trouble trusting them in our home when we were not around. Our new basement space is great new addition to our home and really does not even feel like a basement any more. 

Contacting Phil from Budget Basements was one of the best decisions that I have made. From the beginning, Phil was very quick to answer my phone call, arrange to meet and provide a schematic for the basement. We agreed on a starting date, and Phil's team started on time. Phil arranged to get all permits. He dealt with the city and arranged for all inspections. Every person on Phil's team was very carefully selected for their expertise, care of work, and like-ability. I was blown away by each and every one. They were extremely polite and thorough in everything they did. Phil installed a lock box on my door to make it convenient for me. The communication was excellent. I knew who was coming every day and for what purpose. They used a carpet runner so that our floors wouldn't get dirty, they performed the job, and cleaned up after themselves (every day!). Not only did Phil design what I wanted, but he constantly thought of ways to improve my basement. Intricate details, crown molding, and extra shelves were brought in. He bought a new glass door for my hallway so that the beautiful, custom made hardwood staircase could be seen. Kerry, one of the nicest gentlemen, made adjustments and recommendations as needed. I grew to trust these two men's taste better than my own! Phil gave me a detailed list of expenses. If I found some of the materials myself, that allowance was subtracted from the total. At every point, I was able to choose my own materials if I wanted or I could depend on him to provide them for me. He set up a payment schedule. I only paid after each step of the basement was finished: framing, drywall, painting, etc. The end result has become a magnificent, gorgeous 2200 square foot lower level that continues to "Wow" everyone! I cannot call it a basement anymore because Phil and his team have made my previous eyesore into a fancy apartment that just happens to exist where my basement used to be! Constantly, the common comment is that my basement is prettier than the rest of my house. Guess I'll have to get another estimate from Budget Basements!!!

I used Budget Basements to finish my basement, More than
1500 square feet. This was a great experience. Exceptional by all means. After
looking at their website and reading the reviews on Angie?s list, I contacted
Budget basements, left a voicemail; Phil ? The owner ? contacted me the next
day, made me an appointment and came over, looked at my basement, did some
measurement and some drawing. Two weeks later, he provided me a detailed
estimate along with a floor plan of how the basement is going to be when
finished.
The price provided was right in the middle of the estimates
I had received from other contactors. He informed me they will start about 3 ?
4 weeks from giving them the go-ahead. He did in two weeks after I called.
Phil and his crews are very professionals. They know what they
are doing and they do it exceptionally well. They respected us, our privacy and
opinions.
They were clean. They would clean after themselves everyday,
so when my wife and I went downstairs to see what they finished, it was clean.
Of course you would expect some disturbance during a major project like this
but it was kept to a minimum. We had no issue what so ever leaving them in the
house and going about our business outside the house. They were trustworthy,
and in some cases when we had something expected, and were not going to be
home, they would take care of it.
When Phil is not on the site, he made sure he called every
day and asked if we were happy with the work and if we had any comments. He
didn?t mind changing things after completion when we didn?t like it, but
because there was something wrong, but simply because we did not like it after
it was completed. He never showed frustration, even though I know some of our requirements
were frustrating. I remember that we picked a color for the walls and after
they pained a good portion of the basement with the custom colors we picked, we
did not like it. We picked a different color. They changed it and did not show
any frustration. We also changed some of the designs as it was being done and
they accepted all the designs without any issues.
Phil really cared about our satisfaction and about what he
was doing. He loves what he does (or at least made us feel this way) and I
remember one day I asked him to do something about the stairs and he called me
at night to tell me that he was thinking about it and he feels he can do a nicer
job than what I asked for. I?m mentioning this because I want to say he was
thinking about the customer satisfaction even after he leaves the job location.
He suggested some details that did not cost much but made
huge impact on the results we got. All inspectors who came and checked were
impressed. No exception. Inspection was a breeze as those people did not only
know the code, but exceeded it.
Everyone else who saw the basement and the work quality
asked for their contact information.
Phil also had no issue with us buying our own materials and
worked with us and with the supplier in making sure we get the best possible. While
we all work for money, it was not a big factor for him.
IN regards to timeline, He initially estimated 6 ? 8 weeks.
We had a family commitment and needed our project to be completed in 6 weeks.
Budget basements delivered with the best quality with no sacrifices.
Go with Budget basements, you will win. If I would ever need
any other project done, I know whom I?m calling and know who I would recommend
to family and friends.