Normally, I am a skeptic when it comes to contractors. Many never return calls, or show-up, or provide outrageous quotes which can be discouraging in getting work you want done. However, the team at the Basic Basement Company has changed my view… Outstanding and professional does not even begin to describe the attentiveness that Basic Basement provided during the work being done in our house. Each crew came in as scheduled, performed their tasks as agreed to in our contract, and cleaned-up after each job, including hauling away the garbage. The overall job cost us what we agreed to in the contract. There were no hidden or extra costs. In addition, members of the different crews came back on a couple of occasions to repair some minor imperfections we found. Everyone from Gerard Fournier, the sales rep, to Curtis Flowers, the Project Manager, to Gail Torrelio, the Project Coordinator, to all the workers was a pleasure to deal with. Gail in particular is exceptional; she always returned phone calls and emails in a timely manner, in addition to coordinating the work around our schedules. My family and I have survived several home renovations over the years; this one was by far the most organized and smoothest one! We will definitely consider this company high on our list for contracting when we look to redo our kitchen and bathroom in the future.

.

unknown

Excellent! We had received ridiculously expensive quotes to finish our condo basement - just wanted a family room, closet and office/bedroom (we already had an egress window). We were shocked to see how much it would cost UNTIL we contacted Basic Basement. Our cost was about $10K less than other quotes AND the finished job is excellent. We are quite happy. From beginning (after we received permits) to final painting was less than 8 weeks and that included time having to schedule township inspections during the process. We left lockbox for crews to get in. No problem. Gail from Basic Basement great with communication/answering calls and emails right away. Our project manager was very good as well. We would highly recommend them and have.

Todd the sales rep knew exactly what we wanted and created a plan that would work for us that fit into our budget.   Any questions I had he was readily available to answer my emails or calls.   Gail oversees the scheduling and I can't say enough about her!  She knew the time crunch we were in as we were expecting a baby the following month. Gail was able to fit us in ahead of schedule and coordinate each crew to come in one after another with very little time in between. Any questions I had, Gail was prompt in responding to my emails and locating the answers to those questions. Bob our project manager was excellent. He explained every step in the process and made sure everything was completed in a timely manner and to their satisfaction.  The crews were unbelievable.  Each crew cleaned up after themselves which you would never know you even have construction going on in the house.  They were very friendly too.  I cannot say enough about this company!  They went above and beyond what we imagined all for a reasonable price. There is nothing basic about them!! Anyone who uses this company would be extremely happy with their work. Thank you Basic Basement!

unknown

unknown

unknown

unknown

unknown

Our project started in November and finished in January. We had several holidays in between, which slowed the process down a bit. The workers were clean, respectful, and trustworthy.  Our house was left in its original condition at the end of every day. As with every construction project, little things go wrong here and there. The important piece is that basic basement took care to fix any problems that arose in a timely manner and without any aggravation on my end. Gail, who coordinates everything from the office, is wonderful! She made sure everything got completed as we requested, even if that meant sending the team back out to correct something. I very much appreciate that the company didn't just do things their way, but made sure that every detail was completed as we requested.  They used quality materials and did good work.  My only suggestion for improvement would be that a foreman arrive with any new team to explain what they need to do that day, because they sometimes had questions I couldn't answer. Foreman were always available via phone, which is the next best thing, and Gail always made sure to coordinate communication. Overall, we love our new basement and would use basic basement co. again in the future.

We decided to hire the Basic Bathroom Co. to remodel our bathroom after getting various estimates from other companies who did not come close to providing the same level of service. We live in a condo and have a small bathroom so we initially thought it would be more cost effective to just hire one of those companies that installs a cover over the tub and the tiles. However, we were shocked to hear the price for such a simple makeover. As a result, we reached out to Basic Bathrooms to get a quote on an entire remodel-- we were pleasantly surprised that a brand new bathroom would be more cost effective. The Basic Bathroom comany was excellent from sales to installation. They were honest, explained the process, and made us feel very comfortable with our decision. They called us promptly to set up our install date. On the day of the demo,they showed up promptly and the project manager kept us informed every step of the way. Derek, who did the work was absolutely fantastic-- very professional and did a great job installing the tiles along with a decorative border that we had picked out, We love our new bathroom and would highly recommend this company. All the work was completed in 4 days which also made a remodel easy to deal with. I would gladly use this company again...thank you!!!!! Michele & Michael Fanelli

unknown

Gail kept me informed at each phase and made sure job kept to schedule.

The Basic Basement Co. was excellent from the very first phone call. They scheduled someone quickly to get us an estimate. Their sales representative was able to explain the process in great detail for us and answer our many questions promptly. We had quotes from two additional contractors as well. Not only was Basic Basement Co. competitive in pricing, but we felt confident in going with a company that solely does basements and would know how to navigate issues better than others. This proved true for us because the project went even quicker than we anticipated and was done better than we could've imagined.
As far as the quality of work goes, their crews (all directly hired under the company) were very FAST miracle workers who were hard working and did superb work. Their framers provided suggestions on how we could save space (both in ceiling height and cut outs for water lines, etc.) that made the space that much better. Their drywall, spackle, and doors/trim crews were complimented by our painter who was very impressed with how well they finished the space. I was very comfortable with all of the people that were in and out of our house, and appreciative of the care they took to put protective coverings on our floors leading to the basement and clean up after themselves at the end of each workday.
Their phone menus made it easy to get in touch with the right person, and everyone in the office was extremely helpful whenever we had a question. Our project manager in particular was able to keep the project moving quickly and overcome any obstacles without any stress on our end. With how much work they do, they have a lot of moving parts, and it's a testament to her that all of this was done seamlessly.
We had been apprehensive about spending the money to finish our basement, but in the end are SO thankful we did! We now have a beautiful basement and have greatly increased the amount of usable space in our home. We would use the Basic Basement Co. again in a heartbeat and recommend them wholeheartedly.

Very happy with our new finished basement!  They started when they said they would, always showed up on time.  I was comfortable with every worker who came into my home, all very polite and professional.  They have crews for each phase of construction and they all worked with precision and efficiency, you can see they all know their jobs very well.  There were no surprise extra charges involved - they did exactly what they said they would and were the most reasonably priced out of all the estimates we received.  
They were able to schedule inspections faster than I imagined as well and as soon as an inspection was over they had their next phase ready to start.  Town inspectors even complimented their work during my final inspection!  
Overall my entire 800+ sq. ft. basement was completed in just about a month (and this was over the holidays as well!).  I would gladly recommend Basic Basements to any of my friends!

Before starting the project I got quotes from many other service providers, but Basic Basement's price were most competitive
and they gave me more in less price. They understood our needs and designed the basement accordingly,  gave us quality service in our budget. 
The timelines for the project were met. Their team is very professional and cooperative. All our concerns and questions were heard to and resolved. The basement was inspected at every stage by the municipality and it cleared all the inspections in the first shot.
Project was completed on time and I am already enjoying my basement, thanks to the basic basement team! 

From Day 1, we felt comfortable with Basic. Our Sales Rep, Todd, was very professional, friendly, and he did not pressure us. He was very clear in the services they provide, helped us make good decisions, and was genuinely interested in making sure we got a great space.
Once we signed, they were very fast to schedule the start date (even ended up starting early like i had hoped). Gail was an amazing coordinator, she never made me feel like I was bugging her when I asked tons of questions. She arranged shipments to arrive the day before each phase to make the project go smoothly. The framing team came first. We did a walk around to agree on the final layout. The team did an awesome job framing and insulating finishing the whole space in 2 days. (Thanks Eli!)
We then passed inspections (fire, electric, building) and they kept rolling. Before we knew it, they had the drywall hung, lights installed, and added the finishing touches. (thanks again to the carpenters and electricians).
We passed inspections less than 30 days after they started the project.
Note:
We did our own painting and carpet. I wish we had done carpet with them, it would have been easier.

Basic Basement is very basic and will do the least amount possible to get the job done and take way too long to do it. There were many issues along the way and while they responded to them, they shouldn't have happened in the first place.
Our job, which began on October 26, was supposed to be three weeks and wound up being 9 weeks. Even with Thanksgiving in there, this is way to long for a simple basement refinishing. 
Things started poorly in September, when they sent our inspection paperwork to the wrong address. After a week of waiting for it, I contacted them and the error was discovered. They sent new paperwork and I took time off from work to drop it off at the township, only to be rejected on the spot because the paperwork wasn't signed. That meant more time to get new paperwork, which again wasn't delivered when we were told it would be. Once it was, more time off from work to drop it off. The first of many delays. 
The framing went well, though one day the guys had to quit halfway through because they ran out of wood. 
Deliveries were scheduled and I changed around my schedule for them, but then the deliveries didn't happen and that caused more delays.
There were things about the job that were completely amateur. Some I pointed out, others I didn't, but had I not requested they be fixed, they would still be like that (see photos).
Debris clogged our French drain and I asked multiple times to have it corrected. It took until after the trim was put on and three requests later for it to be cleared out. By that point, there was some water that came up. 
Where the drywall meets the stairs there were gaps that I wanted corrected. I requested this multiple times. Finally they sent over a carpenter to fix a couple issues and while I made a lot of noise about this one, he was never even told about it. Fortunately, a painter we hired separately corrected it (as well as other issues from Basic Basement). 
This speaks volumes about the annoying communication with Basic Basement. Any issues go through Gail at their office. Gail is not easy to get a hold of and I had emails to her go unanswered for days. Without a cell phone number, the only phone number is her office, which did not get picked up often.
The company was supposed to clean around our house and barely did that. I had to tell them three times about trash they left around the house. Even after they finally did pick up some of the remaining stuff, I still had to go around and get a bunch of big stuff that they missed since my kids were touching the pieces of glass and large shards of wood leftover. Additionally, the workers left cigarette butts on our lawn and driveway. (they also had garbage sit for days in our driveway before finally having their truck pick it up. I almost would've preferred a dumpster).
They also left massive amounts of drywall dust in our furnace room. Fortunately, by coincidence, PSE&G came by a few weeks after the drywall was installed and pointed out how, because the heaters suck in air, they are sucking in all that dust, which is not at all good for them. PSE&G were kind enough to clean it. When I pointed this out to Basic Basement, I got a call from the co-owner of the business, irate and combative. While I was mistaken about some of the things I thought might happen to the furnace when I wrote them demanding they clean the room, the main point was that it was not good to have all that dust and they should've cleaned it. Nonetheless, he was very aggressive, angry and clearly not into my complaint. In the end however, he did send someone to take care of it. 
When the original contract was drawn up, I was going to be charged $550 for the framing and installation of an exterior door (which I also had to purchase). It turned out they did not need to frame it and instead, were able to simply cut the solid wooden door I purchased to fit the space. They also put hinges on it - all things they did for the interior doors too - yet for this one they charged me $200. I felt it was a petty charge since I would've done the couple minutes work on it myself had I known it would've cost that much. They felt differently, claiming they had told me it would still cost $200 without the framing. I don't have it in writing either way so I lose, but thought that as a courtesy and to make up for the amount of time the job took, they'd waive the charge. They didn't.
There were some good things: 
The installation of the frames caused some old pipes to leak, but Basic Basement did immediately send over a plumber who fixed those issues.
They did not charge me the $30 or so for the railing they installed.
The basement looks decent, but only because I pointed out all the issues with it.
Overall, I do not recommend Basic Basement. If you are not in a rush to have your basement done, and you have an eye for noticing things that don't look right, maybe, but I'd say you should go with a company that takes a little more pride in their work.

The job was done without any problems. From the demo thru completion Ralph was the consummate professional. He showed up when he said he would, put in a full day and left with whatever garbage needed disposal. Jim, the project manager and Ralph both answered our questions without hesitation. Our bathroom turned out beautiful. We are very happy and would gladly recommend them.

This is the second time we use basic basement, and could not rave enough about their services. We have Nils Bode coming in for estimate. He arrived on time, talked with us about options. We originally planned to extend the existing window for egress window. Nils walked around our house and suggested a different location which will give us more window and light into the basement. The price is itemized, and we feel comfortable with picking and choosing items that fit out needs and budget. Our project manager is Gail Torrelio, and she is AMAZING. All of our inquiries are answered within hours, and she kept us in the loop on what is going on. Curtis and his team work hard to complete each step as fast as they can and leave the space clean and neat every day. 
We are very happy with the outcome, and will recommend them without hesitation.

These guys were excellent - I can't imagine how it could have gone any better.  We first got an estimate from their sales person (he was able to give to us on the night he saw the site)- we then decided to change the layout slightly and he got us an updated estimate within a a few hours.  Once we got the permits and the job started, the comany's Project Manager (Gail) got in contact - she was terrific --- when hiccups came up along the way (as always happens with construction) she was on top of it and got it sorted out.  The guys that came out to do the work were real professionals; very polite and great craftspeople.  The town inspectors commented to us on how impressed they were with the handiwork.  I can't recommend this company enough.

My experience can be summed up in a simple sentence - You get what you pay for.  Basic Basement was by far the lowest priced contractor we had by more than half.  We were getting estimates to refinish our basement in the 40-50K range.  All we wanted was some walls and floors and Basic Basement provides just that.  They make money on volume.  They have an odd system where the on-site project manager very rarely interacted with us.  Any instructions were given directly to the workers before we left for work or through Gail, the woman who worked in the office.  Gail was great and very responsive and certainly the best part of the process.  However, it created some difficulties with communication where any instructions or issues that occurred had to go through Gail who then had contacted the project manager to physically come to the worksite.
They also seemed to have an issue with the jobsite debris removal.  Almost every time they filled up bags of trash I had to request that they get taken away.  Everything was eventually picked up, but it was perplexing why I had to request it every time.  My other gripe is that the scheduling was rather spread out.  I don't think there was a week where the crew was there all 5 days.  Things were spread out over 2 months.
They do not do flooring for some reason, and they recommended that they do not paint because it would cost too much.  The finer details that are laid out in the contract were never reviewed before or during the job, so we ended up with confusion in drywall coverage and a stair railing that was re-used instead of replaced (which I will have to do by myself later).  The finish work that was done (trim, baseboards, etc.) was only OK.  Miters should have been glued to fill in the cracks and, because there was no flooring done, I will have to attach the baseboard myself.
Overall, it is what it is - you get what you pay for.  If you are not opposed to doing some work yourself and are content with just the basics, then I would recommend Basic Basement.  Gail was great and the price was very fair.  If you are looking for a hands-off, turn-key solution, then you will have to pay more for a contractor offering more complete services.  My rating is a B because even though the quality was on par with the price, the scheduling and the contract detail oversights were slightly disappointing.

Let me start by saying I was dreading finishing my basement.  I actually considered moving to avoid it.  We desperately needed more space and I had met with numerous contractors before contacting Basic Basement.  Jerry came to our home and went over our options and helped me decide the best use for our space.  I was so happy to have someone who could envision what our basement could look like, because I'm not great at it.  We decided that we wanted to use basic basement right away. 
The entire process went so smoothly.  Every person from the electrician to the carpenter was on time, so respectful of our space and left the basement clean everyday.  Gail was amazing.  She answered every question I had and was so responsive.  She really made the entire process seamless and so easy for me.
I would highly recommend using this company.  Not only do they take care of everything from scheduling the workers and inspections but the people are so helpful.  I have an absolutely beautifully finished basement and a new bathroom.  I really could not be happier.

unknown