The Finished Basement

TFB was great. Matt and his team were professional, work was complete and of excellent quality. Timeline given on quote was accurate. Work was consistent throughout the basement install.

Hired The Finished Basement (FB) company for a basement remodel in November 2020. My neighbor had used them and found there work acceptable. My opinion is different. If you are looking for a contractor to just finish your basement and do not care about quality or how it is done, then this company will do that for you. If you are concerned about getting what you want and making sure it is done right, then keep on reading. Things you need to know before hiring this company: 1. Contracts are vague and do not provide details for work. I had my three pages of requirements added as an addendum to the contract. 2. Told that all people working for FB were employees. They used contractors. 3. Their project manager only schedules work crews and handles county inspections. Does not review contractors work and make sure requirements followed. Makes excuses every time here is an issue. You must force them to fix issues by withholding payment. 4. You must make sure contractors are doing the work correctly and to your expected quality level. 5. FB does not review contractor’s work. Only care that it can pass inspection. 6. County inspectors doing permit reviews virtually (not on site) miss issues because they only see what the project manager shows them on his phone. He will skip over known issues to get the inspection passed because they do not care about quality. 7. Project manager does not read work contracts signed by owner. 8. FB may use cheaper products that what they tell you they use (i.e., Spray Foam) 9. FB does not honor their warranty and will not fix issues after final payment. 10. Owner gets a discount at Lowes so wants you to pick finishes he can buy there. 11. I purchased the cabinets, LED lighting and flooring from where I wanted and had delivered to job site. I also did all the painting. 12. I have had an electrical issue with some of the new breakers tripping after a power outage. Been trying to get FB to fix the issue for 4 months. Cannot get them to come fix the problem. Issues with contractor’s work: 1. I had to explain design plan to contractors when they arrived on site. 2. Contractors never asked you to review work, they just leave when done. 3. Framers did not allow for extra thick drywall (for soundproofing) when framing soffits causing cabinets to not fit correctly. Cabinets had to be modified to fit in space and doors open into walls since 1” spacing between wall and cabinets had to be eliminated. 4. Framers did not properly secure many wall 2x4s. 5. Framers incorrectly installed floor joist bridge blocking and left some out. 6. Framers incorrectly installed return vent duct work. 7. Framers incorrectly framed out soffit so cabinet would not fit under it. 8. Framers installed framing touching hot water line so rubbed and squeaked when hot water used. 9. Electrician forgot to wire for a row of can lights in the ceiling. 10. Electrician did not allow for double thick drywall for ceiling light boxes. (set to deep) 11. Plumber wanted to install sink drain venting that was not up to code. 12. Plumber moved a waste line and put it right next to a hot water line causing them to rub together and squeak when hit water used. 13. Plumber did not install nail plates on 2x4 with pipes through them. 14. Spray insulation installer sprayed code at a thickness from ½ inch to 4 inches in depth when code requires 2 inches of foam for insulation. Did not spray behind 2x4s in corners and missed other spots. Manager tried to fill areas with fire block foam. 15. Manager had contractor use ¼ of manufacturer recommenced amount of sound insulation glue between drywall sheets. Good things: 1. Framers’ laser leveled and squared all walls to near perfect. 2. Framers listened and worked well with me as design requirements were explained. We discussed how they were going to build something before they did it to try and make sure it was what I wanted. 3. Nothing good about the plumber. 4. Drywall crew did a really nice job with only a few fixes need before painting. 5. Finishing crew (framers) did a nice job fitting cabinets into shortened space. 6. Finishing crew did nice job on baseboards and laminate flooring. I caught most of the issues because I reviewed all the contractor’s work. I know how framing, electrical, drywall and finishes should be done so I knew when the project manager was trying to give me an excuse to not fix the issues. Here is one example of a major issue I had to fight to get fixed. FB uses spray foam insulation between the basement wall and framing. Functions as vapor barrier and insultation. Code in my area requires 2 inches of spray foam. The project manager got the building inspector to pass the permit on a virtual inspection. Something did not look right with the foam being very wavy instead of smooth. Some places it filled out past the wall studs. I started measuring the depth of foam and found it ranged from ½ inch to 4 inches in different places. I discussed this issue with the project manager since I’m paying for 2” of foam, He discussed this with the owner and said they purchased the correct amount of spray foam to insulate the space and would not do anything about it. (Tanks of spray foam are about $500+ so they do not want to buy more.) I talked to the owner and told him that I would contact the building inspector who approved the permit and ask if it this variance in levels was acceptable. If he said yes, then I would not press the issue. The owner was at my house the next day to review the issue. He made the same excuse that they had purchased the correct amount to insulate the space to code. I said that it is not my problem if they can not install it correctly. Code requires 2” of foam. They fixed the issue the next day. Overall I’m happy with the basement now that it is done, but I had to do A LOT of work to make sure I got what I wanted. Cost without cabinets, countertop, flooring, lighting, and painting: $24,970

Walley's team was great! The basement looks outstanding and we use it all the time. I definitely recommend them for your basement remodel.

Excellent. We could not be more satisfied with job that was done. I was also pleased that this company was the only one bidding on the project to have workers' comp coverage.

Wally and team did a wonderful job finishing our basement. We've worked with a number of contractors and remodelers over the years and Wally's team were particularly professional and experienced. They were helpful and flexible as we modified and expanded our plans over the life of the project. They listened to what we wanted, and when we weren't sure what we wanted, they had helpful suggestions and were able to guide us to a good decision. Most importantly, Wally and his project manager, Matt, were always responsive and in-touch and maintained great communication throughout the project. We're really happy with the final product and I'd recommend Wally and team to anyone.

It went extremely well. Both the owner Walley and Matt the operations manager were very responsive. We had never had this much work done so we understandably had a ton of questions throughout the project. They were very patient and tried to answer our questions over the phone on the first call and sometimes would come out to answer in person. The quality of work is very high throughout - cutout windows, framing, dry wall, vinyl flooring, fixtures, downstairs bathroom, painting etc. Some of this could be credited to their lead carpenter Tommy who is as much of a perfectionist and as highly skilled as I've ever seen, which is exactly what we were hoping for. If had I had to throw out a nit to pick the only thing I can mention is the job took longer than we had hoped. We were hoping for 6 weeks but it ended up taking around 11 weeks. But given the size of the basement we had them finish and the quality of the finished product I can't complain. I would rather have it done right and look as good as it does than have it done quicker and have corners cut. The bottom line is that we couldn't be happier with the finished product and wouldn't hesitate to use them again.

We were extremely happy with Finished Basement. Their price was slightly lower than others and this is a very professional group of people. Quality of work was excellent at all levels. Communication to us on the schedules was excellent and they absolutely hit their deadlines. Work came in exactly on estimate. They are specialists in basements and it shows.

The overall job looks good. There were a few things that could've been better. The biggest issue was communication. It was poor in the beginning but did get better throughout the job. I would use them again, however I would make sure that everything agreed to in the beginning was communicated to all of the employees and subcontractors on the job. Everyone who worked in my home was great! They left my home in good shape and as clean as possible at the end of each day.

It went great. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to finish their basement. Wally answered his phone the first time we called him and came out to our house within the week. He had a list of all the options with him which helped make everything easy. He made very good suggestions. His crews was able to start sooner than he originally thought. Every person that worked on our basement did a great job. They were extremely skilled. They did a great job of keeping us informed of what would take and when. Our basement looks better than we thought it could look.

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Wally and his guys were all very professional and easy to work with. All work was done according to the agreed to budget and schedule, including easy accommodation of our vacations. Work areas were always left clean. I'm amazed at how responsive all his subs are to what he needs done and when. Subs were all also high quality. Touch ups required after last payment was made were also done quickly and to our satisfaction. End product is fantastic.

We are very happy with the work done by Wally's team at The Unfinished Basement! Wally came out for the initial meeting to walk through our basement, share some ideas and give us an estimate of costs. We'd pursued a few other estimates, but were most impressed by Wally's explanation of the process, and the give-and-take in our discussion about what we wanted. His prices were in line with the other estimates as well. The entire project took about five weeks, though there were some days where there wasn't any work done, as the crews were waiting for drywall to dry, had to finish other jobs, etc. We were really impressed by the quality of the work, from the carpentry to the drywall, the plumbing and electrical, and the carpet installers, too. There was great attention to detail, and at every point in the process, Wally made sure we were happy. There were a few minor issues--dings to the drywall from things being carried downstairs, some roughing up of the new paint, etc., the normal wear-and-tear with a big project, but Wally made sure that everything was repaired. I had one particularly impressive exchange with the carpet crew. They arrived at our house late, due to a miscommunication. They stayed well into the evening to make sure the job was done. The head of the crew noticed that we didn't have a metal or plastic strip at the top of the steps, to transition from the carpeted steps into the stone floor of our kitchen. He told me where we could find one, but then a week later, we arrived home to find that Wick (the awesome installer) had picked up a bar for us and left it on our porch! Such a nice touch! We have three children and a big, bouncy dog and I'm always a little nervous about opening up our house to strangers, particularly for several weeks at a clip, but the people who came to our home were very respectful and kind. Tom and Troy, in particular, were fantastic to work with. We will certainly recommend The Finished Basement to other friends.

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Wally and his team exceeded our expectations.  Our basement turned out great.  We were very happy with the up front quote and Wally came in right at budget.  The carpenters that did a bulk of the work (Tom & Troy) were awesome!  Great work, better personalities, a real pleasure to be around.  This is important to us given the length of the project.  These guys keep an impeccably clean work area.  Let us save you some time, we quoted several contractors (5) as this was an important project, The Finished Basement was the best combination of quality, price and professionalism.  Our experience with the contractor was outstanding.

Thanks again Wally and tell Tom & Troy that we said hi!

They did a tremendous job and in a timely manner.

The work was done over two months' time. There were no cost overruns. The workers were all polite and professional and left a clean work site. And the new living space is stunning. We are so pleased and would definitely recommend the Finished Basement to anyone.

I would highly recommend this company.  Wally was very professional and answered every question and concern I had.  All contractors were professional and their work was perfect. I would not use any other company for remodeling/repairs.

Was very impressed with their professionalism.  On Wally's first visit, he examined the room and was able to give us a quote on the spot for the basic basement finishing.  He then followed up a couple of days later with estimates for the bar area, etc.  All the details were spelled out including allowances for tile, carpet, etc. so it was very easy to adjust our plans.   We had contacted two other remodelers whose quotes were so vague I was concerned there would be lots of surprises. But, with The FInished Basement everything was clearly spelled out.  He also happened to be the cheapest quote.
They completed the work in about 7 weeks.  The work was of high quality and all of the workers were very professional, made minor suggestions for improvements, extra touches, etc.  If we didn't like the way something looked, they redid it until we were satisfied.  Everything turned out beautiful.  It's been almost 2 months since it was completed and we haven't had any problems.

We couldn?t be more pleased with the work that Jon and his crew did to convert our 600 sq. ft. basement from cinder block walls into a beautiful den, bedroom, and potting area for my gardening.  

Jon bent over backwards to accommodate my design and came up with many helpful suggestions which I incorporated, so the work went incredibly smoothly with no delays .   Many of the subcontractors had worked together and with Jon for years. When we had a couple of glitches due to pipes, ducts, etc., Jon came up with creative solutions to give me what I wanted. 

I couldn?t be happier.  The workmanship was excellent, the timing perfect. The budget was exactly what we had agreed and significantly lower than we had initially expected.  I have already recommended Jon to all the neighbors.

Happiness Nominee because Jon found a way to install an upstairs bathroom exhaust duct that had baffled our electrician and our duct installer.  He came over to build a soffit himself.  Then he discovered a way to put in the duct without building the soffit.  With that information we could have our electrician and a handyman put in the fan and duct.  Jon then had one of his impressively fast, neat and hardworking dry-wallers smoothy cover the holes left in the ceiling and walls from trying to find a way to install the fan.  Now the 30-year old house has its first exhaust fan.

They were great. Their prices were reasonable and they didn't have any hidden fees whatsoever. They were clean and always professional as well as honest. I would recommend their services to others for sure.

They were really prompt and did a professional job.  It took about 3 weeks to complete the job.

I had several estimates to finish our basement for my inhome child-care business and also for a sewing room for the draperies that I make and an exercise area. By accident I saw the ad for The Finished Basement and decided to get an estimate from them as well thinking that they can't possibly do the basement for the price listed in the ad. Jon Patton, the Branch Manager, came to our home and looked at the basement and gave a very detailed explanation of what needed to be done to have the basement finished as I wished. He sat down and figured out what everything would cost and what any extras might be as well as refunds on things we might purchase ourselves. They were the only company that included carpet or flooring in their costs. After agreeing to go with this company, we first had an egress window installed by Best Egress Windows and Jon then started the framing promptly on Sept. 7. He was always on time, as were his other workers, very polite, responsive to all questions, thorough on checking the work, and willing to work with us on everything and even last minute changes we had. We also added the half bath because of the reasonable cost to put one in. Jon immediately followed through on the couple minor problems we had and also came up with some great solutions for some problem areas. I also saw another basement that he was finishing to check the type of ceiling we wanted to put in and it was beautifully done. Our basement looks terrific and I wish that I had done this many years ago. My grown children wish we had, too. And the parents and children that I provide care for are excited for me to get our toys and everything organized so we can start using the basement which was just finished. Also, the final cost was only a few hundred dollars above the estimate mainly due to city permits and an additional electrical panel. I would recommend this company to anyone thinking of remodeling or refinishing their basement. Jon is very professional and does a great job.

It went smooth from start to finish, all workers were considerate and professional. They completed the job as planned and I was very impressed with each crew, from electrical to drywall and finishers.

The experience was wonderful from the very start. When the salesman came out to the house he was there only 40 minutes not 3 hours like other companies. Their quote was different from the other companies we got bids from because they broke the pricing down so we knew what every item cost. The salesman said it would take 4-5 weeks to finish the basement and it took 4 1/2. After the first day we felt very comfortable leaving them alone in our home. They protected our brand new wood floors upstairs by putting paper on the floor, which we liked. The quality was good and the price was by far the cheapest bid we received. The best part was there was no surprises at the end of the remodel. The final draw was exactly what we thought it was. We did upgrade the carpet though.