Basement Detective

Had a great experience with Chris Kuper at Basement Detective! My basement flooded from non-stop storms and I needed a sump pump installed along with complete renovation of my basement. They were very competitive in pricing and outstanding in results. Chris even helped coordinate with the contractor doing my basement renovation after the sump was installed to make sure none of the drainage was disturbed by the new work being done. I have since weathered at least 3 large storms and can hear the sump working as needed. Very happy with the results!

Excellent work and customer service. Would definitely recommend this company. All waterproofing work is expensive, but they offer complete renovation services. Out project was just awful - water in the wall, then they found termites (!) and asbestos in our floor tile & mastic. Basement Detectives worked with us through every issue. They told us what needed to be done, coordinated with other contractors as needed (for our project, a plumber to remove a radiator, and a pest control company and asbestos removal). After the demolition, and the drain and pump install, they put up walls and painted and cleaned everything up. Very professional staff. All we did was get new carpet installed (although they offered to arrange for that, too). We are very pleased with their work. Many thanks to Anthony, Carlos, Jake and Chris.

We were really impressed with Basement Detective's expertise and professionalism. Great job.

Carlos and Brian came out to see if waterproofing was the solution for our basement situation. They were very thorough to the point of determining the stain and problem was coming from our dishwasher in the kitchen. They went the extra mile over something that would not benefit them earning work but longed us in the right direction. Top notch honest professionals. Very thoughtful and helpful. Would hire them in the future for any basement waterproofing I would need because of that.

Honest pricing. Great service. Well done. Basement no longer floods!

After an initial scheduling snafu, Chris was sent to come look at our basement window well trim, which was excessively moist. He was pleasant, courteous and knowledgeable. He provided helpful information and advice that did not necessarily require his company's services. When the window well trim was removed, Chris made himself available to return to our house and reassess for signs of damage or leaking. No direct payment was exchanged, which speaks to Chris and Basement Detective's interest in honest work and customer satisfaction. If we do encounter an issue within their scope of work, we will definitely contact Basement Detective and will refer others to them as well.

The company was able to walk me through the possible issues l. The work was determined to be outside of their scope but the advise was very helpful.

Services showed on time and the work was completed ahead of schedule. Offered a discount on future services if needed. Looking forward to hiring them again. 5 stars!!!

We had an interior perimeter drain put in our basement after flooding during the heavy rains of July. We also had our old window wells changed. From the foreman to everyone on the team, they were friendly, professional, honest, and answered all questions and concerns. They explained how the system worked. They were meticulous in protecting and covering everything in the basement we couldn’t remove to shield it from dust and debris. They cleaned up each day so well you wouldn’t even know they were there. The foreman Carlos was a true professional in every sense of the word and we can see why there are so many other good reviews. The owner Tony was very responsive to all our questions from our first meeting through construction and inspection process. If I could give 6 stars I would. If you have any basement issues don’t hesitate to go with Basement Detective.

I had a pretty serious water leak in my walkout basement, and the folks who came to do the water mitigation (tear out, mold control, dehumidifiers) couldn't figure out where the water was coming from. So, while they were working, I called Basement Detective. They told me that a technician would be there the same day at 4pm. At *exactly* 4pm, Chris knocked on my door. He inspected the area carefully, took pictures and video, and gave me a set of possible scenarios that fit the damage that he could see, and made several recommendations for what I should look for to make a final diagnosis. He was friendly, professional, and spoke clearly without using jargon. He drew pictures for me so that I could understand what the possible problems might be. He was patient and really knew his line of work. Best of all, there was no hard sell for work that did not need to be done, and I couldn't be more grateful for that. I was almost sorry that I didn't need to hire Basement Detective!

Roland came to inspect our basement and we had a very positive experience. We didn’t end up going with Basement Detective because of various factors, but their bid was a strong contender. Roland was attentive and explained everything he was doing and seeing patiently. He was great at answering questions and helped us feel confident about understanding the situation.

It went very well. Contractor called and asked if he could come earlier than agreed upon time (which was fine). He was extremely polite and professional. He explained what he was doing, what his goal was, how long everything would take and what the next steps would be, based on test results.

Really enjoyed doing business with these guys. Chris, Carlos, and Francis did and excellent job on the project and excelled above all expectations. The company was responsive, flexible, and affordable and, while the job was only recently completed, I have zero expectation that I will experience any problems or complications and even if I do, I suspect Anthony/Chris will be extremely responsive.

The initial contract called for the installation of a sump pump with French drain, 10 ft. of outside pipe to carry away water and the installation of a speed drain outside the basement door. We also decided to use Basement Detective to replace the dry wall that was removed and do ceiling work (smoothing a textured ceiling). The latter two actions required contract amendments and lengthened the project time, but it was all well worth it. First, the sump pump team is very professional. They did their best to minimize cement dust created by the trench for the pump. The basement area is 71 linear feet around the edge and we had indications that that all of it had moisture in the walls. That work was completed within the estimated 4 days. Between the contract signing and the start of the work it became apparent to us that while we initially turned down the option to have them re-drywall the area they were indeed the best option. We opted for them to remove the old drywall floor to ceiling. We discovered that the original finish work was simply furrings over cinder blocks with no insulation between that wall and the old drywall (our house was built in 1961). B.D. replaced that with 2x4s, a vapor barrier, R13 insulation, and primer ready drywall finish. Between the sump pump install and the drywall work we coordinated with an electrician to do work that included moving a ceiling light fixture and a wall switch. B.D. agreed to replace the ceiling cut-out at no extra charge, but the crew chief pointed out that the piece would have a flat finish while the rest of the ceiling would be textured. We decided to upgrade the entire look and amended the contract again to include covering the entire ceiling in drywall mud to have a uniform smooth finish (something my wife has wanted for years). It took additional time, but the finished look is worth it. We contracted with Basement Detective and then added work twice. Through the whole process they were very accommodating and fit the added work in to the best of their ability. Roland Hook, the sales rep, gave us hassle free service even as we changed the target. Their crews, one for the sump pump and another for the finish work, were professional, pleasant, and trustworthy. The one thing I would point out to those considering this work is that there will be clean up to do after they leave. It is unavoidable given the jack hammering of concrete and the sanding of a ceiling. They do try and keep the work area sealed and/or do some clean-up, but dust gets to places and we did not have the option of clearing out everything in our basement. That said, the finished work means no more mold in the basement, a more energy saving environment, and a look that is much more in keeping with 2017 than the 1960s. And work done effectively and professionally.

We have a leak in a window well. Roland came out to do an estimate and was incredibly honest and knowledgeable. In the end, we were calling in a surgeon to do a first aid job and he told us that. He presented us with some more options that we can do in the future to help with other issues. We didn't need their services this time but I will absolutely not hesitate to call them back when we need them. I really value an honest person who is helpful and fair. There was no salesmanship, just good service.

Of the contractors we've had to deal with as part of owning a house, Basement Detective ranks in the top three. Roland provided our estimate, and we were impressed by his depth of knowledge and by his candor. He suggested we get price estimates from other companies for the drywall before going with their service. We did that, and it turned out the price was not much different. We decided it would be more convenient to have one company supervising the whole project, and we were absolutely right. Throughout the work, a quick call or email to Roland got immediate answers. There were some of the usual hiccups with getting inspectors & subcontractors in, but it was all handled quickly by the Basement Detective staff. The work crews were friendly, hard-working, and willing to answer any questions that came up. The sump pump crew hung up plastic sheets and put down canvas to protect the floor. Surprisingly little dust carried into the upstairs. The drywall crew was also careful, and we did not have any trouble with clean-up. By the time everything was done, you'd never know the whole rec room had been torn up. They even laid the carpet back out, which was nice while we waiting for our new carpet to arrive. Basement Detective was a little more expensive than some other estimates we received, but we considered it well worth it for the quality of work, and the convenience of having one company in charge of the entire project instead of our trying to coordinate different subcontractors.

They were fast, efficient, courteous and professional. Except for some dust and rocks that we had to clean up ourselves, it went very well.

It went well. I originally wanted the ceiling grid painted, but the salesman said we could not do that, but should replace them, I signed a contract for this work. When the workman came, he suggested it would be much easier to paint the grid and the wall that touched it instead of taping. We never adjusted the contract when the work started. On the day it started, the salesman returned and said he would not raise the price to paint the grid but they did not want to paint the adjoining walls. To me, it seemed a lot easier and cheaper than our original contract that replaced the grid because now, we did not have to buy the grid. However, I was ok with the price, i did not want to delay, and if we were going to change the contract, we should have done it when the workman said to paint the grid instead of replace it. It took them three days, it was typical workers for this area, they did a good job. At the end of the job, when the salesman came for final payment, he presented me with an updated contract. I watch Judge Judy enough to know that I should have changed the contract before the work started, but reality here (where its hard to even get someone to come to your house if you don't live in Potomac) is not as easy to do as we 'should' do it. We had to do a lot of the work ourselves, we had to move everything, and in the end, we had to carry off some of the trash because the worker's car was too small to haul it off. I was glad when it was all finally finished. Then a day later, I noticed that they had disconnected my dryer duct to the outside. I sent them a picture and asked if they could come and fix it because I am not so good at moving dryers and climbing ladders. They never responded and I ended up fixing that myself. I made one more mistake, I had a $300.00 Angies List coupon that I told them about when we were doing the contract, he said he would honor it, but when I paid them, he never mentioned it again. I should have and decided not to bring it up, so I can't hold that against them.

They let me know it was not a water issue, the walls are just damp because it's a basement. They were honest and did not charge me.

It was totally professional from beginning to end. Roland came first to assess the problem and provide a proposal for work needed. He was very thorough and was able to target the problem area and provide an appropriate plan for repair. The work involved removal and haul away of all affected drywall, firing strips, etc. and prepare area and install 24 feet of french drain and a new sump pump. The replacement of drywall that was removed was not included as part of the job at my request. I hired my contractor to do the installation of the new drywall. The job was scheduled two weeks out and they arrived on time, and did a very good job. They installed plastic sheeting to contain the jackhammer dust. The job was scheduled for 3 days and was only delayed by 1 day due to a Fairfax County inspector last minute cancellation. I was very pleased with the way the entire project was handled, and would recommend this company for handling basement foundation water issues.

Great job from beginning to end. We were only aware of a leak in one corner of the basement. However, the night before work began we had a huge storm and discovered an additional leak. This made the job go from about a 2 day job to 4. Even though they had several jobs booked they worked hard to fit the additional work in as quickly as possible. The entire staff responded quickly with all of my inquiries. Would highly recommend.

Well, it's been an adventure, but I think we finally found the solution that will work for our crawlspace problem. Four years ago, we completed a two story addition. Under the new kitchen space was a crawl space about 15X35 feet. From the start, we have had moisture problems in it. The original contractor had a french drain, along with gravel, but the problems persisted. After 3 years, we encapsulated it, which kept the smell contained for a few months, but eventually the smell and moisture returned. Based on a referral, we contacted Basement Detectives in December 2015. They came by, examined the crawlspace, proposed a plan- extensive frenchdrain around its perimeter, more gravel, less encapsulation, and completed the work after about 4 days of pretty labor intensive work. They were friendly, respectful and left the place as clean as they found it. For a few months, it seemed the problem was solved. Unfortunately, the smell and moisture returned after a prolonged rainy period this spring. My wife contacted them about it and they immediately came out, examined it and proposed adding more gravel, re-encapsulating it, and adding a fan to vent the space to the outdoors. They heavily discounted this second round of work. Thomas was particularly helpful as the over all manager of the job. Clearly,, he takes a lot of pride in his work but he was also very sensitive to the concerns that we had especially since the first repair had not succeeded. It's been a couple of months since that second repair. The moisture and smell seems to have gone away for good, but if it returns or a problem comes up, I am confident that the company will stand by its work and quickly seek to fix it.

Recently we found a leak in our basement due to our water main pipe. We called Basement detectives back as they did such a great job with our remodel in 2013/2014. Roland our Project Manager we worked with during the remodel came back out. He helped us assess our situation, provided recommendations, and did not charge us a consolation fee. 

Basement Detectives is a very professional company that treats their clients with respect and fairness. Once we get our water main repaired we will call them if we require any additional work to our basement. 

I was really impressed with the head contractor and his workers. They spent a lot of time making sure that all details of this project were done right and did not cut corners to save on getting the job done faster. They were very friendly and understanding of the situation as my basement had flooded and this was were I had my bedroom set up. They treated my house with care and cleaned up any all mess that was left behind from the project.

What I truly appreciate about the Roland was that he did not try to sell me thousands of dollars of equipment and repair that I did not need to fix the problem I had.  There were 2 firms that came before he did and explained all the expensive work costing thousands of dollars  that needed to be done for me to have a dry basement without diagnosing what the real issue was .  These were  big name companies with twenty plus years in the business who claimed to know what they were doing and wanted me to sign a contract immediately.  They spent more than several hours trying to get me to seal the deal.

Roland did no such thing and was in my house all of 10 mins and explained the problem very clearly.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

L Kumar