We chose Sonoma Contracting to renovate our 425 sq. ft. basement based on Mike’s clear, comprehensible and reasonable quote, professional feedback, his extremely prompt replies and the overall quality of the pictures on Homestars. We definitely got what we were looking for: our basement is beautiful, functional, the work is of high quality. We are first-time home-owners, and first timers working with a contractor, and we had a great experience with Sonoma Contracting. Our basement is a smaller space, and we needed to fit in a 3-piece bathroom, office, TV watching area, laundry, and some storage if we could manage. Our house was narrow: 14 feet at the wide end and 10 feet at the narrow end. We were also on a limited budget, and had just purchased the house. When we invited Mike to take a look at our basement in our new house, he was very quick to respond. We had a quote within a week based on some drawings we produced with Autodesk Homestyler. Mike also connected us with True North Underpinning to discuss some height and waterproofing options for our basement. We solicited several other companies to quote on our job, and Sonoma’s was the only one that was clear, comprehensive and trustworthy. When we met Mike, we liked him: he was down to earth and straightforward, and we knew he was someone who we could work with. We worked with True North Underpinning and Sonoma to waterproof (weeping tile, sump pump, delta wrap), redo the plumbing (install a backflow preventer) and replace our concrete floor. All the trades worked extremely well and both teams went above and beyond to do the work necessary. Mike was completely on top of all the layout needs, and made it right when something was overlooked on the drawings. Everything was done to code, and thoroughly inspected by the city. Once the framing started, we were extremely impressed with Mike’s team, and all the various sub-trades that Mike employed to get the work done. Mike’s team were extremely professional: prompt, produced good work, and were sensitive to our needs as the client. Whenever we were concerned about how a certain aspect of the job was being executed, Mike always took our feedback very seriously and addressed it immediately. When there were delays due to external factors, some of the trades worked on the weekend to get the work done, like the electricians and carpenter who installed new railings and pickets. We had knob and tube electrical in our place, and electricians did a great job of tracking it all down. The HVAC guys were very accommodating given that we did not move our furnace location for the renovation: we had to reroute a section of the HVAC to accommodate the layout. We had gas lines routed to the outdoors for a BBQ and roughed in for a stove. As for the flooring and tile, the suppliers were very good, and the quality of materials recommended was high. There was a moment where Mike went out of his way to get the vanity we wanted, despite it only being in stock in Mississauga. We would definitely use Sonoma Contracting again.

800 square foot basement was finished - framing, drywall, electrical, plumbing (3 piece washroom, laundry room, drains), tiles, flooring, most painting. Quality of work done was extremely high. Lots of extras above original quote. If I were to do this over, I would have gotten an exact breakdown of what is included in the bathroom, doors, floors and tiles (all severely low budgets to work with). The bathroom budget only allowed for the lowest end fixtures. The tiles and floor budget were the lowest end as well. Know these budgets ahead of time before you book. The head contractor always made himself available for questions and concerns. We had a scheduling issue where I believe time was wasted if planned out better.

We initially contacted Mike for a quote a couple of years ago because of the positive reviews on Homestars. Not only was he a genuinely nice guy, his quote was extremely competitive. When we had saved enough money to get started, we contacted him again along with 2 other contractors. He honoured his original quote with a few additional requests on our part. Within a month, the work started. We live in an old house (built in 1920) in the West end of Toronto. The scope of work included the demo of the existing DIY reno that the previous owners had done; digging up the concrete basement to replace all of the drains; spray foam insulation; adding a bathroom, laundry room, bedroom, furnace room and living area. We had a few issues trying to finalize the layout given some beam/height restrictions but Mike was very patient with us. We also had a few scope change requests (decided to replace our furnace and upgrade some of the materials); he was very reasonable and did not charge a premium for out of scope items as some contractors do. On the flip side, there were a couple of things included in his scope that we decided not to do which were credited to us without us even needing to ask. The quality of work was outstanding. Their trades people were very pleasant to deal with as well. In terms of timelines, the project was estimated at about 8 weeks and it took about 10; some of the delays were a result of the change requests that we had made so completely our own doing. Mike was always very approachable and reachable throughout the project. No significant issues came up during the reno which is surprising given that it’s an old home. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Mike and the Sonoma contracting team.

In terms of budget comparison to other contractors, Mike's budget was higher than other contractors. Was worth it in my opinion for the quality of workmanship. His crew was very professional, on time, and did high quality work. Plumber, electrician, tile guys amazing, tony the carpenter was a fine craftsman - I was very pleased with their work. I am pretty particular about details, too. They didn't hesitate when I asked for detailed changes. In terms of unforeseen issues that happened during the reno, on my side there were a few delays due to custom orders which caused a delay in our timelines. One thing I would specify and clarify with mike ahead of time is your expectations for the details of the budgeted items are (I.e. materials, premium or not, type of tile). Know the details of the type of material that you want for him to budget for. Mike was an excellent communicator with a positive can-do attitude and was a real pleasure to work with. I would love to work with mike and his crew again. Highly recommend this excellent team.

Mike and his crew are simply awesome. They have transformed our old nasty basement into an amazing place to spend time. He has some of the best trades I've ever dealt with. They were all skilled, professional and could problem solve on the fly, something that most trades that I've dealt with can't do. Mike's quote was fair, his attention to detail was impressive. The scope of work was a full basement renovation which included an office, living room, laundry, bathroom and storage areas. Best part...heated floors....do it, totally worth it. I would use Sonoma again and would recommend Mike and his crew to anyone.

Mike and his team finished our basement and made it into one of our favorite places in the house. The work included a bathroom, gym, cool-room/wine storage, games room and a multimedia area. Even though we started the project with a ready plan and a pretty good idea of what we wanted done, Mike’s experience in projects of this nature showed & he helped us to crystalize our ideas & avoid a number of pitfalls. While there are always small challenges along the way in projects of this size, the way Mike & his team handled them was superb & made a huge difference. It is also important to mention Mike’s good nature and up-beat personality which made it easy to establish a good relationship that helped us work well together. In case of our reno, Mike had to coordinate with 2 other companies (1 for fireplace work & 1 for bar installation) and did so without any issues or concerns from us. The work was completed in approximately 3 months (as per schedule) and the quality is excellent. It’s important to mention that Mike’s success is based on top notch professionals he selects to do the work. Folks like Marco (electrician), Paul (HVAC) and Tony (framing, trim-work) etc. all of whom not only complete the work but are passionate about the quality and make excellent recommendations as the project unfolds. We would recommend Mike & his team without hesitation to anyone who wants to reno their basement space.

Mike and his crew were truly an outstanding team. I recommend them without hesitation. They came in and demolished the existing horror story that we called a basement. They framed, built a bathroom (where there was none), insulated, drywalled, painted and put beautiful flooring. Not only were there no shortcuts taken, they went the extra mile. Everything was on budget and done in a timely manner. Most important to me (as the pseudo professional designer) is that Mike communicated with me. He ALWAYS returned calls and followed my sometimes convoluted instructions. After having interviewed many contractors and engaged in many projects, I can truly say that Mike and his crew are true diamonds.

The guys from Sonoma were very professional. They came and did the job quickly without any hassle as promised. My basement looks exactly the way I asked. Everything was done promptly and neatly. Thank you!

Mike is a good guy, has fair prices, and ensures quality work is done. Ill be using his services again. We had him demo a wall with some structural work, remove old drywall and replace it, and a fair amount of electrical in the house. Thanks Mike. Jay