Penguin Basements

We are very happy with our newly finished basement! Many thanks to the whole Penguin team - Dan, Sergei, Angelo, Eric, Amy, Walter, Claudio, and all the trades.

Penguin Basements did a wonderful job making our basement a great space for our family! Only thing we wish could have been improved was updates on the work schedule in the mobile app, BuilderTrend. We loved the idea of having immediate access to knowing the timeline of the project and when trades would be at our house. When there was a slight delay in the project, unfortunately the app never got updated with the new timeline. Our finishing supervisor was good at responding to texts when we requested information from him though.

Overall the basement looks great, will add much needed space to our home, and will increase the resale value if/when we move in the future

Penguin Basements transformed the basement of our 1887 basement from a dark uninviting old space into a bright, inviting space that we are now proud to show off to friends, neighbours and family. This was not a job for the faint of heart. The basement had suffered from over a century of different owners who had either neglected the space or tried to make it functional with do-it-yourself fixes that only added to the disorganized mess that can happen without a master plan.
From the moment we met the head of Penguin through all aspects of the process: consultation with designer, cleaning out of the entire basement to the original stone and brick walls, moving and installation of new heating and cooling ducts, moving and installation of new plumbing, addition of electrical outlets and lighting , framing of walls, construction of walls, floor installation and painting -- everyone worked in harmony to meet our expectations. The subcontractors were polite and professional as were all Penguin staff. They really seem to love basements.
We appreciate the work of everyone and in particular we want to thank Josh D. For his consistently professional care and attention to making sure our basement was completed according to our wishes. Josh is a "get it done" kind of guy, who listens then finds solutions... just the kind of project manager we all hope for when we give a company our money and the keys to our house.

Work done on time, which is an important part of any renovation project. Workmanship is decent. At the end we are pleased with the result. We didn't give a five star in each of the categories because of the high cost and the restrictions. There are a few things that we think can be improved:
1) make better use of the App: it is good to have an app and provide images of the progress and status. However, the project status was not updated regularly once the project started. Some questions asked via the app is also not answered. I therefore have to contact the individual via mobile.
2) too many managers: for a project to be completed within a month, there are too many managers involved. So we have to constantly remind the new manager about requests we have made with the last one to get things going.
3) less surprises in additional cost: we were told that there will be a full review of the basement to provide us with detailed cost breakdowns. This ensure there won't be surprises. However, we were told on the 2nd day that our plumbing is not up to standard and the subcontractors said they won't do anything unless it is upgraded. so at the end we have to commit to a change order with no choice. We are disappointed as this should have been pointed out during that "detailed" review as promised.

We want to give special thanks for Boaz and Josh. If you are want to explore using Penguin these are the two guys you want on your team:
1) Boaz started the whole sales cycle and was constantly there to provide support and answer questions. We have some maintenance issue and he is still there to help us weeks after the project. Thank you Boaz!
2) Josh was there to wrap up the project for us. There were many unfinished businesses that he single handedly completed for us. He took time to explain and communicate with us and help resolve some of the disappointments we have.

Thank You Josh and Boaz!

Overall, the project was done on time. And we are pleased with the result.

They’ve got basements down to a science. Great quality of materials and workmanship. We hired Penguin Basements to finish our basement as well as renovate our main floor laundry room. Juliano was awesome! Communicating with him was easy and he kept us in the loop and visited on site regularly throughout the project. The basement was done in the promised three weeks and we love it. Their trades people were impressive the way they worked around each other and got the job done. Our laundry room took longer because we had to wait for cabinetry and countertop but this was explained to us in the designing stage.
A few reasons for the 9 instead of a 10...before the project started, we found communication could be improved - had trouble getting call backs/responses from our designer and project manager at times. We weren’t sure when project was going to begin but had expected a little more advance notice. Their trades were all great with the exception of the guys who came in to do the drywall mudding and sanding. Quality of their work wasn’t up to par. Also, we wish we had been given the option to replace the subfloor in the laundry room. We had enquired about this but were told it wasn’t necessary. Tiles were replaced with the same vinyl flooring as basement, but it feels soft to walk on in certain areas.
Of course, as with any renovation, there were unexpected situations and midproject issues but Juliano was honest and upfront and responsive whenever we reached out to him. He made all the difference in our project and our experience. Thank you!

After researching many basement renovation companies, I finally settled on Penguin Basements. Let me just say that I was very impressed with my finished basement.
Although the only part of the process which I feel they can improve on is having one person as their point of contact throughout the entire process. There were so many people involved with the project there were times when I felt that there was a lack of communication especially at the start of the construction.
The actual construction process was very impressive, as they were able to move very quickly throughout the day and get a lot done. Their work was very fast and at the same time they produced a high quality finish.
Some names I want to mention is first of all Robert. Robert had always been able to reassure me as their client, that he was working to meet my expectations and achieve the same goal by completing my basement at a reasonable time frame and achieve a high quality finish. He listened to my frustrations and concerns I had expressed along the way, and always maintained a sense of reassurance to me that my basement would be done efficiently and the end result would be very satisfying.
There were so many people involved with the entire process and they all did a fabulous job, but I have to make special attention to Claudio. This man was absolutely AMAZING from the first day he arrived to my home to oversee the final stages of the basement. He met with my wife and went over all the specific details with her and made notes of all the things that were left to be done and completed. He actually cared and was so enthusiastic about finishing our basement. Claudio was very easily reachable at any time and was always willing to listen and move ahead with completing the basement.
I would definitely recommend Penguin Basements to get your basement done.

We would like to give the highest rating to the finishing done to our basement.
Claudio and Penguin basement has gone above and beyond our expectations From beginning to end.
Communication was always great.
we want to Thank Claudio again for surpassing everything on his scope and giving us the right expectations.
Our experience with Penguin basement have been fantastic. Great people to work with.
We would definitely recommend
Penguin basement to do your basements with high quality.

We like to say that from the beginning Penguin managers treated us and our home with all respect as we expected. The quality and and performance was great and
great finishings. Claudio came in with all the support and answers to our questions, very prompt response from him. overall Penguin has come through with their promise.
Again we want to thank Claudio for be responsive when we had any concerns even after hours and on the weekend. Thank you Claudio and thanks Penguin basement for a great job.

When we first met with Boaz from Penguin Basements we were impressed by the level of knowledge and professionalism that he presented. It was a lengthy presentation filled with many promises and references to the company’s level of professionalism and organization. We were told about the trades that are employed by Penguin Basements, which would eliminate delays, the company’s app that allows for constant communication of scheduling, payments and all other details with regards to our basement. At first we were hesitant, but Boaz assured us that with the technology used, professionalism of the trades and the company that we would have a positive experience. We were excited to sign with Penguin Basements and begin the completion of our basement.
Our project was scheduled to begin fairly quickly but issues began to arise just as quickly. We were told that someone needed to be home for the first two days of construction to approve placement of framing and electrical. We were given the dates and made the necessary arrangements to be home from work for these days. Two days before our start date our project was delayed by about a week. We made arrangements a second time to be home for the approval that was needed. Again, 1 day prior to the second start date, Penguin Basements tried to delay us again. After speaking with the project supervisor, compensation was given and our project commenced on the set date with an expected couple day delay within the job due to inventory issues with the flooring.
The work in our basement began, a quoted three week job, nothing fancy just a big open space with a small closet. The electrical was put in as well as relocation of the central vacuum and ducting. The drywall went in on a Friday. All cuts were made in the garage and the sheets were carried through the house. When we arrived home we found dust all over our main floor. Although some dust is to be expected, this was excessive. We had a discussion with the trade that was installing the boards and his words were “I am really sorry it shouldn’t be this dirty.” It was at this time that we went to vacuum. The relocation of the central vacuum was completed just a few days before and we had not used the system since. To our surprise we had no suction. When Juliano, our initial project manager, was notified of the issue, we were told that they would look into it the following week. We were left in a house full of dust (beyond the normal amount according to the trades people putting in the boards) for the weekend. The following week came as did many more conversations about our vacuum. It was implied that it wasn’t possibly their fault as all they did was extend the pipe. After two weeks of back and forth conversations, we put in a service call to BEAM vacuums, as Penguin Basements did not seem too concerned about fixing this with any urgency. BEAM promptly came to our house and within minutes diagnosed the issue. The pipe to the basement had been pulled when it was extended and broke the connection at the main floor. The service call was completed and after discussion, Penguin Basements covered the cost.
The app that the Boaz was so confident in was never updated or accurate. We never felt informed as to who was in our house or what work was being completed. We often had trades arrive at our house late at night or on the weekend without notice. When this was addressed with Penguin Basements, they advised they were still working on the APP.
We had two separate project managers, Juliano and Josh. This didn’t seem to make a lot of sense to us as to why you would switch project managers during a job, but Josh was our second Project Manager and he was fantastic, so it worked out to our benefit. He was extremely helpful and always available to answer questions that we had. His response was always prompt and he did his best to quickly solve any issues that came about. For example, when he came to help mount our T.V., he brought a T.V. mount that was supplied by Penguin Basements. This was included in our price when we made our décor selections, and based on the Penguin Basement sales pitch, we expected this would be of high quality. The mount that was supplied, when we researched the brand, was a probably the cheapest TV mount they could find, which was infuriating and extremely disappointing from this company. When we brought our concerns to Josh he immediately went out and bought a more suitable mount to hang our TV with. We felt that Josh valued our opinions, concerns and was willing to keep us informed and be sure the best work possible was done. Josh really enhanced our experience with Penguin Basements.
When our job was finally complete, the cardboard that was placed on the floors was removed. When the tape was pulled off of our marble flooring the finish was removed, leaving very obvious lines across the floor. We immediately brought this to the attention of our Project Manager, Josh. The cleaning company came soon after and we brought it to their attention. They used abrasive cleaners as well as a product named Goof Off, under the direction of their boss at Penguin Basements. This etched the stone and caused more damage. When we brought the further damage to the attention of Penguin Basements we were told that they would get back to us with a solution. A few days later we were given the solution of a hardware store product that would be a temporary fix. We felt that because the job was complete Penguin basements was looking for a quick fix so they could move on. After hours of our own research and time, we were told by a marble restoration company, that our floors were etched and needed to be refinished. The cost of this repair was subsequently paid by Penguin Basements.
Overall, the work of Penguin Basements is quality work. The final product is visually appealing and enjoyed by our family. Josh and Eric were accommodating and helpful. We had some major hiccups along the way, but in the end, we are happy with the work.

We selected Penguin dye to their Bricks and Mortar presence being 10 mins away and their experience. They were very creative and careful with the plan and execution ensuring everything was done to code. Their opportunities are with the initial quotes they provide to ensure that there is sufficient lighting for the space (we needed to almost double the amount of potlights needed for our project). Otherwise very transparent in terms of cost and love the fact that they provided a dumpster than we can use for our own waste. Overall great service and people, happy with the way the basement turned out.

I’m writing this review as a customer but also as the wife of an employee. I want to reflect on my experience with the team at Penguin. There is no wonder why my husband works at Penguin Basements – the entire team is extremely passionate, knowledgeable and family focused. Every employee that handled our project did so with care, they treated our home like their own. Project started on January 18, finished on February 2, basement size – 600 sqft. I would rate them 12/10 if I could, let me explain why…

Thank you to Amy, Amy was the Designer who helped me pick my finishes, layout and basement flow. She provided expertise on what the basement would look like once finished. It’s hard to select flooring, paint, door handles without seeing it in your home, but the showroom at Penguin was able to demonstrate how it would look and function. She met with us at our convenience, kept things light and was able to explain current trends. Amy (I hope you read this) the tiles in the shower are my favourite!

Thank you to Tony, our starting Site Supervisor, he was incredible. Tony would start the day at 7:00AM with a smile and a “high five” for my son. After a walk through, he was able to envision how we would use the basement and provided recommendations on how best to layout the electrical, washroom, shower, etc. It’s one thing to see the blueprint, another to actually go down and walk it through. Tony, you are family!

Thank you to Josh, our finishing Site Supervisor. He did sooo much in such a little amount of time. He coordinated the crews and helped them out when necessary to ensure we were meeting and exceeding the timelines. Josh knew we had birthday parties in mid-Feb and wanted to complete the basement before then. The fact that the basement is gorgeous is because of him. His attention to detail was immense, he would find imperfections before we could and was quick to fix them. (ps. your trigonometry skills are A+++)

All in all, the renovation was the best experience in my life, I was expecting a horror story, but instead got a fairy tale ending. We were told that we won’t get any special treatment, and they exceeded our expectations. Thank you Penguin Basements, if it’s up to me, my husband will work there forever!