JBarnard in Toronto

Kevin and Tony from Tall Basements are smart, professional, and have a high sense of responsibility for their work. And the quality of that work is fantastic. UNDERPINNING We had our basement dug out and underpinned using Tall Basement’s space-maximizing approach, which was really key to us in a small semi. The work included excavating and reclaiming a crawl space beneath our addition, which provided even more space. Tall Basements also finished the basement, installed a hydronic heating system throughout the house, gutted and rebuilt the kitchen according to our architect’s drawings, and made modifications to other areas on the main floor. COLLABORATIVE APPROACH Tall Basement’s approach was highly collaborative: we discussed and were involved in all decisions throughout the project. One of the things that impressed us the most, and that greatly reduced our stress, was their solution-based method of problem solving. On a few occasions we ran into unexpected issues, inevitable in a 120 year old home. When this happened, Kevin and Tony would show us the problem and return the next day to present us with two or three solutions and related prices. We never felt forced to take a particular route, and always knew we had options. In addition, Kevin and Tony met with our neighbours at key intervals during the project to keep them informed of what was taking place, which was particularly important to us. COST We are price-conscious, and everything cost what Tall Basements said it would. We did go over budget BUT it was because the renovation meant we could take advantage of opportunities (such as a tankless water heater and hydronic heating system) that we hadn’t heard about and which have completely changed our enjoyment of our house. (Warm floors!) And, as mentioned above, our house is very old, and a couple of unanticipated discoveries (such as a partially missing foundation wall) occurred during the dig, and had to be dealt with. They lead to additional costs but, as always, Tall Basements provided us with options. CONFIDENCE Ultimately, the success of our renovation came not just from the high level of quality of work but from our confidence and trust in Kevin and Tony. They were onsite every day, and always available for questions. I received daily text messages with photos of the work as it unfolded and felt fully involved in what was happening. We also benefited from Kevin and Tony’s mutual good taste via design ideas (such as opening the staircase) and materials that enhanced our original concept. This review is already quite long, but I’d be remiss not to mention that Tony and Kevin are genuinely nice men. If you’re going to see people daily over an extended, somewhat stressful period, you should see guys like these two.