Jon in Toronto

After meeting with and getting quotes from a few different underpinning companies, we selected The Underpinners to excavate, underpin and waterproof our basement. We had never done any major renovations on our house, so our biggest fear about undertaking this project was how it was going to impact our home life – whether it be noise, dust, or just the general unease of having total strangers working in our home. Throughout the project, we never once felt uncomfortable or inconvenienced. The crew was punctual, well-organized and very personable. Once we had a firm start date, they showed up on time (in the middle of a snowstorm, no less), ready to hit the ground running. We had numerous compliments from neighbours – some of whom we had never met before – about what a wonderful crew we had working at the house. The guys were courteous enough to help my pregnant wife and 3-year old son navigate through dumpsters and discarded waste when they returned home in the evening. They also stopped working outside when the local daycare would walk their children past the house. Inside the house, they were efficient and worked incredibly hard. Every night, I went down to the basement and would be amazed by their daily progress. The dust was very well contained, and the site was always cleaned up before anyone headed home for the night. Most evenings, they slipped out without us even knowing they had left. Daniel, Stephen and their entire crew were always available to answer questions or provide us with updates as the project progressed. The few issues that did arise were always discussed and addressed in a timely manner. Our basement in its original form was damp and unfinished, with approximately 6 feet of clearance. We now have a completely waterproofed basement (including a new sump pump, new weeping tile and a sewage ejector pit), plus over 8 feet of clearance. The difference is unbelievable. The work was completed to the highest standard with minimal upheaval. Almost as importantly – it was completed on time, on budget and to the exact specifications of our architect drawings. We are so incredibly pleased that we selected The Underpinners to dig our basement, and thoroughly enjoyed working with Daniel, Stephen and their team. We would highly recommend The Underpinners’ services for any of your underpinning and waterproofing needs.

With a growing family and a modest sized home, my wife and I made the decision to underpin and finish our basement. Once we engaged an underpinning company, we were introduced to Peter and engaged LATTAG Studio to complete the architectural drawings for underpinning. Our underpinner highly recommended that we proceed with LATTAG for the basement finishing drawings, as well – a recommendation that we took, and are very glad that we did. From our first meeting, Peter was engaging, knowledgeable and a pleasure to work with. We could tell from Day 1 that he had a real passion for his work. Our knowledge of construction projects and home renovation is limited, so Peter took the time to educate us. He made sure that we understood everything that was going to be happening throughout the course of our renovation, and was always available to answer any questions that we had. What we enjoyed most about working with Peter is that not only did he produce a strong product, but his response time to any phone calls or emails was almost immediate. It was not uncommon for us to receive an email from Peter on a weekend, or late at night. To us, this really shows Peter’s commitment to his clients and their satisfaction. Peter always kept us informed of any issues that arose, and was receptive to new design ideas that came up throughout the process. Even if he didn’t agree with our ideas, Peter would always state his opinion so that in the end, we could make an informed decision. Peter is very knowledgeable when it comes to municipal by-laws and Ontario building code. Additionally, his experience with the City of Toronto and the building permit process proved to be invaluable. Peter showed great patience with us as clients, brought tremendous expertise to the planning and design phase and worked very collaboratively with us to ensure that we got what we wanted, without sacrificing anything from an architectural design standpoint. We are so appreciative that we were referred to LATTAG Studio, and thoroughly enjoyed working with Peter and his team. We would highly recommend LATTAG’s services for any of your architectural/interior design needs.