Assured Basements

This is a complete review from start to finish about my experience with Assured Basements. For those who are considering them, I aim to provide a detailed explanation of my actual and complete experience.

Our home has gone through many renovations over the years, the basement being the most recent. Medium-sized basement, 650 sq ft being turned into a bedroom, bathroom, kitchenette and office area.

I can say from the outset that of all the contractors we've had, Assured Basements is the best one overall. Not perfect, but the best overall. I'll begin with Mike, the sales manager. When I called Assured Basements to get a quick estimate on the job, he took the time needed to discuss the job on the phone, and within a couple of hours, he was in Barrie, coming in from the GTA. He didn't mess around. He drew up plans according to what we might want. He is a real talker, which some will enjoy, some will not, but the man knows his job. He knows how to analyze a space and come up with accurate drawings. He also tries to close the deal quickly, and he does apply some pressure. This doesn't bother me because I know what I want, and I know it's his job, but it could turn some people off. Mike makes it clear that you should not waste your time looking elsewhere. In the end, he was right, in spite of us not being sure at first if we made the right move.

We did run into a glitch after we closed the deal and realized we needed a design change. Hollis (architect), Perry (supervisor) and Enrique (site manager) came to the home to help finalize our design, and they were professional. Again, these guys really know their jobs. They got everything revised on their laptops and we had a ready floor plan, down to the fixtures and wiring.

However, all of this pushed the cost up and we had to renegotiate our package. At this point, Ryan, the company manager, worked directly with us and in the end we got a fair price on the revised package.

When at the showroom to pick materials, Caneisha and Ryan spent hours with us choosing floors, doors, finishes, and getting the final choices updated. They use the Buildertrend app to plan and document everything. Everything is in front of you. Hollis and Perry also worked with us to update all drawings and make sure everything was clear.

Hollis is an expert in design and has a pleasant manner about him. Hes patient, thoughtful, and put us at ease.

Now for the construction. The project was estimated to take 8 weeks, but it really took 10. They got to about 95% done in 8 weeks, but a few parts took time to arrive and a few odds and ends needed fixing and those dragged on a bit. But basically, the crew was on schedule.

My most positive comments are reserved for Enrique. Enrique was the site manager and he was on site most days, either doing the work himself or managing subcontractors they brought in to do the electrical, etc.

Enrique is seriously good. He does good clean work, is responsive to requests, and ensures a high standard is maintained. If something doesnt look perfect, hell fix it. But more hes also a good guy. He was always so kind and sincere with whoever was at home, and was very respectful of the environment. He worked very hard, responded to all requests, and went the extra mile. Hes the one you will see and deal with the most, and he deserves full praise.

The basement came out looking beautiful. Everything we had imagined came to be reality, and overall the work met or exceeded our expectations. Ryan made sure we were satisfied. For example, the shower head was a bit low, being a basement shower, but they came up with an innovative lever to help raise the shower head so that tall people could fit underneath.

The bathroom/shower was the star of the show. The tiling work was great and the overall look and feel were more than we expected. The floors, baseboards, and doors were all installed perfectly, and the paint/finishing done to a high standard. The oak stairs look amazing.

Overall, Assured Basements delivered. In the end, they did everything they said they would do. Everything upfront and clear on their app, and aside from some delays, they were spot on with their estimates for everything. They could have finished the last few steps a bit earlier, but it's a small point.

In the end, we got a great basement at a very competitive price. While there can certainly be a few areas for improvement in the total experience, they still fully deserve 5 stars, and indeed they are the best overall contractor we have dealt with.