Frequently asked questions

While your home is being remodelled, you should insure the structure and its contents.  If you don’t, then you could be exposed to certain risks that are out of your control, including fire and weather.

When hiring a remodelling contractor, find out if they have workers compensation and ask to see a copy of the policy. Workers compensation pays for medical and rehabilitation expenses and covers lost wages if the workers sustain injuries on the job.  You should also protect yourself by verifying that whoever is remodelling your home is carrying proper insurance coverage, which BcrBasements is happy to provide before starting our projects.

Yes. We have a 5-year warranty on workmanship and a 10-year structural warranty. Our workmanship conforms to the guidelines of The Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA) Residential Construction Performance Guidelines.

Any work that will result in an additional cost will be processed through a Charge Order.  We post all Charge Orders to our scheduling software and you provide digital signatures on all items. You will always know where the overall project cost stands. This eliminates the “surprises” at the end of your project and allows you to make sound financially decisions.

All of our craftsmen are appropriately licensed and insured in the province of Ontario. We want to make sure that you are totally comfortable with our employees. Each and every craftsman we employ upholds the same values of honesty and integrity as our project managers. We often get compliments from customers about how our team becomes “like a second family” to them during the project.

Although remodelling can be and often is very dusty and dirty, we take measures to reduce the mess while your project is under construction. We install plastic dust barriers and drop cloths to isolate the construction area as much as possible. We cover any HVAC registers in the work areas. We often incorporate “negative draft” practices to help further reduce the migration of dust to other areas throughout your home. The bottom line is that we are very sensitive about dust control and all of us are very conscientious. We will do what we can to make sure your experience is as pleasant as possible.

Yes. We keep receiving compliments on our scheduling system. It is online-based, so you are able to access it at any time, day or night. We even have an app that you can download to login from your smart phone.

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Typically, yes. We rarely come across municipalities that don’t require a permit for the larger remodelling projects that we provide such as bathrooms, kitchens, and basements. If your project is fairly simple, you may not need a permit. The GTA region is very segmented which means that we deal with over 14 different building departments and the best way to find out is to call and ask your specific city or township building department.  Important note: we take care of getting all the paperwork and inspections that are required for your project. Check out this article: Can I select the specific products for the project?

Unfortunately, we do not do projects without providing the products ourselves. We used to do this but have had many issues with products that have come damaged or we aren’t used to installing them. We rely on our partnerships with our vendors to help with damaged products, unique installations, and specialized product information. Check out the article: When is it your turn to Buy?

You receive your project drawings after you sign our proposal or design agreement. For basements, kitchens, and bathrooms; we’ll meet with you during the proposal process to make revisions. Room additions and new home construction require a signed design agreement and required payment to release your drawings.

It depends. We use CAD software to design projects when working within the original footprint of the house, like basements, kitchens, and bathrooms. If you plan to build a new home or addition, we do have architects that we partner with to help with design and draft all the necessary drawings.

We have designed some pretty amazing spaces and we can for your project, but if your budget doesn’t meet those great ideas, we will be wasting both of our time. By starting with a realistic budget, you allow us to design based on both your need and your budget. We have many years of experience, by being candid about your budget it allows us to come up with value driven budget ideas. It’s very normal not to know what a realistic budget should be for your project, let’s talk and we can help you get a better idea what money you should set aside.

Not necessarily, although renovations can get messy and noisy.  Many of our clients choose to live in their home during remodeling, especially if your project is a specific area of your home like kitchens, bathrooms, or basements where the mess can be segmented away from your living space. Our clients find that our team of professional tradesmen are very courteous, but keep in mind that if your project is extensive, it may become more practical for you to temporarily move out. Let’s discuss your specific situation prior to scheduling your project and go from there.

Our team is dedicated to reversing many of the preconceived ideas homeowners have about contractors. If we decide to work together, we will do absolutely everything possible to keep your project moving as quickly as possible and ensuring it is to your satisfaction throughout the process. Many of these stories stem from contractors starting too many projects at one time or charging too little up front to get the business, which in turn doesn’t match the scope of work.

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In order to keep overhead expenses to a minimum, we do not accept credit card payments. We want to make sure we keep costs as low as possible for our customers and accept cash or check.

This can be a tricky question, but we always advise our customers to set aside additional funds beyond the anticipated cost. Unforeseen issues, including bad framework, outdated wiring, and rotting wood can result in additional costs beyond those outlined in the proposal.  We always try to limit these expenses and predict these problem areas well in advance. However, issues can arise beyond our control that need our immediate attention. No matter what may happen, our team will do everything we can to “make it right”.

Estimate: This is just that: a rough range of the costs that you’ll incur during your project. It will likely change as the design and your material selections are refined. This gives the client a better sense of how much they should set aside for their project before we move forward to nail down the exact specifications of their project.

Proposal:  This is a detailed price which is typically based on visits to our client’s home. It will include the exact design plans, labor and building material costs, and a detailed project scope.  Our staff and our client’s will both sign off on this proposal before any work takes place.

Reputation speaks volumes about any contractor. If you go with a company that has excellent references and satisfied customers, then you’ll likely get a quality end product at a fair price. Ask for a project portfolio and look for examples of their work. Online review sites are key at this point, make sure to look at these before picking up the phone. Do your homework because those sites are your biggest resource when making this decision.  If they don’t have reviews, you  should put them in the same category of a bad review until you can prove different.  Check out the Article: Avoiding Contractor Scams

Comparing different estimates can certainly help, but judging service, craftsmanship, and customer service can be tough. We always advise homeowners, whether they choose BcrBasements or another company, to only hire the contractor that you feel the most comfortable with. Remember, no matter who you choose, these individuals will be in your home on a daily basis, so you must completely trust them. Check the Article: Making Sense Out Bids

Once you have a signed a contract on a home, we would love to meet with you and do a walk through of the areas you are looking to remodel. Unfortunately after many years of providing these estimates before a home is in contract and closed on, we have found that it is not something we would prefer to do until it owned and in your possession. There are many websites across the web to help get an idea of approximate costs, including our own Pricing Guide page. Give us a call we would love to help you where we can.

We are typically available for in-home meetings from Monday through Thursday during the day with some evening availability. We also set aside time on Friday mornings for appointments as well. We do not set appointments from Friday afternoon through the weekend. We believe that dedicated weekend time with family and friends is important for a healthy personal and work life. You can go to our contact us page for a free consultation.

We use email and text communication a lot through the process of a project but, we believe the first conversation should be done over the phone. This allows both of us to determine whether or not this is a good fit. There are many projects that don’t fit our company profile and process and we would rather have a conversation first, to make sure not to waste your time with a meeting.

Yes, our initial consultation is free of charge because we understand that it’s really hard to get an idea of how much your project will cost on your own.  After our first meeting (which typically lasts about 30-45 minutes), we will provide you with a “Budget Estimate”.  This estimate doesn’t get into too many of the small details of your project, but will give you an idea of cost on a high level before going to the next step of the process. The next step is usually signing a design agreement and making all the material selections, before creating a proposal with a detailed scope of work