Member: 
Jamie & Mike
Totowa, NJ 07512

Category: 
Remodeling – Basements

Services Performed: 
Yes

* More Weight is given to a review where work has been completed.

Work Completed Date: 
February 17, 2016

Hire Again: 
Yes

Approximate Cost: 
$90,000.00

Description Of Work: 
Finished our 1500 sf basement.

Member Comments: 
Better Basement did a great job. They transformed a completely unfinished space into a beautiful, comfortable space that will surely increase the value of our home. Joe and Leo were fabulous to work with and made sure the project was completed in a timely manner with the highest of quality. Leo’s attention to detail is amazing. He built a custom bar and wine cellar that has our friend’s envious! His tile work in the bathroom was amazing too. In addition, he and his crew kept the work space very clean, helping to minimize any dust that would make its way up stairs. We absolutely love the final product and would highly recommend them.

 Member: 
Osvaldo
NEW MILFORD, NJ 07646

Categories: 
Basement Waterproofing
Carpentry – Woodworking
Drywall
Electrical
Flooring Sales/Installation/Repair
Lighting
Remodeling – Basements

Services Performed: 
Yes

* More Weight is given to a review where work has been completed.

Work Completed Date: 
May 10, 2015

Hire Again: 
Yes

Approximate Cost: 
$30,000.00

Description Of Work: 
Joe and his team gutted our basement, waterproofed walls, added additional lighting, and built new walls, floors and stairs. I also had a lally ( beam) removed creating more open  space and added a custom wet bar,  which was coordinated by The Better Basement Company.

Member Comments:
Joe Baccarella and his team were extremely professional, punctual and gave attention to detail .  Joe was always available to answer questions and offer expert advise 7 days a week. Our project manager was on the job from day one with no interruptions. The crew was made up of  expert craftsmen, who were courteous polite and not intrusive. I would use the Better Basement Company again and strongly recommend them.

Share on Band of Neighbors: 
Yes

Member:
Robert
Randolph, NJ 07869

Categories:
Drywall
Electrical
Lighting
Painting – Interior
Remodeling – Basements
Remodeling – General

Services Performed:
Yes

* More Weight is given to a review where work has been completed.

Work Completed Date:
July 01, 2015

Hire Again:
Yes

Approximate Cost:
$16,000.00

Home Build Year:
1994

Description Of Work:
Finished most of my basement space: frame/ Sheetrock walls, drop ceiling, trim, paint, electric & lighting

Member Comments:
I could not be more satisfied.  Joe Baccarella was great – very responsive.  Right from the start he recommended several great design ideas that neither I nor any other contractors thought of.   His crew was great – very respectful, timely and they cleaned up after their work appropriately.  The final product was better than I could have imagined (I have received many compliments). And the cost was very competitive. I plan to use BBC again without question.

Share on Band of Neighbors:
Yes

Member:
Teal
Maplewood, NJ 07040

Categories:
Remodeling – Basements
Remodeling – General
Remodeling – Kitchen & Bathroom

Services Performed:
Yes

* More Weight is given to a review where work has been completed.

Work Completed Date:
August 31, 2015

Hire Again:
Yes

Approximate Cost:
$35,000.00

Description Of Work:
Complete renovation of a basement, including adding a bathroom.

Member Comments:
We have been so pleased with the whole experience. Joe is great to work with and his foreman Leo is incredibly talented, respectful, and a pleasure to have around. They showed up every day and worked hard until the project was finished. I never worried that things were going to fall between the cracks; there was always the sense that they really cared about the quality of work. Communication

– so essential – went well throughout the project. The project is currently days away from completion as I write this review, and the end result exceeds our expectations. They turned a dank, ugly basement into a cheery family room – it’s even better than we anticipated

I recommend BBC without hesitation.

Share on Band of Neighbors:
No

Member:
Hamish
Wayne, NJ 07470

Categories:
Painting – Interior
Remodeling – Basements

Services Performed:
Yes

* More Weight is given to a review where work has been completed.

Work Completed Date:
June 24, 2015

Hire Again:
Yes

Description Of Work:
Finished our basement. Walls, floors, paint, etc. Very professional and diligent. On time and worked within our schedule.

Joe and Steve were awesome. Definitely recommended.

Share on Band of Neighbors:
No

Member:
Chrissa
Basking Ridge, NJ 07920

Categories:
Remodeling – Basements
Remodeling – General

Services Performed:
Yes

* More Weight is given to a review where work has been completed.

Work Completed Date:
December 05, 2014

Hire Again:
Yes

Approximate Cost: 
$49.00

Description Of Work: 
I hired this company to consult regarding improving my basement.

Member Comments: 
I hired this company to consult regarding improving my basement. The company prepared a plan and schematic for my basement area to be finished. The price to complete the work was way outside my range to do the improvement using this company or anytime soon, but the plan that was prepared was good. And I will likely return to that plan when I do eventually finish my basement.

Share on Band of Neighbors: 
Yes

Member:
William
Whippany, NJ 07981

Categories:
Ceramic Tile
Electrical
Plumbing
Remodeling – Basements
Remodeling – General
Remodeling – Kitchen & Bathroom

Services Performed:
Yes

* More Weight is given to a review where work has been completed.

Work Completed Date:
May 27, 2015

Hire Again:
Yes

Approximate Cost:
$60,000.00

Description Of Work:
Remodeled basement, added a full bathroom, a recording studio, installed central air and a french drain system.

Member Comments:
It was bumpy. When running the waste lines for the bathroom, Bob the plumber discovered I had crushed sewer pipes. He replaced them ( had to bust through the foundation to complete the job) and made a couple of brilliant adjustments to other drains (to save me future aggravation). Just as the tiling was going in, the basement flooded. Joe immediately contacted a wonderful water remediation company. The owner of the remediation company came to my house that night to estimate the job. The water crew arrived two days later and banged out the job in 3 days. Awesome! Work continued on the basement and was, in the end, beautiful and we enjoy our new, state of the art Media room, new bathroom and my new recording studio, every day. Thanks to Joe and foreman Chris, Larry the water remediation guy, Bob the plumber, Kevin the A/C guy and Greg the electrician!

Share on Band of Neighbors:
Yes

Member: 
Kimberlee
CLIFTON, NJ 07013

Categories: 
Remodeling – Basements
Remodeling – General

Services Performed: 
Yes

* More Weight is given to a review where work has been completed.

Work Completed Date: 
April 15, 2015

Last Modified Date: 
June 03, 2015

Hire Again: 
Yes

 Approximate Cost: 
$15,000.00

Description Of Work: 
They finished our basement including new flooring.

Member Comments: 
We’ve used Angies List for a couple big projects thus far and we really couldn’t be happier with the level of pride in craftsmanship that these contractors possess.
The positive trend continues with The Better Basement Company finishing our basement and making it look perfect.
Our first meeting with owner Joe Baccarella went great, we felt reassured by his professionalism, impressive portfolio, and personable manner.
We hired Joe and his team immediately began work ahead of schedule. Project leader Chico helped in the beginning stages and co-worker Steve performed the majority of the work. These guys both showed the same values and work ethic as Joe and we breathed a sigh of relief after meeting them.
As Steve took over performing the rest of the work, he continued being prompt… arriving early and leaving late. Every night that we would look to see the progress of the basement we were pleasantly surprised by how much he accomplished. His work was precise, driven by a laser level system and obvious pride in his work. It was nice to see that our basement was being costructed in this manner right up to completion, as attention to detail is important to us.
In conclusion, The Better Basement Company made sure all our expectations were met and that we were satisfied. We would highly recommend them to anyone looking to have their basement finished.

Share on Band of Neighbors: 

Yes

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ANSWERED WHEN COMPLETING THIS REVIEW

How much did the final cost compare to the original estimate? right on
How does the value of the work compare to the price? I got more than my money’s worth
How far in advance did you schedule the work? more than 2 weeks
Did you find the company through Angie’s List? yes
If yes, which source(s)? website
Why did you choose this contractor? reputation
Have you used this company before? this is the first time I’ve used this company
What did you like most about this contractor? Attention to detail, personable, honest, hard working.
What did you like least about this contractor? Nothing negative to say.
What surprises came up during the course of the work? None.
What words of advice would you give other members considering this contractor? I would say if you want a great looking basement
at a fair price you should hire this company.
What words of advice would you give this contractor? My advice would be to continue doing great work as they are.
This is your space. Feel free to give us your two cents … or quote your favorite movie? We would like to thank The Better
Basement Company once again for all their hard work. I am confident that I can now recommend another great contractor from Angies List!

Member: 
Tom
WEST ORANGE, NJ 07052

Categories: 
Plumbing
Remodeling – Basements

Services Performed: 
Yes

* More Weight is given to a review where work has been completed.

Work Completed Date: 
February 18, 2015

Last Modified Date: 
May 19, 2015

Hire Again: 
Yes

Approximate Cost:
$43,000.00

Description Of Work:
They installed all new pipes in the interior of the lower level of my home and remodeled the basement from scratch.

Member Comments:
Excellent. I can’t talk enough about their quality and professionalism. The plumbing was a bit more intensive than they realized. They really went above and beyond. I highly recommend them. They went over $3,000 on their budget and didn’t charge us extra.

Share on Band of Neighbors:
Yes

 Member: 
Anthony
Rivervale, NJ 07675

Categories: 
Flooring Sales/Installation/Repair
Insulation
Remodeling – Basements
Remodeling – General

Services Performed: 
Yes

* More Weight is given to a review where work has been completed.

Work Completed Date: 
February 05, 2015

Hire Again: 
Yes

Approximate Cost: 
$12,000.00

Description Of Work: 
BBC finished our basement.

Member Comments: 
Joe gave us a fair estimate. He was true to his number. The work was performed in a timely, neat manner. Steve and the others were always on time, responsive and cleaned up nicely each day. They installed flooring, insulation, walls, drop ceiling, windows etc and we are very pleased with all the work.

Member: 
James
HO HO KUS, NJ 07423

Categories: 
Remodeling – Basements
Remodeling – General

Services Performed: 
Yes

* More Weight is given to a review where work has been completed.

Work Completed Date: 
March 03, 2014

Hire Again: 
Yes

Description Of Work: 
We remodeled a very old and tired basement.

Member Comments: 
We selected BBC because of Joe’s design plan, their price estimate and their willingness to remove several large existing items from the area. It turned out as they promised and as we had hoped. Leo and Pablo executed the project beautifully and within the time frame quoted to us. We can strongly recommend BBC for your project.

Member: 
Jasbir
SPARTA, NJ 07871

Categories: 
Remodeling – Basements
Remodeling – General

Services Performed: 
Yes

* More Weight is given to a review where work has been completed.

Work Completed Date: 
February 15, 2015

Last Modified Date: 
March 03, 2015

Hire Again: 
Yes

Approximate Cost: 
$85,000.00

Description Of Work: 
Finished basement

Member Comments: 
I had a great experience with BBC and I’m very pleased with their service. First time, Joe showed up with his previous job descriptions and owners contacts and asked me if I’m interested to see his job quality. It was very impressive. He is a very profession and great human being. It was a big basement about 3,000 sq. he finished in six weeks as he promised and did a fantastic job. I would recommend BBC to people who wants quality work and professional team. All his guys are very experienced and helpful. Even Joe helped my son in set up his gym. Thanks BBC for your wonderful job.

Share on Band of Neighbors: 
Yes

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ANSWERED WHEN COMPLETING THIS REVIEW

Did you find the company through Angie’s List? yes

If yes, which source(s)? website

Why did you choose this contractor? reputation

Have you used this company before? this is the first time I’ve used this company

What did you like most about this contractor? Professionalism

What words of advice would you give other members considering this contractor? Trust

What words of advice would you give this contractor? Keep the good work rolling

Member: 
David
Long valley, NJ 07853

Categories: 
Remodeling – Basements
Remodeling – Kitchen & Bathroom

Services Performed: 
Yes

* More Weight is given to a review where work has been completed.

Work Completed Date: 
September 30, 2014

Hire Again: 
Yes

Approximate Cost: 
$70,000.00

Description Of Work: 
This job was a remodel of approx 1500 sq ft basement including a tear down of existing and rebuild. The job included the addition of bathroom, bedroom, office and family room. From the start the interactions with Charlie and team were excellent. Charlie helped me design the most appropriate layout of the space. This included the install of 2 egress windows and the removal of structural column that were replaced with a metal beam. The quality of work by the team was excellent. They worked from early in the morning till late in the afternoon. Chris was a pleasure to have around the house. I never had to worry about any of the crew being around the house with no supervision. The total work effort was approx 12 weeks.

Member: 
Janet
Bridgewater, NJ 08807

Categories: 
Carpentry – Woodworking
Ceramic Tile
Drywall
Electrical
Flooring Sales/Installation/Repair
Insulation
Lighting
Painting – Interior
Plumbing
Remodeling – Basements
Remodeling – General
Remodeling – Kitchen & Bathroom

Services Performed: 
Yes

* More Weight is given to a review where work has been completed.

Work Completed Date: 
January 10, 2015

Hire Again: 
Yes

Approximate Cost: 
$50,000.00

Description Of Work: 
Complete remodel of living room, new walls, insulation, electric, raised ceiling and installed beams across living room and kitchen areas, new tile flooring across living room, kitchen and hall, new lighting installed in living room and kitchen, stone placed over brick fireplace and added columns of stone to living room area.

Member Comments: 
Due to a pipe break and flooding it was time to remodel the living room and take advantage of the changes to update adjacent kitchen and hallway.  Charlie was the main contractor and oversaw the entire operation.  He had terrific ideas such as raising the ceiling from just over 7 feet to a gorgeous cathedral, beamed ceiling across the living room and kitchen areas.  When tearing out the walls of the living room several serious structural problems were revealed as well as many electrical nightmares (the house is from the 1960’s).  All was remedied with high quality materials to bring all up to the modern day. Experts on stone and tile work carpentry, electrical, and sheetrock and painting were brought in when needed and worked very well together.  All were top notch professional, and friendly.  The final result is stunning and the rooms are warmer than they have ever been despite the new higher ceilings.  Charlie kept me well informed of any decisions I needed to make and helped me through them.  He kept me well aware of any changes to the budget needed when I requested new things or when we found historic nightmare problems that had to be fixed. I travel quite a bit and they all worked with my schedule as needed.  Charlie was very tolerant of my (frequently) requested additions and worked with me to build my vision.  Most of the tearing down of the old walls and “guts” happened when I was away and I had complete confidence that all would go well with me available only by phone.  The workers kept the dirt and dust to an absolute minimum. I had been afraid the the whole house would need serious cleaning after the tear down, but they managed to contain the dust to the areas being remodeled.  Every day when they left, the house was neat and clean.  Great consideration was taken that we still needed to use those rooms while they worked. While the work wasn’t cheap, the prices were very, very reasonable for the quality of work and the willingness and ability to do creative design.  I’d rather pay a little more to get quality that I will enjoy forever. I’d also rather pay a little more to assure I’ll get what I asked for and not be disappointed. I used this same company 4-5 years ago to finish my nightmare cobwebby basement which is now a beautiful wine cellar/media room that we and my friends absolutely love.  Dannton’s carpentry has been particulary important to me for both jobs as I love to add as much wood as possible when I remodel.  He is a real artist. When I’m ready, I will use the Better Basement Company again to continue to upgrade my house.

Member: 
David
SUMMIT, NJ 07901

Categories: 
Drywall
Electrical
Flooring Sales/Installation/Repair
Lighting
Remodeling – Basements

Services Performed: 
Yes

* More Weight is given to a review where work has been completed.

Work Completed Date: 
January 25, 2014

Hire Again: 
Yes

Approximate Cost: 
$15,000.00

Description Of Work: 
New ceiling, lighting, walls and flooring in the basement.

Member Comments: 
It went great. Very professional and accommodative. We had to interrupt the work due to a death in the family and they were completely understanding.

Member:
Ramona
WEST ORANGE, NJ 07052

Category:
Remodeling – Basements

Services Performed:
Yes

* More Weight is given to a review where work has been completed.

Work Completed Date: 
September 09, 2014

Hire Again:
Yes

Approximate Cost: 
$40,000.00

Description Of Work: 
Remodeled 1010 sqft basement.

Member Comments: 
The Better Basement Company exceeded my expectations on this remodel. They were professional and so easy to work with. There are three main people you will interact with. There is Gary who you will meet initially. Very warm, friendly personality. Gary got my vision for the basement remodel and created a floor plan rendering within a couple of days of our meeting.  He’s not an architect but you won’t need one with Gary. He’s the “creative” so I stayed in touch with him regularly on some of my unique requests like a sauna in the gym and black dropped ceilings. Joe is the owner.  He ensures the project is running smoothly and made sure the budget was in line, a crucial piece. I can’t tell you how many times contractors would just request checks every few days and  you didn’t know when they would end or in some cases when they were coming back to the project after receiving a check. This is an organized operation.  You will place a deposit, about 10%, and then there are three timed installments. You will also need to pay for your permits, though they will submit this info for you. Yes, I spent a bit over budget as I decided to remove two steel beams and made other add’l requests but Joe kept me in the loop so I didn’t experience sticker shock.  There was no delaying of the project once it started (There is a bit of a wait for starting due to their popularity) and the basement was completed in about 6 weeks (inclusive of additional time for special orders) Finally, let me say the jewel of the operation is Chico. He does 95% of the remodeling work and occasionally will have someone there to assist.  He can do just about anything you can envision. He came early, left late, and sometimes worked over the weekend.His work ethic is unbelievable and he really goes out of his way to ensure you’re pleased with everything. The whole team (including others that helped) is really top notch. If you’re interested in a remodeling project, be prepared to wait some (10-12 weeks?) before they can start but they are very fast once the work begins.

Member: 
Karen
SOMERSET, NJ 08873

Category: 
Remodeling – Basements

Services Performed: 
Yes

* More Weight is given to a review where work has been completed.

Work Completed Date: 
March 03, 2014

Last Modified Date: 
March 28, 2014

Hire Again: 
Yes

Approximate Cost: 
$14,000.00

Home Build Year: 
1977

Description Of Work: 
One of THEE best service providers I have ever contracted. |  |   Knowledgeable:  Offering visual and cost alternatives | Responsive: Available even during a pre-determine Holiday break | Communicative:  Easy to work with question-after question-after-question |   Price point:    Cost savings as compared to Owens direct quote | |   End result:  |   Product well worth the investment; |   Service by Charlie M. and his Team exceeded expectations in every possible category. | |   Would I use Better Basement again?  You betcha!  In fact, I already have used them again on a separate project. I highly recommend Charlie and Better Basement with the highest level of confidence.

Member Comments: 
.

Share on Band of Neighbors: 
Yes

Member: 
carlos
nutley, NJ 07110

Category: 
Remodeling – General

Services Performed: 
Yes

* More Weight is given to a review where work has been completed.

Work Completed Date: 
December 16, 2013

Last Modified Date: 
February 19, 2014

Hire Again: 
Yes

Approximate Cost: 
$10,000.00

Home Build Year: 
1920

Description Of Work: 
I have used BBC in the past and once again they did a GREAT job.

Member Comments: 
I would recommend them for any basement or bathroom project.

Share on Band of Neighbors: 
Yes

Member: 
joseph
WARREN, NJ 07059

Categories: 
Remodeling – Basements
Remodeling – General

Services Performed: 
Yes

* More Weight is given to a review where work has been completed.

Work Completed Date: 
February 21, 2012

Hire Again: 
Yes

 Approximate Cost: 
$30,000.00

Description Of Work: 
Joe and his guys especially Chico did an exceptional job on our basement remodel.

Member Comments: 
Very professional, detailed, clean and most importantly, on budget. We plan on using this contractor again.

Share on Band of Neighbors: 
Yes