Choosing between different basement builders in Northern Virginia can feel like being stuck in a maze. No matter which one you’ll choose, there’s always something wrong and you end up looking for something better.
While this shouldn’t be like this, here at MGS Contracting Services we’re trying to be the best we can. We serve homeowners in Leesburg and more of Northern Virginia with proper care and dedication, which makes us a leader in the basement building in your area.
We put together this article to help you choose between all the basement builders in Northern Virginia and get yourself a contractor that truly cares about your remodel.
Let’s begin!
1. Look Online
Start searching online for basement builders in Northern Virginia, basement contractors, or basement remodeling in your area. You’ll find several companies that deserve a shot, but not all of them will be worthy of your service.
Look through Yelp, BBB, Google, Angi, and other websites to find potential basement builders.
The best way to proceed is to write down their business name and continue your research. When you have at least 5 basement remodeling companies to work with, you can move on to the next step.
2. Dig Deeper Into Basement Builders
These basement builders will have listed different things online, such as reviews, pictures of their work, their history, goals, accomplishments, and so on.
While these can be helpful in determining what type of company they are, don’t ever fully trust what you see online. Their reviews can be some of their friends’ reviews, the pictures can be pictures taken from the internet, and their history can be just a selling point to get you hooked on their service.
Sure, you can visit their website and consider all the things we mentioned just to understand how the company operates and how serious about their business they are. But don’t take it for granted, and go to the next step.
3. Request A Quote
The good thing about the internet is that you can now get a quick, ballpark quote based on just a few details. Many basement builders in Northern Virginia offer online quotes, and these can be truly helpful in picking the contractor you want to work with.
From the 5 basement finishing contractors you first selected, ask for quotes on their website. Although this will just be an estimate and not the final quote, it helps you in several ways:
- Discover how responsive the contractor is
- Understand his pricing and transparency
- Filter through prices and materials
- Learn how capable the company is to help you out
It’s very important to let the general contractor know what you’re planning to transform your basement into. A family room will be different from an entertainment space or a game room. An extra living space in the basement won’t be the same as the living space upstairs, and a laundry room will require different experts to ensure full functionality.
4. Trim Down The Weeds
From the 5 quotes you received from your basement builders, choose the three most favorable ones and go with them for now. These should be the companies that either responded very quickly, either had a good price, either seemed very knowledgeable of their trade.
Now that you’re down to just 3 quotes, it’s time to make contact with the company and discover their true self.
Call the basement builders, talk with them about their services, products, and process, and schedule a consultation if you’re ready to begin your project.
Note: Most of these companies will try to push you for a consultation, so be aware of that. But that’s not necessarily something bad. A consultation is their opportunity to see the scope of work and offer you a more accurate quote, time frame, and even help you out with choosing materials and upgrades.
5. At The Consultation
The consultation fee is usually a one-time fee and homeowners spend anywhere from $100 to $1k for it. This fee is set by the basement builders depending on what they provide, how far your property is, the zip code, and how they value their services. A $1k consultation is usually a fee for an up-scale company that’s generally more expensive.
We believe this fee is directly proportionate to the quality of the service, so we don’t recommend the lowest fee either.
At the consultation, there’s a few things you need to do:
- Ask questions. Let the contractor know how invested you are in your project and ask all the questions you can think of. Ask about materials, process, upgrades, prices, contract, and so on.
- Be aware. Contractors will try to sell their service, and when doing this, they'll say pretty much anything to win you over. Be aware of this and don't let yourself be tricked too easily.
- Don't rush. You don't have to make a decision right after the consultation. Take your time, consider your options, wait for other consultations, and then choose.
- Be committed. As long as the contractor sees how committed you are in getting your basement remodeling project done, they'll also be committed in helping you out and offering their best help.
Conclusion
Keeping these 5 things in mind can ensure you’re getting one of the best basement remodel and basement builders in Northern Virginia. With proper research, you can tell if a contractor is right or not for your home project.
Of course, if you have referrals from friends and family or if you know for a fact that a basement remodeling company is worth your money, don’t hesitate to try it. In fact, you can take that company through the same steps and compare it to others.
Here at MGS, we take pride in our work and you can see all that on our website. We offer professional basement remodeling services in Northern Virginia and we’re dedicated to giving you a superior product, and we’re passionate about our work.
If you’re looking to get a quote from one of the leaders in basement building in Northern Virginia, click here! Or we can discuss your project over the phone and you can learn more about us and how we do business by calling us at (571) 577-9554.