Answers to commonly asked questions from the experts on Thumbtack.
How do I hire the best general contractor in D.C.?
No matter what kind of project you are tackling, your general contractor should have a good track record of completed work and satisfied customers. Search for the best general contractors in Washington, D.C., and look for positive customer reviews and project photos that are similar to your project.
Make sure your general contractor has the proper license, insurance and registration. You can ask pros to send you this information, or you can search for it online.
Hire a D.C. contractor after you receive cost estimates from at least three or five general contractors.
What is the best waterproof flooring for a basement?
There are several great options for waterproof basement flooring. For example, epoxy floors are waterproof but are thicker and sturdier than paint. Make sure the concrete substrate has been prepared for application.
Tile is a designer’s dream, giving you a moisture-resistant surface that’s infinitely customizable. Rubber sheets or tiles are also good waterproof options, particularly for playrooms, workout areas or laundry rooms.
Vinyl tiles and planks imitate wood or other materials very convincingly, provide moisture resistance and last a long time. And sheet vinyl is affordable and a great waterproofing solution for those in need of quick fixes.
Reviews for Washington basement contractors
Gus B.
I found Eddie at IS Enterprises when my child was tested high for lead in the blood, and the test got referred to the city of DC. Like many people in the city, our house was built before 1978 and the paint contains lead. We were required by law to remediate: radiators, every variety of trim, exterior, basement. The city gave me a list of about 50 lead certified contractors and a one-month deadline.
As a working single mother with a baby, I was overwhelmed. I narrowed it down based on online reviews. And eventually I interviewed several companies. I decided to work with Eddie, because of price and how easy he was to work with. He developed a quote based on the minimum I had to do to make my house lead safe for my baby and to pass inspection. He also developed a quote that took into account some of the things that I wanted to do on my house.
The prices were reasonable given the technical work to be done to protect my baby. They were not nearly as high as many of the contractors I had found in DC who are lead certified but who subcontract that part of the work out. Eddie gave me fair prices, was clear up front about the extras I would be responsible for in the lead remediation (paying for the lead permits, specialized cleanings, inspections, etc). and was willing to itemize the work to be done so I could adapt specific decisions about what to do based on pricing. We priced out several scenarios - replacing vs remediating various lead-affected items. They did nearly all of the work in-house, with only a few parts subcontracted. They are bonded and insured. Eddie got lead remediation permits quickly.
We worked together for a year, the first six months of this driven by my own delays. We had to move out of the house for the lead remediation portion of the work. When they completed the lead remediation, I added on more work because their their initial work was high quality and fast: some bathroom updates, some attic updates, etc. There were a few delays, as we waited for products to arrive and then the team wasn't available to come back immediately when the parts had arrived. But Eddie communicated well and was flexible when I asked for changes to the schedule.
As problems arose, as is inevitable, especially when I put myself in charge of ordering some of the parts, I was impressed by Eddie's willingness to work through them quickly and constructively.
My experience was outstanding. The key component of this was the team. Eddie is patient and flexible, and he listens well. He sometimes found lower cost solutions for problems I had identified.
His team was friendly and respectful of my home. The lead worker, Willie, worked efficiently and carefully and was always friendly with my baby. The workmanship was excellent. When I noticed things I wanted done slightly differently, the team addressed them promptly. We passed the lead inspection on the first try.
I have experience in real estate, I have worked with a dozen contractors in DC, and I have accumulated a lot of horror stories over the years. My experience with this company was exactly the opposite: it was great. Eddie and I put everything into contracts, but a handshake with him was also meaningful. Eddie, Willie and the team were true professionals and fair minded. They did high-quality work efficiently and with integrity.
It is hard to imagine being happy about a lead remediation. Doing this work is inherently stressful. But these guys did everything they could to make it as easy an experience as possible. They were more than a pleasure to do business with.
IS Enterprises, Inc.
Sam D.
We hired DB General Construction for our basement renovation starting in July 2019. Douglas is a nice guy and his work is pretty good quality however he is horrible at planning the work and he doesn't keep his words!!
He promised us verbally and in the contract that the work would be done in 4 to 5 weeks. He also promised us verbally that he wouldn't be splitting his time between 2 job sites until he was one with our project.
However, the renovation ended up taking 12 weeks and we only made a couple of change orders that may have added 1 week max to the time compared to the original estimate. He claimed that the inspector also delayed him by 1 week. At the end, that would put him at 5 weeks behind, double the estimate.
The real reason is that he just wasn't showing up to the site to do the work. For several weeks, he would show up a few hours every other day. He had countless excuses or would just not answer our calls at times.
Or he would say he was going to work at a certain time and day and just not show up.
When we were finally able to talk to him face to face about his delay, he got extremely defensive and acted offended that we were even asking for accountability. He did admit that he had another project going on but he was completely unapologetic about it even he promised us he would not.
At that point, he did commit again to complete the job ASAP and started showing up every day. He estimated the work to be done in 1 week but unfortunately, it still took him 3 weeks. This again demonstrates his inability to estimate and plan the work properly.
Overall, Douglas is a skilled contractor but he is not a good GC!
DB Handyman Services.
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