True North Underpinning

From start to finish, our experience with True North Underpinning was exceptional. The project was ahead of schedule and we were kept informed every step of the way. Our team included Josh, Leo, Steve, and Abdi -- they were a real pleasure to work with. The owner, Daniel, is fantastic to work with and takes a true interest in every project. Thank you to the team and we recommend True North to anyone considering underpinning in Toronto.

We could not be happier with the job that Daniel and his crew did over the five weeks they spent here. From the day I called Daniel, he was nothing short of helpful and attentive. He worked with us throughout the entire project and was always available to meet with us before the project started to go over some details. The crew who worked on our basement was here every morning at 7 A.M. sharp and ready to go. They were all very respectful, mindful and polite. They worked in the basement, and we stayed upstairs. We never felt like they were in our way and they were always mindful when they needed to go in through the front door or come upstairs to let a city worker in. The job itself looks great! What a HUGE difference. Daniel and his crew stayed true to everything in the contract. We did not have to pay more than what was reflected on the invoice (for the exception of something we added willingly). Daniel also told us that the job would be complete within 5 weeks and that deadline was met. We honestly couldn't be happier with the work they did and the company we went with. Having spoken and received quotes from other companies, I would choose True North again if I had to do it all over again or for any future basement related projects. Thanks!

I would like to thank Daniel, Travaugn, John and their crew for a job well done. They were so easy to work with- showing up every day, on time and always with a great attitude. The work was completed earlier than estimated (when does that ever happen?) and exactly as quoted. They left everything as clean as possible. And we have a completely usable basement now thanks to them!
I would not hesitate to use them again or refer their services.

We were referred to Daniel and his team by friends who used them and were extremely happy. Our project including underpinning the full perimeter and increasing ceiling height from 6 ft to 8 ft, installing a sewage ejector and sump pit/pump. After getting competing quotes we were convinced they were the best choice given the clear understanding of the work required, complexities of completing the work on our 80 year old semi-detached house in Midtown, and most importantly the transparency with respect to how the project would unfold. True to form, the project was completed within agreed upon time frames and on budget. What made this such a positive experience for us was the care and effort they took to prevent as much disruption as possible to our family (including two small children). From entering and existing solely through the windows, scheduling bin drops to allow greater parking access on weekends, to keeping the job site cleaner than we thought possible, the whole team exceeded our expectations. Josh and Edgar kept us regularly informed of what to expect on a daily basis, and the communication throughout was excellent.
Would highly recommend the whole team - thanks for the great work!

Last August, Daniel and his team underpinned the basement of our 100+ year old semi (including all new plumbing), taking it from just over 6ft to about 8ft finished, and they also built a walk-out at the front of our house. While we spoke with several contractors about the job, it was clear from my very first conversation with Daniel that he was the right person for the job.

Almost a full year before we planned to have shovels in the ground, I contacted Daniel just to find out a little bit more about the underpinning process. Despite fully disclosing we were no where near the point of requesting estimates for the job, Daniel spent at least 20 minutes on the phone with me explaining the process, answering my questions, and offering advice. Several months later when we requested an estimate Daniel made just as strong a second impression, and we were happy to entrust Daniel with the job.

Work started on time, the team was hard working and polite, questions were responded to promptly, and progress and next steps were communicated in a timely manner. Just as important, the job was done exactly on schedule, despite a few hiccups (not at all owing to Daniel or his team) along the way. Where issues arose, Daniel dealt with them head on, offering solutions and incorporating these into existing timelines (e.g., the brick pillar supporting our porch roof was too unstable to underpin and Daniel coordinated the building of a new one). Our neighbours also provided very complementary feedback about the team and their work.

We would not hesitate to hire True North again, and would recommend them to anyone we know.

True North is one of the best contractors I have ever worked with. They were professional, on time, competent and friendly. They handled all aspects of the work. I did not have to worry about anything. The work was completed on time and exactly as quoted.
Thanks Daniel, Josh and Edgar :)

TNU were a great company to work with. I had an old 100+ year old home and needed to replace all of the drains and get new concrete floors poured. It was a big job that I have never undertaken before. The crew were very knowledgable and answered all of my questions. They walked me through each stage and explained what was going to happen. I had 3 support posts replaced as well. As I was finishing the basement, it was a good idea for me to waterproof the interior and install weeping tile. They took care of everything. In the end my very uneven floor was level and new and the support post replacement made the basement more open and spacious. I am extremely happy with the results.

Well, I finally let my husband convince me to get the basement underpinned. I was very skeptical about the whole process as my biggest fear was getting the main support beam changed…..what if something went wrong?
Hence I did a lot of research in hiring a contractor. I interviewed companies from the homeshow, a couple of companies that had done renovations for us previously but in the end my gut said to go with True North Underpinning whom I actually found on Homestars. Upon meeting Daniel the owner, I knew right away our house would be in good hands and that he was the guy. He was very easy to talk to and explained the process step by step. Daniel also coordinated with my cement polishing company the correct cement to pour to produce the best final product. His quote was on target and didn’t have any hidden costs. My instincts were bang on about him and the True North Underpinning.
The job started on the date specified and ended punctually. On the first day I was introduced to the crew, the foreman and project manager. Edgar and Josh were fantastic to work with. They were a very hard working crew. They arrived with the crew punctually and more often than not earlier than 7am every day. They ensured that all details were taken care of and any questions I had they answered. Also, all the coordination between the plumber and HVAC was flawless. Everything went very smoothly. As a side note, I unfortunately don’t have photos of the heated flooring being installed as I was away during that period. I can’t believe how stress free this whole process was. I would highly recommend True North Underpinning. Thank-you for a fantastic job on our basement!

This review is long overdue. We hired Dan over a year ago after struggling to find a contractor for our ambitious project. We wanted to lower our basement floor and add a front addition. We removed the front basement wall while keeping the original front facade of the house because we wanted the brick to be part of a new front porch that would become a proper interior space.

I cannot state enough how tremendously thankful I am that I found Dan and True North, this was a terrifying project and I could not have felt more comfortable during the entire thing. My wife and I have undertaken a lot of projects and Dan and his team were by far the most professional team we have encountered.

They were perfectly on time at 7am, every day. We encountered a couple unexpected challenges along the way and they handled them with ease like pros. Our original start date was the fall of 2015, but just a few days before the start date, we failed to get our building permits and needed to go to the committee of adjustment. No problem. Dan adjusted his schedule and we went ahead in the Spring of 2016.

Dan also had to coordinate with our General Contractor who did the remainder of the work since this project included removing the old front porch and supporting the upper floor of our house.

If I was doing this project over again, I wouldn't bother calling anyone else.

Daniel and his team (Edgar, Josh and the gang) did a fantastic job for us on our very old, very rickety house in Leslieville. From beginning to end they were thorough, and proactive, and the scheduling and work ran like a well oiled machine. Daniel was always responsive to emails, and Edgar handled any questions or requests I had for him on-site quickly and with the friendliest of dispositions. Edgar went above and beyond what I have come to expect from contractors, he transplanted plants that were in the way of concrete delivery, he re-dug window wells that had been removed along the way, he re-poured a small piece of concrete in our front sidewalk as a favour... the list goes on, and always with a smile. Josh, too, stored some materials for us in his personal shop, and was on the lookout for savings for us in how the job was approached. When we found that our walls were only single brick on the sides, and with a gap behind that, the engineer suggested rebuilding the wall, so the price of course went up, but thanks to Josh's thoughtfulness, he proposed pouring a support wall in the gap and anchoring it to the existing, and the engineer agreed that it was a better approach, and the price went back down!

As far as the actual work goes, everything was done to a high standard, the job site was kept clean at all times, and the guys rarely even came into the house, entering by the basement window instead so as not to disturb us. We had to dig down quite deep to get full 8ft finished ceilings, plus pour behind one wall, replace termite damaged support posts and sill plate, so there was lots to do, and our house is stronger for it. Safety was a big concern for us, and each step was done carefully, and no corners were ever cut. Though they may not be the cheapest underpinners in the city I am confident that you get the quality and seamlessness that you pay for and it was well worth it for the piece of mind and quality results.

Can't recommend True North enough! Thank you, thank you!