Karen E.

We completed basement underpinning and waterproofing at our house in early February and were ready to start researching tradespeople and/or full service construction companies to finish our basement. With drawings completed and city permits in hand, all we needed was for someone to put our dream basement into reality (and get my husband's office out of our living room!). I spent the next two months researching and arranging for people to come by and quote on the project. The companies and individuals quoting were all over the map - some with inflated pricing, some that required chasing for quotes/follow-up, and also some that seemed to use cheap materials. I'm adamant about having multiple quotes on hand to make sure we find the best solution for us so thankfully, through a recommendation came across Tight Rein Construction Ltd. They came highly recommended from someone we know, and after our first meeting it's easy to see why! Steve Malfatti (the owner) came to our house to evaluate the project and we didn't even have to walk him through the basement - he understood the scope of the project from the very beginning as well as any shortcomings/issues we'd need to work around based on the existing structure. We also had a very short turnaround for this project which included framing, installation of new stairs/railing, drywall, sound insulation, electrical and HVAC. Much to my relief with a baby on the way, the project started and ended on time --- in 5 weeks! Steve managed multiple trades to be on site each day, sometimes working late or on weekends to ensure the job was done right and on time. He was also on site each morning to check in on progress and chat with my husband and me about the work being completed each day. He even arranged to have our roof fixed after the wind storm... an unexpected project that needed urgent repair! If I had any questions, I would reach out by text/email/phone and would have a response right away. For me, it was a relief that I didn't need to be "on" during the renovation. I trusted Steve and his crew would get the work done. He's a problem solver, straight talker and all around great person to work with. We will be using them again without hesitation as we slowly chip away at updating our fixer-upper home.

In summer 2017 we experienced some water damage in our unfinished basement and knew we needed to move ahead quickly to fix the problem. I'm adamant about having multiple quotes for each project and I'm so thankful that we found Mud Monkeys through that process. It was evident that they are professionals and knew what they were talking about during our initial meeting. Our basement ceiling was originally 5' 6" and is now 8' 2"! The project started and ended on time, and there were no surprises with expenses. The budget for the project was as discussed. We were also pleased with the crew that worked on this project. They arrived at 7:30 AM every weekday morning and worked through to 3:30 PM. They took care in our house and were sure to clean up after themselves. In the winter (project started on November 20 and completed Feb 5), they went above and beyond -- they shoveled our walkway and stairs! They became fast friends with our puppy Finlay and each member of crew greeted him as they entered the house. This is one of the best experiences we have had hiring a contractor for our fixer-upper home. I can't recommend them enough! And with all this rain we've been having, we're so thankful that we had the work done.