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.
Do general contractors offer remote or virtual services?
General contractors perform manual work and typically need to be present to complete their projects. However, if you come across a profile that states the contractor is offering remote services, ask what those services include. You can also ask if they can perform a consultation via video call and if they can do the job while following guidelines from the CDC and local agencies.
Reviews for Washington basement professionals
Andrew C.
Had Roger renovate my basement, he is knowledgeable and did a quality job, will use again
R&E Remodeling L.L.C
Vivian T.
Roger completed the first part of my basement remodel, which was relatively small, but important. He repaired a hole in the basement exterior wall that was allowing moisture to get in and as a result a small mole patch had formed.
Roger patched the hole (inside and outside), cleaned up the mole and replaced the drywall inside the house. So far, I am happy with the job. Of course, this is the kind of thing that is proven to be effective over a period of time. However, Roger gives a one year guarantee and that increases my comfort level.
Roger has been very easy to work with and he is good at explaining his approach to resolving problems.
I will sign an additional contract with Roger to continue with the next phase of my basement remodel within a week.
R&E Remodeling L.L.C
Deepa R.
I hired Cesar to build a laundry unit/closet in my house and build a kitchen in my basement. He did a great job and was helpful in thinking through designs/trouble shooting. Would definitely hire again!
Ortiz Remodeling
Briana S.
Daniel and company came to my grandparents home in Washington, D.C. to refill the filtering in their basement. They were very prompt, professional and friendly. They did a wonderful job. They will be coming back to do other home improvements in a few weeks!
Thank you!
DH contractor llc
Lance C.
Homequest did a great job of gutting and renovating our basement in DC. They took our suggestions of what we wanted and ran with it. The Homequest Team was very professional, on-time and always available to answer questions. They completed the entire project on schedule and within budget. Shortly after the project was completed, we encountered a small issue within our bathroom, Homequest arrived within 48 hours and fixed the issue. Our basement is now a beautiful AirBnB in the District. We would highly recommend Homequest for any home renovation projects that you may have. The Curry's.
Homequest Design & Builder
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.
Thumbtack Customer
Apex General Contracting did a fantastic job on a major renovation project for our row house in DC! We had never done a renovation project of any kind, and this was the first time we had worked with a contractor. We highly recommend Carlos and his team for jobs big and small.
Carlos and the team at Apex were very responsive. We would text or call him with a lot of questions, and he was always available and would quickly respond.
They stayed on budget. We had a very tight budget, and Carlos stuck to it, even when minor complications required us to make various changes from our plan.
Carlos was very collaborative and solution-oriented whenever little wrinkles arose. He would consult us about details big and small, and made sure we were happy with all the work being done. If we changed our mind about something or were not happy with how something turned out, Carlos would fix it to make sure we were happy. Plus, the guys did a great job of cleaning up each day.
Finally, the quality of the work was beyond our expectations. Carlos’s carpenters are very talented and they helped us recreate and restore original vintage aspects of our 100-year-old house. His team also helped us create chic bathrooms and a modern kitchen. We are thrilled with how everything turned out, and we would definitely hire Apex for another job in the future.
What we needed
• Gut remodel kitchen;
• Finish an unfinished basement;
• Gut remodel two bathrooms;
• Refinish original hardwood floors;
• Install vintage marble fireplace;
• Rebuild original staircase;
• Install a two-zone HVAC system;
• Replace all plumbing and drains in the house;
• Upgrade electrical panel and most wiring and circuits;
• Replace front door;
• Lots of cosmetic work.
Preferred Construction
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.
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