True North Underpinning

Foundations
Toronto ON M4G
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Foundations
True North Underpinning
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Reviews for True North Underpinning

Average customer rating:
10 10 (157 reviews)

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Jeffrey
Jeffrey
0 reviews Old Toronto, ON
10/10

Underpinning and walkout

I honestly don't know why you would look elsewhere if you need to have underpinning done.
We had a semi with an unfinished basement. The stairs to the basement are narrow, and the basement itself was only 6'5' high (and lower in other places). We also had a crawl space under an extension to our house. We wanted to underpin it all and have a walkout so we could move normal-sized appliances and furniture in. We previously had a terrible experience with waterproofers that had dug under our foundation and caused structural damage, so I was very concerned about getting it right.
Daniel was awesome from the start. The work and the costs were all set out clearly. No surprises. The cost was roughly in line with other quotes, and without the crawlspace and walkout, it would have dropped considerably. Concerns were addressed promptly and fairly, which is key. Josh, Keith and the rest of the team were clearly experienced, and easy to get along with. Given the walkout and the crawlspace, this was a lengthy job, but they kept at it virtually every day. The few external trades that needed to come in were scheduled efficiently to keep things moving.
If you want your underpinning professionally done, this is where you go. They earn the 10-star review.

Approximate cost of services:
$130,000.00
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Company Response

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for the excellent and very detailed review. I really appreciate it. Enjoy the new basement (that we won't be hitting our heads on anymore...)

Daniel

Sunny in
Sunny in
3 reviews Toronto, ON
10/10

True North Underpinning

I couldn't be happier with True North Underpinning. We had a different underpinning company with our other house 5 years ago so I can do a direct comparison. Danial impressed us right from the start when he came to give us an estimate. He really knows this business and is up front and honest about potential challenges and how he will go about dealing with them. For us it was a high water table with very sandy soil. The team he assigned us were so pleasant to work with, always polite, positive and hard working. . I wasn't living in the house at the time but would go there everyday and always found them on task, welcoming and willing to explain whatever they were doing. We decided to go with radiant in-floor heating with polished concrete. We have to wait 28 days before it is polished but it already looks great. Their portion of the walkout has been done beautifully. If you are looking for an underpinner, I couldn't recommend True North Underpinning any higher. I take every opportunity to tell friends and neighbours about how happy I am with them and if I needed underpinning on any future houses, they would be the only ones I would call.

Approximate cost of services:
$150,000.00
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Company Response

Hi Sunny,

Thanks for taking the time to write us this detailed review. It means a lot to us and our future clients. Glad you were happy with everything and it was a better experience than with your last underpinner. Good luck with the finishing work.

Regards,

Daniel

taygraham10
taygraham10
2 reviews Old Toronto, ON
10/10

Basement underpinning

We hired True North after hearing about others in the neighbourhood having a positive experience with them. Dan is very knowledgeable and responsive. The crew were here every day and the project went fairly quickly considering the amount of work done.

Our basement basically fluctuated in height - anywhere from just over 6 feet to 6'6. With the underpinning it's now 8 feet. We also had two steel beams replaced, our utility room made considerably smaller, heated floors added, water meter moved, lead line to the house replaced, and sump pump and sewage ejector added.

Approximate cost of services:
$100,000.00
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Company Response

Hi Taylor,

Thanks for the great review. Happy to hear you had a positive experience.

Daniel

Cedarvale / Humewood
Cedarvale / Humewood
9 reviews Toronto, ON
10/10

Excellent basement underpinning experience

We used Dan's team at True North to underpin our midtown Toronto basement (roughly 600sf). They had done our next door neighbour's house several years back and have worked quite a bit with my contractor who is finishing the basement. We went down to a full finished height of 8' (from 6'2") and replaced our old steel beam. We had two very large bulky support posts which were replaced with a smaller one given the stronger beam that was installed. Included in our work was radiant heating, a sump pump and a sewage ejector. Our cold storage room was not dug out but they did waterproof it and break up / pour a new floor.

From the initial consultation/estimate stage to the final walkthrough, all the staff at True North were phenomenal. Dan was very patient to answer my many questions and help me understand all facets of the project. All the guys on the crew were excellent with Fernando leading the charge on our job. Very hard-working, friendly and polite. They showed up on time each day. I got accustomed to hearing the side door open each morning as I was preparing breakfast. The project manager, John, was quick to respond to anything that needed follow up.

The project stayed very close to the estimated cost. The additional costs were reasonable and were related to some unplanned work like moving my water meter to a new location and replacing the lead pipe coming into the house. Also, there were some increases in the cost of the steel beam from the time of the quote in November to the start of the job in July. They started the work at the expected time AND finished on the time.

We were dreading the work because my wife and I both work from home and we thought the jackhammering would be unbearable. Surprisingly we got accustomed to the noise pretty quickly and thanks to technology, the microphone on my computer didn't pick up that noise so it wasn't an issue for virtual meetings.

At the end of each day, the crew cleaned up the basement (put all their tools away) and made the driveway as clean as possible (within reason). I lost track but I think we likely filled ~8 large bins with dirt. They took care to make sure the bin was well positioned so we could still have access to our walkway while not encroaching on my neighbour's side of the driveway.

The crew takes pride in their work and completing a quality job was important to them. When they laid down the rigid insulation, I went downstairs with a 6' level and couldn't find a single spot on the floor which wasn't perfectly level.

Overall we were extremely happy with Dan's team at True North Underpinning. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a truly professional, reputable and trustworthy company with excellent staff.

Approximate cost of services:
$97,000.00
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Company Response

Hello,

Thank you for taking the time to write this VERY detailed review of our work. These go a long way!! All the best and enjoy the new basement.

Daniel

Simon
Simon
2 reviews Toronto, ON
10/10

Great work, easy review

Pretty straightforward review - Daniel did an extremely thorough quote, walked us through the job details, their teams started on time as expected, they were clear about what we could expect and when, they left as tidy a workplace as can be expected, and we are extremely pleased with the final product. Daniel's team was fantastically responsive and very good to work with. On top of that, Daniel recommended a basement finisher whose work was equally solid.

Many thanks Daniel and team! We would highly recommend them to anybody.

Approximate cost of services:
$120,000.00
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Company Response

Hello Simon,

Thanks for the great review. enjoy the much bigger basement.

Daniel

Dan in North Toronto
Dan in North Toronto
2 reviews Toronto, ON
10/10

Basement Underpinning

We went with True North because of a solid recommendation from our general contractor, a great rapport with Daniel and because others in our neighbourhood used them with success.

Daniel talked through what would happen in detail, was clear about what he would be responsible for and what he expected from me (e.g. HVAC engineer for radiant floor layout). His estimate was clear, detailed and he gave options (e.g. replacing lead water pipe, upgrading to 1" water service or window wells) and recommendations.

He handled the structural engineer and plumber and ensured the city inspections were timely. The crew was friendly, polite, tidy and hard-working. The job itself was completed on time and Daniel spent time to follow up with me after to ensure I was satisfied (and I certainly was!).

Underpinning is messy, unglamorous work. But I cannot emphasize how pleasant this experience was from start to finish. Daniel and True North are a class act.

Approximate cost of services:
$100,000.00
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Company Response

Hi Dan. Amazing review!!! thanks. I'm glad you were happy with everything. Hopefully Chris can help you with phase 2. All the best.

Daniel

Stacey
Stacey
0 reviews Toronto, ON
10/10

Basement underpinning

We hired Daniel and team at True North based on others in our neighborhood who were very happy with their work, strong reviews like this and just good old gut feeling. Daniel was friendly, knowledgeable, engaged and patient. He answered questions, was quick to reply to emails, got the work done on budget and AHEAD OF SCHEDULE!! If only we were that on top the rest of our renos!

But like others have said it was the crew who made the job! They were friendly, efficient, experts at what they did and made it all seem effortless...which it absolutely was not. Digging out a basement is no small feat! They worked from 7am until they got the job done. They were on time everyday. And i know because I work
from home.
The only bad thing I can say is that I kinda got the post-reno blues after they were finished! I missed the excitemet of seeing the progress each day and especially missed hearing their music and the chatter everyday!

I would without hesitation recommend Daniel and his team at TrueNorth!!

Approximate cost of services:
$73,000.00
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Company Response

Hi Stacy,

Thanks for the great review and sorry to hear you have the post-reno blues.... We can go another couple feet deeper if you like...

Regards,

Daniel

Bob in Toronto
Bob in Toronto
2 reviews Toronto, ON
10/10

Underpinning basement

We hired Daniel after interviewing several underpinners. His quote was neither the lowest nor the highest. He pays his workers a living wage, and we appreciated that and understood this reflected in his quote.

Daniel was always professional, warm, engaged, and connected. He helped us assemble our entire team: designer, engineer, and general contractor were all Daniel's recommendations and they worked collaboratively to save us time and money. Daniel and his foreman kept us informed every step of the way. We lived in our home during the excavation process and never feared for our safety. We were confident that Daniel would deliver a pleasant space and we were right. If we had it to do over, we would hire True North again.

Approximate cost of services:
$90,000.00
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Company Response

Hi Bob,

Thank you for taking the time to write us this review. I really appreciate it.

Regards,

Daniel

Bradley in Toronto
Bradley in Toronto
1 review Toronto, ON
10/10

Basement Underpinning

If you are looking to underpin your basement, I would highly recommend True North Underpinning.

The budget was accurate, the cost was fair, and the project was done on time.

Daniel is an incredible leader, and the team is phenomenal. Everyone was so respectful, on time, and hard-working. Daniel is the type of contractor that you trust and believe. For a project such as underpinning underneath your house, this is obviously quite important.

We are thrilled with the result and only have the best to say about this experience.

Thank you so much for everything Daniel and team!

Approximate cost of services:
$55,000.00
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Company Response

Hi Brad,

Thank you very much for the review. All the best!!

Daniel

our_home
our_home
2 reviews Toronto, ON
10/10

Basement Underpinning

Probably the most competent and professional contractor I have worked with. I couldnt recommend this company more. Daniel as owner always made himself available to answer questions (and still does!). The crew on our project was excellent reliable (they started at 7am, not a minute before, not a minute after), knowledgeable and patient (I had a lot of questions!). They could solve problems easily. Noise, bins and portable toilets typically arent going to make the neighbors happy, but the most common comment from our neighbors was, super nice guys!
But coming back to whats important, our project was completed on time, on budget, and with no significant issues or surprises for me as the owner. Both the final product and the experience exceeded our expectations.

Approximate cost of services:
$65,000.00
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Company Response

Hello,

Thank you for the review and sharing your experience with True North Underpinning.

Daniel

The reviews on this page are the subjective opinion of the Author and not of HomeStars Inc.

More about True North Underpinning

True North Underpinning is a company fully dedicated to lowering basements of Toronto homes. We have vast experience with all the varieties of houses in Toronto including heritage homes that are over 140 years old, townhouses, detached and semi-detached homes.

We can provide a higher quality service with our True North Underpinning crews who are trained underpinning specialists. You will be assigned a crew that is both professional and courteous. They will see your project through from beginning to end.

When it comes to underpinning your home don't leave it to amateurs or less experienced companies. A major renovation such as this should be done by professionals.
True North Underpinning is proud of our reputation of completing jobs on time and on budget, with the highest quality of workmanship and cleanliness.

Call us for a free site inspection followed by a detailed and itemized estimate. . We are fully licensed and insured including mandatory underpinning insurance.

Underpinning, Basement Lowering, Bench Footings, Internal Waterproofing, Structural Steel Beams and Posts, Basement Walk-outs, Crawl Spaces, Basement Plumbing, Weeping Tiles, and Sump pits

CATEGORIES
Basement Renovation and Foundations
SERVICES
Underpinning, Basement Lowering, Bench Footings, Internal Waterproofing, Structural Steel Beams and Posts, Basement Walk-outs, Crawl Spaces, Basement Plumbing, Weeping Tiles, Sump pits and in-floor heating.
WEBSITE
https://www.truenorthunderpinning.ca
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES
16
PAYMENT METHOD
Cheques
LICENSES
Yes
LIABILITY INSURANCE
Yes
WORKERS COMPENSATION
Yes
WRITTEN CONTRACT
Yes
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