True North Underpinning

We hired True North to do the digging and underpinning of our basement. Their quote was very competitive and Otto was thorough about explaining what needed to be done and how. It was a large job and we wanted to do it well so that we could have an 8 ft height. A week after they started to dig, Otto called and said they'd found out our foundations went down to 7'6 and if we wanted to leave it at that height, the job would cost us much less because they wouldn't have to underpin. We decided to do that, and we were blown away by how honest and upfront Otto and Daniel were about this. Everything about True North was fantastic. I can't imagine a better company to do the job. They were all very professional, and so nice too. They started and finished exactly on time and did over and above what they had to do in terms of clearing up and making my neighbours happy. Daniel, Josh and all the men who did the work were knowledgeable and courteous and I felt completely at ease letting them do their own thing without having to be on top of them. All in all, True North turned what we imagined would be a headache project into a smooth and painless job!

I would, and have, recommended True North to anyone doing an underpinning job. The company is professional and well run. Daniel and the crew were professional and easy to work with, and endeavored to cause as little interruption as possible to our daily lives. The fact that True North specializes in just underpinning is a big plus as they have seen any issue that may come up and are able to deal with them in the best possible way.

We decided to go with True North Underpinning and boy we are glad we chose Otto, Daniel and Joe! It turned out we had a major foundation and structural problem in our house. The team was able to work closely with us, Otto’s Masonary team and our engineer to solve the problem. While it took longer than expected because of these unforeseen issues, the guys worked intensely to get us home before our little bundle arrived! We love our basement and so happy we chose Otto, Daniel and Joe! They are professional, personable, on budget and take the time to understand what the needs of your family are. I don’t like to think what would have happened if we had not chosen True North! Thank guys! P.S. Our basement was bone dry in all that flooding:):)

My wife and I were uncertain where to start when planning our 2013 basement renovation. Our basement dreams included a 4 foot drop to give us 10 foot ceilings. We started our research here in Homestars and decided on True North Underpinning based on their attention to detail when preparing their estimates (all the 10 ratings on this site helped our decision too).
I'm happy to add another 10 rating to the site based on our experience. Daniel, Otto, and Josh were easy to work with and took the time to walk us through each step of the process. They provided delivered on their work plan religiously including the status updates needed to reassure us. They also delivered on their cost and schedule estimates despite some tricky issues with our difficult neighbors and the winter weather.
It was particularly reassuring that Daniel stayed with the project after the contract was signed and managed all issues with the same professionalism he displayed when we were convinced to sign his team originally. Overall, the work was tremendous beginning to end of project and even after when they helped to ensure our lawn grew back after their equipment was removed and ground thawed. We'd happily recommend True North to friends and family.

We had True North underpin our basement and they did a fantastic job. There were some logistical issues especially with the placement of the bin and Daniel's team did a great job working with our neighbour to address his concerns. The job was done well, on time (was actually done a week earlier than we expected) and for the price we were originally quoted. If you are looking to have your basement underpinned you can't go wrong with True North. The leader on our project was John and he was great to deal with and all the guys were very personable. Great Job. Thank-You to Daniel, Otto and team.

Daniel and Josh were always helpful, friendly and punctual and their price competitive. The crew was hardworking and very polite and neat. We are very delighted with the job and would recommend them highly. Thanks guys for the great job.

Got 3 quotes for underpinning 600 square feet of raw basement space. Having done research on both Homestars and On-line regarding underpinning vs. benching. 2 Quotes with mix of underpinning and benching but for only 400 square feet of basement at 43,000 and up. True North's Otto came one evening to estimate. I asked if the house had footings under floor to do benching...he thought not, told me to do couple of test holes over next couple of days...said to him, "hold on, do it right now!" grabbed a wrench bar and smashed through 1917 built floor and discovered 4 and 1/2" footings in and same down. "Well now!" said Otto, "we can do benching no problem, 8" in and give you 8" down". True North had a quick window of opportunity and I just went ahead and signed the boys on. At 18Ks (+ 3Ks for plumbing + Taxes) for benching, it was a bargain compared to underpinning. Daniel came in and introduced his crew, Crew Lead Josh, assistant Josh, helpers Joel and some other J-named fellaws...They start digging down and low and behold I have Jurrassic Beach sand below the floor instead of the usual soil or clay. In fact the sand is so fine and dry, like caribean beach sand, that 8" in and 8" down will not allow for safe and proper support of basement walls; Daniel and Otto suggest we go 1 foot in and 1 down to gain an overall 6" and a bit of extra height after floor is poured. Otto even mentioned that they could not have underpinned with the kind of sand I had there. So - Caveat Emptor - buyer beware - know ahead of time if benching rather than underpinning is right for you. Benching gives you smaller usable space but adding a higher framing behind where sofa will be, eliminates wasted bench space as that now becomes a shelf for lamps, photos, books, etc. The Main Bulkhead for heating ducts marries and frames one wall where TV will be placed, creative solutions abound when you bench a basement. We, through our creative talent Mike at Sonoma, made our space interesting and very much functional. The crew at True North were hard working, clean and efficient. That work is all about grunt and sweat as so much material was removed through a tiny side window using wheelbarrows and buckets. The crew are terrific. In under three weeks, I had a brand new bare bones basement. Dan and Josh returned recently to do a bit of brick-work, sealing a window. As Otto said once to me, we've done over a hundred basements and each and every one of them is unpredictable and will serve up a surprise curve-ball. Mine was the fine beach sand that lay underneath the basement floor; had the walls not been in such good shape (1917 poured concrete walls on footings to just above ground, then double brick on up) other surprises would have complicated matters. I recommend benching, if all you need is to gain a few inches of height, or a mix, as long as you pre-plan the divisions in your basement space. Thank you Daniel, Otto, Josh and the gang...really nice work!

True North Underpinning came recommended to my wife and I and we couldn't be happier. Both Daniel and Otto were easier to work with and took the time to walk us through each step of the process. They proactively provided status updates and helped us make the right decisions for our basement. On top of this, the crew was professional, punctual and very conscious of our family living on site through the renovation. Excellent work, attention to detail and customer service making the 6 week project fly by. We'd happily recommend True North to friends and family.

I highly recommend True North Underpinning. After meeting with Otto, we felt confident that the job would be done well and we weren't disappointed. Daniel did an excellent job overseeing the project, keeping us informed and making sure that everything was progressing smoothly. We were worried because we have a shared driveway and we did not want to upset our neighbour. Daniel spoke to the neighbour and made arrangements and our bins never stayed overnight. The neighbour had no complaints and commented that they seemed to be a great company to work with. When unexpected things happened, as they often will in renovations, Daniel made sure that everything was dealt with in a timely and safe manner. The crew worked hard and were professional and courteous. The quote and time frame were accurate. I would definitely recommend True North to our nearest and dearest.

Daniel and Otto were the first people that we met with regarding our underpinning project. We were so impressed with them, we didn't even bother getting other quotes. Their attitude and experience were enough for us. Their quote was very detailed and they set our expectations from the very beginning. Daniel was onsite everyday and his team was great. Everyone was very respectful of our home and our neighbours. We have young children and needed access to our laundry during the project. They always set our machines back up on the schedule we agreed on. For those of you wondering, it is possible to keep doing the wash during an underpinning project if you're up for an adventure and you own a good pair of boots! Daniel did a good job managing our inspector when we ran into issues with a previous project. In the end, the project was done in the timeframe specified and for the price quoted. We genuinely enjoyed working with Daniel and his team and would highly recommend True North. We only wish they could have continued on with us to finish the basement after the underpinning!