Rooms you will use
Most unfinished basements hold boxes and a furnace. They could hold a family room, a guest bedroom, a play space, a home office or a bathroom. What you need depends on the house and the people in it.
Chris starts with that question when he visits. He looks at the space, listens to how you want to use it, and writes a quote built around your plan rather than a package.
The carpentry and finish work
Finishing a basement is mostly carpentry and finish trades, which is where Chris has spent more than 35 years. That includes nine years as a journeyman carpenter in the Detroit Carpenters Union. The work can include:
Framing walls and soffits
Drywall, paint and trim
Electrical work
Flooring that suits the space
Doors, closets and built-in details
A new bathroom, which is Chris's specialty
Experience across the whole house
Kathy Dobrowolski on Google hired Chris to move a door between a half bath and laundry room. The job took demo, framing, drywall, electrical and a dryer vent. She called him a jack of all trades, as well as very professional, honest and courteous. A basement project asks for the same range, and Chris handles it as one job under one person.
Hire me, get me
Chris describes his business this way: if you hire him, you get him. He is not a salesman who hands the job to a crew you have never met. He is not juggling several jobs at once either. Since simplifying the business down to himself and his son Reese, the focus has been quality, old-world craftsmanship and one-on-one service.
He works across Lenawee County (Tecumseh, Adrian, Blissfield, Clinton, Onsted, Hudson, Morenci) and Washtenaw County (Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Saline, Chelsea, Dexter, Milan, Manchester). When he starts your job, he does not leave until it is done.
What happens on the first visit
Chris comes to the house, walks the basement and talks with you about what the space should become. He pays attention to the stairs, the ceiling height, the walls and where a bathroom or closet could go.
After the visit, you get a written quote. If you want to start with one room and add more later, tell him. The quote can be built around your plan and your pace.
How it works
Four steps, the same on every job.
Call or send the quote form.
Chris visits the space.
You get his written quote.
Chris does the work.
What customers say
“If you HIRE me, you GET me. I'm not only the one pushing the pen to create your custom quote, but also the one overseeing the work.”
Chris Nevins, owner
“Chris is a jack of all trades, as well as very professional, honest, courteous.”
Kathy Dobrowolski (Google)
Common questions
How much does it cost to finish a basement?
It depends on the square footage, the rooms you want and what is already in place. Chris looks at your basement and gives you a custom written quote for your plan.
How long does it take to finish a basement?
Chris sets the schedule in your written quote after he has seen the space. Because he works one job at a time, he stays on your basement until it is done.
Can you add a bathroom when finishing a basement?
Yes. Bathrooms and showers are Chris's niche, so adding one is something he can quote as part of the project.
Do I need a permit to finish my basement?
Permits come from your city or township building department. Chris will tell you what your project needs when he looks at the space, so you know before work starts.
Do you finish basements in Ann Arbor and Adrian?
Yes. Chris is based in Tecumseh and works across Lenawee and Washtenaw Counties, including Adrian, Ann Arbor, Saline, Chelsea and Ypsilanti.
Call (517) 605-4488 or send a quote request. Chris will get back to you personally.