Who We Are

History

Seeing a gap in the market, Penguin Basements was founded in 2011 by Guy Solomon to bring a standard of process and professionalism to a burgeoning industry. Learning from past experiences on both the professional and personal side, Guy believed that a company should rise above the competition by employing higher build standards, utilizing more suitable materials, and implementing a proven build process (similar to that employed by housing developers) to deliver a better basement in terms of design, functionality, quality, and durability. He also felt this would be a company built for the long-term rather than one designed — like too many renovation companies — to cash in on the home improvement boom.

The philosophy remains true today, and Penguin Basements is constantly looking to improve our standards, materials, and processes to lead the industry forward, and to offer a better product to our customers. We call this our Smart Basements™ approach. In addition to winning the Basement Renovation of the Year Award in 2019, we are multiple Consumer’s Choice and HomeStars Best award-winner and more importantly, a BILD and Renomark™ certified company that continues to be fortunate enough to be professionally recognized and customer referred.

Penguin Basements has been fortunate enough to see our growth double year-over-year, since our inception. Over 80% of our builds are a result of friends, family, and neighbours referring us.

We don’t need to inflate any expectations; we provide three design concepts, a clear fixed price, and a dedicated Project Manager to act as your single point of contact to resolve any construction issue that may arise. We are dedicated to building not just better basements, but a better renovation company through the Japanese philosophy of “kaizen” which means change for the better or constant improvement. That is, we always strive to be a better company, year over year.

Mission

Make great basements, on-time, with next generation service, old school craftsmanship and affordable for all by employing the best people, the best processes and the best materials available to deliver our customers a better-built basement.

Vision

We aspire to inspire change in an evolving industry. By becoming the standard bearer in the basement renovation industry, we can promote quality materials, professional trades, honest pricing, and better communication standards to create customer advocates and inspire our competitors.

Core Values

Penguin Basements is proud to be a recognized member of Renomark™ and we embrace the member’s code of conduct as our own:

Be a member in good standing of the local Canadian Home Builders’ Association.
Abide by the Association’s Code of Ethics.
Provide a detailed, written contract (including the scope of work) for all jobs.
Offer a minimum two-year warranty on all work.
Carry a minimum of $2 million liability insurance.
Have coverage for workplace safety and employers’ liability and work only with subcontractors who carry such coverage.
Carry applicable licenses and permits.
Have access to information, education, training and professional development through membership in the Association.
Maintain a safe and organized worksite.
Return phone calls within two business days.

Our Penguin standards mean we provide quality and service you can count on. With all of our construction standards either meeting or exceeding the current building codes. And we follow our own code of conduct as well.

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The Penguin Basements Code of Conduct

Honesty

We strive to be honest in our dealings with subcontractors and our clients. To do so means admitting errors if they crop up, and making things right instead of making excuses. It also means we will only use materials meant for the unique environment of a basement. And that we will approach any project, large or small as systematically as possible, and with our clients’ goals and needs always in mind. We build every basement as if it is our own because frankly, it is.

Integrity

You’re the boss and we are your specialists, the professionals. We build a space with your needs in mind while keeping to local building code requirements, industry and Renomark™ standards and our own demanding principles.

Transparency

We believe that it is our duty to provide you with a proper inspection, creative design, and estimate. Our estimates are provided with a detailed scope of work that includes a line-by-line itemized breakdown. Our all-inclusive approach sets a fair and realistic budget to get the job done on time and on budget. Transparency extends through our client’s ability to log on to our internal site through a customer portal to access their own project notes, images, progress charts and service tickets throughout the project. We consider it a great way for you to get involved with the build without getting covered in dust.

Respect

We understand that we are likely building an entire floor right beneath your feet. While we can be in close quarter’s, working long hours with a variety of trades we never lose sight of the fact that it’s your home. As we respect our homeowners, we share the same respect amongst ourselves and the trades. We are all accountable for the finished product and the experience during construction. Part of our commitment to respecting your and your home is dust management and the inclusion of protective mats, zipper tarps and a disposal bin on location at all times. Our project managers are assigned to your home, your project and are responsible on your behalf for ensuring that no detail is overlooked. Respect works both ways though, and we expect our customers to treat our people and the build process with respect as well. When we all get along, projects move along quickly.

Warranty

We know our products are the best and best-suited for a basement environment, which is why we offer limited lifetime warranty on our vinyl flooring and wall-boards. Our vinyl flooring is water and scratch resistant and will ensure you will not experience more than 0.001% expansion or contraction in any condition, and our wall-board is mold-resistant.

We also provide our clients with a 2-year service warranty. This becomes valid from the date of your project completion, as outlined in your project completion package.

Questions about warranties?

Give us a call. We cater to our clients with a 24-hour service line – 416-633-7180

What Our Customers Are Saying

”great job, quality, customer service, value for money, and over all excellent job!“
Anonymous on HomeAdvisor
”We recently used Penguin Basements to finish our basement in Newmarket, Ontario. We had seen their sign around town, and figured we should inquire about their service and finishing system. We did inquire with some other companies as well, but found Penguins' presentation made the most sense for us. We are pleased to say that everything — from the first response of our inquiry, to the finished product — has been very seamless and actually quite enjoyable.“
Dennis Foot on Facebook
”Guy... what to say?! What a guy! had the pleasure of speaking with him this evening and all I can say is that he knows housing. so informative, fun and really a helpful guy. Very honest. actually helped convince us of what needs to be done. even though he told us that renovating our basement is actually not a good idea he took the time to go over with us some other options. Eye opener! Thanks Guy.“
Francesca D'Angelo on Facebook
’Claudio, our finishing supervisor should get an 11/10. He showed incredible professionalism, skill, and commitment to making the customer happy.“
Qasim Khan on Houzz
”Basement Bliss. No contracting work proceeds without a hiccup, but it's how you contractor deals with such issues that shows whether they care about the customer or just the money. It's obvious that everyone at this company is passionate about what they do. Highly recommended.“
Reg on Trustpilot
”It was a great experience from their initial guidance in design to the final project. Biggest pros - quality of work and accountability. The builder trend app is fantastic. It was an aggressive schedule but they delivered. And our project lead Alan was exceptional. Cons - there were a few disconnects early with the demo phase. And the work comes at a significant premium, so the benefits (quick completion, accountability, quality) need to be worth it. For us they were.’
Brad on Homestars
“I wanted to thank Dan and Josh for their outstanding and professional service! I hired them to finish my basement and our basement now looks amazing. I highly appreciate their work quality and material selection!”
John T on Google
”I always had concerns about which company to use to finish my basement. Penguin Basements put me at ease, from the sales person Dan who brought an floorpan that I would never have considered, to Vince, the project manner, who kept me well informed and made sure the project was done to the highest of standards. There were no real surprises along the way, and they made sure we were happy every step. Fantastic Job.”
Todd on Homestars
”We had an excellent experience with all the staff at Penguin Basements from our first meeting, through to the end of the project. All the contractors we met throughout the project who worked on the basement were professional and did an amazing job. We can't wait to use our additional living space to entertain our family and friends!”
Linda in Ajax
”The Penguin process worked well for us and the people who worked on our basement were professional, appear very skilled, and were aware and courteous of the intrusion their work had on our family's life. Penguin Basements more than met our expectations.“
David in Newmarket
”The basement came out better than we had planned! We have already recommended Penguin to our colleagues and friends! Thank you Penguin for an amazing experience and for giving us an awesome living space that our family will be sure to enjoy for years to come!“
Chris in Stouffville
“Everyone at Penguin was very professional and helpful in our project. Not only was it finished on time and on budget but it also has a very solid construction. We are very pleased with the quality of the workmanship.”
Lisa in Toronto
"It came together ABOVE what I had imagined."
David in Toronto
"We recently moved into our new home (2009) and we planned on finishing our basement. Our neighbours across the street had your sign on the lawn so we decided to see the completed work. It looked professional and we then requested a quote. 3 weeks later we had a brand new finished basement, simply amazing and thanks for everything."
Jeff and Amanda in Richmond Hill
"Just a note to let everyone at Penguin Basements know how pleased I am with my new Basement. Your three-man crew was amazing! They started at 9am, and by 3 that afternoon, they had already framed half of the perimeter of the basement. Two weeks later the job was completed and all the debris was removed. Thank you for a great job! We couldn't be happier. I will definitely recommend your company to family and friends."
John and Rebecca in Maple
"We could not have asked for more from a Renovation Company. For starters, our consultant was very knowledgeable. He knew exactly what we had in mind and met of all of our requirements Secondly the installers were professional and efficient. And finally the basement has been a tremendous addition to our home as Greg and Mary now have a place to play with all their toys."
James and Lisa in Oakville
"After 8 years in my house I finally had it with the messy basement. I called Penguin Basements and asked them for their advice on a design. I was really impressed by all the designs and concepts Alexander created. He advised me on all my choices, gave me a great price and completed the job in just 16 days, from start to finish. They carefully cleaned up after themselves and were always anxious to accommodate me. I'm very pleased! Thanks Again!"
Cathy & Bruce in Richmond Hill
"We could not have asked for more from a renovation company. For starters, our consultant was very knowledgeable. He knew exactly what we had in mind and met all of our requirements. Secondly, the installers were professional and efficient. Finally the basement has been a tremendous addition to our home as Greg and Mary now have a place to play with all their toys."
James & Lisa in Richmond Hill
"Dear Penguin Basements, we are still raving about the quality of the job that was done in our basement. We especially feel a big difference when the temperatures hit the freezing mark! Hats off to your crew for a great job repairing the cracked walls and finishing off the basement. Thanks again for a job well done!"
Shirley & Tom in Richmond Hill