The Basement Men & The Concrete Man
Chicago
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Featured Reviews
Review from Scott Greim
Published:September 29, 2025
Google5I had a section of my driveway replaced due to cracking/settling in spots and also was installing a flagpole so I had them concrete the flagpole sleeve into the ground. Sam the Concrete Man did a great job. From start to finish it was about 2 days. Everyone was very friendly and Gary, the owner, kept me informed every step of the way. I would highly recommend Sam the Concrete Man Northwest Chicago!
Review from Pam Otto
Published:August 30, 2025
Google5I had a somewhat atypical driveway request--ribbons of concrete with grass in between. No fewer than four other contractors flat out said no. Gary not only said yes, he arrived promptly for the estimate and then provided a printed proposal right from his car. He answered all my questions and was a huge help with the permit process. His crew was equally focused and executed every step, with great communication along the way. Couldn't be happier!
Review from Tom Tilche
Published:July 31, 2025
Google5Wish I would have done this sooner. Everything was easier than I originally thought. Gary and his crew took care of my home like it was their own. Very much appreciated the attention to detail and the care that went into our patio project. Thanks for making this easy on us.
Review from Valerie Calabria
Published:May 2, 2025
Google5Gary and crew recently did our walkout area. Job looks great. Gary was responsive, and the crew was efficient and cleaned up when done. We encourage you to reach out to Gary for concrete work!
Review from Lisa Martineau
Published:February 26, 2025
Google4We had a new stamped concrete patio done. I have to say first that Gary and his crew were efficient and even worked on the weekend. At first, when it was completed, it looked very good. However, as we discovered when we walked on it without our shoes, some of the edges of the stamped concrete are sharp and were not smoothed down. Very sloppy work! These spikes are painful and honestly dangerous to walk on. Some of them are fine. When we contacted Gary about this, he said he'd look into it. (We figured he'd probably send someone to grind the bad ones down and reseal it. Since the service HAD been so good, we assumed he'd correct his crew's work.) When he didn't respond, we emailed again and asked him what he'd found out. His emailed response was: "1. We installed the patio in accordance with industry standards according to our warranty. 2. You selected the pattern that we installed that has ridges. 3. Maybe one should not walk on the patio with bare feet. 4. If you want to correct smoothing the ridges, hire a contractor to do so." 1. I guess the warranty doesn't include the ability to safely use it if you have pets or little kids. 2. The pattern does NOT have ridges between the stamps, as some of the areas are just fine. 3. That's so snarky and rude I won't even respond to that. 4. Sure, so after spending all that money with this company, we're now supposed to hire someone to fix the inferior job they did. The service is great UNTIL they cash your check. As soon as that's done, they're gone. AVOID THIS COMPANY AT ALL COSTS. See photos below. UPDATE: After I posted my review, Gary did contact us again and sent out a workman to correct the problem. The man was really thorough, down on his hands and knees with a board to run across and find all the slurry that had been left in spikes. There was a lot of it, and he patiently sanded the spots down before resealing it. Gary came out and said he had misunderstood the problem, which I guess was his quasi-apology for first ignoring us and then responding in such a snarky way. Here's my final assessment: Everybody makes mistakes. Sometimes, a company will have an unreasonable customer and sometimes there's something that needs fixing. Good customer service means following up to see if a problem is real or if the client is awful. All that had to happen was for the patio to be checked when we complained, and then fixed, which is what ultimately happened, because the slurry was a mess and we were clearly correct. Had we received a reasonable answer to begin with, there would have been a 5 star review from the start, because mistakes happen, and any reasonable person recognizes that and wants to give the company a chance to fix any problems. So, the final finished project looks great, so we'd recommend them for that. Hopefully, though, customer service will improve.
Review from Fred Leonard
Published:February 26, 2025
Google5'Sam the Concrete Man Northwest Chicago' replaced a walkway adjacent to my residence. We are very happy with the interactions, construction process and result! I will contact Gary from 'Sam the Concrete Man Northwest Chicago' for my next concrete 'job' and have recommended him to family. I obtained several quotes for replacement of a section of our 'back' walkway. I opted for removal & replacement of the section - as opposed to a pressurized 'fill' - because the walkway was adjacent to our basement wall. Gary suggested replacing the entire walkway as opposed to the individual section. I chose 'Sam the Concrete Man Northwest Chicago' based upon the entirety of Gary's knowledge, suggestions and proposal. The 'job' included demolition & removal of the existing walkway, 'backfill' & compaction, doweling & mesh, City Inspection/Permit, pour/trowel/draft/section/brush and seal. Francisco & team "demo'ed" and prepared for the concrete pour. While certainly working with heavy equipment and materials, the team was mindful/careful of the inground irrigation system. I suggest review of the documented proposal with the team to verify any 'job' particulars. Gary also reviewed the demo results and pour preparation. Gary was onsite to oversee the concrete pour and toweling - final sectioning and brushing was completed a short while later. Gary sealed the concrete a couple days later after concrete hardening and light rain subsided/dried. Re-sealing durations are not immediately known; (substrate, weather, 'traffic' are contributors). Francisco's team visited a couple days later to 'fill-in' the sidewalk's edge with soil from the original demolition. Photos illustrate the initial sunken section, post demo, pour prep, troweled concrete, brushed concrete, post rain (draft away from house) and water-beading (sealant). The concrete is uniform of color and bright one-week later.
Review from eric huffman
Published:February 26, 2025
Google5Gary and his crew did a fantastic job on my porch and sidewalk replacement! Gary is easy to work with and appointments are on time which is very important to me. Nobody likes waiting around wondering when the contractor is showing up. I would recommend and work with Sam the Concrete Man in Bartlett, Il again. Thank you for the great service!
Review from Steve Tierney
Published:February 26, 2025
Google5Gary and team did a great job and the work was done on time and for the quoted price. The daily clean up was great to see and the final product (stamped concrete) exceeded our expectations. Gary has been great to work with and the team also worked on July 4th to complete the job on time and on budget. I will be using Gary and Sam the Concrete Man again for other projects.
Review from Gail S.
Angi5Steve of the Basement Men helped me out at a critical time. I?d just gone through a miserable experience with basement water which created further basement issues and was compounded by a serious knee injury. Following a full basement demolition, Steve stepped in and handled the reconstruction. From the beginning, Steve understood the particulars of my situation and was flexible, professional and efficient. The work that his crew did in my basement showed impressive attention to detail. Quality counts and the end result reflects that. And going over and above, I am very grateful because Ziggy, a true craftsman, was sensitive to the fact that I?d just dealt with water and he actually diagnosed two other problems that hadn?t been previously discovered and then did the necessary work to prevent recurring water. Steve understood and respected my time. I work long and unusual hours. He would communicate in whatever way worked best for me ? in person, or by text, phone, or email. He was on top of the process and set up regular meetings to review the work each step of the way. He?d meet me with samples, etc. to make the process simple or, when I preferred to look at stores, I?d just let him know what I wanted. I?m sure we've all heard stories about construction crews that don?t show up on time or at all. Steve?s crews were always prompt?.. and the work moved along on schedule as promised. They are really tireless, hard workers. Through this experience,I've made a few observations worth sharing with others: 1) Plaster dust spreads. Make sure you put away or cover your belongings and request that all work areas, ducts, etc. be cordoned off with tarps in doorways , etc. 2) I think work is most successful...and this job was... when you are very clear about all expectations -- make sure that everyone is on the same page, literally, with all details of the project in the contract, and on the updates along the way. And if you have any concerns express them and they can be resolved. I personally believe that in all aspects of life, integrity and honesty are paramount. Bottom line, I have been able to trust the Basement Men. And that is a gift in this world. Services Rendered: Reconstruction of basement - construction of stairs, floors, insulation, drywall, painting, ceiling, lighting, doors to maintenance room, windows, gutter drainage, window wells. In addition installation of garage and storm door, ice damming ceiling and minimal roof repair.
Review from Peter J.
Angi5I got together with Steve in late February to explain what I wanted. He put together an estimate. The windows and doors were ordered in early March. Installation began in early April. Ziggy did a great job on all the windows, doors, and interior work. He and his assistant arrived on time each day and completed work within the time frame that had been estimated. I was always pleased with the professionalism of the crews that worked on the garage door and siding. They arrived on time and completed the work in the time frame estimated. Very pleased with the quality of the finished product. Services Rendered: Installed bay window and basement window in bedroom, repainted bedroom, replaced entry door and two sliding doors, replaced garage door, installed siding.