From Unfinished to Family-Ready: A St. Charles, MO Basement Remodel

Photo from a recent partial basement refinish project in St. Charles, MO

One thing we're very proud of at McBride Construction is that many of our projects come from referrals.  We'd like to introduce you to one of our clients who can fully recommend McBride Construction to their friends and family. Meet Chris and Kathleen of St. Charles, MO.  They tasked McBride Construction to help them partially refinish their basement this summer.  

As background, Chris and Kathleen had long planned to finish their basement.  They even started framing part of it themselves, but after that initial work, the basement sat unfinished.  In time, they realized there were parts they couldn't do themselves. If they wanted to see the basement completed, they needed to pull in some help.

How Chris and Kathleen Found Us

In a recent interview for this article, Kathleen recalls that a friend introduced her to Tom McBride of McBride Construction.  She says, "I was over at a friend's house. She had just had her kitchen redone, and I asked who did it.  She told me who.  But then she said, ‘She wished she had had this other guy do it.’ Tom was the other guy that she had wished had done her kitchen.  So, we heard about Tom through her."

Choosing the Right Contractor

This basement project was their first big job to hire a contractor. Kathleen reports that they interviewed three or four contractors, but chose Tom for his flexible "a la carte" approach, allowing them to decide which parts they wanted McBride Construction to handle.

What Stood Out During the Remodel

Once started, the basement took about five weeks to complete.  Chris and Kathleen pointed to several examples of what they appreciated about Tom's work for their family.

Transparency.  Tom itemized the materials and labor in his quote so they could see transparently what they were paying for.  This approach fit their budget and allowed them to retain hands-on with the parts they felt comfortable doing.  In their case, they wanted to do the flooring and painting. 

An itemized quote was in contrast to other contractors who offered lump-sum proposals for the project.  And these contractors were unwilling to let go of work that Chris and Kathleen wished to do themselves.

Chris and Kathleen decided on cables for a modern look for the handrail

Collaboration.  One example of Kathleen and Chris's appreciation for Tom involved a challenge with the basement stairs. Kathleen shared, "It was a balance of satisfying code requirements with what I wanted; for the stairs to be open, to let light in. Otherwise, it was just like a dark hall that my kids wouldn't go down. And so it took a lot of back and forth."

Noting Tom's collaborative demeanor, "But then, once we figured out a solution, it went really well. But, it took some back and forth to figure out the best thing."

Attention to detail.  Ultimately, Chris and Kathleen settled on a more modern look using cables for the handrail on the stairs rather than traditional spindles. After the measurement, cuts, and installation, Chris shared, "It looked off. So, we all slept on it the night. And Tom came back and said, 'I think we're going to recut it.'  We said, 'We agree too.'"

Chris reflected, "You don't think when you recut it, it's going to make that much of a difference. But then, when you saw how it was before, then after, when Tom went back, redid the cuts, redid the measuring, and put it in. . . Like, wow! That really looks sharp.  So we appreciated all that from Tom."

Flexibility. Part of any basement remodel is concealing items such as sump pumps and breaker boxes.  For Chris and Kathleen, one such area was closing off and concealing a radon pipe.  They had initially planned to deal with this area by boxing it in and installing open shelving.

However, Kathleen shared, "I decided with all the toys, I wanted to do a closed closet instead. And so, Tom was just good about saying 'Yes, we can do that,'" appreciating Tom's flexibility for a mid-project change without any irritation.

Creative Solutions.  Kathleen added about the radon pipe example, "Tom wanted us to be able to view the pipe. So as a creative solution, on the inside of the closet, he screwed in plexiglass, so you can still visualize the meter. But it's still closed, so nothing's going to fall in.  And we can still put up shelving ."

Communication. Kathleen and Chris noted several examples of Tom’s positive communication:   

No surprise costs: For the mid-project change to add a closet door, Tom immediately informed them of the additional cost of adding a door.  So, there were no surprise costs.

Plans for the day: Kathleen noted that Tom would let them know what time he would arrive in the morning and what he would be working on that day.

Forward thinking.  Chris shared how Tom would often ask questions a day or two ahead of time for Chris and Kathleen to consider for a decision that they would need to make. 

Pleasant outcomes: Kathleen explained that they wanted to replace their basement windows, as the current ones had a privacy film baked into the glass from the sun over the years.  However, all the new basement windows were a little smaller than the ones they had in place. 

Tom offered to clean them.  However, that didn't go as smoothly as they had all hoped. Then on his own initiative, Tom went to the hardware store and replaced the glass.  The pleasant outcome was beautiful windows that looked brand new, even though only the glass had been replaced.

The extra mile: Lastly, an issue arose during the final inspection, in that the smoke detectors upstairs were not in code compliance.  Even though this was not part of the basement scope, Tom went the extra mile and replaced them to ensure Chris and Kathleen’s satisfaction.

A Contractor They’re Confident Recommending

In short, Chris and Kathleen describe Tom as a contractor who listens, adapts, and finishes strong. He combines craftsmanship, creative problem-solving, a working knowledge of code requirements, and a commitment to getting the finished look right. He is a contractor they can fully recommend for your remodeling project.

Today, the basement project isn’t just “finished”—it’s used. The kids have an open place to play, and Chris and Kathleen have peace of mind knowing the work was done right.

Call McBride Construction Today

If you’ve been thinking about updating or finishing your home, we’d be glad to talk through ideas with you. Give us a call at 636-393-8603 or send us a message through our Contact Us form. We’d love to make your space work better for your family.