PRATHER CONSTRUCTION CO INC

I can't say enough great things about the Prathers. We took on a major project with them: building an addition, including a new kitchen, bath and master bedroom. We stayed in the house through the project (with our 2 year old) and - all things considered - they made it incredibly easy. They were efficient, kept our home and yard clean everyday through the work, and kept in constant contact about the progress each step of the way. Mike was the one we interacted with on a routine basis. He's the nicest person, was always available - nights, weekends or otherwise - for questions, was patient with our anxieties and explained every step to us in detail. It's one thing to have a good contractor, but we also just really liked him (and everyone else on their team.) Timing wise, they finished right on schedule, had no significant delays, and (kindly) pushed us when we owed them decisions on things like tile and paint colors so materials were ordered and ready to go ahead of when they were needed. They run a well-oiled operation. Very impressive. I think they were on the upper end of typical pricing for the work but very reasonable. Our project had overages, but all because of additional work we added (e.g. we decided to update another bathroom, reshingle the roof and re-side our house all after the work began.) They billed us every week with a careful accounting of work completed. And they documented every request in a change order for our approval, which ensured no surprises or unexpected costs, so it always made sense and was very transparent. Only advice would be to try as much as possible to have decisions buttoned up before the work so there aren't changes and unexpected costs over the budget. Still, their expertise was well worth every penny. Lastly, and probably most importantly, is the quality of their work. They were meticulously detail oriented and did everything perfectly. My dad is a retired home builder and scrutinized everything they did and was constantly impressed and constantly noting that "they did this the right way." No shortcuts, no rough edges. The couple of exceptions where we noticed a little scuff mark or tiny issue, they were very prompt in fixing every last detail to perfection. In short, we couldn't be happier that we chose them, would work with them again in a heartbeat, and completely recommend them.

I have to start out by saying that my husband and I are very detail-oriented and particular.  I am a financial planner and pore over all of the cost details of any project we are doing.  We had never done a major construction project before, and so many people warned us that it was a huge headache, it would take longer than promised, and that it would run way over budget.  None of those things happened.  The Prathers are so professional.  They deliver what they say they are going to deliver.  Dan Prather was always very straightforward with me and I always knew exactly what to expect.  We stayed in the house during the project and I have two little kids that were home most of the time.  The Prathers made sure to minimize the disruption for us, only breaking through after the majority of the addition was done.  They stuck to the proposed budget and did not charge me for some of the things that they could have charged me for, like an error that my architect made that resulted in the ceiling height having to be changed after all the beams were already up.  The Prathers could have just stuck to the architect's plan and kept going, but Dan said that it didn't look right to him and he didn't think it was going to be structurally sound.  We called in a structural engineer who confirmed Dan's suspicion and the Prathers took out all the beams that were already in and put new ceiling beams in one foot lower (still a high ceiling, so not a big deal).  This was not his problem, and not at all his fault, but he did not charge me for the extra materials and labor it took to get it right.  Dan was always easy to get in touch with, and I felt like I had his full attention even though I knew he had other jobs and bids going on.  The finished product has gotten many compliments from people who know what they are looking at.  We have other projects down the road and they will be the first people we call.

Dan was extremely professional. He came on time, and was extremely thorough. After talking to us and taking lots of notes and measurements, he then called his own specialists to discuss possible solutions. He worked hard to figure out the simplest, least invasive, and most cost effective way to solve our problems, including suggesting things we could do ourselves. We were expecting the project to run several thousand of dollars based on estimates and solutions from other specialists. We are extremely grateful to Dan for all the work he did.

I am very happy with the service and work that Dan Prather provided.  I was concerned about our porch collapsing and called several contractors.  He got back to me right away and even though his company usually does larger jobs, he understood how worried I was, was sympathetic, and made the extra effort to come out to look at what needed to be done and came back within a few days to do the work!  I really appreciated his generosity in taking care of what could have turned into a terrible situation.
I would definitely hire him again and would recommend his company to my neighbors (many of whom have similarly constructed two-family dwellings) and friends.

Dan Prathner did an excellent job on this project.  I asked four contractors (all found from the Angie's list) to bid on the work.  Dan's estimate was $8500 + pluming cost (about $3000).  The estimates from two other A-rated contractors were $16000 and $21000.  The B-rated contractor's estimate was $5500 + pluming cost but no building permit.  I chose Dan because his estimate was the most reasonable one and he seemed to be a very down to earth guy.  That was a right decision.  Dan got the job done well, quick and on time.  The communication with him was marvelous.  He always answered his phone and email.  He explained everything clearly to me with patience. (He emphasized that it was very important for the contractor and customer to completely understand each other.)  If I had any concern, even a tiny one, he would address it immediately.  He kept on updating to me if there was any cost deviated from the original estimate.  (His original estimate did not list the cost item by item, but you can ask him for that.)  He never over-promised or exaggerated.  But whatever he promised, he would do a good job on it.  The final result is excellent.  Now, the new construction blends in well with the original house.  My visitors are all amazed at the quality and beauty of the work.  Dan is a wonderful contractor. 
The only "bad" part in this project was that we had to wait for six weeks to get a building permit from Boston, even though we had an engineer's plan.  The construction could not start until we got the permit.  Of course, it was not Dan's fault at all.  Dan kept on calling the building dept to keep track of the application process, and finally had to find his friend in the dept to help.  If your construction is in Boston, make sure that you apply for the building permit well ahead of the construction date.

Dan Prather is a straightforward, plain speaking guy.   Once given my building plans he had a proposal back to me within a few days.  I was most impressed when he arrived for the first time at my home for a run through, at 7am, with all his subcontractors joining him. 

 His work and that of his sub contractors was exemplarily.  Dan and his men committed to and completed the job tasks on time and to my great satisfaction.  A quote from Dan best sums all this up,  "If you hire me I'll take on and solve all the job problems".  I did and true to his word he did.  I recommend him to you without reservations.   Mike Haritos

After bidding out the job to 3 different contractors and reviewing their references, I chose Prather Construction and overall, I am very happy with the outcome, and have received many compliments on their work. I am an Architect and have worked with numerous contractors. The quality of Prather Construction's work is top notch- very good value for the money. In particular, their team of framers, wood flooring installers, finish carpenters, and painters are excellent. The house renovation was complex, in that it involved the removal of load bearing walls and the installation of steel beams and columns. The addition included a full foundation and cathedral ceiling. Prather Construction was able to handle these challenges well. Mike and Dan Prather were very responsive to any questions or concerns I had. I spoke with them often, on a daily basis. The project finished about 2-1/2 months behind schedule, in part due to some changes I had made, as well as some coordination issues with subcontractor schedules during the summer months. In retrospect, I feel it would have been helpful to have written and updated schedules provided throughout the project. In the end, I was impressed with Prather Construction's response to quickly finishing up the work by more assertive scheduling of multiple trades on site. I highly recommend this company.

I truly enjoyed working with Prather Construction Company. I worked with Dan and his son Matt, and found them both to be extremely professional and responsive, answering the phone almost any time I called or calling me back shortly after I left a message, also, Dan answered e-mails promptly, was always on time and very good with keeping me up to date on progress. I hired Dan because I felt he was honest and upfront with me right from the start. We lived in part of the condo while the work was going on, and I found Dan to be extremely courteous and accommodating. He was also great about the (many) little things I added on during the process. I appreciated that he made sure to double check about the aesthetic things like exactly how I wanted the stairs to look, and what color I wanted the wood stained, and offered good advice when I was uncertain or feeling ambivalent about a certain aspect. I am extremely pleased with how the project turned out. Although I know that this was a smaller project for Prather Construction (I believe they mostly do entire remodels or additions), Dan never made me feel as though he had other, more important things to do. I enjoyed working with them very much, and I would definitely hire them again for another project.

The project went very well. It took 5.5 months. We stayed in the home during the project. Dan Prather and his crew were very accommodating to our needs the entire time. Dan was diligent throughout the project, keeping it on track and working with us on changes (no major issues!). We are extremely pleased with the quality of the work that was performed. All aspects of the project came out great. The finish work on the flooring (wood and ceramic tile), kitchen cabinets, granite, two fireplaces, windows and siding was superb. Dan was diligent throughout the project, keeping it on track and offering lots of good advice.

They were on time and they got it done in a timely manner. They were very professional and they cleaned up the entire job site after every day of work.

I would give them an excellent rating. He was easy to get a hold of, their work was great, and they were always on time. They come from generations of carpenters who have a real sense of craftsmanship and timely work.