MasonWorks LLC

Jeff (owner) came out for the initial quote. He was very professional, on time, had a bunch of sample paver stones in his truck to show me. Received a quote by email within a couple of days. Always very responsive to emails and phone calls. Bruno, his partner, came out on installation day and was great to work with also. We had a last minute change and decided to extend the patio even further than originally planned and Bruno was very accommodating. The only odd thing was I believe the work was actually subcontracted out to another company to be done. A different company's landscaping truck showed up, but with a Masonworks magnet over their logo. The 2 guys had Masonworks shirts on, but I am pretty sure they were from another company. Either way, we were happy with the work and love our new patio! I would recommend Jeff and Bruno from Masonworks to others.

Masonworks did a good job. Jeff was upfront and fair about the project - communication was good throughout. The actual work is where Masonworks really shined. I was told that this would be a two day project. A three man crew showed up on the first day at around 7:00 am ready to go. It was one of those humid late summer days, with showers towards the end of the day. I got home at around 6:30 and they were cleaning up for the day - and they were completely done. The three man crew worked a 12 hour day through the heat and the rain and completed the entire project. The workmanship is very, very good.

They were incredibly professional and responsive. When I wanted to change the scope slightly they executed my changes in a very satisfactory way. I got great advice on materials and various scenarios and they took my wish list into account. It looks great and my neighbors are constantly commenting on how much this has improved the look of my property. They are not on the cheap side but the money I paid was worth it. I had gotten another estimate that came in, in the same range but did not spell out the services that I would receive. Masonworks delivered everything exactly as spelled out without price increase (other than for the changes I requested).

This seemed to me to be an estimate, which most companies do for free. I told him I thought I'd get something more than an oral report after a 5-minute walk around the basement. He replied "do you want me to make something up?". I found him quite rude, actually. His estimate included the amount of time and materials needed. I asked him if he could write a bit about how many spots needed to be fixed or the square footage of the areas (approximately). This last point is actually listed in his contract as how he makes an estimate for repointing, but he didn't include it. This was about a 2K job. He never responded when I asked that question. I found the man quite volatile and rude if you ask too many questions. I was quite polite with him, but I didn't understand why more information on the approximate repairs needed couldn't be included. I'm sure based on what I've seen in Angie's list that he'll answer this post with some other version of reality. If so, I'd be happy to post his estimate and emails to prove my points above. I was going to put this behind me, but Angie's list keeps asking me about this automatically when I log in, and frankly, I have a hard time letting this sort of behavior go unanswered.

Jeff was very responsive when I was gathering initial bids. He was the first person I called, and after his estimate came in we changed the nature of the job we were looking to do. He came back and amended his estimate, plus gave us a computer-generated architectural rendering of how the final product might look. He came in lower than either of the other two companies we contacted, and started the work about a month and a half after we signed the contract. His workers showed up early and worked late everyday, making quick and professional work of the job. The attention to detail and quality was admirable, and every time I had a suggestion for how to accomplish the job they were very attentive to my input. They had to access my yard via my neighbor's property with a small Caterpillar, and were very attuned to how important it was to repair any wear and tear to my neighbor's lawn. The job took only 5 days start to finish and came in at exactly the price they initially quoted. All in all it was a very positive experience and Jeff and all Masonworks employees were the picture of diligence, craftsmanship and professionalism. I'd recommend them highly.

Excellent. They did a fantastic job on the stoops and left the yard in pristine shape - all debris was removed. The guys were very friendly and professional and clearly very competent! I'd hire then again in a heartbeat

I absolutely loved these guys. They were professional, courteous and did an amazing job with my walkway. Everyone who has seen it absolutely loves it!!!

I had called several companies to get quotes and Jeff was the first to call back, he arranged to come look at the area within a few days and had a quote to us very quickly. He estimated when he thought they would be able to start, and the work started right on time. The 2 guys who did the work were incredibly hard working and professional. They spotted a potential problem with the layout of the patio, brought it to our attention right away, discussed it with the MasonWorks folks and came up with a solution. The patio looks fantastic. All of our neighbors have commented on how great it looks. They were reliable, hard workers, and incredibly talented. We would definitely use them again without a doubt.

Excellent service. Came out the next day to inspect the sight, gave a detailed graphic design with the proposal, started and finished the work quickly after agreeing to the contract. An extremely easy and professional interaction with them.

I asked the provider to come give an estimate. After six days, I received a response. I called back after approximately one hour and I received a voice message again. In response to the comment from the company, I actually live in Newton, Massachusetts. The review is accurate. update: he came in provided an estimate. He was very honest and said that he did not think that any regrading work needed to be done. I very much appreciated that.

The team did an excellent job, were completely professional, easy to work with and handled all necessary city permits. Our lot abuts a neighboring driveway that had been paved more than 10 years ago so some of the edges were uneven. Masonworks went the extra mile and removed some of the neighbor's uneven pavers (with his permission, of course) in order to make a seamless fit, end-to-end. They had to do a lot of trimming to fit angles along both edges (120-year-old triple decker in Cambridge, go figure). The result is a moisture draining driveway that looks really sharp. My one complaint (and it's a minor one) is that after signing the contract I didn't hear from Jeff for weeks, and had to email him repeatedly for updates on scheduling. He did get back in a timely fashion and he did complete the work when he said he would, so it's really a communication style thing, just something to note. I would recommend Masonworks to anyone and plan to get Jeff and team back next year to repoint our brickwork.

Jeff was respectful of the proposal process which included a number of competitive bids. He was extremely responsive, providing not only a competitive bid but the winning proposal. He spent time with us in the design phase talking to us about our views on color and our thoughts on the space. This was In contrast to the competitors that were in a hurry, took measurements for the area, dropped a few patio books on us and sent in proposals that were significantly higher than Jeff's winning bid. They did not have the quality of Jeff's bid nor the artistry. In fact, part of our decision process was our view of the bidders. They didn't seem to care nor did they really want the job. We honestly believe that they didn't care and would have thrown up a lesser quality project and result. Jeff provided license and contractor insurance information to us. He described his experience and his plans for growing his business. He worked with us on contract terms and start date. His crew was very efficient and experienced and he followed up with us. We both have experience in building and fitting out multiple houses here in Massachusetts, Maine and Texas. My FamiLy members have seen the work and commented on the space as wonderful as well. One of them runs a successful high rise Condo in downtown Boston My Son-in-Law is a successful commercial residential Manager of properties in Southern Connecticut. He was also impressed when a he saw the finished product this weekend. We would recommend Jeff very highly going forward and wish him continued success in building his business. We would be happy to be a reference for his work in the future. Mike Antoniazzi & Cheryl Johnson

Jeff came out to provide an estimate about 4-6 weeks before the start of the job. He was very thorough and had good ideas about how accomplish what I wanted done. He wasn't the least expensive estimate that I got, but his proposal was very detailed and I felt confident that he would do a good job. I was not disappointed. It took a bit longer to start the job than expected due to a rainy spring, but I was promised the work would be done by the end of May and it was (even though the final day of work was a Saturday). It took 5 days in total to complete the job. I was very impressed with the preparation that went into laying the pavers, compacting the crushed stone every few inches to make sure the base was level. The end result of all three projects was great. I've had several people throughout my neighborhood stop to comments on the quality of the work. Jeff was very responsive during the estimate process and also during the 5 days of the project. I had a few minor requests and all were addressed immediately. My only complaint was that the grass seed that was spread along the edges of the front walkway seemed to be full of crab grass. I had to dig it out and throw down some better seed, but that took about a hour to fix. The quality of the mason work more than makes up for the minor landscaping that I had to do at the end. I would definitely use them again.

The men showed up early for work. They were able to complete the project in a few days. All of the debris was cleaned up nicely. Jeff came out to make sure the work was done to my liking. I would definitely hire them again.

Jeff gave us a quote quickly in the dead of Winter. His estimate was close to some other competitors but he was more responsive so we chose him. He drew up plans for the permit, and he managed getting the go-ahead from the city as soon as they allowed it. I didn't really have to do much which was great. The job itself was done well and I'm happy with the result. The driveway looks good and the drain appears to be working as designed.

The work was done on schedule. The end result is beautiful and exactly what was needed. The workers were very polite, careful not to disturb the neighbors.

The experience overall went very well. I wrote to Jeff on Angie's List asking him to come by for an estimate. He responded quickly and was able to come by within the next couple of days. He was very timely and courteous for the appointment and provide a estimate with drawings by the end of the day. After the estimate, we were a bit slow to move forward. We met with other contractors, but Jeff's price and reputation were the best. Once we were sure we wanted to proceed forward with the project, we went with MasonWorks because of his price, reputation, experience, and confidence in how to do the job correctly. We signed a contract in the middle of May and at that time, he told us he was booked 4-5 weeks out. The only frustrating part for us came in the communication after we signed the contract. I believe the contract said he would call approximately 2 days before the work would begin. So we waited. After 6 weeks, we still hadn't heard anything. I contacted him and when we asked when the job would start, he said the "weeks after the fourth of July." We exchanged more emails expressing our frustration and we eventually got more clarity. The job ended up beginning about 7-8 weeks after we signed the contract. Just to reiterate, it wasn't the delay in the job that was frustrating...it was the poor communication and not knowing when the work would be done. However, for the most important part, the patio is phenomenal. The crew came and completed the job in 2 days. They were friendly, respectful, and cleaned up completely after the job was done. I would definitely use them again in the future, but I would just try to force some better communication.

Jeff gave us a prompt reply once I submitted the request for an estimate on the Angie's List website. He came for an on site visit for an accurate quote. (I had another mason, quote over the phone, without an on site visit) Our contract was revised a number of times, due to add-ons, by us. Jeff was very prompt and direct with communications throughout the process. Work began within the proposed time frame. Masons were friendly, work site was clean at all times and the yard was neat as a pin at the end of the project. We live in a very tight, small neighborhood, just outside Harvard Square, where parking is an issue on a one way street. As you might imagine, various construction vehicles were needed for the project. To my knowledge, there was never an issue with abutters, or other service, delivery, or residential vehicles in the area due to the construction vehicles at our site. We look forward to our next project with Masonworks (rebuilding a 100 year old slate stone wall on the street side of our property).

Jeff's crew, including his crew chief Bruno, were consummate professionals. They were timely, polite, friendly and did a good job of cleaning up the site after finishing work each day. The ~550 square foot patio they laid out with pavers looks fantastic - they paid attention to small details in craftsmanship while installing the granite stairway and latticework cabinet under our breezeway, and did a great job in grading the dirt and laying grass seed along the edges. There were no delays in the timeframe they gave us. The job came out much better looking than we could have anticipated and I wouldn't hesitate to use them again or recommend them to a friend/neighbor.

There were some things with the job that went well and some that didn't. First the good. MasonWorks employees were very nice and hard working. I wish I wrote this review sooner so I remembered their names. Rear patio. I had gray pavers installed to a patio in a small Somerville back yard. After installation by the crew, the patio looked great but when Jeff came to inspect the work he noticed the patio was pictched so the water run off would flow towards the house. The workers had to undo the patio, repitch and put the pavers back down. When they disassembled the patio they stacked the bricks on top of each other. Some of the bricks had noticeable scratch marks. I asked for new bricks and was told it was ok since they would get scratched anyway with use. I thought this was a bit off since I paid for new, unscratched paver bricks and because the worker initially installed it incorrectly, redoing the work scratched the bricks. I preferred new bricks and I could provide normal wear and tear on my own. He ended up replacing the bricks and resolving that issue. Walkway: I'm a homeowner, not a mason. I've since had other people that do mason work stop by and comment that the pavers for the walkway are way too big so the boarder on either side is about 1/3 the total width of the walkway. I didn't think it was too bad but I guess the application of those size bricks/pavers was not the norm. I may have asked for it but should have been advised it was not the norm. Not a big deal. However, the pavers were higher than the previous poured concrete which caused a couple problems. First, they had to cut to bottom of my bulk head door so it would close. They thought this was a good idea. The door wasn't cut completely correct and it has since bent the hinges so the door doesn't close properly. This allows rain to enter the basement through the improperly closed doors. Also, the height of the pavers made the last step to get out of the basement about two inches higher which is very awkward. You need to take a very big step to get out of the basement now. I can't be certain but I also think they may have cracked the foundation of the bulkhead but that is speculation. Stepping stones: They are awkwardly laid out so you must take giant or very small steps to actually walk on the stones to get to the patio. Not the end of the world but most people need to do a stutter step to actually step on the stones. Excavated Yard: This seems to have been done correctly but I question the quality of the dirt they filled in the yard with. I wanted soil for planting but after some rain storms the soil washed away on the top part (due to the new pitch) and dry dirt is remaining which is a bit rocky. Sod: The sod looked good at first but never really took. Maybe this is just the way sod is but the bottom of the sod was very compacted and the roots never took. Even today you can pull the sod rectangles up in some areas. Maybe it's due to the sun not hitting that area? Not sure. Fence: After a couple years the 4x4 are bowing which is unfortunate. I also wanted a fence that had sort of a semi circle design to it but that is not what they originally installed so they took a saw and cut it. It didn't turn out bad except for the 4x4 bowing. Driveway: The old driveway was a mess. They dug down and found "clay" which ended up costing thousands of dollars more to remove and fill in. I was told if this wasn't done I ran the risk of depressions in the driveway over time. If I dug it out and replaced it the driveway would last, and I quote Jeff "100 years." I specifically remember this since I thought it was a bold statement. I agreed and had the clay removed. My neighbors said that is what they had done so I figured it was the right thing to do. The main problem I had with the old driveway was where it joined the sidewalk. There was the space between the asphalt and concrete where water would get in and heaving would occur in the winter. I was very clear I didn't want this to happen so I was told they would do extra work on the end of the driveway to prevent this. Over the last two winters since the job was done water got in between the space at the end of the driveway causing it to raise above the sidewalk, affecting drainage. This was another issue. For some reason the driveway they installed was a couple inches lower than the previous driveway. I don't know why (maybe they had to line it up with the walkway pavers which I think were installed first) but I was told this affected the pitch which could only be a couple of degrees. The driveway would "drain slowly" but it would drain. Unfortunately, the water pools at the end of the driveway until it evaporates. If there is heavy rain it will drain but the last bit of water will not. This was exactly what I wanted to avoid. Water also gets in between the foundation and the paved driveway which allows water to leak into the basement when it rains heavily. Odds and Ends. They have large trailers and I live on a urban street in Somerville. They parked one of the trailers in front of my place but the back of it stuck out in my neighbors driveway a little bit. They put a cone there but the neighbors older mother backed out of the driveway and didn't see the low to the ground trailer sticking out in her driveway and crashed into it. There wasn't a ton of damage but apparently there was a blowup between my neighbor and the workers. In the end Jeff did the right thing and paid for the damage but made it seem like he was doing a favor. He made amends with the neighbor but this wasn't really something I wanted to deal with after forking over all that money. Jeff and his crew are nice people. Jeff is passionate about his work and said I would pay more for his services since he does top quality work with top quality products. Everything looked good once they finished but after some rain and a winter I started to notice the issues. Visually the job looked good but between the bulk head door and step, the drainage of the patio washing away the good soil, the relaying of the patio due to bad pitch, the driveway drainage and the sinking and heaving I get at the end of the driveway I'm not a satisfied customer. All that said I would most likely recommend MasonWorks. Maybe my experience was a fluke. Like I mentioned, they were very nice to deal with even though we had a couple heated arguments and I ended up paying more than I originally thought due to the clay in the driveway. I approved the work but felt like if I didn't the driveway wouldn't last. Unfortunately, it still didn't turn out as I had wanted. I'm a perfectionist and for 20k I expected perfection which in my opinion i didn't get.

Jeff's crew, headed up by Bruno, were absolute sweethearts and consummate professionals, particularly given how much grief my neighbor was giving them the whole time! He claimed that they backed up into his retaining wall and cracked it. I wasn't there at the time, so I didn't witness it, but I don't believe that they actually did bump into his retaining wall, given how old and worn-down the edges of the crack looked. Regardless, just to save me from my neighbor's nagging, Bruno promised to come back and patch the crack with concrete when he came to finish the job off by spreading more loam around the yard where the turf was disturbed by the driveway installation. He came by today, just as he promised he would, and now, hopefully, my neighbor will be happy. His wall looks fine, at any rate, thanks to Bruno doing this kindness. Once I get the grass growing again, this is going to look fabulous. People have been stopping by all week to admire it. The grey permeable pavers are much nicer looking in real life than in the catalog. They have a natural-looking color variation that is very pleasing. Plus, MasonWorks does a superb job of installation: very precise, very polished. In sum, they did a wonderful job, were a pleasure to deal with, followed through with the cleanup and finishing touches, and were very easy to reach by phone when necessary. On top of all that, I felt the price was quite reasonable. I would highly recommend MasonWorks for masonry and landscaping projects!

We were very pleased from the very start. The initial contact was prompt, friendly and informative. I changed my mind numerous times and had quick responses and changes to quote. I got 5 different quotes and Masonworks was about in the middle . Their quote was very detailed and specific , our other quotes very general ( lot a room for add ons). On the day construction started, they went over exactly what was to be done and the costs. The workers are polite and clean up, as they go. All work done is precise. We have had many, many complements. Only thing I would of liked to know when we signed that contract is that we would never see or hear from the original contact again. Every stage had a different person in charged. All very professional, and knowledgeable but still a different person.

It was an Angie's List Big Deal. It was okay. They spent 10 minutes, looked at it, said it wasn't an issue and was there anything else and then they left. I didn't get the impression that they were very knowledgeable.

We were very please with the job that Masonworks did for us. Jeff was very patient with us as we vacillated over the different projects that we wanted done. They started a little later than originally planned but once they started, they completed the project in a timely manner. All the workmen were extremely pleasant to have around, and Bruno, especially was professional and pleasant. He responded to all our requests. When the front walkway was completed, my husband and I were initially disappointed because the pavers that lined the walkway weren't straight. However, Bruno had his men redo the job without our having to say anything. Jeff and Bruno clearly are perfectionists and take pride in their work. The front of our house looks beautiful with great curb appeal. The back patio and garden retaining wall also look great. Their prices were high but well worth the investment. We would highly recommend this company to anyone who needs masonry work. However, we used them to reseed our lawn after it was disrupted by new septic tank installation. We had other bids but decided to keep the overall job in the hands of one contractor. They did a nice job of hydro seeding in the fall, but this spring, there were many areas where the seeds did not take. We asked them to come back to reseed some sections, but we were told that it takes 3 years for a lawn to come in. We paid a lot of money for the reseeding and we are not happy with the results.

since the wall collapsed this wall was close to maybe a 8-9 feet wall (field stone Very big rocks) they came out before the storms and covered up the wall with plastic tarp. Also there were some permit problems but we now realize it was for our own good. I might add, We live on a very steep hill and I was amazed how his employees were able to handle these very big rocks with a bobcat. The wall looks beautiful and once they started the job it was completed in about 3-4 weeks. this was also a curved and long retaining wall. We are VERY Happy with the wall! I also might add I live on a very narrow street so the employees would stop working so my neighbors could drive by. I received many compliments on them.