Get matched with top architects in Townsend, MA

"Great work, fast and responsive"

"I found Johnâ s service through a contractor that I didnâ t end up working with. But working with John was a nice experience. I have plans to do some reno work on my townhouse kitchen, and an important part of the job is to widen the entrance between the kitchen and the dining room. Because itâ s a townhouse structure and the management donâ t know where the original blueprint is, and they require an architectural evaluation and drawing for opening the walls. I had to hire a structural engineer/architect to do the job. John came to my house several times. He did not open the wall to probe. He looked at the structures from the basement to the kitchen and did his engineer calculation and gave me the architectural drawings according to how big I wanted to widen the entrance. I donâ t know anything about architect, but his drawing was sent to the City Hall for permit. I did change my thoughts on the all opening a couple of times, and he always responded promptly and kindly, and made changes accordingly. I had expected a much higher price from contractors for hiring an architect, but John was very reasonable, and said for a small adjustment, it wouldnâ t cost so much. I thought everything went well in our communication and the final product and the value of the work. One thing though, when the city building inspector came, he said where we wanted the wall to end was not sitting on a basement column, and that piece of end wall has to be on a column. So this means I had to put back 6 inches of the wall I had originally cut. I was a little bummed about that. I canâ t say if this is something the architect shouldâ ve known (or maybe building code is slightly different every city?), but I wish I could be better prepared or informed about this particular building code. Overall, I thought it was a good experience and I would recommend JFA Design Group."

"slow response times. no onsite visit, so had to confirm all measures myself. good product in the end."

"Customer service was optimal and thorough. All of my questions were answered In A clear and easy to understand way. Friendly and had a good understanding of my needs. Great job! "

"Marc Hershman is a wonderful architect! He was so easy to work with and offered great ideas for how to improve the house spatially so that the flow of the floor plan(on the first floor) became more aesthetic and efficient. Marc worked tirelessly in the extreme heat of the summer to achieve precise measurements of every inch of the house. His detailed plans were drawn beautifully and accurately and explained articulately in our first meeting. We appreciated Marc's follow up visits to ensure that the construction was done properly and according to plan. Marc related to the contractor in a positive and professional manner. Overall, Marc was always professional and prompt. We found his pricing to be extremely reasonable- great value for the dollar! We would definitely work with him again and highly recommend Marc Hershman to anyone in need of high-quality architectural services."

"He was responsive. He took ourselves on the account.He had a very reasonable price."

"Ed was terrific to work with and notably very responsive. In a big complicated project, Ed made himself available on our schedule so my wife and I could make revisions to the design after the kids went to bed. He was also very quick so we could get to full plans in a couple months instead of a much longer process I experienced with other designers. Ed also uses a great 3D software package allowing us to visualize the design from start to finish. Now that our project is built it's amazing how much the real thing looks like the virtual walk-throughs we did. Probably the only real challenge came in that our project had complex structural engineering to do. It all worked out in the end but with communication between designer to engineer to contractor to framers aspects of the work were lost and it took some rework to address. Ed was very responsive as always in working with everyone to figure it out. Ed was also very helpful in keeping the project practical and helping to identify a great contractor who saved us a ton of money. We couldn't have done the full scope of our project without that lead. So many other designers and architects we talked to, even high-end expensive architects, didn't use good 3D CAD software for the design phase. I can't imagine doing a big complicated project without that tool and Ed is expert in its use and it's a huge value-add. You really get to walk through your project and try it out before building it. We're finishing up our project and I haven't found anything yet that seems out of place or the wrong size - it's great! And again, above all Ed is fast and responsive which is a unique quality among almost everyone we've worked with. Recommended!"

"Overpromised, underdelivered Any renovation project has its ups and downs, but there are a few cornerstones that ensure an overall successful project for the client and contractor: Open communication, Transparency, and Follow Through. While we greatly appreciate the work of the carpenters, plumbers, and electricians who worked on our home--and there are some features of the home we very much love, I would not use this company again. Canty Brothers has a great sales team. They know exactly how to approach a client and provide the information to make a prospective client excited about the possibilities, however the follow through once the contract is signed is very different from the sales pitch. Once we signed the contract, we found communication became difficult, unless they were looking for a payment. We paid 650k for a complete renovation of a 1963 home south of Boston. The 1963 home was about 2700 square feet. We had an addition put on over the garage. The main living space is closer to 3200 square feet now. We also finished the basement. First, we were assured they would begin the project on time. The project was delayed starting by over a month. We were told initially that materials would be "middle of the way," but if we chose anything that wasn't builder's standard, we were charged extra. Many of the things we agreed upon in an email prior to the contract and in person, were not included in our final project. For example we were shown Master Cabinets and told that was what we would receive, but were downgraded to Fabuwood in the contract. It's difficult to push back when you are trying desperately to get them to complete work. We often felt we had to just accept whatever was happening because we worried they would simply stop working. In addition to the aforementioned, the construction crew caused a significant leak in our basement by damaging the water meter. We were charged for the repair. There was no leak prior to the crew working in the basement. The prior owners did not have an issue with this meter, either. Aside from incomplete or poor/sloppy workmanship, Canty Brothers did not care for our yard. There was significant debris, including glass and lead shingles from the previous house exterior left along the property. I have taken pictures of some of what I cleaned up personally. Once we moved into the house, we experienced a water leak in main bathroom through to the first floor, a gas leak due to a poorly sealed pipe, and our AC was not properly hooked up. These major items were addressed, but a better attention to detail could have prevented this. The design flaw with the gas vent, which vents out toward our patio, rather than up through the roof, means we can't have the back windows open unless we want the house to smell like natural gas. It is a design flaw that another company might possibly not have made, in my opinion. In addition, we now have water in our basement. When I called to ask that the sump pump I had originally asked be installed be included, John Canty, the owner, became incredibly belligerent. He assured me water would not get into the basement, and now that it has he wants to charge us for the sump pump that should have been originally installed when I first requested it. Almost three months after providing our final payment (despite agreement at walk-through that all work would be complete in thirty days), there are items that still haven't been completed or addressed. Our main gas fireplace insert has not been installed, despite being part of the contract. The backfill that was used to fill in damage to the yard contained broken dish fragments, large pieces of glassware, and other debris. It has been a struggle to grow grass, as a result. We will have to redo it in the fall. The house wasn't sealed completely, despite being told that we would rate "like a brand new home." I have yet to see that information, despite asking for it. I have maintained pictures of some of the workmanship. We have found vendors who can complete the work left incomplete by this builder, but we should not have to considering the premium we paid. Use this company with caution."

"Overall it well. It took a little bit of time to get the final drawings, but I could understand due to the pandemic. Kamer was fairly responsive to my questions via phone, email, and/or text. Kamer is a very pleasant person to work with and he takes his time to explain his drawings. I also find his prices to be very reasonable for the quality of work he did for us."