Masonworks LLC

Feb 2023

We have now used Masonworks for three projects: to replace a small retaining wall (2019), build a patio into a hill (2020) , and just finished a basement. As with my previous reviews, I can say that they did exceptional work. The permit process took much longer than I anticipated, due in part to the City of Boston, but once the work began it proceeded smoothly and took the length of time Masonworks anticipated. The lead on the crew reviewed various options with me when necessary, answered all my questions, and never pressured me to make one choice over another. When the pump to the toilet began to make noise during the project I texted in the evening and I got an almost immediate response from the project manager, who was at the house first thing the next morning. They even fixed a few stones that had dislodged from the corners of the patio as it settled. The office manager would benefit from an improved bed side manner but everyone was professional and polite. I highly recommend Masonworks.

Jul 2022

I worked with Masonworks in May 2022 on a big project to completely re-do my patio around my inground pool, driveway wall, and two sets of steps. I had a great experience from start to finish, primarily working with Bruno as my main point of contact. I'm a first-time homeowner who was taking on my first significant project at the house. I asked a lot of questions before I decided to partner with Masonworks on the project and Bruno was consistently helpful, timely, and patient in his responses. The project required coordinating with a fence installation company, as I was also putting up a new vinyl fence around the patio. Bruno came onsite a 2nd time before we signed our contract so he could meet with the fence company and make sure everyone was aligned on the plan. Also, I was allowed to go into their office in Woburn to see the pavers in person before finalizing my choice, which I appreciated. The work started on time and progressed as expected, which was important to me due to the coordination with the fence company and trying to keep the whole project on track. Bruno's crew was respectful of the property and did a great job with the project. Towards the end of the job, Bruno and I did a walkthrough together and created a final punch list. His crew addressed all of the items on the punch list and the patio looks great. We received a lot of compliments from our neighbors while the patio was being constructed (it was visible to the whole neighborhood before the new fence was installed). I would definitely go with Masonworks again for future projects.

Jun 2022

Working with Masonworks has been a roller coaster. They are very, very good at the masonry aspect, but we had a negative experience with everything outside of the excellent stone walls and patio they built for us. They have built beautiful flat stone walls for us in our front and back yards. We were very impressed with them after the first job they did for us in our front yard a few years ago, so we did not even look at other companies when we wanted to spruce up our backyard this year. The garden walls they built in the backyard were once again beautiful. However, as a gardener, I was disappointed and frustrated by the following things: - Our contract included 50/50 loam compost for the new garden beds. During the job, we caught them filling the beds with the grass they had pulled up from our old lawn and asked them to stop doing that. - When I went to start planting, I found that the garden beds had only a layer of new soil but that my shovel quickly hit a lot of big rocks and uncovered old soil, debris, and trash. - They completely trampled and destroyed my established perennial garden, which was located in a garden bed above where the new beds were built. They also broke several pavers in a little garden path I had and removed them without replacing them. - They recommended microclover for my lawn and seeded it for us as part of the contract, but it grew in quite spotty despite us maintaining it properly with daily waterings. I contacted them about the first issue and their initial response was to tell me that the stones I was finding were part of the wall construction - this was not the case. They had someone come out to take a look and concluded that the soil did need to be replaced, which they finally did. It is much better now, though I still have found some large stones in it. However, in the process of solving that issue, they caused the second one - many of the perennials that my mother and I had worked to plant over the past four years were totally destroyed. They offered me a credit to compensate for the loss, or the option to have them reinstall new flowers, but by that point I just didn't want them near my garden anymore so accepted the credit. I didn't bother contacting them about the spotty lawn - I threw down some grass seeds yesterday to try and fill in the gaps. While I appreciated that they did eventually take steps to resolve the issues, I found it quite frustrating to have to keep reaching out just to get them to do what they really should have done in the first place. They never did a final walkthrough as I've seen other contractors do. No apology for destroying my garden. They have a Benjamin Franklin quote, "The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten" - I definitely felt some of that bitterness throughout this process. My conclusion is that they are really excellent masons but do not understand or respect gardens. If you hire them, be prepared to have to deal with that.