Burke & Crew Paintwrights, INC

Burke & Crew Paintwrights works out of Gloucester, painting Cape Ann homes for what outside profiles describe as close to two decades under owner John Burke. A recent customer summed up why people call them back: two separate "high degree of difficulty" jobs, handled well enough to become a second hire this year. The review trail backing that up runs deep — 5.0 stars across 62 Google ratings, a background-checked Thumbtack profile at another 5.0 across 8 reviews, and scattered mentions on Nextdoor and local painter directories going back years. Recent jobs describe organized, communicative crews who show up when they say they will. A multi-room repaint this year was singled out for "clean lines, smooth finishes" and prep work done before any paint went on, and lead painter Enos was called out by name for thorough, detail-oriented work on a difficult job that still landed under budget. Its own site and outside reviews describe a crew that handles more than walls — exterior surface work alongside standard interior and exterior painting. One recent review flagged a discrepancy in billed hours on a wallpaper-removal job — the customer called it an honest mistake but wanted it on record. Worth asking upfront how hours get tracked and billed. More worth reconciling before booking: the Better Business Bureau lists the company at an F, citing a failure to hold a required competency license — while the state's own contractor registry currently shows Burke & Crew's Massachusetts Home Improvement Contractor license as active. Ask directly which license the BBB flagged and whether it's been resolved since. For a standard interior or exterior repaint in the Cape Ann area, the independent trail across Google, Thumbtack, and local directories tells a consistent story of careful, on-time work. Confirm the license question and the hourly-billing details before signing anything.