# Cambridge Craftsman, LLC

**Trade:** Carpentry · **Address:** 23 Rindgefield St, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA · **Phone:** (617) 777-0703 · **Website:** http://www.cambridgecraftsman.com/ · **Languages:** English

**Rating: 4.7/5** (medium confidence) — from 6 reviews across 4 sources.
100% of sentiment-scored reviews read net-positive. Last 6 months: 5 reviews, 0 negative.

## The honest read

Cambridge Craftsman is a one-person-led operation — Kevin Richard, an owner-operator carpenter — built around ambitious, custom wood projects rather than routine repair work. The six reviews on file, all from the last two years, describe multi-story porch rebuilds, garden structures and full exterior overhauls rather than small jobs, and its Massachusetts home improvement contractor registration is active. The company says its focus is porch restoration, deck building, custom outdoor structures and interior renovation using sustainable materials around Cambridge.

Every review on file describes a distinct, sizable project: a 3-story rear porch rebuilt in mahogany alongside a restored Victorian front porch; a garbage shed, bike shed and built-in bookcases called "exquisite"; a full 3-story wraparound porch restoration that included structural repair for weather-damaged framing; a custom portico, rebuilt side porch, Arts and Crafts gated entryway and 48 replaced window and door casings; an Arts and Crafts trellis and arbor extended into a basement stairway rebuild, which a recent review says is still holding up well nearly five years on; and, in a 2025 review, a bike shed, pergola and fireplace mantle built over several winter weeks with close, back-and-forth design input. In a 2023 CBS News feature, the work was described as looking as much like art as function, and in a 2025 Reddit thread on r/Somerville, a commenter recommended the business by name for quality woodwork.

One thing worth asking about up front: the review describing the wraparound porch restoration noted the final cost came in higher than originally quoted once the structural repair scope grew.

For a large, detail-heavy carpentry or porch-restoration project, the record here points to careful, structurally sound work — just nail down cost expectations before a project's scope has room to grow.

**Strengths:**
- Large-scale carpentry — multi-story porch rebuilds, gated entryways
- Durable work — five-year-old structures still holding up well
- Press recognition — CBS News called the work art-like
- Recommended on Reddit — praised for quality woodwork

**Concerns:**
- Cost overrun — one restoration ran over its original estimate

## Claims & citations

Every claim below is backed by real evidence rows — uncited claims are dropped in code before publication.

- Large-scale custom carpentry, including multi-story porch rebuilds and gated entryways _(confidence: high)_
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sCi9DQUlRQUNvZENodHljRjlvT2tjMFZYWnlXa3h4VEhVeVNVWnJha3hSTlhkeGVsRRAB!2m1!1s0x0:0x476ea600f199900a!3m1!1s2@1:CAIQACodChtycF9oOkc0VXZyWkxxTHUySUZrakxRNXdxelE%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ Kevin designed and built a custom portico over over front porch to reflect the architectural spirit of the house.  His team rebuilt a sid…”
- A recent review said structures built nearly five years ago are still holding up well _(confidence: medium)_
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sCi9DQUlRQUNvZENodHljRjlvT2tjNGVUWlZVVGgzV0dOYVJWZ3pSamg1YnpjMFgxRRAB!2m1!1s0x0:0x476ea600f199900a!3m1!1s2@1:CAIQACodChtycF9oOkc4eTZVUTh3WGNaRVgzRjh5bzc0X1E%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ We had the joy of hosting Kevin and his crew as they built a beautiful Arts and Crafts Trellis and an Arbor in our back yard. Both are de…”
- In a 2023 CBS News feature, the work was described as looking as much like art as function _(confidence: medium)_
  - [cbsnews.com](https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/cambridge-craftsman-business-owner-kevin-richard-warns-about-award-vanity-scam/) — “cbsnews.com — Cambridge Craftsman makes high-end sheds, porches, and custom wood designs. The work looks as much like art as it does form an…”
- In a 2025 Reddit thread, a commenter recommended the business by name for quality woodwork _(confidence: low)_
  - [reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/Somerville/comments/1k3wy0d/recommendations_for_deck_or_patio/moavpu1/) — “r/Somerville — this guy does good work with wood”
- A review of a large porch restoration noted the final cost ran higher than originally expected once structural repair needs grew _(confidence: medium)_
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sCi9DQUlRQUNvZENodHljRjlvT25GT2NXMTBObGhQTVRBNVJtOHljVTFOVEU5QlFWRRAB!2m1!1s0x0:0x476ea600f199900a!3m1!1s2@1:CAIQACodChtycF9oOnFOcW10NlhPMTA5Rm8ycU1NTE9BQVE%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ Richard and his team restored this 3-story wraparound porch at the back of our Victorian building, re-creating and actually improving the…”
- Massachusetts HIC license 201399 registry-verified active _(confidence: high)_
  - [State License Registry](https://contractorhub.mass.gov/s/hic-contractor-search) — “MA hic license 201399 verified active”
- Owner-operated by Kevin Richard, carpenter craftsman _(confidence: medium)_
  - [Official Website](http://www.cambridgecraftsman.com) — “Ownership (self-reported): Owner-operated by Kevin Richard, carpenter craftsman.”
- 5★ on Google from 7 ratings _(confidence: medium)_
  - [Google](https://maps.google.com/?cid=5147233947114639370&g_mp=CiVnb29nbGUubWFwcy5wbGFjZXMudjEuUGxhY2VzLkdldFBsYWNlEAIYBCAA) — “Google: 5★ from 7 ratings”
- Specializes in Carpentry _(confidence: high)_
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sCi9DQUlRQUNvZENodHljRjlvT21KWlZVVXRRMnN6ZHpGclkwSXhhekprWjFGamRGRRAB!2m1!1s0x0:0x476ea600f199900a!3m1!1s2@1:CAIQACodChtycF9oOmJZVUUtQ2szdzFrY0IxazJkZ1FjdFE%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ Cambridge Craftsman / Kevin Richard crafted a spectacular design and rebuild of our 3-story rear porch with Mahogany decks and restored t…”

## License

Status: **active** (#201399, hic) — verified against the official MA state registry on 2026-07-02, never self-reported.
Re-check at the official registry: https://contractorhub.mass.gov/s/hic-contractor-search

## Sources

- [Google](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Cambridge%20Craftsman%2C%20LLC&query_place_id=ChIJCQIJzRl344kRCpCZ8QCmbkc): 5.0★ from 7 ratings
- [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Cambridge%20Craftsman%2C%20LLC&query_place_id=ChIJCQIJzRl344kRCpCZ8QCmbkc): Listed on this source
- [Official Website](http://www.cambridgecraftsman.com): Self-reported profile and service details
- [Exa](https://reviews.birdeye.com/cambridge-craftsman-llc-167508003948262): 9 web mentions across the open web (each linked to its source)

## Mentions

Unverified third-party mentions found on the open web — relay with attribution ("a Reddit commenter said…"), never as Tavlee's own finding.

- “this guy does good work with wood” — u/snaxjackson in r/Somerville (2025-04-21) — https://www.reddit.com/r/Somerville/comments/1k3wy0d/recommendations_for_deck_or_patio/moavpu1/
- “Cambridge Craftsman makes high-end sheds, porches, and custom wood designs. The work looks as much like art as it does form and function.” — cbsnews.com (2023-08-23) — https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/cambridge-craftsman-business-owner-kevin-richard-warns-about-award-vanity-scam/

## Recent reviews

- **5/5 · Google Reviews · Laura Palumbo-Hanson · 2026-04-07**: Cambridge Craftsman / Kevin Richard crafted a spectacular design and rebuild of our 3-story rear porch with Mahogany decks and restored the Victorian front porch on our home in Cambridge. Not only did they hold to the budget and timing as contracted but the entire team was respectful and accommodati…
- **5/5 · Google Reviews · Jaime Alberts · 2026-03-27**: Kevin and his team built us a garbage shed, a bike shed, and built-in bookcases. Each is exquisite. Kevin’s team is highly professional and fine artists in wood. If you are doing a project that you want to be beautiful, go with Cambridge Craftsman.
- **5/5 · Google Reviews · Peter Kirby · 2026-03-15**: Richard and his team restored this 3-story wraparound porch at the back of our Victorian building, re-creating and actually improving the architectural details in keeping with the style of the home. The work included some significant structural replacement and reinforcement, especially on the top fl…
- **5/5 · Google Reviews · Henry Leitner · 2026-03-07**: Kevin designed and built a custom portico over over front porch to reflect the architectural spirit of the house.  His team rebuilt a side porch, replaced an aging patio slider, built an Arts and Crafts style gated entryway, and renovated the exterior of the home by replacing 48 window and door casi…
- **5/5 · Google Reviews · C onstantin · 2026-03-07**: We had the joy of hosting Kevin and his crew as they built a beautiful Arts and Crafts Trellis and an Arbor in our back yard. Both are designed to help screen and provide a sturdy support for roses and climbers to grow and thrive.

The work came out beautifully and we then extended the scope to incl…
- **5/5 · Google Reviews · Tomasz P. Stryjewski · 2025-04-24**: We have been so immensely pleased by the beautiful work that Kevin and his crew did to increase the beauty of our home.  Over a period of several weeks during the winter he built for us a beautiful new bicycle shed, a pergola, and a fireplace mantle.

We had very specific requirements for each proje…

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Data freshness: last scanned 2026-07-02T23:57:23.803Z.
Cite as: Cambridge Craftsman, LLC — Tavlee (https://tavlee.com/contractor/cambridge-craftsman-llc-cambridge)
Source: https://tavlee.com/contractor/cambridge-craftsman-llc-cambridge