Capuano & Capuano Masonry

Three 2-inch granite steps, a brick foundation the homeowner thought worth photographing, and a missing foundation built under a first step — that is the kind of job Capuano & Capuano Masonry gets called for. The Haverhill company says its masonry goes back to 1964 with the founders' grandfather, and that the business took its current form in 1997. Its site describes a third-generation family operation, with Guy and Anthony listed as the contacts, taking on both small residential jobs and larger masonry projects. Seven Google reviews, all five stars, is a shallow pool — but what is in it is specific. Recent customers describe foundation work that beat what they expected, a retaining wall repaired at a fair price, and the ordinary things that separate a working mason from a headache: showing up on time, keeping the work area neat, quoting fairly. One customer summed it up as old-fashioned, no-nonsense work, and the rest of the recent comments read the same way. One thing to settle before signing anything: the Massachusetts home improvement contractor registration on file for the company, number 133155, is expired. That registration is what gives a homeowner access to the state's Guaranty Fund if a residential job goes wrong, and masonry is not one of the trades Massachusetts exempts from it. Ask whether it has been renewed, and ask for a current certificate of insurance at the same time. For a brick or stone job — steps, a retaining wall, a foundation repair — this is a small local crew with a short but consistent run of praise for the work itself. Get the registration question answered first.