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Front steps and chimneys are what people call Celtic Masonry, a Lawrence mason, for, and the name that keeps coming up in reviews is Jim. A May 2021 HomeAdvisor review names him as Jim Bresnahan and describes a chimney rebuild done neatly and at a reasonable price. Much of its written history dates from 2018 and 2019. In a July 2018 review, a customer described the chimney of the Historic Francis Wyman House, damaged in a Nor'easter: Jim rebuilt the top reusing the original brick, found the interior flue mortar crumbling, priced that work and rebuilt the flues too. Another July 2018 reviewer had old brick steps torn out and rebuilt with granite steps and a bench, after Jim called back within an hour of the quote request. A March 2019 reviewer had sandstone step treads replaced with granite and the handrail removed and reinstalled, work the customer said other contractors had refused to do or would not quote. A September 2019 Angi reviewer gave four stars: Jim repointed their chimney, broke two slates taking down the scaffolding, told them right away and paid for the roof repair, though the customer said they had a good deal of clean-up to do. In an October 2025 HomeAdvisor review, a customer described new entry stairs, a quote that matched what they were willing to pay, and guidance from the first meeting. In a 1-star Angi review from March 2025, a customer described a stone walkway gone wrong. They wrote that stones lifted, large slabs moved from ice buildup underneath, joints developed deep holes and lost cement, and nothing was straight or level, so water and snow collected instead of running off. They hired another mason to fix much of it, said Jim raised the price mid-job over things he said he forgot to account for, and wrote that he started screaming and hung up when they raised the problems. Angi and HomeAdvisor each show 4.7 stars from 34 ratings, and the BBB page gives the company an A+.
We needed new entry stairs and Celtic Masonry in Lawrence was the team I decided to work with. The quote was exactly what were were willing to pay. I had never done a remodel project like this before. From the minute we met, when we discussed the project, we were offered sage advice about how to proceed. Without Jim's help this would never have gotten off the ground. His prices were competitive. His work was fastidious and quick. With his guidance we got exactly what we wanted. We're thrilled with the way the job looks and we're looking forward to many years of enjoyment. Thank you Jim et al at Celtic Masonry for the great job.
We have had a number of issues with the quality of Jim's work. A number of stones have lifted off and a number of large slabs in the walkway have moved due to ice buildup underneath. Many "grout" joints have deep holes now. And many "Joints" have lost cement from in between the stones. Our new Mason who we had to hire to fix much of this indicated Jim should NOT have used a pressure washer and should have followed industry practice. And of course nothing was straight or level , causing water and snow to pitch backwards and collect in places where it should have run off. When we mentioned this to him, he started screaming and hung up. He also apologized for having to raise the price in the middle of the job, due to he indicated he didn't take into account a number of things "he forgot" about. thus making the contract a joke, not that he finished everything anyways. Never again. He seems to stick to a popular local list, our new mason indicated he picks and chooses customers that do
We have had a number of issues with the quality of Jim's work. A number of stones have lifted off and a number of large slabs in the walkway have moved due to ice buildup underneath. Many "grout" joints have deep holes now. And many "Joints" have lost cement from in between the stones. Our new Mason who we had to hire to fix much of this indicated Jim should NOT have used a pressure washer and should have followed industry practice. And of course nothing was straight or level , causing water and snow to pitch backwards and collect in places where it should have run off. When we mentioned this to him, he started screaming and hung up. He also apologized for having to raise the price in the middle of the job, due to he indicated he didn't take into account a number of things "he forgot" about. thus making the contract a joke, not that he finished everything anyways. Never again. He seems to stick to a popular local list, our new mason indicated he picks and chooses customers that do
Jim was very responsive to our request to rebuilding the chimney on our home. He was organized, efficient, neat and safety conscious. His work was of top notch quality and his price was extremely reasonable. I would not hesitate to recommend Celtic Masonary and Jim Bresnahan to anyone as a quality masonry contractor. Thank you Jim!
Jim called back within a day of me requesting an estimate and came by a couple of days. He knew immediately what had caused my front steps to fail. He started the work in a week or so. I was please that he offered me some choices and what would cost more or less. He was able to use most of the existing brick and stone. He updated me each day on how the project was going. Jim was great to work with and did a fabulous job.
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2 changes recorded — last scanned Sep 22, 2026.
