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Verified record
The last two customers to write about CSA Construction Services, both in January 2016, gave it one star. One was told right after work began that CSA had underbid and needed $5,000 more, agreed to it, and then watched the crew stop at about 80% and never come back, with repeated cancellations along the way. The other's carpentry job, due in September 2015, was finished in late December with the punch-list still open — and that customer said the gutter work was the real issue. Both Angi and HomeAdvisor show the same profile behind those two: a Cambridge contractor of 24 years averaging 4.4 stars across 48 ratings, three-quarters of them five-star. The written accounts run 2011 to 2016, and the earlier ones describe a different company. In an April 2015 review, a homeowner whose door and jamb had been smashed had the wood trim around the jamb rebuilt and said it looked as good as new. Two 2014 customers worked with Raymond Stone: one credited him with listening on materials and style and holding a project together through town approvals and the complications of an old house; the other said Ray was up front and fair when weather stretched the schedule. From 2011, Brad drew praise for a fair bid, prompt scheduling and work completed as promised, and for sending someone out when an air conditioner acted up days after installation. In May 2011, a customer's half-day job estimated at $500 to $700 came to $1,020 and was left unfinished, the plastering and electrical going well but costing more for an "unforeseen problem" the customer said had been evident to them. In a 2013 two-star review written four years after the job, the customer called the men who did the work craftsmen who took pride in it and said the end result made them happy, while describing the experience overall as mixed. How much of the work is CSA's own is worth pinning down. A September 2013 customer described the company subcontracting the electrical, HVAC, plastering, plumbing and painting, with its own people doing the kitchen floor repair, lock replacement, vent installation, refinishing and wall and ceiling prep — and referred to Brad Sterns as the former owner, while the 2014 accounts name Raymond Stone. HomeAdvisor's excerpts include a 2013 review flagging that subcontracted painting on a large job fell short. Then the licence. Angi and HomeAdvisor each list two numbers for the company, 090649 and 161893, and the January 2016 complaints include an allegedly invalid HIC licence number, which both pages describe as disputed. Check both numbers against the Massachusetts register yourself before you sign anything. For a contained job — trim, a door, a floor — the older reviews describe careful tradesmen doing exactly that. For anything larger, the January 2016 pair is the case to plan against: tie payments to finished milestones, put the completion date and the punch-list in writing, and get it in writing which trades will be subcontracted.
“The carpentry was fine (although completed months late), as was the painting, but the gutter repair was a disaster. CSA said they would”
The painting (done by a separate sub-contractor) was fine. The carpentry took MUCH longer than estimated (estimated completion was September 2015; actual completion (although the punch-list STILL hasn't been finished) was late December 2015. The real issue was the gutter work: the contractor said he would 'scribe the joints with a chisel (so the lead installed would be flush with the surrounding wood), place lead over the joint, then seal the result with silicone' to prevent the gutters from leaking, and would test the gutters, when completed, with a hose to make sure they didn't leak. He then talked me into paying him BEFORE doing the hose test, because he hadn't put all the downspouts on while completing a small additional side task, which I stupidly agreed to. When it rained, the gutters leaked like crazy. So I went up to the attic to inspect the joints, and discovered he had simply nailed some lead over them, NOT scribing the wood of the gutter with a chisel, as he said he would so the lead was on TOP of the wood, causing the water to back up and leak through. When I pointed this out to him he said that doing the job properly (and as described in the contract) would require taking the gutters off in some locations, which was more work than he was willing to do, and that he would make sure the gutters stopped leaking by installing more silicone. He promised he'd return the following Monday, then took all his tools and disappeared, stopped answering his phone or returning text messages or emails. He left the job-site a mess, with a great deal of scrap lumber lying around, never finished the punch-list, and I'm now having to sue him to get funds to have someone else to fix my gutters, which now leak much more than when I hired him. I've discovered that the MA HIC license # (141030) he provided me in his contract a) isn't his and b) isn't current (you can check your contractors license status at this website: https://services.oca.state.ma.us/hic/licenseelist.aspx ). Would NOT hire this man/company under any circumstances
Immediately after we began the job, CSA told us they had underbid and required $5000 more. Ultimately, we moved ahead, but after doing 80%, they never finished the job - just left and we never heard from them again. They also repeatedly cancelled the morning they were supposed to come. Very unprofessional and untrustworthy.
DOOR AND JAMB WERE REALLY SMASHED SO CSA HAD TO DO SOME WORK ON THE WOOD TRIM AROUND THE JAMB. LOOKS AS GOOD AS NEW
Ray was up front and fair. The work was absolutely in line with what we expected. The work was moderately delayed by weather so it did stretch beyond the estimated time frame, but the change was unavoidable and handled professionally. We did notice a section of incomplete trim after the job was completed and the final payment was made, and Ray personally came back to fix the issue and make it right.
The project went very well. Raymond Stone worked closely with us, listened to our requests relating to materials and style, provided excellent suggestions and communicated. The project had a number of complications due to the age of the house and town approval process. Raymond managed the issues and we are extremely pleased with the final result.
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1 change recorded — last scanned Sep 8, 2026.
Typical Greater Boston range for this kind of work, from regional averages — not a quote from CSA Construction Services LLC. Use it to sanity-check bids, then get the real number in writing.
Estimated range
$23,000 – $35,000
Typical remodeling project around $29,000
Decks and porches5.0
Clients returning for 10 and 20 years5.0
Detailed craftsmanship5.0
Renovates century-old structures5.0