Ethan Dow General Contracting
Local business · 95 Rockland Street, Swampscott, MA
Verified record
- Not rated by the BBB
Highlights
- Period houses — renovated a 1700s home top to bottom
- Long-distance projects — kept a remote owner updated by photo
- Kitchens and additions — a 2012 customer cited on time, on budget
- Trade referrals — a designer and an architect both send him work
- Dated record — newest written account is November 2014
- Peer endorsements — two of four reviews come from trade partners
- Thin volume — only two genuine customer accounts on file
- Unverified licence — Houzz lists a bare number with no type or holder
Ethan Dow works out of Swampscott and the job that best explains him sits in a 2014 review: a house built in the 1700s, where the work ran from shoring up the basement through a new kitchen, a new bath, ceiling repairs and hardwood floors. The owner lived far away and never met him in person — he sent photos by email as it went — and the place let so fast the tenant paid six months up front to hold it. That is close to the whole story, because the written record here is old and short. Four accounts, the newest from November 2014 and the rest from 2012, on a Houzz profile filed under the earlier trading name Dow Construction. A homeowner writing in November 2012 described a kitchen renovation and a mud room addition finished that June, and called the crew on time and on budget. Two of those four are not customers at all. One is a kitchen designer who had worked alongside him for eight years; the other is a Marblehead architect who signs his own firm name, town and website and says he recommends Ethan to his clients. Those are professional endorsements from people who send him work — worth something, but not the same as a homeowner who paid an invoice. Strip them out and two genuine customer accounts remain, both more than a decade old. The company says it has been renovating and designing homes across New England for over thirty years and that it handles planning, permitting and construction management alongside the building. Houzz shows just two portfolio projects, one of them titled Harbor Avenue, Marblehead. Its service area is given only as Metro Boston and the North Shore, with no town list. A licence number, 66844, sits in a Houzz field with no licence type, no state and no holder name attached — that is the directory's entry, not a verification. Worth a call if you have an older North Shore house needing whole-room or whole-floor work and you want someone who has done period renovation before. Go in knowing you are hiring largely on reputation rather than a current written record: ask for recent references and jobs from the last two or three years, and confirm the Massachusetts home improvement contractor registration and construction supervisor licence with the state yourself.
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Most recent comments
- 5.0Nov 3, 2014
I have an old house built in the 1700's and Ethan's work involved shoring up the basement, remodeling the main level as well as ceiling work. This involved putting in a kitchen and bath and hardwood flooring. His knowledge, experience, attitude, ability to meet deadlines and budgets were exceptional so much so that it was rented immediately with the tenant offering 6 months rent in advance in order to secure it. He kept me apprised by emailing me photos as it was a long distance project. I have never even met Ethan face to face which speaks to his competence, honesty and trustworthiness. I would be happy to provide a reference. Dianne Monahan
— Dianne MonahanView on Houzz ↗ - 5.0Dec 3, 2012
I am a kitchen designer and space planner and have worked with Ethan Dow for over 8 years. My experience with Ethan is that he is a true professional that continuously provides top quality work. Ethan always takes the time to listen to our clients. With all projects, Ethan is consistently able to think through the tasks at hand and provides the necessary details, which always satisfies the clients needs. I highly recommend him for any project
— nandreaaveryView on Houzz ↗ - 5.0Nov 26, 2012
We have used Dow Construction for multple projects in the last several years. Our latest project included a kitchen renovation and mud room addition 6/2012. We found them to be attentive and professional. The quality of their work was executed at a very high level as attention to detail is always a focus of Dow. We found Dow Construction to be reliable, on time and budget and always communicated with us throughout the project. We found them to be very responsive to our project needs and they did an amazing job. I would highly recommend Dow Construction for your project !!
— marbleheadrenovationView on Houzz ↗ - 5.0Nov 26, 2012
I have been working with Ethan for over 10 years. We have completed more than a dozen residential projects together and are currently working on another one. I recommend Ethan to my clients not only because of his skill as a craftsman and dedication to the job but because of his crew as well. No matter how difficult the task may be, Ethan gets it done without any concern from me or my client. If I were building a custom home or renovating and existing home I'd hire Ethan in a second, in fact I have, on several occasions. I have enjoyed working with him and his crew over the years and look forward to many more opportunities to work together in the future. Michael McCloskey, Architect. Michael McCloskey Design Group Marblehead, MA www.michaelmccloskey.com
— Michael McCloskey Design GroupView on Houzz ↗
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Update history
Added 5 new comments, established rating 3.6
- behind the score: Dated record — newest written account is November 2014
What does a bathroom remodel cost in Greater Boston?
Typical Greater Boston range for this kind of work, from regional averages — not a quote from Ethan Dow General Contracting. Use it to sanity-check bids, then get the real number in writing.
Upgrades beyond the standard like-for-like swap included in the base scope.
Estimated range
$27,500 – $45,000
Typical bathroom remodel around $36,300