F.L. Deschenes Construction

Fifteen building permits and not one review — that is the entire public footprint of F.L. Deschenes Construction, and it is an unusual shape for a contractor. The Essex firm works the North Shore as a design-build outfit. Houzz lists custom houses, new construction, additions, remodeling, decks and porches, and custom millwork, and files it under general contractors, accessory dwelling units, home remodeling, home additions and basement remodeling. Its own copy there says the company is "built on the 25-year success of Fred Deschenes," who is named as both owner and responsible person. The permits are where the actual work shows. Fifteen permitted projects cluster in Marblehead — a deck rebuild, a two-bathroom remodel, further bathroom remodels, five skylights replaced, a finished basement, a one-storey addition — with more in Danvers, Beverly, Groveland, Haverhill and Essex itself. Valuations run from $1,500 to $140,905, so the book spans small jobs and near-six-figure builds, and the oldest permit on file dates to December 2010. Three project galleries on Houzz, all in Marblehead, are titled Carriage House, Clean Lines and Victorian Splendor. What is missing is any customer account at all. Neither directory profile carries a review, so no homeowner has yet described how a job with this company runs. Two things to settle before hiring. BuildZoom lists two Massachusetts home improvement contractor registrations for the business — one it shows as active, and an older one it says was at one point cancelled. Neither has been confirmed against the state registry here, so ask for the current number and check it yourself. And because there is no written customer history anywhere, ask for references from the recent Marblehead jobs by name; the permit record says those homeowners exist.