George O'donnell

Two things sit on public record about George O'Donnell of Stoughton, and one of them is worth a phone call before anything else. BuildZoom lists a Massachusetts home improvement contractor registration in his name, number 122351, as inactive — and reports that state Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation records show it was at one point cancelled. That is a different thing from a trade that never needed registering: the registration existed, and it no longer stands. The working trail behind him is 22 permitted projects recorded in building permit data. So before anything is agreed, ask him for a current registration number and a certificate of insurance, and check the number against the state registry yourself. Anyone can explain a lapsed registration; you want the explanation before the deposit, not after.