Henehan Construction

Start with the money question, because it is the one that splits opinion here: hiring John Henehan begins with a $2,500 charge for the estimate. A Google reviewer in May 2024 wrote that the paperwork calls it a deposit but it works as a fee, since it is not applied to the cost of construction, and said they would not recommend him because of it. A customer writing in July 2024 and giving five stars described the same arrangement more neutrally — extra costs and deposits attached to the design process — while recounting a deck house where the team redesigned the ground-floor living space with new walls, electrical and flooring and put on a new roof. Both are describing the same design-build model, and how you feel about paying for design up front is most of this decision. Henehan Construction works out of 61 Brown Street in Andover. The company says it has provided craftsmanship across New England for more than 30 years and was founded by John Henehan, who it says brings over 40 years of design-build experience. The work is kitchens, bathrooms, additions, basements and whole-home remodels, offered design-build, cost-plus or time-and-materials. Its 24 permitted projects reach well past Andover — Beverly, Marblehead, Methuen, West Newbury, Woburn, Burlington, Tewksbury, Somerville — and its Houzz page carries six project sets of Andover, North Andover and Methuen kitchens, bathrooms and a basement, with no reviews on that page. Two Google ratings, one five-star and one one-star, is a thin basis for judging a firm this old, which is why the number above is held loosely. Licensing needs a direct question. The state registry shows home improvement contractor registration 172582 as expired. BuildZoom separately lists a newer home improvement contractor number, 208049, and construction supervisor licence CS-061755, both of which it says it verified active — those are the directory's claims, not registry confirmations. The same page stacks seven licence records across four types under this one small firm, including two cancelled EPA Renovation certifications. For a design-led kitchen, bath or addition around Andover, this is a long-established design-build shop with a real permit trail behind it. Go in knowing the design phase is paid, ask precisely what the $2,500 buys and whether any of it is credited toward construction, and get the current home improvement contractor registration number and check it with the state before signing.