James Dunlay

James Dunlay, doing business as Dunlay Renovation & Construction, works out of Westwood and has built a nine-review record spanning nearly a decade across Thumbtack, Angi, BuildZoom, and the BBB. Thumbtack lists 15 years in the trade; Angi puts it at 11 — either way, this is not a new operation, and the range of work reviewers describe reflects it: framing, trim carpentry, siding, custom built-ins, decks, and outdoor stairs. The Angi record is the deepest and most consistent: seven reviews, every one five stars, running from December 2017 through December 2018. Reviewers there describe him as punctual and detailed, and one recounted a multi-trade job — raising a basement ceiling, trimming a door, residing a shed, and reattaching a railing — where he brought in his own plasterer to finish the stairway right. A more recent Thumbtack review, from January 2025, has him building outdoor stairs that "came out great," and a December 2024 review calls him fair on pricing and responsive. That consistency doesn't carry over to BuildZoom, where two reviews — one from 2016, one from 2021 — tell a different story: a homeowner who says James gave "an insanely cheap estimate" and then never started the job, and another who says he stopped showing up after a month of waiting. Both describe him going quiet rather than following through, a sharp contrast to the punctuality reviewers elsewhere took time to mention. On licensing, BuildZoom lists an active Massachusetts Home Improvement Contractor registration for the business (#179558, issued October 2025), though a separate construction supervisor licence tied to him (#CS-107619) is listed as inactive. The BBB rates the business A+, but it isn't a BBB Accredited Business, and its profile carries no reviews or complaint history to check against. Before booking, it's worth asking directly about start dates and getting a firm one in writing — the BuildZoom complaints center on scheduling and follow-through rather than workmanship, and both are several years old, but the pattern is specific enough to raise. For carpentry, framing, and deck or porch work, the Angi and Thumbtack record is the stronger and more recent guide to what to expect.