James J. Welch
Regional
Verified record
Highlights
- A+ BBB rating — clean current grade, though not accredited
- Restaurant client praise — cited for on-budget, organized commercial builds
- Century-plus family history — seventh-generation, family-run since the 1800s
- Trade mismatch — evidence shows commercial general contracting, not flooring work
- Past OSHA violation — a willful safety citation with a large penalty years ago
- Past lead-paint penalty — EPA renovation-rule violation on a school project
- Thin review volume — only one customer review on file
James J. Welch & Co. is a Salem, Massachusetts general contracting and construction management firm that says it has been family-run since the 1850s, now in its seventh generation of ownership. Nothing in its record points to flooring work specifically. The projects on file are commercial and institutional: restaurant builds, a Maine school renovation, and permitted new-construction and renovation work ranging from tens of thousands of dollars into the millions. A restaurant client credits the company with staying on budget and running clean, organized job sites, and the firm carries an A+ BBB rating (though it is not BBB-accredited) along with an active Massachusetts Home Improvement Contractor license. Its history also includes two federal citations from years past: an OSHA safety violation that included a willful finding, and a separate EPA penalty for violating lead-paint renovation rules on a school project. Neither shows up again in anything more recent. For a homeowner specifically looking for flooring work, this listing is likely a mismatch — the evidence describes a full-scale commercial general contractor, not a flooring specialist. Anyone considering them for a larger renovation or new build should ask directly about current safety practices and licensing before signing on.
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Update history
Re-analyzed rating 3.0 → 3.6
- behind the score: Trade mismatch — evidence shows commercial general contracting, not flooring work
Established rating 3.0
- behind the score: Regulatory history — past OSHA safety and EPA lead-paint citations
What does a remodeling project cost in Greater Boston?
Typical Greater Boston range for this kind of work, from regional averages — not a quote from James J. Welch. Use it to sanity-check bids, then get the real number in writing.
Estimated range
$23,000 – $35,000
Typical remodeling project around $29,000