# Kaplan Construction

**Trade:** General Contractor / Remodeling · **Address:** 116 Harvard St, Brookline, MA 02446, USA · **Phone:** (617) 232-3300 · **Website:** http://www.kaplanconstructs.com/ · **Languages:** English

**Rating: 2.7/5** (low confidence) — from 2 reviews across 5 sources. A 0–5 star rating built from what customers and the public say (every review and mention weighted by where it was posted, how old, how detailed and how credible it is, shrunk toward a 3.5★ baseline when evidence is thin) plus what the record shows (Reddit recommendations or warnings, a registry-verified licence, how recently they were reviewed, customer work photos, BBB grade, negative news, a revoked licence). Positive record counts only as far as the reviews have earned it; penalties count in full. Confidence describes how much weighted evidence stands behind the number, never the number itself: low when fewer than about five normal reviews' worth of weight (or mentions only) support it, medium up to about twenty, high beyond that across at least two sources. An operator flag for a suspicious review pattern caps a rating at 3.5★ and marks it low.

## The honest read

Kaplan Construction is a 50-year-old, family-owned Brookline general contractor — founded by Ken and Cathy Kaplan in 1976, now with COO Jane Kaplan Peck as the second generation — working institutional, healthcare, multi-family and worship-space projects across Greater Boston rather than typical single-family remodels.

The company's calling card shows up in its client list: a 2023 review from the Worcester Art Museum thanks Kaplan for pulling off a library relocation on a tight budget, calling out the PM, superintendent and crew by role. Another 2023 review, from architect Sebastian Mariscal, credits Kaplan's team with faithfully executing the design intent on the CALA project in Somerville.

Kaplan carries an active Massachusetts Women Business Enterprise certification good through 2028, an A+ BBB rating, and the ABC's Accredited Quality Contractor award 28 times over. In 2016, the trade press reported COO Jane Kaplan Peck being named an Outstanding Woman of Family Business.

One older account, from 2013, describes a very different side: illegal weekend construction without a permit and a site manager who, the writer says, repeatedly lied about having one, before Boston Inspectional Services stepped in with a fine. It's a single, dated account rather than a pattern seen elsewhere in the record, but it's a real, documented enforcement matter worth asking about directly.

A strong fit for institutional, commercial or larger multi-family work given its track record and credentials; for any project, confirm current permitting practices given that history.

**Strengths:**
- WBE certified — verified active through 2028
- 50-year track record — A+ BBB, 28-time ABC award
- Institutional praise — Worcester Art Museum, architect testimonials

**Concerns:**
- 2013 permit account — illegal work, inspectional services fine

## Claims & citations

Every claim below is backed by real evidence rows — uncited claims are dropped in code before publication.

- A 2013 account describes illegal weekend construction without a permit and a site manager who repeatedly denied lacking one, resulting in a fine from Boston Inspectional Services _(confidence: medium)_
  - [brookline-massachusetts.uscompanies.net](https://brookline-massachusetts.uscompanies.net/general-contractor/kaplan-construction-brookline/) — “brookline-massachusetts.uscompanies.net — Shady construction company that does illegal construction on the weekends at 8am. No permit. Site …”
- Read moved below the anchor for the 2013 Boston Inspectional Services fine account — a documented enforcement action the arithmetic only weighs as ordinary sentiment, not as a regulatory action; tempered upward from the floor given its age and apparent resolution _(confidence: medium)_
  - [brookline-massachusetts.uscompanies.net](https://brookline-massachusetts.uscompanies.net/general-contractor/kaplan-construction-brookline/) — “brookline-massachusetts.uscompanies.net — Shady construction company that does illegal construction on the weekends at 8am. No permit. Site …”
- Massachusetts Women Business Enterprise (WBE) certification verified active by the state Supplier Diversity Office, expiring 2028 _(confidence: high)_
  - [Diversity Certification Registry](https://diversitycertification.mass.gov/BusinessDirectory/BusinessDirectorySearch.aspx) — “Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Office Women Business Enterprise (WBE) certification 20140203 verified active — registry holder of record: …”
- BBB gives the company an A+ rating; in business 50 years since 1976 _(confidence: high)_
  - [Better Business Bureau](https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/brookline/profile/general-contractor/kaplan-construction-0021-58693) — “BBB profile for Kaplan Construction (116 Harvard St, Brookline, MA) shows an A+ BBB rating despite the business not being BBB-accredited, wi…”
- ABC Accredited Quality Contractor award, a 28-time recipient _(confidence: medium)_
  - [Official Website](http://www.kaplanconstructs.com) — “Stated certification/affiliation: ABC Accredited Quality Contractor (28-time recipient)”
- COO Jane Kaplan Peck was named an Outstanding Woman of Family Business in 2016 _(confidence: medium)_
  - [Local News](https://patch.com/massachusetts/brookline/jane-kaplan-peck-kaplan-construction-named-outstanding-woman-family-business-warren-group) — “patch.com — BOSTON – June 14, 2016 – Kaplan Construction, a WBE general contractor and construction management firm providing comprehensive …”
- Praised by the Worcester Art Museum for a library relocation project balancing budget, design and delivery _(confidence: medium)_
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sChdDSUhNMG9nS0VJQ0FnSUR4ME1idXNRRRAB!2m1!1s0x0:0xf6978adb8bd899bf!3m1!1s2@1:CIHM0ogKEICAgIDx0MbusQE%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ A heartfelt thank you for Kaplan’s contribution to the success of our library relocation at the Worcester Art Museum, which doesn’t only …”
- Praised by architect Sebastian Mariscal for faithfully executing design intent on the CALA project in Somerville _(confidence: medium)_
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sChZDSUhNMG9nS0VJQ0FnSURoNktmZEdBEAE!2m1!1s0x0:0xf6978adb8bd899bf!3m1!1s2@1:CIHM0ogKEICAgIDh6KfdGA%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ CALA in Somerville, Mass. is a successful case study of how the owner, architect, and contractor had to collaboratively work together in …”
- Family-owned, founded by Ken and Cathy Kaplan in 1976, now in its second generation with Jane Kaplan Peck as COO _(confidence: medium)_
  - [Official Website](http://www.kaplanconstructs.com) — “Company history (self-reported): Founded by Ken and Cathy Kaplan in 1976; the company states it is celebrating 50 years of building as of 20…”
  - [Official Website](http://www.kaplanconstructs.com) — “Ownership (self-reported): Family-owned business, now in its second generation of family involvement; Jane Kaplan Peck serves as Chief Opera…”
- Specializes in General Contractor / Remodeling _(confidence: high)_
  - [Official Website](http://www.kaplanconstructs.com) — “Kaplan Construction is a family-owned general contractor and construction management firm based in Brookline, MA, providing preconstruction,…”

## Ownership

- **Certified woman-owned** — verified against Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Office (WBE #20140203, verified 2026-08-12). Re-check: https://diversitycertification.mass.gov/BusinessDirectory/BusinessDirectorySearch.aspx
- Identifies as family-owned — the business's own statement, not independently verified.

## License

Status: **not_found** — verified against the official MA state registry, never self-reported.
Re-check at the official registry: https://contractorhub.mass.gov/s/hic-contractor-search

## Sources

- [Google](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Kaplan%20Construction&query_place_id=ChIJBciaeb1544kRv5nYi9uKl_Y): 5.0★ from 8 ratings
- [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Kaplan%20Construction&query_place_id=ChIJBciaeb1544kRv5nYi9uKl_Y): Listed on this source
- [Better Business Bureau](https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/brookline/profile/general-contractor/kaplan-construction-0021-58693): Listed on this source
- [Official Website](http://www.kaplanconstructs.com): 50 yrs in business · Self-reported profile and service details
- [Exa](https://ecohome.co/business/kaplan-construction): 8 web mentions across the open web (each linked to its source)

## Mentions

Unverified third-party mentions found on the open web — relay with attribution ("a Reddit commenter said…"), never as Tavlee's own finding.

- “Kaplan Construction is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, marking five decades of steady expansion from its Brookline roots into a prominent general contractor and construction management fir…” — bostonrealestatetimes.com (2026-04-29) — https://bostonrealestatetimes.com/kaplan-construction-marks-50-years-of-growth-and-community-building/
- “BOSTON – June 14, 2016 – Kaplan Construction, a WBE general contractor and construction management firm providing comprehensive building programs across Greater Boston, announced today that its COO, J…” — patch.com (2016-06-14) — https://patch.com/massachusetts/brookline/jane-kaplan-peck-kaplan-construction-named-outstanding-woman-family-business-warren-group
- “Shady construction company that does illegal construction on the weekends at 8am. No permit. Site manager repeatedly lied to my face about having a permit. Very creative lies and fabrications. In the …” — brookline-massachusetts.uscompanies.net (2013-05-31) — https://brookline-massachusetts.uscompanies.net/general-contractor/kaplan-construction-brookline/

## Recent reviews

- **5/5 · Google Reviews · Matthias Waschek · 2023-05-30**: A heartfelt thank you for Kaplan’s contribution to the success of our library relocation at the Worcester Art Museum, which doesn’t only require to move books. Balancing the budget, the design and delivery has a lot to do with that success, as does the willingness and aptitude to tackle complicated …
- **5/5 · Google Reviews · SMS Admin · 2023-02-28**: CALA in Somerville, Mass. is a successful case study of how the owner, architect, and contractor had to collaboratively work together in re-using the structural system of the building and ensuring its design intent stays cohesive throughout the space. Kaplan played a key role in respecting our visio…

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Data freshness: last scanned 2026-07-04T23:36:02.630Z.
Cite as: Kaplan Construction — Tavlee (https://tavlee.com/contractor/kaplan-construction-brookline)
Source: https://tavlee.com/contractor/kaplan-construction-brookline