Lantern Construction

Rot repair keeps turning up in Lantern Construction's Google reviews — porch screens rebuilt, decking replaced, and on one job a full exterior redo covering siding, roofing, and exterior doors — and it pairs with a rating that's hard to argue with: 4.9 stars across 22 ratings for this Gloucester, MA outfit at 365 Essex Ave. The last six months brought three new reviews, none negative. One homeowner had Jack's crew swap out porch screens, repair rot, and rebuild decking, and described the men as polite and easy to work with. Another leaned on Lantern for several projects while moving into a new house — replacing a front door and fixing a leak an earlier contractor had left behind — and said Jack stayed responsive and thorough throughout. A third review, four stars rather than five, came from someone Jack walked through three different home purchases, pointing out structural and sequencing issues before they bought. It's a real compliment, but worth separating from the rest: that's informal advice given during a house hunt, not a finished renovation job. The same pattern holds further back. Neighbors on Nextdoor describe the company as meticulous and detail-oriented, and an account of a garage, mudroom, and bonus-room addition credits Jack with a deep roster of trade partners and a close eye on the budget throughout. Google reviews for the business stretch from 2022 to 2026 across three separate sources, and it's Jack's own name attached to nearly all of them rather than a rotating cast of crew leads — a sign this is still an owner-run operation. Worth asking about directly before booking: how a quote changes depending on whether Jack is personally on-site managing the job, since several accounts describe him walking properties and handling budget decisions himself rather than delegating that to a project manager. For rot repair, exterior renovation, additions, and general contracting work, the spread and consistency of praise here make Lantern a reasonably low-risk call. Get a written scope and current license number before signing, as with any contractor.