Masonry Doctor

What Masonry Doctor actually builds shows up in its permit file rather than in reviews: front stairs rebuilt in red brick with granite treads and platforms in Topsfield, Rowley and Danvers; brick chimneys taken down to the roofline and rebuilt with lead flashing and stainless caps in Topsfield and Newbury; a failed concrete-block garage foundation in Groveland repaired with rebar and grouted cells; a stone wall reconstructed in Malden. Fifteen permitted jobs in all, nearly all residential North Shore work in the $2,000 to $17,000 range. The Ipswich company is family-owned, with Jeffrey Smith listed as owner. Its Angi profile claims 19 years in the trade and masons with 20-plus years each, offers free estimates, warranties and emergency service, and advertises a 'Match That Quote' policy to match any lower written quote from another masonry company. Customer voices are scarce and dated. A single five-star Angi review, written in October 2010, described work on a garage floor and front steps: the homeowner praised the craftsmanship and attention to detail, said the company stood behind the work, and noted it responded promptly to the request for a quote. Nothing newer has been written by a customer. The licensing picture is the thing to sort out before hiring. The company's own blurb says it is fully licensed and insured, carries workers' compensation, and belongs to the Better Business Bureau. BuildZoom lists a license it was unable to verify with the licensing board and assigns a score of zero, saying no active license is on file. Those two accounts do not line up. For granite steps, a chimney rebuild, or a cracked concrete floor on the North Shore, the permit history points to a mason who does exactly that kind of work at prices in the low thousands. Before signing, ask for the current registration number and check it against the state registry yourself, ask for two or three jobs finished in the past year that you can go look at, and get the advertised warranty in writing.