Verified record
Mass Services & Home Improvement LLC, based in Ashland, works in general contracting, carpentry, and exterior painting — the kind of company people call for a rebuilt deck, a stubborn retaining wall, or a room like a mudroom pulled together from scratch. Its Thumbtack profile lists 14 years in business under Alex Afonso, who is named as the license holder for a Massachusetts Construction Supervisor – Specialty credential that the platform says it verified in February 2026. The written record here splits sharply by year. Between 2018 and 2020, five Thumbtack reviewers described the same contractor: outbid competitors on a retaining wall that "exceeded my expectations," rebuilt a 600-plus-square-foot deck on an older home with a signed, itemized contract and measurements that matched the customer's own, and renovated a mudroom on schedule after the initial estimate. One reviewer called out the crew's craftsmanship and neatness while painting and staining a set of decks. A 2022 Google review tells a very different story: a customer says they were scheduled and rescheduled over the course of a year, faced non-responsiveness and rudeness, and were ultimately handed an inflated, mistake-ridden quote before leaving. It's the newest customer account on file, and it doesn't match the tone of anything from the earlier years. Two more recent items are worth flagging before booking: court records on unicourt.com list Mass Services & Home Improvement LLC as a defendant in separate 2026 suits brought by two commercial lenders, LCF Group and Pearl Delta Funding. Neither the outcome nor the underlying facts are stated in what's on file, so they're worth asking about directly. Given the gap between the 2018–2020 reviews and the 2022 account, anyone considering this company should ask for recent references, confirm current licensing and insurance directly with Alex Afonso rather than relying on a directory badge, and get firm scheduling commitments in writing before work begins.
Typical Greater Boston range for this kind of work, from regional averages — not a quote from Mass Services & Home Improvement LLC. 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
“PEARL DELTA FUNDING, LLC v. MASS SERVICES & HOME IMPROVEMENT LLC et al”
“THE LCF GROUP, INC. v. MASS SERVICES & HOME IMPROVEMENT LLC et al”
We were scheduled and rescheduled over the course of a year and ultimately left due to non-responsiveness, not returning calls, rudeness and an inflated mistake-ridden quote that was generic and much was not even specific to us and we were not even able to discuss this further. We had used the crew for small jobs in the past which were well done and then wanted to do a full kitchen renovation and a partial bathroom renovation. We were first told to expect at least $40,000. We've had many projects with other contractors and expected things to change but the final quote was over $104,000. We were stunned and shocked. 3 months after being given the quote with continued non-responsiveness and never returning our telephone calls we finally just left and the weight over us has lifted. The torture is finally over. I don't know why I gave so much rope and should've left sooner. We had to go through our kitchen designer to get messages through. Very bizarre and strange. I know his crew does very good work but the total lack of respect for me and my wife went on far too long. We now have two contractors scheduled to look at our home who act like professionals and they're gentlemen, the way it's supposed to be, and we will be getting their estimates and are looking forward to creating our dream kitchen. We kept hearing from him he's trying to retire. If you don't want the job just tell us but don't keep us hanging on for a year. We never give negative reviews but after a year of wasted time we're so glad we're done with this bizarre experience and we're moving on...
Asked Alex to build a retaining wall in the rear of my property as we had been having problems with sliding earth. Alex outbid everyone else and built a wall that exceeded my expectations. He was friendly and professional as was each member of the crew. Started on time, finished on time, no surprises on the final invoice.
Alex and crew are honest, hard working, and professional. They worked with me to get a price I could afford. They set details out in printed form in a formal, signed contract. They listened to me and did exactly what I wanted. This was a huge job on a stately older home. They replaced/rebuilt 600+ square foot deck that included a small patio at back door, a large patio at front door, and a side deck that connected the two patios. Mass Painting & Carpentry crew tore up one small 70-year-old cement/slate patio and replaced it with a wooden deck. They were able to keep the cement from the large patio in place and build a deck over it. They built a side deck connecting the front and back decks that ran down the side of the house. I had measured the space beforehand and their measurements were the same as mine so I knew they were honest legit business people. Their craftsmanship is extremely high level - really outstanding. The crew also enclosed an old-fashioned brick barbecue and storage area that hasn't been used in decades and it looked really awful - now it looks perfect.
Alex and team did an excellent job to renovate our mudroom. After initial estimate, the work started within a week and completed on time. I will certainly hire them again.
Alex was very professional and easy to work with. He took his time to understand what I wanted done. His crew was neat and did a great job painting and staining my decks.
Specializes in
Also offers
Languages
3 changes recorded — last scanned Sep 8, 2026.
Responsive project managers4.8
Deck construction4.8
Deck & stair rebuilds4.6
Full-home renovations and additions3.9
Active, state-verified HIC license2.7