MJR Carpentry

Two reviews landed in February 2026. One came from a homeowner who has hired Mike Mellen repeatedly and reported no issues; the other called him a con artist. That gap is the thing to understand about MJR Carpentry. The business runs out of 110 Waterhill Street in Lynn under Michael J Mellen, and Thumbtack describes a single-employee shop about four years in. The work covers more ground than the name suggests: framing, finish carpentry, cabinets, doors and windows on BuildZoom; deck and porch repair plus several flooring categories on Angi and HomeAdvisor; drywall, tile, trim and interior painting on Thumbtack. Angi and HomeAdvisor carry the same eleven reviews — one set, mirrored, not two — averaging 4.6, with 91% at five stars. The praise is unusually specific for a small shop. A 2023 customer wrote that he "does what he says he will do, on time, with high quality and at the quoted price," adding the dry caveat that he is not at your beck and call. A 2022 homeowner described a $15,000 kitchen and bathroom update run so the household stayed comfortable while the work went on; a 2024 reviewer credited him with diagnosing and repairing exterior problems on a very old house within budget. The dollar figures attached to reviews run from a $255 call up to that $15,000 remodel, and Thumbtack shows 5.0 from four ratings. Then there is the February 2026 one-star, on a $10,000 job. The homeowner alleges an uneven bathroom floor, peeling ceiling paint, sloppy grout, damaged hardwood outside the bathroom, a broken front-door lock and scuffed stairwell walls, and says he left once he had been paid. It is the single negative among fourteen reviews since 2022 — and it is recent and detailed enough to put to him directly. On paperwork, BuildZoom lists a Massachusetts home improvement contractor registration, #204390, issued in February 2026, and separately lists an earlier number, #194775, as inactive. Those are the directory's records, so confirm both with the state's Consumer Affairs office before signing anything. Thumbtack shows a background check completed for Michael Mellen in June 2026. For interior carpentry, flooring and mid-size remodels around Lynn, plenty of people have hired him more than once. Put the scope and the finish standard in writing, agree a payment schedule that holds something back until the punch list is closed out, and ask him about that February job.