Whole-house scope — 2018 reviewer had floors, tile, three bathrooms done
Hidden damage — rotted wall framing found in demolition handled calmly, 2020
Named craftsmen — 2020 reviewer praised the tiler and the woodworker
What does a remodeling project cost in Greater Boston?
Typical Greater Boston range for this kind of work, from regional averages — not a quote from Popularis Construction Inc.. Use it to sanity-check bids, then get the real number in writing.
Active registration — Massachusetts home improvement licence verified with the state
Industry award — named Commercial Contractor of the Year, per LinkedIn
Slow to respond — 2022 reviewer waited nearly three weeks for consultation
Dated accounts — the newest written customer review is from 2022
Upmarket book — Houzz lists typical projects at $250,000 and above
The reviews and the permits describe two different companies. In the written accounts — all of them from 2018 to 2020 — Popularis is a small Medway remodeling outfit where the owner is often on the tools himself: an April 2018 customer described Brady Bankston replacing floors, installing tile, building linen-closet shelves and renovating three bathrooms while also running the job as general contractor.
The permits tell a heavier story. Building permits pulled under the company's name include a $238,914 church interior fit-up in Lowell, a $155,528 fitness-studio renovation in Danvers and a $207,500 escape-room build-out in Malden, alongside residential kitchens, baths and decks in Newtonville, Mendon, Medfield and Chelmsford. A May 2026 LinkedIn post describes the same shift — residential renovations, new construction and commercial tenant fit-outs for restaurants, boutique fitness spaces and craft breweries — and a March 2026 post reports Bankston was named Commercial Contractor of the Year at JobTread Connect.
The residential accounts are specific and warm. A July 2020 customer walked through a four-month kitchen-and-bath renovation that grew mid-job to include painting the whole interior and refinishing the floors, and said rotted wood uncovered in three exterior walls during demolition was handled without drama. Another in June 2020 described a 14-by-14-foot bathroom gutted to the studs and rebuilt with a heated floor, expanded shower and soaking tub, naming the individual tile and carpentry tradesmen. Its Massachusetts home improvement contractor registration is active; Houzz shows 5.0 across 8 ratings and Google 4.7 across 12.
The single complaint is about getting started, not about the work. A homeowner writing in July 2022 framed it as a lack of customer service and professionalism: nearly three weeks to get a consultation about two bathroom remodels, then a quote promised by the end of that week. Set against the job sizes the firm now advertises — Houzz lists typical projects at $250,000 to $1 million — that reads less like carelessness than like a book that has moved upmarket.
So: a whole-floor renovation, an addition or a commercial fit-out is squarely what this firm has been doing lately, and the permits back that up. For a single bathroom, ask early whether it fits their schedule and price band — and bear in mind the newest written customer account is from 2022.
“Specializing in residential renovations, new construction, and commercial tenant fit-outs—such as restaurants, boutique fitness spaces, and craft breweries—the company has anchored its steady growth in a core philosophy called "Building Forward."”
My review is based on the lack of customer service/professionalism. It took nearly 3 weeks to get an appointment/consultation to discuss our projects (2 bathroom remodels). Brady finally came out and said he could get a quote ready by the end of that week and could possibly squeeze in a small framing job the following week. After not hearing from Popularis for another 3 weeks, I called to check in and first received a voicemail that Brady was working on the quote. The following morning I received a call that after looking at their schedule, Brady did not think they could fit our remodels into their schedule - even though we never gave a deadline to get the remodels done. Their handling of customers and potential business was absolutely unprofessional and ultimately a waste of time.
Brady and his team are highly skilled professional contractors and are such a pleasure to work with. I’ve worked with Popularis as an interior designer and also have used their services as a client. They are creative, professional, pay close attention to details, and truly care about the work they do!
We cannot rave enough about the quality of work accomplished by Popularis on our kitchen and bath renovation. We even started off with additions to the project - to paint the entire inside of the house and redo all of the wood floors to match the new ones put in the kitchen. They took this in stride and executed a great plan. The big surprise of rotted wood on 3 exterior walls, uncovered by the demolition, was handled with ease and confidence. The crew was polite, professional and friendly and we felt like they became almost a part of our family over the 4 months of the project. Yes, it was strange to have workers in our house almost every day, but they worked around us and gave us lots of help and suggestions on how to survive during the messiest and loudest times. Communication was constant and thoughtful. They finished within a few days of our target date and kept coming even during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are delighted with our new house!
We recently completed a large bathroom (14’ x 14’) remodeling project with Popularis. We’ve been putting off this project for 15 years somewhat intimidated by the contractor selection process on a large project. Popularis and our designer Mandy Key Interior Design helped gut a dated bathroom to the studs and transform the space into a luxury oasis with new hydro-heated floor, expanded shower, & signature soaking tub. Careful and thoughtful planning (3 months) helped ensure a relatively smooth construction phase — although this was right in the middle of the worse time period of the pandemic so certain construction elements were delayed as factories shut down and reconfigured for operating in the new environment. We are very pleased with the craftsmanship (Tony’s woodworking is impeccable, Cal’s tiling very good as well). Popularis also has a good ecosystem of subcontractors (plumbing, electrical, glass, designer, etc.) all scheduled out timing wise and equally nice and reliable.