Roman Roads Stone Masonry

Roman Roads Stone Masonry works out of Pembroke, building the stonework people notice from the street — retaining walls, brick and bluestone walkways, patios, and stone steps. Owner Jim Veneto is the name that keeps coming up in the reviews: several homeowners writing between 2016 and 2018 describe him showing up personally to scope jobs, staying hands-on through the build, and coming back afterward if something needed fixing. The written record runs from 2016 to 2019, plus one more account from 2023, and the throughline in it is craftsmanship people are happy with once the crew actually gets there. In a 2019 review, a customer described tearing down and rebuilding an out-of-place retaining wall at no extra cost, then bringing the crew back for more stonework around the house. Others from 2017 and 2018 praised specific finished work — a brick walkway relaid alongside repaired bluestone steps and a cleaned foundation, a repointed fireplace firebox, and a granite-and-brick patio finished on a steep hillside lot. That praise sits next to a real pattern of scheduling and follow-through complaints. A 2023 Angi review said the crew was capable but unreliable about showing up and left a messy job site, prompting the customer to bring in someone else to finish. A 2019 Google review describes being stood up entirely for an estimate with no callback, and a 2017 HomeAdvisor review reported a $700 deposit that was never returned after the crew went unresponsive. A couple of 2017-2018 reviews also flagged slow callbacks mid-project, even when the finished work was rated well. Before booking, it's worth confirming a firm start date and a reliable way to reach the crew if plans change — responsiveness, not workmanship, is what shows up in the complaints. It's also worth asking directly about licensing: the state registry lists Roman Roads' Massachusetts home improvement contractor registration (HIC #170743) as expired. One more thing worth knowing: Google shows only 3 stars from 2 ratings, while the identical Angi/HomeAdvisor listing (the same 42 reviews mirrored on both) averages 4.5 — a thin Google sample next to a much longer platform history. Roman Roads looks like the right call for a homeowner who wants custom stonework — a wall, a set of steps, a patio — and is willing to plan around a schedule that isn't always tight, nailing down deposit terms and a timeline in writing before work starts.