Ruiz Fine Carpentry

Ruiz Fine Carpentry is a one-man-built shop out of Marblehead that's spent close to two decades on the crown molding, built-ins and finish work that don't show up on a permit but make a room look finished. The company, run by Michael Ruiz — reviewers call him Mike — says it has served Marblehead and nearby towns since 2008. The reviews that carry the most weight come from repeat clients rather than one-off jobs: one customer describes working with Mike for over ten years, from small millwork pieces up through whole-house remodels, including projects for boutique hotel developments. A 2026 review describes him replicating a custom built-in from a photo with what the homeowner called incredible precision. Massachusetts building permits back up the bigger claims — five projects filed in Marblehead within two days in October 2021, including a $30,250 master bathroom, a $33,000 basement remodel with a half bath, and a $24,000 conversion of a shop into a single-family home with a small kitchen and two bathrooms. Every review on file across Google, Angi and HomeAdvisor is five stars, and the Angi and HomeAdvisor reviews cluster in the same September-October 2021 window as those permits — a real, if dated, run of finished projects; the most recent written account is from 2026. Two things are worth asking about directly. The Massachusetts Attorney General's office recorded wage-and-hour violations against the business in 2024 — penalties reported at $7,500 in January and again in May, plus a further $10,318 the same year — worth raising given it involves subcontracted or crew labor. And BuildZoom lists a home improvement contractor registration for Michael Ruiz that it says Massachusetts's consumer affairs registry once showed cancelled, though BuildZoom's own page separately describes the same number as a general contractor license set to expire in 2026 — neither claim is one we've verified directly against the state registry, so confirm current licensing status before hiring. For a homeowner who wants precise trim, built-ins or a full room remodel from someone who has done the same kind of work repeatedly, the craftsmanship record here is strong; just get the labor and licensing questions answered up front given what's on the public record.