Sleeping Dog Properties, Inc.
Local business
Verified record
- Not rated by the BBB
Highlights
- Rescue jobs — 2020 client hired them to fix another contractor's work
- Old-house problem solving — 2016 Newton Tudor gut rehab client cited it
- Named project managers — 2018 condo client credited Derrick by name
- Large-project capacity — 28 posted projects and 33 permitted jobs
- Budget accuracy — a 2016 client said the estimate held with no surprises
- Dated written history — newest client account is from June 2020
- Rating divergence — Porch's open-web 4.39 sits far below Houzz's 5.0
- Lead-safe certification — EPA renovation licence listed inactive and once cancelled
- Trade-partner review — one of ten is a design firm, not a homeowner
- Project scale — stated typical job starts around $500,000
Sleeping Dog Properties works at the top of the Boston market: a stated typical job cost of $500,000 to $10 million, 28 projects posted including a coastal house in Swampscott and a custom home in Osterville, and a permit trail that includes a $203,242 third-floor and basement addition in Weston in 2024. Chris Rapczynski started it in 1993 and is listed as president, with Matt Rapczynski as vice president and Derrick Tyler as chief administrative officer. The written praise is specific, and it is old. In a June 2020 review, a homeowner brought the firm in to take over an apartment renovation another contractor had left in a mess, and wrote that Chris called back immediately and took the job knowing much of it would be fixing someone else's work. A 2018 client who had a Boston condo renovated end to end named the project manager, Derrick, and said everything finished on time. A 2016 client described a gut rehab of a 1930s Tudor in Newton and credited the team with devising solutions to the problems an old house throws up; another gutted a kitchen in a historic Cambridge house after being disappointed by a well-regarded contractor on an earlier bathroom; another had the firm restore a condo after water damage from the unit above, including electrical and soundproofing repair. Two caveats sit on top of that. The Houzz reviews stop in June 2020, and six of the ten were posted in a single week of early 2016 — four of them on 30 January — which reads like a one-off push to collect reviews rather than a steady stream. And one of the ten is not a homeowner: Tony Cappoli Interiors is a design firm writing as a repeat trade partner. The numbers also disagree across sites. Houzz shows a flat 5.0 from ten reviews, every body readable. Porch prints 4.39 from 75, but labels it as drawn from online reviews collected elsewhere rather than its own, and none of those bodies can be read — which implies roughly sixty-five more accounts, averaging well below five, living somewhere other than Houzz. Read the 5.0 as the visible part of a bigger picture. On paperwork, BuildZoom lists a Massachusetts home improvement contractor registration, #127765, as active. The same page lists a Rhode Island residential contractor licence, #28742, that it marks unverified with an expiration date of October 2010, and an EPA renovation certification, NAT-82464-2, as inactive and at one point cancelled. For a firm whose showcase work is old houses and historic condos, that last one is worth raising directly. Tenure is stated three different ways across its listings — 33 years, 'almost 30', 'over 20' — against a 1993 start, and its BBB file is currently unrated while the bureau reviews it. This is a firm for the large, complicated Boston-area project, especially in an old building. Before signing, ask for references from jobs completed in the last two or three years, ask where the reviews Porch is counting actually live, and ask for current EPA lead-safe renovation certification in writing.
Read the comments
Most recent comments
- 5.0Jun 11, 2020
I needed a new contractor as the contractor who was doing my renovation was a DISASTER. A friend told me to contact Sleeping Dog Properties. Chris, the owner called back immediately. He came to see the apartment and took the job understanding that a lot of the work would be "fixing" things the previous contractor did wrong as well as finishing the renovation. It was a hard position for them to come into but they did an amazing job. I love the apartment and everything they "fixed", restored and built. The staff who work there are not just there just to do a days work, they care about the quality of their work and really try to give you exactly what you want. I lived in the apartment during the project. Everyone who worked on my job was respectful, professional and took care to leave the house in the best condition they could after working in the apartment all day long. You will not be disappointed if you use them!!!
— karen RuggieroView on Houzz ↗ - 5.0Apr 12, 2018
We hired Sleeping Dog to do a complete renovation of our condo in Boston. They were hands down the best contractors we have ever used. Communication was excellent, everything completed on time, and extremely easy to deal with. We had a great Project manager, Derrick, who oversaw every aspect of the design and implementation. We also had Sixto who managed all of the day to day activities in our house and made sure things moved along smoothly. Everyone at Sleeping Dog made the process easy and we love being in our "new" home.
— Mark MitchellView on Houzz ↗ - 5.0Nov 9, 2016
My husband and I look for detail-oriented professionals who are prompt with responses and updates, who can strictly and respectfully adhere to building rules, and who can produce efficient and high quality work. We were pleasantly surprised that Sleeping Dog's team was able to tackle our project in the most professional manner, not only with their attention to detail and their responsiveness but most importantly with their ability to ultimately deliver a product that exceeded our expectations. From the very first meeting, we were impressed at how well the Sleeping Dog Team (project manager Derrick and designer Cameron) were able to create a plan that integrated all the design elements and overall feel that we were hoping to achieve. Their documentation process was also impressive in its procedural clarity and accuracy. The paperwork trail was immaculately detailed. Every design and technical change to our proposed renovation plan as well as material choices and purchasing submittals would be signed off by both parties. Our site manager Esvin had great control over his team. Responding to emergency items even after hours, he made sure that all the subcontractors were on schedule, doing the right work, being careful not to damage anything, and following building regulations. We would highly recommend Sleeping Dog for both residential and commercial projects.
— lyyjtView on Houzz ↗ - 5.0Sep 28, 2016
We used SDP for a gut renovation of our kitchen in a historic house in Cambridge. In the past, we had worked with a well-regarded contractor for a bathroom project and had been disappointed with the lack of a schedule and a lack of professionalism in general. Going into this major project (with a baby on the way), we had a very firm timeline and were nervous about things getting out of hand. Not only did SDP complete the job on time, but Chris was meticulous about the timeline, the budget, and the actual work. He paid extremely close to attention to every detail of the construction; he minutely reviewed every piece of work with the utmost care. The finished product is more beautiful and well done than we could have imagined. Chris is an absolute perfectionist; he runs the tightest ship we have ever seen. We would never dream of using any other company for future work, and we rave about our experience to anyone who asks for a recommendation.
— sari2258View on Houzz ↗ - 5.0Feb 5, 2016
We have used Sleeping Dog Properties on Many of our projects and find them to be first rate in every way. What Chris Rapcinski brings to the table is, a management team that is very easy to work with, tradesmen who produce wonderful workmanship and an end result of perfection. The Sleeping Dog team is always a pleasure to work with, and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a general contractor. Tony Cappoli
— Tony Cappoli InteriorsView on Houzz ↗
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Update history
Added 10 new comments, established rating 3.8
- behind the score: EPA lead-safe cert — recorded inactive and once cancelled, on pre-1978 housing
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 Sleeping Dog Properties, Inc.. 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