Steve Kelley Carpentry

Steve Kelley Carpentry works out of New Bedford, Massachusetts, doing general carpentry — framing, custom cabinetry, decks, stairs, and the finish work that ties a remodel together. Owner Stephen Kelley has run the shop about 22 years, according to the company's own Thumbtack listing. Every review on file gives five stars. On Thumbtack, five customers rate the work perfect, and the specifics back it up: one describes new front steps that turned out 'way beyond what I expected,' finished on time with no mess left behind. Another hired the company for a full kitchen remodel in a house over 100 years old — a job other contractors had turned down — plus a deck addition on the back of the house. A repeat customer says they've called on Steve Kelley Carpentry multiple times and gotten quality work finished on schedule each time. An older 2014 review on BuildZoom adds a fifth five-star account calling the work accommodating and professional. On paper it's a short history — six reviews spanning 2014 to 2026 across Thumbtack and BuildZoom — shorter than shops with hundreds of ratings on file, but nothing among them is negative. Two things are worth asking about before booking. The licence picture is split across sources: Thumbtack lists two Massachusetts licences for Stephen Kelley — a Construction Supervisor licence (#CS-115056) and a Home Improvement Contractor licence (#186644) — which Thumbtack states it verified. BuildZoom, by contrast, shows Rhode Island contractor registrations under different numbers, one it flags as not independently verified and another it describes as inactive; that BuildZoom data looks dated, citing an expiration it last checked back in 2020. Ask to see current licence numbers directly rather than relying on either directory. Separately, the BBB has no rating or review history on file for the business, and it isn't BBB-accredited — not a red flag by itself, just a gap in that particular record. For a homeowner with a carpentry job — stairs, a deck, cabinets, or a full kitchen gut — the reviews on hand point to careful, on-time work at a reasonable price. Confirm the current licence status and get the scope and price in writing before work starts.