Old-house bathrooms — 2016-2017 reviewers describe full renovations in tight spaces
Named project managers — reviewers credit Loren French and Rocco by name
Clean job sites — reviewers note the site swept at day's end
Custom carpentry — a rebuilt garden bench and a one-sided porch railing
Aging-in-place work — Certified Aging in Place Specialist, in-home elevator project
Expired registration — the state registry shows its home improvement registration expired
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 Thomsen Construction Inc. Use it to sanity-check bids, then get the real number in writing.
Licence still advertised — profiles list CSL 101503, BuildZoom reports it inactive
Dated written history — every review dates from 2016 or 2017
Permit history ends 2020 — newest permitted job dates from mid-2020
Contact details differ — three phone numbers and two addresses across profiles
Two non-customer reviews — a subcontractor and a business contact reviewed them
Twelve reviews, twelve five-star ratings, and not one written in the last nine years. Thomsen Construction of Essex is a North Shore renovation outfit whose written history is vivid and entirely stalled — and whose Massachusetts home improvement contractor registration, number 159891 in Carl Thomsen's name, the state registry now shows as expired.
Start with what people said, because it is specific. A homeowner writing in September 2016 described a complete renovation of a small and ancient bathroom: shower, toilet and radiator relocated, underfloor heating installed, and the floor and wall tiling set by project manager Loren French himself. Another, in April 2017, described Carl Thomsen's crew rebuilding their only bathroom through June 2016 in what they called very tight conditions, planning each day's work around them. A June 2017 reviewer had exterior siding, shutters and a skylight replaced and singled out Loren French's updates by email, call and visit. In October 2016 someone had part of a rustic garden bench rebuilt alongside repairs to an old house and called the result quite special.
The company describes itself as specialising in fine home renovations and additions in northeast Massachusetts, running four crews whose lead carpenters have combined experience in excess of 100 years, with published price bands from $30,000 for a bathroom to $1.5 million for a new home. Houzz lists it as a Certified Aging in Place Specialist, and its projects include an in-home elevator in Rockport and mobility-conscious bathrooms in Essex.
Now the part that matters most before you call. Alongside the expired registration, BuildZoom flags the profile as having no active license on file, shows all seven of its licence records inactive or cancelled — including CS-101503, the construction supervisor number the company still advertises as current — and its permit trail of 25 jobs across Beverly, Danvers, Newburyport, Somerville and Boston runs from 2014 to mid-2020 and no further. Contact details disagree too: Essex with a 781 number on Houzz, a Shutesbury address roughly a hundred miles west with a 978 number on BuildZoom.
Two of the twelve reviews are worth reading with that in mind — one comes from a self-described subcontractor, one from a business contact the company thanks by company name in its reply.
The honest read: careful, detailed praise for old-house work, from a decade ago. Before hiring, confirm the company is still operating, and ask to see a current home improvement contractor registration and a current construction supervisor licence.
Heard around town
News & the web
Thomsen Construction Inc - Danvers, MA - Alignable
“Carl is a talented builder and creative problem-solver who always delivers a great project!”
I have know Carl from Thomsen Construction for over 5 years now. I have seen & done much work with the company. Everyone, from the direct contracting team, to the office manager, & of course the owner himself, is absolutely professional in the highest level. They have worked on major projects all over this state. Their work crew has a great eye for quality & know how. They are clean, neat, & know how to finish. Simply put, this outfit is the real deal, & if your given a chance to have them work for you, then you are gifted home owner.
As a subcontractor for Thomsen Construction I cannot say enough good things. Carl and his crews are courteous, thoughtful, understanding people who are a pleasure to work with. Their projects are first rate quality and absolutely gorgeous. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to build or remodel their home.
Carl and his company are exceptional. His workers are always on time. The carpenters work quickly and accurately and the finished product is always perfect. They clean up after themselves each evening which is always a good sign. My last project was to install an interior door, install an access hatch to under my deck and make exterior repairs before the winter. As always, I was extremely satisfied.
My husband and I recently hired Thomsen Construction for replacement of our exterior siding and shutters, and skylight, and other carpentry needs. The work was on time and completed with great care and obvious expertise. Loren French, the project manager, sent regular updates by email, calls, and visits. We were amazed at the attention to detail throughout. Many thanks for a fairly stress free renovation experience!
A pleasure to work with and a job well done! Work was done in a timely manner with little interference into our daily lives. You can't ask for more than that.