United Masonry & Foundation Waterproofing, Chimney repairs

United Masonry, run out of Auburndale by an owner named Jason, does chimney rebuilds, repointing, retaining walls, and foundation waterproofing across the Newton area — the work split roughly evenly between chimney jobs and foundation or masonry repair. The steadiest theme across specific, personally-detailed reviews from 2022 through 2024 is Jason himself: homeowners describe him showing up on time, giving straightforward estimates, and standing behind the work. One customer needed two rooftop chimneys rebuilt after being confused by other companies' proposals and said Jason's honest, all-inclusive quote made the decision easy. Another had a chimney rebuilt from the roofline up with a new liner and code-compliant vent piping, with the new brick matched so well it was hard to tell any work had been done. When a foundation-waterproofing job still let in some water afterward, Jason came back and re-sealed it plus repaired the damaged basement floor under his guarantee — a real problem, handled the way a guarantee is supposed to work. A cluster of nearly identical five-star reviews — generic lines about cracks fixed and chimney caps installed, with no names or specifics — all landed within a few weeks in January and February 2025, alongside several vague, hostile one-star reviews from that same narrow window. That pattern doesn't read like the specific, personally-attributed reviews on either side of it, and it did not shape this read. What genuinely stands out as worth asking about: an October 2022 review titled 'FRAUD ALERT' described the company starting unauthorized extra work mid-job, never delivering a promised chimney cap after six weeks and three different explanations, and alleged an offer of money tied to the review. A March 2024 review said a chimney repointing job used cement rather than proper mortar technique and failed within six months. And a July 2022 review described cracked front-steps resurfacing with no follow-up after being told it would be addressed. These are specific, credible accounts sitting alongside a much larger body of detailed praise for the same owner and crew. The company's Massachusetts home improvement contractor registration is registry-verified but currently shows as expired — worth confirming directly before signing a contract.