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With this review comes a warning, if you have water in your basement don't ignore it. I've had a two family brick house in Brighton for about 25 years and there's always been some water in the basement. Never thought much about it but on heavy rain days, it would pool on the downhill corner of the house. 25 years later, I noticed that the whole corner of the basement was detaching and sinking all the way up to the roof. I thought that it must've happened in an earthquake that we had years ago or that there was a sinkhole developing under the house. Turns out that the water was seeping underneath the foundation and creating a foundation problem. I had a structural engineer come and look at it and he told me the seriousness of it. He said there was no way to tell how bad the problem was under the foundation until we excavated down there.
Being in the service industry myself, I know quite a few people in masonry but every one of them said that this job is too big for them. The structural engineer recommended Fitzgerald restoration after reviewing the damage with Derek from Fitzgerald restoration, I immediately thought he was competent but the estimate he gave me, I thought was high. $45,000. So I did my due diligence and contacted two other companies capable of doing this type of work and they came in much higher. It was really a huge job and to see the corner of my house completely gone, dismantled, and then put back together was a roller coaster ride. Looking at it now, It's really hard to tell that anything: was done at all.
The house is 100 years old and I don't know how they did it but they matched the Bricks and the cement really well where you wouldn't notice it was different and less you were really looking. As the other masonry contractors warned me Derek also cited the potential can of worms that might be found when excavating the house. He ended up finding the root of the problem where the water was coming in through a crack in the foundation which was actually on the other side of the house. He stuck to his estimate and fixed everything for the original agreed price and then threw in a little more on top of it. I was so happy with the work that he did, I invited them down to my business in Allston an auto body shop and asked him for an estimate on some work there and again he came in cheaper than the other people some of which were friends. He did a great job there too. Being in the service industry I am well aware that people are much quicker to write bad reviews these days, so I just wanted to share my experience. To sum it up, I found Fitzgerald restoration services to be extremely professional quite competent friendly courteous and that extends to the workers that were performing the job. I'm still amazed at what a little bit of water in the basement can do after time.
- Barry H | 06/10/2018
Highly recommend Fitzgerald Restoration Services. We worked with Derrick on a fairly sizable renovation recently. His pricing was reasonable and stayed within budget (with a few minor upgrades on our part). The project was completed in a timely manner and all sub-contractors were easy to work with and provided quality craftsmanship. Would hire them again!
- Kathy Bero | 03/28/2018
I hired FRS at my own personal residence for a large project, and have used them multiple times for my property management firm, and cannot recommend them highly enough. Derrick is very transparent about cost and timing, and tells the truth, even if it is not what someone may want to hear. His staff is courteous and professional, as well as clean and orderly with respect to how they maintain a job site. They were at our house for 10 weeks and neither I nor my wife had 1 complaint; which is pretty unheard of on any job. As a real estate professional for 20 years with extensive experience working in both development and property management, as well as a general homeowner who has been through many projects with many contractors and subcontractors, I continue to be impressed with the performance and reliability of FRS. The value (quality versus cost) is exceptional and I highly recommend them for any construction needs one may have.
- P.T. Vineburgh |
02/20/2018
We are completely satisfied with the service provided by Fitzgerald Restoration at our house in Charlestown this fall. The work consisted of replacement of rotting window frames with composite material as well as masonry repairs around our foundation. We were happy to find a company that could tackle both projects. We were so pleased with not only the work but the prompt and timely communication. Our experience was completely hassle-free. The project manager is a pleasure to work with We recommend their services highly.
- Gail and Jim Liebmann |
1/16/2016
In my capacity as Engineering Manager at Mount Auburn Hospital, we acquired the services of Fitzgerald Restoration Services Inc. for several projects. We were ultimately 100% satisfied with both the quality and outcome of the work and the total professionalism of the Project Manager, the Owner Derrick Fitzgerald and all the employees. They maintained a safe and clean work site and were most respectful of people in and around where they were working at all times. They completed all the work on budget and on time.
- Mount Auburn Hospital, Engineering Manager, MA |
12/5/2015
I just want to write to thank you for the marvelous job you did restoring our house, chimney and roof. The work looks flawless and I especially appreciate the courteous and prompt service provided. He organized and expedited everything so well that we can now actually look forward to the coming winter with confidence that our home is protected against all kinds of weather. The workmen were friendly and left the house and yard looking spotless when they were done.
I have already recommended your company to friends in the area who need work done on their homes. Feel free to have any new customers contact me for reference.
- Harry Potter, MD |
12/05/2015
Fantastic experience with Fitzgerald Restoration and in particular Derrick, the owner. The work done on my stairs by the stonemason was excellent. My grandfather was a professional stonemason so I had high expectations and Fitzgerald Restoration exceeded what I hoped for. Even after the horrible winter we just had, the stairs look as good today as the day they were done. Very, very happy with the entire experience!
- Belbef W., Watertown, MA |
7/19/2014
They did a quick efficient job and their workers were nice men.
- Homeowner in Brookline, MA | 7/10/2014
They kept me informed, priced the job well and hired quality contractors. I would absolutely use Fitzgerald again. They were also super respectful and cleaned up... Excellent!
- Maureen W., Cambridge, MA |
7/08/2014
They did an excellent job and were very considerate.
- Bao H., Cambridge, MA | 7/20/2013
Derrick and his crew had poor luck with the weather, which was frustrating because I was in a hurry. But when there was a break in the rain they finished repointing my whole foundation in two days, and I was very happy with the quality of the job. In one part of the wall the mortar had almost completely fallen out, and the wall was bulging substantially. They managed to fix the bulge without much trouble.
- David R., Cambridge, MA |
6/8/2011
Prompt, precise, and reasonable cost.
- Homeowner in Brookline, MA |
4/13/2010
I did not make a mistake in getting them as my masonry contractor. I really love how they made my driveway look so elegant in a very affordable price. EXCELLENT JOB!
- Anonymous | 9/1/2010
I love the new rock landscape at the back of my house. It looks very amazing. It's the masterpiece of my outdoor! I did not have difficulty in explaining to them what I want. They get it right! Very beautiful!
- Shaina V. |
12/20/10
You will really love my new garden. I love the landscaping style. They are just romantic and I am kinda sleeping in my garden this week! I just fell in love with their work.
- Lily B. |
12/15/2010
I can say that they did a good job on my sister's fish pond. One of the best stone contractors in town! They also didn't price my sister that much. I will contact them again in the future.
- Kariss L. |
12/15/10
I was feeling hopeless with the damage of my house but when I called them, they turned my old house into a paradise. Thanks!
- Poppy K. |
12/09/10
Excellent services! Provided quality work and were a pleasure to deal with!! Thank you.
- Craig H. | 12/4/2010