Here’s what our customers have been saying about us:
We could not be happier with the experience and final outcome of our basement project and working with MD England and Sons. We had met with 4 other companies before meeting Mark England, and even in the estimate/meet and greet stage, I could tell MD England was a different than the others.
The questions and comments Mark had in the quoting process were thoughtful, smart and about important things that others hadn’t brought up.
We got their estimate quickly, and it was more thorough and descriptive than the others. It was comparable with what others had quoted us, but gave us way more of a breakdown. We told him our ideal timeline/deadline with a new baby on the way- and he said they’d try their best to hit that (spoiler: they beat the deadline)!
They were very communicative from the getgo, letting us know they could start early if we were ready, and timing with the dumpster/portapotty drop off a week beforehand. They started a text thread that was extremely convenient – with our project manager (his son, Ryan, who was GREAT,) Mark himself and me and my husband, and they let us know everything… when they’d be here, what to expect, what they were doing and the potential impact, etc. They had the basement demolished and framed within week 1. It was INSANELY fast. Every week they made so much progress, and answered all of our annoying questions, concerns, comments, etc.
MD England’s entire team were so friendly and professional. They were always on time RIGHT at 8am. They put up with the dogs in the yard jumping and barking. There were no surprise change orders and everything was clearly communicated.
Any issue or concern we had was addressed quickly, and they were soo flexible with any changes we requested and in communicating any costs implications (though everything was reasonable and they were collaborative in providing swaps or other solutions to help save costs).
Yesterday they finished the basement project and it looks amazing. So clean, so bright and spacious, great quality everything, etc. I’m actually kind of sad it’s over, because going down to the basement after they left to see all the great stuff they did was my favorite part of the day.
I’ve already given MD England’s info to various people because I could not imagine a better experience or better group of guys. In our first meeting, Mark said that the basement will become our favorite part of the house, and I laughed as we stood in our gross dingy basement, but if you want that, I HIGHLY recommend MD England and Sons.
Mark and his team are the best of the best. We looked at a lot of people but decided that he was not only the best price but the quality and reviews put his at the top. In the end we don’t have a new “basement”, we have a lower living level to our home. He was on time, on budget and exceeded our expectations.
We could not be happier with the outcome of our basement remodel or the process. We will be using Mark again for our next home improvement project! Mark and his team were professional and great to work with. We were first struck by how detailed Mark was in his proposal/estimate. After we spoke with Mark, we received a detailed plan that included the scope of work, cost as well as optional upgrades. This allowed us to track and fit any changes to the original plan into our budget. When Mark and his team started the project (right on time) they were professional and hard-working. The project went smoothly and Mark was always very responsive to all of our questions and comments. Mark was able to take our general ideas and turn them into a stunning family space. His teams attention to detail was exceptional. We can not wait to have Mark and his team tackle our bathrooms. We would highly recommend Mark and will continue to use him for future improvements to our home.
Mark’s team did an outstanding job with the work that we asked. And when it came to some decisions that we had not made yet, Mark or his site supervisor provided excellent recommendations. They entire team has a knack for detail and worked very quickly. The job was completed on time and within budget. His team even helped me clear out part of my basement in order to accommodate for a last minute decision that we had to expand the scope of work and finish up an additional part of the basement. I plan on calling on Mark and his team for future work.
Mark and his team were exceptional. From the beginning, I was impressed with Mark’s professionalism and thoughtfulness. I met with at least a dozen contractors when getting estimates; Mark was the only one who provided a professional-looking, itemized estimate that clearly explained each part of the job and its cost. He also provided a floor plan that was helpful for visualizing the project. I appreciated that Mark was not just a rubber-stamp. He had ideas of his own, and was willing to work with me to think through each decision. It gave me confidence that what we were doing was the right thing, each time, and was far more helpful than the “Sure, whatever you want” attitude I encountered with other contractors. When the work began, everything went smoothly, and Mark was great about communicating the progress and let us know when something needed to be tweaked, or if there was another decision we needed to make. The work was top notch, and everything went off without a hitch. On top of it all, Mark and his team were just pleasant to work with. They were courteous and considerate, even sweeping up after themselves when they had to walk through the main floor. Mark even surprised us with a dozen eggs from his own hens (and they were excellent!). I had never undertaken a job of this size, and was understandably nervous about what might happen, but Mark put me at ease, and the ease with which the project was completed (both on time, and on budget), exceeded my most optimistic expectations. I highly recommend M.D. England & Sons, and would absolutely work with them in the future.
From the day we received the proposal, we knew Mark was the right choice. The level of detail is exactly what my wife and I were looking for. Not only did he lay out all the work to be done, he included the estimates for labor and materials as well as allowances for optional items. By doing this we had a great idea of what the all-in price would look like making our decisions easier so we could track where we were in regards to our budget. Mark and Joe were unbelievably responsive with our requests and any concerns or changes we needed to make. It was quite refreshing in a time when you tend to hear more horror stories about contractors than you do good ones. The rest of team was also fantastic and very professional, working hard and cleaning up after themselves. We are very happy with the quality of the craftsmanship as well and love spending time in the new family room. They basically took our ideas and with some of their suggestions turned the bare basement into the room we were truly hoping for. I cannot say enough great things about Mark and all the guys he has working with him. I have and will continue to recommend him to others.
I hired Mark to refinish the basement to my mother’s home in Newton, and remodel two bathrooms, in preparation to sell the home. I was looking for someone that could do quality work that would appeal to high-end home buyers in Newton at a fair price. I met with three contractors from Angie’s List – all top-rated. Mark not only had the best price of the three but also the best ideas for how to finish off the basement space. I could tell right away that Mark had a lot of experience with basement remodels. I hired Mark and the project went well throughout. Both he, his crews, and the plumbing and electrical sub-contractors he uses were good people that performed quality work. The project was completed on time and on budget. Communication was excellent. Best of all, the house attracted several offers in the first weekend and sold for above asking. Thanks Mark!
Mark England is a one of a kind person, someone you can actually feel like you can trust right from the get go. We were looking for someone to fix some damage to our house caused by ice dams and made several phone calls. Since everyone around MA was dealing with this, we had several businesses not even call us back, but Mark personally called my husband to ask him what we
needed and said that he would be able to fit us in between big jobs he had going. When he came to our house for the consultation, he was friendly and honest, approaching what needed to be done by saying, ‘If this were my house, this is what I’d do.’ Immediately we knew we had the contracting business we could trust. When it came to the work, his guys were clean and professional. We have a baby and I was worried about any dust and debris being left around in between when he was able to come back, but everything was immaculate. The ceiling in my son’s room (That used to be an old drop ceiling) is the most impressive, beautiful job well done. Mark worked well with our insurance company, and in the future when we work on doing some updating, Mark England is the one and only person we will call!
MD England and Sons did an outstanding job! Their workmanship and overall quality exceeded my expectations by far. Their pricing is fair and relative to other contractors I received an estimate from. Throughout the life of the project, Mark was very professional, responsive to all of my communications (even on the weekend), flexible, accommodating, and understanding. The same can be said for his sons and support contractors. Although I wouldn’t classify my job as a “large” project, the company treated my family and me as if we were undertaking a six figure job. We had to adjust the original plan due to the town inspector and Mark provided me with several options to make it work, and ultimately we ended up with a great floor plan. I strongly recommend MD England and Sons!
As with any human interaction, communication is difficult given our propensity to interpret differently than what is being spoken. My understanding of how something should look can be very different from what is being presented by the speaker. That being said, Mark always worked to ensure our communication was the best possible, making sure we were always on the same page. Every detail of the work was discussed in detail. His crew is highly professional and personable. They were always very respectful and attentive to our wishes. There was never a moment in which we felt like we were just another customer. And, their work was impeccable. A rare combination.
Mark is an amazing communicator which is extremely rare when dealing with contractors. He kept me filled in (via email) on every aspect of job, from interactions with building department (pulling permit and final inspection) as well as when he would complete the job. This was not a big job for Mark and he treated me as though it was. He is a rare breed and I look forward to having him back to do more work. THANKS MARK!
The contractor was quick to come out and give a quote. The turnaround time between estimate visit and start date was very fast. Mark was friendly, courteous, and helpful in areas where we had questions and/or needed suggestions. The quote we received was right on par with what we had received from the adjuster of our homeowner’s insurance. Due to the fact that we had a flood, we had extensive damage on two floors and were looking to have our living space back as quickly as possible for our young son. The company was efficient in their organization of work needed. The workers were friendly and here on time every day.
As for the work itself, it’s impeccable. The flooring, painting, etc., is all above and beyond what we had imagined. We could not recommend this company enough and will DEFINITELY be using them in the future.
They were excellent about incorporating custom touches/built-ins, and responsive to questions and concerns. The carpenters, plumber, and plasters were particularly great. The team was also respectful of how we wanted things to be done or to look. Finally, as a family of six with four young children, the team was well-mannered and polite. No smoking, cursing, etc.
I’d be remiss to not point out that Mark was immensely patient as we (the homeowners) underwent months of delays due to the foundational work that had to be performed prior to his team starting. We’re delighted with Mark and his team, and are looking forward to the next job!
Mark, Joe, and the team from MD England were excellent. From the initial visit, we could tell this company was different than the others. We had about 10-12 contractors review our space and received quotes between $4,800 to $28,000 for a 310 sq ft area that was only to become a playroom for our kids. MD England wasn’t the cheapest but we felt that we could trust Mark after being burnt by another cheaper contractor we had lined up, also on Angie’s List. Mark seemed the most professional, suggesting options like moving a ceiling pipe, making the closet door a barndoor-type style for the kids, etc., and on the initial visit, provided us with a folder of referrals, copies of licenses, and a general overview of what to expect from his team in the basement finishing process and moisture prevention information. He also soon emailed us a very detailed quote including line items of all of the work with and without moving the ceiling pipe, the only contractor that provided such detail and transparency, and provided it quickly.
The job took three weeks as quoted and was actually less expensive than expected since Mark told us an electric subpanel originally quoted for really wouldn’t be needed after all, saving us $900. He also offered to remove all of the junk in our basement (about a half dumpster full) for $100 which was a huge help for us. Joe seemed to take over on site after the first couple of days and was also great, asking our opinion on things when needed and explaining things along the way. The space looked excellent afterward and in our final walkthrough their team even took the time to add a bit of trim around a small exposed pipe when I requested it. Picky of me but they did it with a smile. The whole team was great…excellent attention to detail, considerate, and friendly. We felt we were in good hands and our new basement family/playroom turned out better than we could have imagined. We would definitely use them again and have already recommended them to a neighbor who wants to update their family room.
All in all, we were extraordinarily happy with the entire process. From our first meeting with Mark we got the sense of his professionalism. He came in with ideas and took full measurements and left us with a clear expectation of when he would make an estimate available. Which he then followed up on in the timely manner he had promised.
The estimate itself was very thorough. All details we discussed were clearly represented in the estimate and all of the costs were explained, along with very reasonable allowances for our lighting, molding, paint and flooring choices. He also supplied some good sites on the internet to research and make some choices from. Even when we found an item on a different site, he had no problem ordering from our chosen dealer.
After we agreed on the estimate he once again gave a very clear window of time when the work would mostly likely begin. This gave us plenty of time to solidify our choices for finishes and be prepared for his crew to show up. Even though there was a little bit of a wait, we had no problem with it because he was honest up front on the timing and that is all we ask for. Our theory is that it’s better to have a busy contractor, because it usually means their work is desirable. In this case that logic was sound.
Once we got close to his window, Mark gave us a more specific time when he and his team would arrive and sure enough they showed up exactly on the day he said they would.
As far as his work crew is concerned, they were top notch. A great group of hard working guys who were always pleasant when we were around and who cleaned up after each days work. They were very friendly and helpful when we had any questions. We definitely felt “in good hands” even when Mark wasn’t on site.
Upon completion of the job, Mark was sure to verify that we were happy with all of the details and had us go over the work closely and let him know of anything we felt needed attention. There were only a few small items to bring up, but what we found was taken care of immediately by Mark himself. So the final product was completely professional looking.
Upon final payment (we paid half at the start of the job and half at the end) Mark was amazingly fair and honest in his costs. He had receipts from all of the materials and we actually came in under out allowances in a few places. In these instances Mark amended the original estimate clearly with the changes and gave us our final invoice which was slightly UNDER budget! Can’t complain there.
The end result is we are completely satisfied with Mark and his crew and are already talking with him about our next project.
We are incredibly pleased with our new basement. Mark (the owner) came by to look at the basement sometime in early June and said he could start sometime in late July, and he actually started almost a week early. He had some great ideas about getting some natural light in the basement, and also made suggestions on finishes that really made the area a place we want to be. His guys were great, always on time and neat.The project was finished in five weeks and there were never any delays. Mark drove the project forward without any need for us to inquire about the schedule. Their estimate was not the least expensive estimate we got, but I was more than comfortable paying a little more when I saw the finished product. I would absolutely use Mark again and recommend him for any home renovation project.
Mark first met with us after our interest in his Angie’s List Big Deal. He came up with a detailed floor plan for our basement project. We sought out 4 different quotes before deciding on MD England. Mark’s price was not only the lowest, but we also felt most comfortable with his ideas and we liked his personality as well. He gave us a schedule of when he would begin the work and told us it would take a month. Mark was right on schedule with the project and began and ended when he said he would. All of his workers were very professional and hard working as well as punctual. Communication from Mark was great throughout and would quickly answer any of our questions either with a phone call or an email. He was very flexible throughout the project as we changed some of the design ideas after the project began. Everything was smooth, from the framing, to the drywall, to the electrical, and plastering. Mark’s quote also included painting which most of the others did not. He pulled all permits and went through the proper inspections during the project. Mark also suggested we keep some space for storage which we hadn’t considered but glad we did.At the end of the project, Mark did a walk through to make sure we were satisfied with the final result. We are thrilled with our new basement area and are grateful to Mark for making the project smooth and trouble free.
In summary, I would highly recommend MD England and Sons for all of your renovation or home improvement needs. If you are looking for a contractor who is honest, hardworking, and affordable, Mark is your man. Let him be in charge of your next home project. You won’t regret it.
