Tom Curren Companies

Great! Joe paid attention to all the small details, and the work was excellent. I was interested in learning how he repaired the windows, so he took the time to explain the process to me.

Dear Angie's List Users: Watch out for this company. While they have a lot of A ratings, pay attention to the F and C ratings as well; these are more likely to be authentic. The Sales Rep who came to do my estimate spent most of the time trying to sell me siding, even though I told him at the outset that I had already contracted with another provider (a Hardboard-certified provider, unlike Tom Curren Companies) and had no interest in purchasing siding. This guy was like a caricature of the sleazy salesman, pressuring me to buy something I didn't need or want and wasting my time with a lot of unsolicited and questionable advice. When he figured out that I wasn't going to buy siding from him, he obviously lost interest in the carpentry work I needed. Lo and behold, later in the day he called back to say that the company was too busy to do my projects. What's most exasperating about this experience is that Tom Curren Companies had written to me previously that they WOULD be able to complete my projects within my timeframe--that's the only reason I was willing to wait TWO WEEKS for their estimate, and then call to confirm my appointment not once but twice per their request. They also mailed me a brochure the week before our appointment and presented me with another one when the estimator arrived. Take about an anticlimax! If Tom Curren Companies spent as much time training their salespeople to be credible and appealing as they spend belaboring this customers with advertising and demands for follow-up, they might do better. Based on my experience, I would certainly not trust them to work on my home.

Success! Not only is the smoke smell gone but the room looks great from the professional paint job. Great experience overall.

Success! ?Not only is the smoke smell gone but the room looks great from the professional paint job. ?Great experience overall.

It was amazing to see how he was able to tackle these tasks with ease and in a remarkably short time. Joe's work was excellent.

Joe, the handyman at Curren, did an excellent job performing handyman services in our home on two occasions. Both times I gave him a list of what needed to be done (i.e., install ceiling light fixtures, repair broken light, replace drawer and cabinet knobs, fix door knobs, repair woodwork, install weatherproofing strips, remove old safety latches/childproofing, etc). I supplied some of the items, such as weather strips, drawer knobs, light bulbs (though he is willing run to a store to pick up items, if needed), he brought his own tools, caulk etc. and did the work for an hourly rate billed through Curren companies. I was extremely satisfied with his work and will definitely use him again in the future. The cost is a bit higher than average, but he is very pleasant and professional, communicates well, and is more intelligent and experienced than other handymen I have hired over the past 20 years so the price seemed fair given that the process was stress-free and everything was done well. I felt comfortable having him in our home and would be willing to leave him working in our home alone if I weren't able to stay for the entire time. He's a great find for handyman services and some types of electrical work (apparently he is a licensed electrician). It worked well to give him a written list of the needed repairs, and show him what needed to be done for each repair on the list. After the "tour" I left him to complete the work and all repairs were accomplished to my satisfaction.

Work was performed on schedule and at the price quoted. The workers from Curren were professional, polite, clean, and very skilled. They went beyond our expectations, even repairing items that were not on the original work order and for no cost. They showed up as promised on the project start date, and were prompt for every day of work. We would highly recommend their service, and in fact, we have already hired them to do further painting to the interior of our home so it will look as nice as the previously repaired and painted spaces.

Never started as still waiting for inspection and quote.

Called company. Left voice message with services that I needed. No response at all to my message. No services performed.

October, 2015 work. After many years of working with Tom Curren?s fine handyman Joe, we turned to the company last winter, first for ice dam buildup and then for major damage repair. Right from the start, we felt in good hands. Barry Eldershaw, Curren?s excellent Sales Estimator, was the point man for our renovation and instrumental in securing a higher insurance claim reimbursement than we had originally been awarded. What a difference that made! He worked with us from room to room, assessing damage, making suggestions, and eventually drawing up an estimate for the work needed. He communicated with us throughout the job, adjusting totals as needed. We contracted to redo walls, ceiling, doors, and moldings in a front hall, upstairs hall, stairwell, and bedroom. Januir Serpa was the crew chief and truly a master home builder. I cannot say enough about his skills, helpful suggestions, and professional workmanship. He and his crew, especially David, were punctual, neat, and very personable. They always made time for our questions. They were hard workers, and the results far exceeded our expectations. Part of the work included heavy insulation of a street side bedroom wall. The wonderful result is quiet nights ? and days! Barry and Januir both made the excellent suggestion to paint the slanted roof ceilings the same color as the main ceiling. I am so glad we followed this advice. The architecture is so much more accentuated now. Each morning now I wake up in a bedroom with beautiful blue-gray walls and dove-white sloped ceilings and feel that I might be in Greece! I am thankful to the Curren company and team for the wonderful difference their work has made in our lives. In fact, we have been so pleased with Tom Curren Companies that we are under deposit for exterior house painting to take place first thing next spring. I am very appreciative to Lisa Cambra, Operations Manager, for scheduling our fall and spring jobs. She was pleasant, professional, flexible, and efficient. Thanks finally to the Curren office staff; Amanda, Casey, and Claudine were unfailingly helpful.

I worked with Barry to obtain an estimate for the services requested.? He then set me up with a decorator from Sherman Williams who was very helpful in selecting paint?colors for all of the work I needed done.? There was no charge for this very helpful service.? I likely would have spent more time and not arrived at the colors we selected had we done this step on our own.? All of the painting, exterior trim, and miscellaneous (drawer repair, spindle repair, door repair) were performed by the same two individuals over the course of 3.5 days.? They were extremely professional and were able to work around my small children who were home most of time.? The results were perfect as I've come to expect from working with Tom Curren.?

Everything went well as plan. work finished one day ahead of schedule. Diego was the lead painter with one helper under his supervision work was done nicely. He is very professional. Willing to do what was asked and tried his best to help. I am happy with their work. It is a good company.

They came on time, did exactly the work agreed upon plus extra when they found significantly more rot which necessitated removing and replacing additional boards. The lock on the French doors had been checked by Andersen who explained it could not be repaired as well as another contractor. Tom Curren Company's team leader, Herbert, repaired the unrepairable door by patiently working each and every component, painstaking tweaking them until each piece fit together perfectly. And that was the way he approached the entire job- patiently, professionally, with exceptional results in each area he supervised or undertook himself. My husband and I have owned several properties in three states and NEVER have experienced this level of competence. Naturally, if we have any needs in our Weston home, we will call Tom Curren Company and ask for Herbert.

We met with Scott Aponte from Tom Curren Companies in Newton to estimate the cost and discuss implications of adding on to our existing home. We discussed the addition of a staircase, a roof raise, and the creation of an attic master suite with bed and bath. Scott was very thorough in his evaluation, and patient in understanding our situation. He came back to us with an estimate for the cost of the work and a very rough sketch of what to expect. Though the estimate for the work ultimately proved cost-prohibitive for our budget, we appreciated Scott's (and Tom Curren's) honest, pragmatic approach and willingness to help us make an educated decision for our family's needs. His advice turned out to be extremely valuable as we examined our space needs - rather than embarking on a costly renovation, we've moved ahead with the search for a new home that will better fit our growing family. Given our positive experience, we'll certainly contact them for any future home improvement projects.

Our home is a large two-story colonial built in 1969. It was last fully painted in 1997, and over the years had developed the usual problems of peeling, discoloring, and rotting trim. When we decided, in the summer of 2015, to have the exterior renewed, we consulted Angie's List and solicited proposals from among the recommended firms. After talking with several, we retained TOM CURREN to do the job, although their price was highest. We have been very pleased with our choice. Our initial contact was with Barry, who examined our home, took many photos, then returned to submit and explain CURREN's proposal. Upon being selected, Barry came again with Gustavo (the principal painter) and Herbert (the carpenter). Each of them explained his work and the likely schedule. The work started in late September and, despite many weather-caused interruptions, was completed in mid October. The carpentry, except for minor finishing touches, was efficiently completed by Herbert and his crew the first day, during which the painting crew power-washed and scored the clapboards, and scraped the trim. Then, for the rest of the project, Gustavo and his crew worked efficiently. Gustavo was especially helpful in explaining the work and its progress. We also had need at times to communicate with CURREN's office, where Claudine was also helpful and responsive. We clearly benefited by delegating full responsibility for the work to a single firm such as CURREN, rather then having to coordinate the effort of separate contractors.

On March 12, 2015, we hired Tom Curren Co. to manage water damage occurring to the house resulting from ice dam damage last winter. We paid them $4181 at this time, as an initial payment and $13,752 in total. After a wait, they removed the walls to our dining room and living room, which showed extensive water damage, and the ceiling of our powder room, which had visible mold on it. Oddly, they did not post a work permit at that time, and they left a dumpster on our driveway for 9 months ? so long that it caused indentations in the driveway (because they didn?t put wood under the dumpster ?wheels? to spread the weight). Our insurance company adjusters then came and found a great deal of damage, gave us a very detailed itemized report describing the extra work that needed to be done. The insurance company used the adjuster's estimate, going forward. Next, we hired a mold remediation group, as required by the insurance company. The remediation people immediately removed a lot more of the house, including the wall and ceiling damage. So, it turned out that there was much more damage than initially identified by Tom Curren Co. The work of the mold remediation people was actually a relief, because we could see brown on our ceilings, but Tom Curren Co. never removed this despite repeated requests by us. This work was completed by the end of June. After this, I hired an insulation specialist to foam insulate the walls, which was done promptly and well (I gave them a great review!). After that, there were many communications with our Tom Curren manager, but nothing was done throughout the summer. Unfortunately, they did not obtain a work permit until late September, warning me the entire time that there could be trouble getting the permit, and stating that the foam insulator should have done that (although Tom Curren had been the first in the house to tear down the walls initially). Needless to say, there was no problem obtaining the permit, other than the fact that they hadn't done it. More work was begun the week of October 11, 7 months after Tom Curren Co. initially came. So the week of Oct. 11, the carpenter, insulation people and plumber all showing up. The carpenter did work, but the Newton inspector came and gave the work only a provisional ?pass?. It turns out that Tom Curren Co. had not shown him the entire job. When he came back and was shown the entire work by our new contractor, he gave the work done by Tom Curren Co. a ?fail?. The electrical work also had problems, having missed some areas and using substandard wiring. Tom Curren Co. had told me that the electrical inspector had come by and approved everything, but communications with the Newton electrical inspector after showed that this had not happened. The interactions with the Tom Curren Co manager, Barry, have been mixed, and in the end I was left feeling that Barry was basically a ?con-man?. Socially he is friendly, warm, and amiable. However, as the project has progressed, we get lots of excuses for not getting things done, and blaming everyone else, without accepting ANY personal responsibility for the delays. Then, to make matters worse, it turns out that he had the substandard work provisionally pass the inspections by not showing the inspector the areas of the house where the work was bad. Once the inspector saw what Tom Curren Co. had done, he changed the provisional pass to a fail. Tom Curren Co. also caused trouble with my insurance payouts because they did not sign the forms in full, which precluded getting all of the funds (until I switched contractors ? I have LOST the $13,752 that I paid Tom Curren, Co.); Barry claimed never to have seen such insurance forms before, which are apparently standard for the industry. More shenanigans. After I fired Tom Curren Co., I asked for return of my unused funds, since they had only done a small fraction of the work. However, they never responded. I am aware that Tom Curren is a highly rated Angie's List rated contractor. Their performance has been disappointing. I fail to understand why other negative ratings don?t show up, particularly since I heard of a number of other people that had trouble with Tom Curren Co. Their presentation is very professional, but their performance was so disappointing as to be ridiculous. I believe that the complicated nature of the job presented a problem for the company. My sense is that they are probably excellent at doing a simple, one-step job (e.g., painting), but are challenged by jobs where multiple interacting groups need to act.

I originally contacted the company many months ago to receive a quote on damage done to my deck and gutters from the winter storms. Due to the extensive damage in the area, I had to wait several months just to receive a quote. However, once I agreed to the price, a carpenter came out to complete the work fairly quickly. Unfortunately, it was determined that more work needed to be done than originally thought, and the price increased significantly. The carpenter worked very hard and did a great job. I think he worked 12 straight hours on the project. It was completed in 1 day. He repaired areas of my deck that had rotted but he did not stain the wood. I repeatedly contacted the company and asked for a quote on the stain. They repeatedly told me they would get back to me and never did. I kept calling because I wanted the new wood stained, but they never called me back.

The company has a mighty system of sales, organization and job completion. In the things that really matter, they did a very fine job. Especially on the outside, the prep work was the best we?ve ever had. Gustavo?s crew worked efficiently, was quite meticulous about placement and storage of equipment and cleanup.The paint used was superior. The carpentry work done by Herbert was timely and first rate. We would recommend that the sales effort be toned down and better coordinated with the realities of the actual execution of the work. There were many things described to us by the sales force that simply were not so in our case. An estimate of when we could expect to have the job done, IF they could fit us in this fall at all suddenly turned out to be able to be started one week after signing the contract, some materials and methods quoted to us turned out to be different, etc. Some small snafus were quickly addressed. None of these things was materially bad, but just left us initially confused. So, be sure to confirm that the techniques they?re describing would be used on your particular property, be willing to pay them more than their competitors would charge, and you?ll be pleased with the work done. We were.

Joe always arrived promptly. He took on each task with an upbeat spirit and had such a range of talents, he completed every task, however daunting, perfectly! Joe is willing to take on even small jobs, which helps us enormously. He has years and years of experience and can really solve any small job problem. Joe always comes prepared with all necessary tools and supplies. He is, moreover, a very kind and respectful person. He works quickly, proficiently and quietly. I cannot recommend Joe highly enough.

Excellent job all around from meeting with Barry the estimator until job completion. Work was done with care and in time frame expected. Workers introduced themselves, discussed details and were professional and tidy. End result very satisfying. This is the second job we have had done by Tom Curren Companies and we will go back to them again when needed.

We did not end up proceeding with the work, but that is OK and is part of the shopping experience. I did want to leave a review though for those who are less thrifty than myself. Tom Curren Companies is probably the pinnacle of professionalism and the particular individual who came out to do my assessment was fantastic. I have received quotes and estimates from other companies so I have something to compare to. Scott came out and did the first basic assessment, asked me a ton of questions that I would never think of sharing with a potential contractor, collected measurements and then RETURNED later to walk me through the full details. Yes, he came over twice and this is living in the age where it is easier to get your leg amputated than to get a contractor to come over. Mind you he came over and spent two hours with me knowing full well that they were outside my price range, that takes some cojones and gets my respect. I got a very good sense for why the price was as high as it is because everything was broken down in vivid detail, despite the fact that a job of such magnitude inevitably entails many unknowns. I suspect that the nature of the business combined with a housing market that has lost whatever remaining sense it had and increased prices for raw materials results in a price tag that is simply not attainable for most folks. This should not be a reflection of the company and for someone who has dealt with their share of frustrating contractors, the old adage of "you get what you pay for" has never been truer than in this industry. So if you recently robbed a bank or hit the lottery and have a hankering to remodel a large swath of area, call these guys!

A little bump in the road initially. I was told by Barry that I would have 'run through' with the job manager before the work started so we would all be on the same page. It was scheduled for 7:00 am one day but instead of meeting with the manager I was met with two painters planning to start the job! Fortunately I had 'cleaned out' the area in question. A few days later the carpenter showed up to start his part of the job. I never did get that 'run through' with the manager..... The workmen were courteous and agreeable. I was very impressed with the workers neatness and clean up from their individual jobs. There were a few minor issues that I needed them to return to address but that was done quickly with no excuses on their part which is refreshing. Workers: B+/A Management C+

Claudine called me to schedule after I submitted a request online. We had several nagging broken items that I was not handy enough to fix, so we needed a handyman for a couple of hours. We were originally scheduled for a 10-2 slot on Wednesday. The handyman called at about 11 and said that his morning job was taking a bit longer than anticipated, so he asked if I would like to reschedule. I rescheduled him for Friday morning, as later that day was not convenient for me. Joe arrived just a couple of minutes late on Friday (it was rush hour). He was friendly and professional, and he took care of all of our repairs in short order. It was worth every penny to cross so many things off of the to-do list!

Bathroom 1 just needed some small repairs and touch up paint. Bathroom 2 needed new bead board for 1 wall, patch on ceiling, and new molding around window plus painting. Family room had water damage to small area of the ceiling and wall, removed old sheet rock and re-plastered wall and painted. Kitchen had small water mark in ceiling, just repainted. Closet had water damage and removed old sheet rock and re plastered wall and painted. Most rooms went fine, first day was all repair and re plastering no painting, bead board in bathroom 2 did not match, they came back the next day to replace, they also had to cut a long piece of molding but never fixed the seam, i did that myself. Impressed that they matched the pattern on the ceiling in the family room. Closet was good, just a closet. Day 2 was painting, thought they'd breeze right through it but the site manager for the day dropped off 2 employees and they were not the quickest, didn't even get the bathroom 2 wall painting. Total painting they had was Kitchen - 1 coat on the ceiling Family room - 2 coats on 1 wall, 1 coat on the ceiling Closet - 2 coats small closet Bathroom 1 - trim touch up around window Bathroom 2 - paint trim and bead board on 1 wall (same color), 2 coats on celing Came back day 3 to finish bathroom 2

They were very professional and did a great job including the clean-up. The foreman, Gustavo, and the Sales Estimator, Barry, were very courteous and easy to work with as well as extremely knowledgeable. The whole experience exceeded my expectations.