Mattos Co

They were outstanding! They were fantastic and gave me the best price for the project I needed. There is always somebody standing by in every type of job to be ready just in case something comes up. They have plenty of people on staff or so that the job doesn’t get held up on something. The entire crew was incredibly nice and personable and the quality of the work was excellent. I could get in touch with him instantly and if I didn’t get in touch with him he was very good about getting back in touch with me within five minutes.

The floor was fine, but the steps were done sloppily and have begun to show significant cracks. They were one of the more responsive contractors we have dealt with and their pricing was competitive, but they seemed to lack attention to detail. The poor quality of work was enough to turn us off from going back to them to get an estimate on kitchen remodeling. Also, they told us the work was done without finishing the touch-up paint work and without fixing several holes in the wall that had been caused by the demolition work.

The deal was valid until the end of March. I contacted Mattos Co in mid March to redeem the deal. It took 3 communications, by phone and email, before we even received a response. After playing phone tag, I finally spoke to Jel who promised that his designer would contact me soon. It is now over two months and I have heard nothing. I am requesting a refund and would never use this company or recommend them. If they can't even honor a special offer that cost $75 designed to drum up business, I can't fathom getting involved with them in a job that would cost $40,000! The contractor's reply only further demonstrates his lack of trustworthiness. I never even contacted them until Marsh so the February 7 date and reference to requesting a date for the work to be done was totally untrue.

Usually, when people speak about home builders/contractors, you hear words like "overbudget, behind schedule, non responsive, unprofessional." I'm happy to say that Jel and his team at Mattos Construction did not resemble any of those words. In fact, each time I described the project - with a smile - I constantly used the words "ahead of schedule, on budget, extremely responsive," and "total professionals." I will provide examples of each of those: "On budget"Other than mutually agreed upon change orders: upgrade of electrical service, and upgrade quality of insulation, our project was exactly the dollar amount we planned when we first signed the contract five months prior to starting the work. In fact, each time we requested minor changes, it was hardly ever a discussion. We would mention it, Jel would think about it for about 30 seconds, and would respond with "No problem." And that was that. "Ahead of schedule"My father is an architect and was astonished at the speed with which Jel and his team were accomplishing the tasks - without a trade off of lower quality. Jel's original estimate was 8-16 weeks, depending on what was discovered once they began opening up walls. We were able to move in and use the kitchen, and dining room by the middle of the 6th week. They completed the entire punchlist exactly 2 months to the date they started. "Extremely Responsive" Each time I had a question, whether it was sent by email, cell phone, or text message, Jel and his team responded almost instantly. Other examples: When the port-a-potty began smelling a bit funky, one phone call to Jel that day and later the same afternoon, a truck from the port-a-potty company came to clean it out. Another example: After they finished sealing the deck, I noticed 3 of the boards were a different shade than the rest. The next day, I came home and they were stained and re-sealed. "Total professionals"Every single member of the Mattos team that worked on our house - and I mean every single one - were the nicest, hardest working people. He had a specialist for every role required - not one or two people doing the whole thing: different people for demo and framing; plumbing; electrical; decking; cabinets; countertops; backsplash; flooring. Each day, the workers arrived between 7-7:30 am, and left around 5:30, leaving behind a broom-clean workspace. Our neighbors who stopped by were simply in awe at how clean they always left it. The overall quality of their work was excellent. It is an entire team who are all obviously very proud of the job they do every day. The deck, without our input, was beautifully designed and crafted with quality materials and technique; the crown moulding; the design of the island; the specs for the cabinets. The folks at Mattos made the process as pleasant and worry free as could be expected with a major renovation effort such as this. We plan to use Mattos for a roofing and siding project next year, and he's currently working on a major exterior brick restoration job at a 9-unit condo building in the South End. Would I recommend him? Absolutely. I'd be more than happy to be a referral for him anytime.

They never responded to my calls or email.

They came to give us some measurements. We told them we would not be wanting to to anything until spring, and we never received the plans and there was no follow up.

This was a frustrating experience because I saw the other good reviews posted. I had asked the company if my bath remodel job was too small for them... I said I would understand if they were not interested. Instead I wasted about 2 months time trying to get an estimate from a non responsive company. I sent my inquiries to the company by responding to the emails sent to me so it was not a case of a bad address.The phone number was directly off the business card and web site. This lack of resaponse is a huge red flag for me... if the contractor does not return messages what would happen once the job starts?

Working with Mattos was a great experience. We worked very closely with Jel and Louis, the designer. We selected Mattos because he was the low bidder of several qualified contractors. In hindsight, working with Louis to design a space that was perfect for us definitely made us feel we got a true bargain for the price. Having a professional like Louis assist us in making all the design decisions took a load off of my wife and me to try to decide everything on our own. We offered a modest incentive bonus to meet a 2 month schedule versus an original schedule of 3 months and Mattos was able to meet the schedule. The quality of Mattos' cabinets is superior to the comparably priced cabinets at Home Depot or Lowes but the flexibility to be able to custom build the pieces to fit our needs and the ability to allow Mattos to control the schedule adds considerably to the value.Our only caveat is to be aware that Mattos is extremely busy and the customer needs to be involved in monitoring the work to make sure it gets done as you want it. Jel wants nothing more than to make his customers happy and as long as you communicate what you want and monitor the work yourself than you will be satisfied with the job.

I called Mattos several times because I was impressed by their reports and website. They never bothered to call me back!

We were extremely pleased. Their bid wasn't the highest or lowest of the many we received, with many contractors shaking their heads at the difficult project as they left the troublesome building. Now it looks beautiful, and anytime we called Jel Mattos with a concern or change, he always said "No problem." He has a great designer that he uses in-house which was invaluable. Mattos' own cabinet shop is excellent and like the rest of the house, the quality was top-notch. The workers were always respectful of our neighbors, not too loud. We were lucky to have had Mattos!

They were reasonable and very reliable. The employees are also polite, pleasant, and very good to work with. The quality of their work was excellent. I would highly recommend their services. I really enjoyed working with Mattos Co. I interviewed a lot of companies for this project but Mattos Co was the best. They also stand behind their product and work

They had a salesman come to our home to take measurements. He was very personable and easy to work with. He advised we keep the picture window due to the lovely view in the backyard. Then when the plans were brought to us, they did not include the picture window. I believe this came from lack of communication from the salesman to the designer. Due to this we decided not to go on with the deal.

They actually seemed pretty good. They got to us quickly and they told us what the price would be. I did not hire them, but I am sorry, I didn’t. They seemed professional and they were pretty good; infact they were on the high end. At one point, they did not call me back on one thing and didn’t give me complete information. I will contact them in future, if required.

They gave us a quote for about $280000 to do the job but we ended up choosing someone else. Their price was attractive and I liked what I read about them on Angie's List but we just had a better interaction with one of the other people. My interaction with Mattos was fairly limited. He was quite personable but it felt a bit a like he was thinking along the standard things that he would do rather than listening to what I was talking about doing.

After living in our five bedroom, one bathroom home for a few years, we wanted to renovate and add a second bathroom with a shower. Due to limited space near the bedrooms, we decided to renovate our kitchen and carve out a space to have a second bathroom with a shower. We asked five different contractors for estimates, and received three written estimates. Mattos normally doesn't do a lot of work in our area, but their designer, Louis, lived nearby and loved the project. After receiving a very detailed quote and comparing it to others, we felt confident we made the right decision for a few reasons. Having a designer (in this case, Louis) is invaluable in the process early on. He made suggestions we normally wouldn't have considered and we think we are getting a much better home because of them. We were able to establish a communication level that I doubt would have been accepted by most contractors, via email, text messages, and phone calls. They are very precise about quoting changes to the project, and have established clear expectations. The workers always cleaned up after themselves and tried to keep dust to a minimum (though it was still a challenge). The project schedule basically stayed on target and most concerns we had with it were addressed immediately. Their professionalism, courtesy, and willingness to address concerns and complaints went well beyond our expectations. We did have a slight problem with the subcontractors not being as careful as they should be with our landscaping. We have a narrow driveway, and the dumpster and many of the trucks that were pulled into the driveway destroyed some of our plants. However, they agreed to replace them for us. The only thing we would suggest to them as a company is to make sure you communicate changes or requests promptly. We did have to check on the work and contact them with our major concerns--sometimes giving us quite a scare! Every single concern, however, was addressed to our satisfaction. Even several months after the end of the project, Mattos revisited and addressed some concerns such as small fractures in the ceiling and doors not fitting properly. They fixed those things quickly, easily, and promptly.We are thrilled with the quality of work and the ease of service that Mattos provided to us!

WHEN I CONTACTED MATTOS CO. THEY RESPONDED TO MY E-MAIL IMMEDIATELY. I RECEIVED A CALL FROM LOUIS,DESIGN CONSULTANT, AND SET A DATE FOR HIM TO COME TO MY HOME. LOUIS IS DEFINITELY A PLUS. HE HELPED ME REDESIGN KITCHEN WHICH GAVE ME MORE COUNTER SPACE AND A BETTER CONFIGURATION . I DO NOT DRIVE SO LOUIS DROVE ME TO IKEA TO LOOK AT CABINET DESIGNS . MATTTOS CO.SET UP A SCHEDULE FOR WORK START AND FINISH 4 TO 5 WEEKS JOB WAS COMPLETED IN 6. MATTOS CO EMPLOYEES WERE PROMPT, COMPETENT , POLITE AND FRIENDLY. THE ORIGINAL ESTIMATE WAS RIGHT ON , THERE WERE NO EXTRA COSTS . I HAVE ALREADY RECOMMENDED THEM TO THREE PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN HAVING WORK DONE. I WOULD NOT HESITATE IN HIRING THEM AGAIN

Mattos did a great job - lead by Jel Mattos (co-owner) and Louis Ashman (designer)--beginning with a lot of great ideas for innovative design from Louis. Besides have major interior design talent and good taste, Louis was a lot of fun to work with and a huge help finding and pricing appliances, lights, countertops, backsplash, etc. As project manager, Jel was always VERY responsive and accommodating (easy to negotiate with) as project plans developed and changed. About a dozen different Mattos employees and sub-contractors worked on this project and they were ALL highly skilled, competent and courteous, which was HUGE for us, as we were staying in our condo the whole time they were working there. A major plus for us, and one of the main reasons we decided to hire Mattos for this kitchen reno, was their custom cabinets - which are lovely, sturdy and highly functional - and comparatively low cost. My only suggestion would be that if you decide to hire Mattos for a major reno of any kind, you should plan to be on site some of the time, regularly, to help them manage and coordinate, as they are very busy and small things tend to fall between the cracks if you're not helping them track deliveries, schedules, etc. But again - that's not a major drawback; they more than make up for those minor project management lapses by being very accommodating and easy to work with - always willing and ready to go the extra mile to make sure you're satisfied.

Mattos gave the most competitive bid of the 6 contractors that gave estimates and they had the most innovative idea for dealing with our cracking horse hair plaster walls. Rather than demolishing the walls down to the studs, he proposed encasing the walls with blueboard and plaster, thereby saving both time and money. Thales was in charge of the project and oversaw the day-to-day work. Louis, the designer (whose services were included in the bid) consulted with us on the layout of the cabinets, and all the design choices involved - cabinet type and style, crown molding choices, tile backsplash, flooring, paint palate, etc. Everyone has remarked on the clean, sleek modern look of our kitchen. 95% of the work was completed in the time frame given, the hold-up being that not enough tile was ordered and it took a week for the remaining tile to arrive from Oregon. Also, we had a couple of unusual requests that took time and thought to figure out, but Louis came through with elegant solutions. At no extra charge, Pica built a bamboo drain board for over the sink (which was screwed into the flanking wall cabinets) which is very handy for drying things like carving knives that shouldn't go in the dishwasher. It has a custom-made look and integrates beautifully with the natural maple cabinets. He even carved the dowels by hand that lay in the slots of the custom-built bamboo frame. Like many commenters, I have to say what a fantastic job of cabinetmaking the shop did - complete with soft-close drawers and impeccable attention to detail. We got so much more space than if we had gone with a standard cabinet supplier. Also, we really appreciated that Thales hired subs with years of experience - everyone who came worked their tails off and did excellent work. Whenever a glitch arose, Thales and Louis had a solution.They don't know the meaning of "it can't be done". You hear so many horror stories of people left high and dry by their contractors, leaving before the job is done, never to be heard from again. If you hire Mattos you'll see what a great contractor is like. We are already thinking about our next remodeling project and already know we will definitely have them come in to do the work.

There are four main components to Jel's team and the reason we selected Jel over other bids which included some of the best names of contractors in our surrounding area. With a project this big we looked at eight different bids and spent about a year during the recession doing our homework on each contractor before we pulled the trigger. Jel is the main personality of Mattos and his ambition and excitement for his company was very clear from the beginning and far exceeded others we interviewed. You could tell he was going be on top of things at every turn and he was for every minute of our project. I have used the name Louis a few times already in this review, but he was definitely what put Mattos over the top. Louis is an unbelievably talented designer who comes as a bonus when you sign with Mattos. Jel's custom cabinet shop is amazing. Be sure to look at some of their work before you sign, you won't be disappointed. Jel's brother Talas runs the painting crew and they make the finish work look incredible. Their prep work with sanding and priming over and over until the finish was perfect blew me away. I'm not a pro, but I've painted many rooms and trim as a Do-It-Yourselfer in my day and now I know how a real painting job should be done. Awesome work. We selected Jel for a number of reasons over the others. His price was right in the middle. We did not want the highest and we did not want the lowest bid. His reviews on Angie's list were nothing but solid A's. Finally, Jel and Louis were the only team that provided an Designer as part of their package. Louis and Jel were the only team that questioned our architectural drawings and came back with colorful sketches on a different layout that Louis thought would look better and flow better than what was already on paper. Adding a separate designer with another contractor would have added about 10%-15% more to the cost which we simply did not have in the budget. Those sketches sealed the deal and we had our drawings revised to meet Louis' sketches which we loved. We can not give Louis enough credit in this project. Without him, there is no way the project gets done in the time it was. Having Louis as the designer simplified every design decision. He set up a meeting at a tile and stone company and in 3 hours we had all the stone, tile and marble selected for 6 bathrooms, our kitchen and our family room fireplace feature wall. It did not stop there. Louis learned our taste and he selected every fixture, doorknob, door, paint color, bathroom fixtures and countless other details that normally a homeowner has to do on their own or hire an outside designer who may clash with the architect or the contractor. We probably rejected about 10% of Louis' selection and he quickly had an alternative selection presented to us that kept the project on schedule. Building an entire house requires an incredible amount of logistics to insure materials are at the job site at the correct time otherwise work stops and it cost you money. Louis and Jel and his entire team work like a well oiled machine. As long as the homeowner can make their decisions like we did with Louis, your project will not get delayed with Jel. The punch list items were minor and completed and we can not believe our dream home is done. We left an area of the original basement unfinished for storage, but we plan to finish it later and will definitely use Mattos again. Jel and Louis, thanks for making our dream come through. Ray&Gail

He came to my house... Tried to talk me out of being my own "general contractor" when I had my own plumber and electricians in mind while doing some of the work myself such as demo and such. Never spoke to him again....

We interviewed 3 of the top rated Angie's list contractors. All three bids were based on what we *thought* we wanted from the project. We were not planning on reclaiming space by moving a stair case, nor were we creative enough to have conceived of relocating the mudroom. Even with those significant changes, the cost compared to the other contractors wasn't that much higher. Here's why we went with Mattos: Their Designer, Louis. Before signing on, we met with Mattos' in-house architect who came to the house and discussed with us in great detail our needs. It was he who conceived of a completely different plan that resulted in a far better design, 30% more space, and a beautiful island (see pictures below). Full Service. Most contractors we met with will do good work, but they'll outsource design to a kitchen cabinet place. Because Mattos has the staff and subs to do all the work, we had a reasonable assurance the job would go well. References. Lots of happy customers to talk to. I'm now one of them. Now I understand why. Custom detail. As it was explained to me, Mattos doesn't want to be beholden to cabinet maker who can cause delays if there are goofs or restrict project deliverables. So they make their own cabinets. Miraculously they actually made ours cheaper than if we had bought lesser-grade semi-custom. Plus, because the designer and cabinet people work together, we were bound to have a better result. From start to finish, things went great, even though we started in December and ended in March. There were only 2 or 3 days when no one showed up, but that's when it was snowing. Even the inspectors were timed perfectly. The crew showed up promptly at 7:30 each day and were mindful to ask if working on Saturday was OK. We didn't care since we just wanted to have our kitchen back. :) Each crew cleaned up at the end of the day as much as possible. Some highlights: They really helped us reuse existing appliances, find great deals on new ones like the stove. and get lighting and tiles that look fantastic but aren't over-the-top expensive. Custom cabinets are amazing. Soft-close drawers, ornate moldings, etc. The china cabinet is a work of art - it's not deep because there wasn't the space. But it was designed with glass doors, inset lights and a strip of cherry to mimic the island. Pica, Mattos' cabinet guy is a real artist who takes great pride in his work. As much as I love the finished product, it was great to see and hear about the cabinets as they were being made. Even after the project was done, there was NO problem getting prompt action on remaining punch list items. I was really surprised. Their painters, while they take their time (and it seemed like the longest part of the project) - are incredibly meticulous. They repainted our butler's pantry and diningroom over, and they made those areas just as impressive as the others. Mattos' countertop shop (not in-house) got the order wrong with the bevel on the counter edges. They replaced them quickly without extra cost. The project manager, Louis and Jel were all very accessible via email and cell phone when we needed them; and when they were unavailable, they set correct expectations, called back. etc. Roof. Unrelated to the project but very helpful! This was a bad winter and Mattos' roofer helped us fix a leak due to the ice jams at a time I couldn't locate another roofer. I can't offer a stronger endorsement for Mattos or think about a time when I've gotten as much from a contractor. It was really fun working with them.

This is the third remodeling project that Mattos has done for us over the past 2 years. And, once again, we have been extremely happy with the work they've done. Jel, the owner and project manager, is extremely responsive to any questions that arise. I know that I can call or email him with any questions throughout the project, and he will quickly get back to me with the answers. Customer satisfaction is his top priority. And, this is the third project that has been delivered on time and on budget, which seems rare with many contractors. The Mattos crew is also very reliable, professional, and courteous. They believe in delivering high quality work, and always meet those expectations. I am happy to have found a contractor that I know I can rely on for any future projects that we take on.

I first met with Louis from Mattos Construction in October 2010 when he met me at my home to view my current kitchen and provide a quote for the job. From the first conversation, I could tell Louis had a talent for design and provided recommendations which, in the end, finished the kitchen nicely. Out of the many contractors I met with, I trusted Mattos Construction from the start and found their estimate to be reasonable for the work required. I ultimately signed the contract with Mattos and Louis quickly got to work, providing rough drawings of the kitchen for my approval- it was a unique design which I love. Louis thought outside the box and the kitchen looks beautiful. The project started quickly and went smoothly for many weeks with constant progress being made. Each day I came home, I was thrilled to see the work done. Louis provided me with the opportunity to visit the woodworking shop in Malden where I observed the production of kitchen cabinets being made, similar to those which Mattos would make for me. The cabinets are solid wood, made and stained by hand. The drawers were all soft close drawers which was a great addition as well. Louis also provided me with pictures of other kitchen remodels they had completed to help guide me as I made my decisions on cabinet style, floors, counter tops, etc. The one downside to the project was its length. Louis estimated the project to take 5-7 weeks but it ended up taking much, much longer. While I understand the project was being completed through the holiday season (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years) I was frustrated. At the end of the project, however, I was very satisfied with the outcome. The quality of the work was outstanding and I regret not finding Mattos sooner. I would definitely use Mattos again and plan on contacting them shortly for further projects in my house. I would strongly recommend their services and have already done so on two occasions.

We were extremely pleased with the work the work that Mattos Co did and found them very easy to work with. We received bids from several other contractors, and Mattos was very competitive. We chose Mattos initially because of their free design service and option for custom cabinetry. Louis, the project manager/designer, was easy to work with and provided us with excellent ideas, not only for the kitchen/bath, but also for the entire first floor that would make the whole space more usable. He advised on all design matters, from layout to cabinet design to finishing touches, such as material selection for countertops/backsplash/flooring/lighting and paint. The option for custom cabinetry, made on site at Mattos' workshop, meant that we could get a kitchen with style and function far superior than what other contractors had offered. All for the same price as off-the-shelf semi-custom cabinets. Overall, the work was excellent and professional. There were some minor issues with communication with sub-contractors, but all of our issues were addressed immediately and at no additional cost. They estimated 6-8 weeks for the project and ended up taking 9. The final cost came in exactly as bid. We did feel that towards the end their attention had shifted to some other projects, and communication was not quite as good in the last 2 weeks or so. However, everything on our punch list was addressed at zero extra cost to us, including sending out a worker months after completion of the project to make some minor cosmetic repairs that became necessary once the house settled. We have already requested bids for other upcoming projects and plan to work with Mattos again in the near future.

Jel and company did a complete gut renovation of our 1980s kitchen. Included taking down a wall between the kitchen and living room, moving associated plumbing and electrical, building custom cabinets (as well as built ins installed into the living room), new floor, and new recessed lighting. Jel quoted us a price up front and stuck with it all the way to the end, even when unexpected problems arose (such as the brick column in our kitchen being not straight and requiring significant work). In addition his designer, Louis, was brilliant in coming up with ideas for how to best use our space and in a style that worked well with the rest of our house. In the end - we absolutely love our kitchen!!