We recently hired JMS to re-side our house and replace the windows and porch, and while we were a little apprehensive at first, Jim and his crew quickly put our minds at ease. From the beginning, Jim was transparent about pricing and clearly explained how long each step of the project would take without us even having to ask. His crew was hardworking, professional, and incredibly respectful, not only to us but also to our neighbors. The quality of their work exceeded our expectations, and the entire process went smoothly from start to finish. We were so happy with the results that we hired JMS again to remodel our kitchen and bathrooms. Once again, the experience was excellent. Jim and his crew delivered outstanding craftsmanship, and their attention to detail was second to none. We couldn't be happier and would highly recommend JMS to anyone looking for reliable, high-quality work. read more

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I have hired Jim for multiple projects in the past years renovating my home in phases and he has always been close to perfect!! He was always transparent about budget, knowledgeable with my towns building codes, time efficient, always on the job site working and/or checking in on his subs. We value his work and he has the best prices around!Recently he put an addition onto our house with a mudroom, laundry room and 2 work stations. He matched the previous design he did in the kitchen so it was a flawless transition. This was a tough project and I couldn't believe how quickly his company delivered a final product as beautiful as I imagined. I would definitely recommend James Scances to all my friends & family. He is actually building a new construction home for friends of ours!! Thanks James and team! Look forward to finishing our basement!! read more

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Jim (Jimmy/JMS) started off very friendly - but about halfway through the project threatened to walk out and put a lien on the house if we didn't give him more money (that was not owed- per the contract). We had no choice but to oblige, give him more money and take items off his signed contract list that he was obligated to do (these include: tiling, gutters, shelving in closets, and part of the insulation). About two weeks before he was due to complete the work Jim asked for more money again and we said no, JMS walked out of the job a week early. JMS did not finish painting the house, building the staircase/railing which he was contractually obligated to do, and we paid the full contract in advance prior to him finishing since he threatened not to send his guys back if we didn't. He wanted us to pay for his workers "daily work hours" even though we had signed a fixed price contract and there was still two weeks left till all the work was supposed to be completed. Additionally, JMS reviewed all the home systems prior to signing the contract and told us in writing that the systems were up to code and looked good. Apparently, him not being aware of MA code - we ended up having to replace all our existing HVAC, electric, and plumbing which was not in his original contract/price when the town building inspector notified us during an unannounced site visit. Even after paying JMS more money than the original listed contract price and removing items off his list that we had to pay out of pocket to get completed - he sent us a Notice of Identification and threatened to put a lien on the house for money that was not owed to him. We had to hire an attorney. I suggest you proceed with caution if you are considering hiring JMS. read more

We aren't one to write reviews typically, but felt we had to in this instance! Jim and his team are the BEST of the BEST. We have used them for fairly run of the mill / smaller projects (for them at least) and we have been thrilled with them every step of the way. Our neighbors had used them and raved about JMS ("A+ team," in our neighbor's words) so we gave them a call for a few needs: 1.) Internal stairway railing installation, 2.) work in our attic - re-enforcing the supports and setting down flooring and 3.) when we called him in a panic when a pipe was leaking, he popped over same day with a plumber to diagnose the issue. Once we had the plumbing issue remedied, he had his team fix and patch the ceiling. JMS can handle much bigger, major construction, and while the work of his team is fantastic, it's really about the customer experience that sold it for us, to boot. Jim and his team have been respectful, professional, PROMPT, and just really wonderful to work with. We were 8 months pregnant at the time and Jim and team were always incredibly communicative about potential hazards / dust / breathing concerns so we could plan accordingly. We trust them fully and will be calling them for every home improvement need in the future! Bravo, JMS! read more

I rarely write reviews unless if I feel compelled that something went horribly wrong or is fantastically right. I've done multiple house renovations before in another city and we've just moved to Boston. I've contacted Jim ( owner of JMS) and hired him based on a gut feeling. My feelings are based on many factors. First, he always responds to my text/emails. That's pretty amazing for a contractor. I know people expect contractors not to respond but the truth is, we're all in the service industry and responding is the number one key for clients to trust that "your'e there," you won't leave them hanging on a problem and you're going to stick to your schedule. There are so many nightmares (and I've had a few on prior projects with others) where communications was not there and I ended up shutting down projects and hiring new contractors and losing a lot of money. Jim has been SUPERB on his communication. Whenever I had a problem, I knew I can count on him. He was willing to explain how things worked and I can see with people who hasn't done renovations before how he can let them feel very safe about the whole process. As for on time? On the spot! Many contractors say they can finish on X date and then drag it out by as much as 2 weeks for things that were totally in their control but Jim and his team were working late hours to get stuff done on time as my property had to be done on a certain date. We worked like family. I worked on my end to organize the new house and they worked on finishing the project. We did two bathrooms, a kitchen, and new tiling with Jim and it turned out great. I chose extremely large tiles that were hard to put in for older homes due to non leveling of the floors but he worked with me and figured out solutions. His crew were all courteous and super nice. Even the subcontractors he used were QUICK, efficient, and nice. I laugh at the reviews on yelp where people say their "one" bathroom took 2 months to build and the outcome wasn't as nice when I see it on photos. Our house took a little over a month. When Jim had to, I think I had 6-8 guys on the little tiny house at a time one day!!! This includes painters as well. Although the house had "hiccups" along the way, Jim corrected every problem quickly, thoughtfully, and efficiently. I could not ask for a better contractor/friend to work with and I highly recommend him for your full home remodeling. I wouldn't call him for small fixes though because he does build million dollar homes but if you had to redo an entire kitchen or bathroom, I think you can rely on Jim to get the job done fast and well. Price wise, he's very reasonable. He wasn't the most expensive and he wasn't cheap either. I would say reasonable. I got several quotes and actually worked on over 8 projects before. Although I know I'm not paying the cheapest price, I also know it's more important to work with trustworthy people. Many people have their homes remodeled and when there's a problem, the contractor has disappeared! There are others who lie and say it was your fault when you know it wasn't but there's no way to prove or argue. I really hate those situations. Jim is neither and you can feel safe that if something goes wrong, he will fix it and as soon as he can. Many things go wrong with full remodels. Everyone gets them. It's whether you can get someone to rectify the problem when that comes that's the most important. I am really glad I found JMS and will continue to work with them on my future projects. I will post some after photos for you to see. read more

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We had a great experience with Jim. He is as honest as the day is long. We had several quotes and Jim's was the most reasonable. We never felt like he was trying to talk us into more work than necessary. His work was of the highest quality and we have referred him to several friends in the area. Jim is lucky enough to have his highly capable and charming daughter Alycia work with him and they are a great pair. First class people doing first class work. We are already lining up more work for them. read more