I hired Mel to help me build a 12'x24' loafing shed. His construction knowledge is superb and I must say he was a pleasure to work with. I learned a number of useful construction tips from him. Mel is professional, well equipped, flexible and very reasonably priced for what was needed. He will be my go to person for any future construction work. read more

I was very impressed with Mel. He came over to give me an estimate on a job I thought was going to be pretty expensive, based on an estimate I had gotten elsewhere. He told me it really only needed patching and recommended someone to do the job. He could have totally lied to me and charged me a lot of money, but he didn't! Not only that, but he arrived exactly when he said he would, and he was very nice. I will definitely call him for any work I'd like done in the future. read more

If you need a master carpenter then Mel is your man. I learned of Mel through my recent condo purchase when I needed a kitchen cabinet replaced. I ordered the cabinet through the same vendor the condo developer used. When I found out that the vendor would charge me the equivalent of an arm and a leg for the installation I decided to go independent. I asked my condo developer if he could pass the name of the carpenter he uses. He did and that would be Mel McLoughlin. Mel is an unassuming man with an Irish accent. He is all business and has all the tools necessary to do the job at hand. He removed the wine rack that I had, which was kept intact as I requested, and put in the replacement cabinet shelve unit without a hitch. He cleaned-up any mess and took away all of the debris. His cost was MUCH LESS and more than reasonable. I take away one star only because he can be sometimes hard to pin down initially, depending on other jobs he has, but once you're on his radar, no problems. P.S. He also does tiling according to his business card. read more

Mel provided me with quality work and a great price. I hired Mel to fix the grout in my bathtub and on the floor of my bathroom, in addition to re-caulking the tub. He sent one of his employees, Alex, to do the work and not only was Alex easy to get along with, he did his work in a quick and tidy way. I will admit it felt like I had to keep contacting him to make the initiative to get the work done, but it was worth the phone calls. I would definitely recommend Mel and his crew to anyone looking for someone skilled in tile & grout work. read more

I've hired Mel to do a good deal of updates and tile work in one of my bathrooms, and have found him to be extremely reliable, reasonably priced, and quick to finish a job. He tiled my shower in 1-2 days; tiled a bathroom floor in 1-2 days and replaced a vanity sink. He has also handled the plumbing for those jobs, so I didn't need to call a separate plumber out. I get the impression that when he starts a job, he is dedicated to that work until it is complete - not juggling multiple contracts simultaneously. There is a LOT to be said for this level of dedication in the contracting world, where I've commonly found that folks a) overcharge b) fail to show up when they promised c) leave the job incomplete d) do a rushed, shoddy job. Sometimes nearly all of the above. Mel has integrity and is trustworthy. So much so, that I've been perfectly comfortable loaning him keys to my house so he can work while I'm away. There are a few 1 star reviews on here that mention communication skills. I suspect those reviewers are used to dealing with contracting firms who have a scheduling person, a crew, and more people onboard to handle a busy schedule. From what I can tell, Mel works alone and handles his own scheduling and business inquiries. When I need to call or email twice for a quote, this is not an issue because I know I'll be getting great service from him when he is able to do the work. I highly recommend him if you need tiling and carpentry work done. read more

I had such big plans for my kitchen remodel and boy, did I find the right company! They encorported my ideas and they made it so much more than I thought it could be. They were great to deal with and I didn't think I was being taken for a ride. Being a single mom with kids running around, and trying to keep to my budget, I loved them. I'm so appreciative. read more

Carpet glued on cement, that was my kitchen flooring. I mean, who does that?! Anyway, tried a few ways to dress up the pig, but finally decided to get it done right. Found Mel on Yelp (of course). To cut a short story even shorter, I called him one week and the next week I had beautiful granite floor. But here're the important parts: Mel is the nicest and most polite person you'd ever meet. He has amazing work ethic and pays a lot of attention to details. I could go on, but you probably already guessed I'm a fan. I plan on getting all my future renovation work done by him. Oh yeah, thanks to his wife, he also has excellent branding. Check out his elegant website. read more

I wrote a Yelp review of this company under "Emerald Option" (the company name) and then realized tha there were a lot of reviews under Mel's name. Mel and Alex are amazing! They did a very complicated tiling job for me and it's beautiful. They're both very pleasant and hard working. I recommend them highly. read more

They did some carpentry and tile work for us. The work was done well and the floor looks great. They came when they said they would, did good work, charged what they estimated, and cleaned up when they left. Awesome! read more

Just redid the floors in a condo that I bough as an investmetn rental property. First time I have done this and wanted to keep it looking nice to get a decent tenant but didn't want to break the bank. Mel and his team did a great job helping me understand the different options and what works well for durability and holds it value. These guys are great and did an really professional job. read more

Mel McLoughlin, www.emeraldoption.com, recently did a renovation project for me which included a small mud room area, half bath and laundry room. He, once before, did a small tile job for me about a year ago, which was to install tile on the ceiling above my shower. On both occasions, the work was done meticulously, he did more than was asked without an up-charge, his schedule was reasonable, and his price was very fair. For the last project, he had to remove all bathroom and laundry room fixtures and plumbing. He removed all baseboards in the 3 areas. He laid a subflooring. Then he laid tile using the "hop scotch" pattern where the small piece in the pattern had 3x3 smaller tiles. The floor when done looks gorgeous. He moved wiring for a bathroom light from top center above a cabinet to be lower and on two sides of a mirror (for wall sconces). He changed his schedule in order to meet my quartz contractor's schedule, so that he could remove the old sink top counter in time for them to do a template for the new one. He installed the new faucet assembly once the new countertop was installed. He hung new light fixtures in the mudroom and laundry room, and he installed new towel bars, etc., even though this was not on the original plan. In addition, he patched some of the wall space even though it was not on his list of things to do. My painter was out of town and was unable to paint prior to reinstallation of toilet, etc.; so Mel volunteered, without me asking, to paint behind the toilet and washer / dryer so that it would not be so difficult for the painter at a later time. None of the "extras" were added to the original price of the work to be done. I provided the plumbing fixtures, mirror (it is back ordered so will need to be hung once it arrives), tile and grout, light fixtures, and countertop. He provided the subflooring, and I'm sure some other things of which I cannot enumerate. His price was $4,250; and it did not change from estimate to completion. I have already asked him to do a few other things around my house including installing a new fan / light / heater in another bathroom. And I'm contemplating asking him to install some custom shelving in a closet. I highly recommend Mel's quality workmanship. read more

Mel is awesome! Time and communicative. He did a wonderful job fixing a previous contractors mistakes. His estimate accurately reflects he final cost and he is very reasonable. I have recomended him numerous times since. read more

Mel came in and did some fairly complex floor and wall tiling in our kitchen and bathroom and did a fantastic job with both. We are planning on using him again in the future for similar work. He's very friendly and upfront about costs and is timely and responsive with answers and phone calls. He's also a very clean contractor--swept and vacuumed up after himself and kept the worksite (which was our house that we were living in at the time) completely usable. Highly recommend. read more

We needed a built-in shelf/tv unit modified and decided to give Mel a try based on his glowing Yelp reviews. Mel was extremely easy to get in touch with and timely with his replies. He was able to make a survey trip the same day that I contacted him After meeting with him I was able to get a quote for the work, as well as a quote for another piece of work in one of our bathrooms which involved rotating a sink counter 180 degrees. We agreed on a date and times for the work to be done and that's the last I had to think or worry about the projects. Mel arrived promptly and worked with extreme professionalism and care. The time frame for the work was very accurate to the estimate and the jobs were left neat and clean and ready to use (other than waiting for paint to dry). I am extremely satisfied with the work and have subsequently recommended Mel to others in our building without reservation. Mel was very patient with understanding the project and offering solutions. His quote for the work was quite reasonable, particularly when compared to some others that I received. read more

I cannot comment on the quality of Mel's work because it never got that far. I scheduled an appointment with him at 5:30 pm yesterday to provide an estimate for a bath retiling and other small renovation projects at my condo. I arranged to work from home to ensure I would be there on time, but he never showed up. When he still wasn't there by 5:40 pm I called and left him a voicemail to say we were waiting for him. No return call. Today I sent him a polite email about the no show. He did respond saying that he had a late family emergency and tried to call an hour prior to our meeting but had my number wrong. Sure, stuff does happen. But given (1) that I called him and thus he had my CORRECT number only an hour later and still did not call back, and (2) in his email response he didn't even mention rescheduling the appointment, I'm having trouble buying it. Seems like he just decided for whatever reason that the jobs were too small or he just didn't feel like it, or whatever and bailed and then tried damage control (I noted in my email that I intended to add a Yelp review.) It's a free country and he can certainly accept or decline work at his own discretion. But to make an appointment and then not show up and not return a call from the waiting client wondering where you are is just bad business. read more

Mel is awesome. He's careful and precise with specs and measurements and does an excellent job. He was able to get our work done very promptly and was very flexible about timing. He's friendly and unassuming, takes care to keep the house clean, and is always on time. I only wish all contractors were as pleasant to deal with. read more

Mel recently finished our kitchen makeover and did an incredible job.The renovation consisted of demolition of a wall as well as flooring, installing new cabinets, repurposing some old cabinets, new tile floor, lots of miscellaneous carpentry, plastering & slate backsplash. He was very well priced, extremely professional & very pleasant to have around for the 6 or so weeks the project took. He also had great design ideas and all-around you really can't go wrong with Mel. He even made sure my oven was hooked up each night so I could cook for my family! read more

This guy NEVER gets back to you. I've tried to reach him three times just to get an estimate and he never responds. If you are too busy, no problem but common professionalism means you let a prospective customer know. read more

Mel did a fantastic job on a fireplace remodel. We had an old brick fireplace and upgraded to a newer appearance. He built out the mantle and tiled around a new gas fireplace, the results are outstanding! Would highly recommend! read more

I hired Mel to fix a rocking chair that had been in my family for generations. I thought it had been broken beyond repair. It looks wonderful and has held up to the abuse of three children. We are very happy with Mel's work! read more

Mel fixed a granite countertop bar that had detached from the wall and was starting to look like the leaning tower of pisa. After meeting with many carpenters and contractors, I was thrilled to find Mel. He was responsive by email, came on short notice to give me an estimate, and was extremely fair and honest with his pricing. His estimate came in at 1/4 of others that I got, but right on the moeny for what I thought was a fair price for the work. Mel called me once he got the materials, came over to my house (on a saturday!) and had the work done within an hour. He was extremely polite and consciencious of my home, and even asked if my baby was napping before he started to hammer. When he was finished, he cleaned up after himself, and left the area nicer than when he walked in. I will call Mel for all future contracting and carpentry needs. read more

Mel was hired to remodel three bathrooms, 2 full and one half. Mel sequentially addressed each bathroom to ensure that we would have full access to the other two. The work included removal of all fixtures including lights, vent-fans, vanities, toilets, tubs, demolition of the floor and partial wall (surrounding tub and toilet). He installed cement board as required around all potential wet area, had a plumber (excellent worker himself) install new pipes and valves for the tub , shower and sink. As it relates to the ceramic, Mel installed new porcelain on the floor, around the tub and along a half wall in the bathroom. In one bath, we added wainscoting to one long wall. He also added some great details like a decotile on the half-wall and a built-in shelf in the shower wall. Mel installed new tub, vanities, sink, toilet, stabilizing bar, all towel fixtures, mirror, lights, etc... and provided a professional crew to complete the wall and finish paint work (again, in all three bathrooms). While at the house, I also asked Mel to remodel a closet & add a pull-out desk, install new bifold doors, and a few other miscellaneous items. He completed these extra tasks quickly and with the usual high quality. To say I was one-hundred percent satisfied is an understatement. The work exceeded my expectations in every way. Mel is an artist with tile & carpentry and a very capable plumber as well. He is amazingly efficient and worked to the schedule he laid out at the very beginning (shows up every day, and stays on-track). He does almost everything himself so you are always getting the highest quality. He is also a pleasure to have around the house. He is quiet, yet friendly and he cleans up every day. His prices are very fair and he is very, very efficient. He is truly a top notch professional who I will reach out to for all of my future work. read more

Mel built our kitchen cabinets. As a contractor, you could not ask for more. He does what he says he will, comes when he says he will, sticks to his price estimates, will redo work by request without batting an eye, and is pleasant and a good communicator. He is a very good cabinetmaker. The few times he ran into problems he improvised his way out of them with results ranging from satisfactory to superb. Everything works, everything looks great, we have the best materials for an excellent price. I am a fellow trade craftsman (piano tuner-technician) and not a pushover. If I had to start over I would hire Mel again. read more

I was very impressed with Mel and his work. After I contacted him, he stopped by within a few days, talked to me about the design etc. I sent him a picture of what I was looking for, he drew out exactly what we talked about and what he felt the space could accommodate and gave me what I felt was a fair estimate for the job. I had contacted a few other contractors and it seemed as though they priced themselves out of the job since it was small. We wanted a built in unit against a wall that houses our TV and audio components and offers extra seating in a room where seating is limited. I never had an issue with communication; he always got back to me in a timely manner. He arrived when he said he would and cleaned up after himself, and completed the job on time. This was my first experience working with a contractor and I'd use him again if the need presented itself. Plus, he is a really nice, personable guy. read more

Mel did tile and bathroom reno work for me about 9 months ago. Everything looked great after he finished and he was on-time, on-schedule and on-budget as per his quote. I waited this long to leave a review to make sure everything was holding up well, and all his work his holding up great. Very pleased with his work and I highly recommend him. read more

I read the outstanding reviews about this business and had a huge hope for Mel's integrity and ability to deliver. Well, unfortunately from the day 1 I started wondering whether it's all true about these glowing reviews. I called him to make an appointment to estimate the total cost of the kitchen renovation in my Mom's newly purchased condo. We did agree re the time and the date but Mel said he'd confirm the day before. He never did. We're all busy people and we need to plan. I had to call him again to make sure he was still coming. He did show up and was kind enough to promise to send over a proposal. He never did. In the meantime, I had a quick question re which I left him a voicemail. He never returned my call. Very poor communicator, I don't see how he can get the job done... If he didn't like us or a job for some reason, one would hope that he'd be honest enough to communicate his concerns or simply refuse the job rather than making a false promise. Very disappointed but then again a good contractor is like a needle in a hay... read more