The Best General Contractors
We graded 11 companies on seven things customers actually report: satisfaction, reliability, workmanship, value, momentum, track record and how owners handle complaints.
From 655 Google reviews of 11 top-rated general contractors nationwide. Updated November 11, 2026.
Find the right company for your job
Pick the job — we re-rank companies by how customers rated that exact job.
Best general contractors for exterior painting
Clear ✕Job match = this company’s ★ on reviews Google tagged “Exterior painting” (shrunk toward the category average when there are few), how many such jobs it has done, and its overall Experts Score.
What customers said about exterior painting
Mark and his crew have very professionally done several small projects in the past few years on a large Victorian in Newtonville. More recently, Mark completed a larger project rebuilding exterior stairs and railing to a second floor entrance, building a roof over the landing, re-flashing the gutters above and…
We were very happy with the work provided by Alcantara Construction. They were fast to respond and give an estimate for exterior painting of our two family home. In addition to this the house needed exterior carpentry work and shingle replacement which they were also able to do, making the whole process very…
Would have been more than happy to give 5 stars but they never completed the few small remaining punchlist items even after sending staff to review (on 3 occasions) what these items were; torn window screen, magnet for closet door, cracks in grout, etc. Simple little things. I was also told that I was to put in…
Carlos and his team provided exceptional quality at competitive and upfront prices for our porch remodel. We’re very pleased with the craftsmanship and attention to detail. We’ll certainly be looking forward to working with the Alcantara team in the future.
Mark Quigley is your dream of a contractor. Responsible, punctual, considerate, wise, humorous, and an artist. Everyone who works with him is a gifted professional. It was always a pleasure to profit from his sage advice. Mark renovated a three season sunporch into four seasons, requiring the rebuilding of a…
All Matters General Contractors put a new roof on our house. Actually, our roof had gotten so bad that water was leaking behind an outward-facing wall in one of our bedrooms, and black mold was growing behind the wall. I knew our roof was bad, but I had no idea the extent of the damage or of the dangerous mold…
Overall ratings
Experts Score 0–100Experts Score (0–100)Absolute quality first: recency-weighted star average (≈54%), share of 1–2★ reviews (≈24%), customers’ price verdicts (≈14%), owner replies to critical reviews (≈7%); minus up to 10 points each for complaints flagged in Google review highlights and for a real slide in recent ratings. Hover a company’s score on its page for the full breakdown. and a letter grade per factor (A = top 20% of general contractors).
| # | Company | ScoreExperts Score (0–100)Absolute quality first: recency-weighted star average (≈54%), share of 1–2★ reviews (≈24%), customers’ price verdicts (≈14%), owner replies to critical reviews (≈7%); minus up to 10 points each for complaints flagged in Google review highlights and for a real slide in recent ratings. Hover a company’s score on its page for the full breakdown. | FactorsFactor grades, in orderSatisfaction (54%): Recency-weighted star average (2-year half-life), shrunk toward the category mean by review volume; the company’s own lifetime average as the prior; absolute: 4.0★ = 0, 5★ = 100.Reliability (24%): How rarely jobs go badly: share of 1–2★ reviews — 60% the last 24 months (or the 20 newest if fewer), 40% all-time; 0% = 100, 15%+ = 0; the category percentile can only raise it.Craft & service (0%): Google review highlights: Quality, Professionalism, Responsiveness, Punctuality — how rarely reviewers flag them as a negative, per review since highlights began; 0% = 100, 5%+ = 0. Subtracted from the score (up to −10), never averaged in — clean highlights are the norm, not a bonus.Value (14%): Customers’ own price verdicts (Great / Reasonable vs Overpriced) and Value highlights; 65% absolute (all “reasonable” ≈ 80, “great” = 100), the category percentile can only raise it.Momentum (0%): Penalises only a real slide: last-12-month average below lifetime (−0.5★ = 0). Still 4.8★+ over the last year, or steady/improving = 100. Subtracted from the score (up to −10), never averaged in.Replies to reviews (7%): How often the owner publicly replies to reviews under 5★ (1–4★). Needs 3+ such reviews, otherwise not counted; 65% absolute (80%+ replied = 100), the category percentile can only raise it.One letter per factor score: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39, F = below 20. | ★Google star rating as shown on Google Maps. | Typical billMedian bill customers of this company reported in their reviews (needs 3+ priced reviews). |
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| 1 | A 99How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 59%99+58.1Reliability 26%97+25.3Value 15%100+15.2Experts Score= 99Not enough data for replies to reviews; its weight is shared by the others.Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | AA–AA– | 5.00 | — | |
| 2 | A 98How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 59%99+58.1Reliability 26%96+25Value 15%100+15.2Craft & service penalty98−0.2Experts Score= 98Not enough data for replies to reviews; its weight is shared by the others.Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | AAAAA– | 5.00 | — | |
| 3 | A 96How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 59%97+56.9Reliability 26%93+24.3Value 15%97+14.8Experts Score= 96Not enough data for replies to reviews; its weight is shared by the others.Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | AA–AA– | 5.00 | — | |
| 4 | A 95How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 55%94+51.3Reliability 24%95+23Value 14%100+14.1Replies to reviews 7%100+7.1Craft & service penalty99−0.1Experts Score= 95Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | AAAAAA | 4.93 | — | |
| 5 | A 92How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 59%93+54.6Reliability 26%95+24.8Value 15%84+12.8Experts Score= 92Not enough data for replies to reviews; its weight is shared by the others.Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | AA–AA– | 4.94 | — | |
| 6 | A 89How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 59%92+54Reliability 26%78+20.3Value 15%100+15.2Craft & service penalty97−0.3Experts Score= 89Not enough data for replies to reviews; its weight is shared by the others.Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | ABAAA– | 4.93 | — | |
| 7 | A 87How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 59%89+52.2Reliability 26%81+21.1Value 15%90+13.7Experts Score= 87Not enough data for replies to reviews; its weight is shared by the others.Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | AA–AA– | 4.86 | — | |
| 8 | A 86How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 55%86+46.9Reliability 24%87+21.1Value 14%100+14.1Replies to reviews 7%100+7.1Craft & service penalty67−3.3Experts Score= 86Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | AABAAA | 4.84 | — | |
| 9 | A 80How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 55%82+44.7Reliability 24%73+17.7Value 14%100+14.1Replies to reviews 7%94+6.6Craft & service penalty71−2.9Experts Score= 80Grade A: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | ABBAAA | 4.79 | — | |
| 10 | B 67How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 55%75+40.9Reliability 24%65+15.8Value 14%97+13.7Replies to reviews 7%72+5.1Craft & service penalty72−2.8Momentum penalty44−5.6Experts Score= 67Grade B: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | BBBACB | 4.76 | — | |
| 11 | C 58How the Experts Score is calculatedEach factor is scored 0–100 on absolute terms (standing in the category can only raise it), then weighted; problems flagged in review highlights or a recent slide in ratings are subtracted:Satisfaction 55%66+36Reliability 24%51+12.4Value 14%100+14.1Replies to reviews 7%50+3.5Craft & service penalty99−0.1Momentum penalty20−8Experts Score= 58Grade C: A = 80+, B = 60–79, C = 40–59, D = 20–39. Needs 10+ reviews. | BCAADC | 4.75 | — |
What jobs cost
What customers paid, from the price Google asks reviewers to report.
| Job | Low25th percentile: 1 in 4 customers paid less than this. | TypicalMedian of the bill customers reported in their Google review (Google asks reviewers for a price range; we use the middle of each range). | High75th percentile: 1 in 4 customers paid more than this. | FairOf customers who rated the price, the share who chose “Great price” or “Reasonable” rather than “Overpriced”. |
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General Contractors at a glance
How the 11 general contractors we rated compare, and what customers praise most.
Experts Score grades
A = score 80+, F = below 20.
- Grade A982%
- Grade B19%
- Grade C19%
- Grade D00%
- Grade F00%
Google ratings
Average stars per company.
- 4.90★ and up655%
- 4.80–4.89★218%
- 4.60–4.79★327%
- Below 4.60★00%
What customers praise
Share of Google review highlights.
- Quality11222%
- Professionalism12624%
- Responsiveness10320%
- Punctuality8817%
- Value8917%
Was the price fair?
All price verdicts left with reviews.
- Great price5145%
- Reasonable6053%
- Overpriced00%
- Not sure22%
Price verdicts by year
Share calling it great / reasonable / overpriced.
How we grade
Satisfaction (54%) — Recency-weighted star average (2-year half-life), shrunk toward the category mean by review volume; the company’s own lifetime average as the prior; absolute: 4.0★ = 0, 5★ = 100.
Reliability (24%) — How rarely jobs go badly: share of 1–2★ reviews — 60% the last 24 months (or the 20 newest if fewer), 40% all-time; 0% = 100, 15%+ = 0; the category percentile can only raise it.
Craft & service (penalty, up to −10) — Google review highlights: Quality, Professionalism, Responsiveness, Punctuality — how rarely reviewers flag them as a negative, per review since highlights began; 0% = 100, 5%+ = 0. Subtracted from the score (up to −10), never averaged in — clean highlights are the norm, not a bonus.
Value (14%) — Customers’ own price verdicts (Great / Reasonable vs Overpriced) and Value highlights; 65% absolute (all “reasonable” ≈ 80, “great” = 100), the category percentile can only raise it.
Momentum (penalty, up to −10) — Penalises only a real slide: last-12-month average below lifetime (−0.5★ = 0). Still 4.8★+ over the last year, or steady/improving = 100. Subtracted from the score (up to −10), never averaged in.
Replies to reviews (7%) — How often the owner publicly replies to reviews under 5★ (1–4★). Needs 3+ such reviews, otherwise not counted; 65% absolute (80%+ replied = 100), the category percentile can only raise it.