AB Carnes Roofing, Inc
Local business · 30 Arrowhead Farm Rd, Boxford, MA 01921, USA
Their work
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Verified record
- MA HIC licenseVerified active
- A+ BBB rating
- 9 work photos
Highlights
- Mentioned on Reddit — 1 mention in r/massachusetts, positive
- Registry-verified licence — Massachusetts home improvement registration is active
- Deep permit history — 519 permitted projects listed on BuildZoom
- Cost transparency — a 2022 reviewer praised clear costs and cleanup check
- Chosen after wide search — a 2024 buyer interviewed fifteen companies first
- Owner's litigation notice — BuildZoom's only posting threatens suits over negative reviews
- Tangled licence records — a cancelled number and one expired-but-Active entry
- Licence not published — site claims fully licensed but prints no number
- Dated written record — newest customer account is October 2024
Forty-nine years of roofs, by the company's own count — more than 8,500 of them across Essex County and the Merrimack Valley. AB Carnes Roofing is Barry and Anastasiya Carnes' family business out of Boxford, working asphalt shingle systems with CertainTeed and Carlisle products, plus ice dam and roof snow removal. Its Massachusetts home improvement contractor registration is active. The written history is short, and its best entry is an unusually deliberate one. In an October 2024 review a Middleton homeowner explained they had hired a fly-by-night roofer fifteen years earlier and regretted it, so this time they spent about a year on shingle options, prices and warranties and interviewed fifteen companies — and the one who stayed consistently on point and always got back to them was AB Carnes. A 2022 customer described the same steadiness from another angle: responsive from the first inquiry, plywood that needed replacing raised rather than buried, costs kept transparent, and a walk-around at the end to confirm the cleanup. A 2021 homeowner who had their roof redone singled out Barry answering every question and a crew they found professional and polite. Two things temper that. BuildZoom's page carries 519 permitted projects, which is genuine depth — but its only "5 out of 5" entry is a 2010 posting signed by Barry Carnes himself, warning that the company will pursue litigation against anyone who posts a review it deems untrue. That is the owner talking, not a customer, and it is worth holding in mind when reading how little criticism appears anywhere. The licence block on the same page is untidy: alongside the active registration sit a cancelled Massachusetts HIC number and a Newton entry printed twice under two trade types, marked Active while showing a December 2022 expiry. Scale is the other loose thread. The 8,500-installation and 49-year figures are the company's own; the BBB profile — A+, though the business is not accredited — lists two employees, a 1977 start and a 2013 incorporation, and publishes no reviews. Google's aggregate sits at 4.4 across 18 ratings while all four written accounts are five stars. For a straightforward asphalt roof replacement in Essex County, the verified registration and the permit depth are real. Ask for the registration number in writing — the site calls itself fully licensed without printing one — and ask for two recent local references, since the newest written account is now well over a year old.
Heard around town
On Reddit
- PositiveGood roofer who services North Shore?Mar 1, 2024
“AB Carnes Roofing out of Boxford did a great job for me several years ago.”
— u/SidMarcus in r/massachusettsRead the thread ↗
Read the comments
Most recent comments
- 5.0Oct 23, 2024
I live in Middleton MA.. Fifteen years ago, I hired a fly-by-night company for a new roof and regretted it. This time, I spent about a year researching shingle options, prices, warranties, and interviewed 15 companies. The one person who was consistently on point, always got back to in a timely manner and was always right-on with his responses was Barry from AB Carnes company. During the consultation phase Barry was very down to earth, honest, and quickly offered one of the most cost-effective quotes that I received, he even came back a second time to consult on different topics like new Skylights, roof venting issues, ice & water shield techniques, replacement of fascia boards, etc. my conversations with Barry were never about up-selling me something, it was always about how best to move forward from a technical perspective, and sometimes it even meant not spending extra money where it didn’t make sense. Barry was not a sales guy, he was a roofing technical consultant. At one point because I misinterpreted the quote, Barry could have made even more money than originally quoted, but he was honest with me and reminded me that the bow windows were included in the original quote. That’s the kind of guy Barry is. When I finally told Barry he was awarded the contract to do my house our communications got even tighter, clarifications on techniques, the process, how my property would be protected from damage, how stray nails will be meticulously picked-up, etc. I always say the real proof is in the end results. And this is where AB Carnes really impressed me. The construction team was 7 workers and one foreman. Ray was the foreman and was present for the whole project. Ray has 30years of experience working for Barry. He said he wouldn’t dream of working for anyone else. Everyone on the team has been with Barry and Ray for over 6years. Everyone on the team was courteous, friendly, and willing to talk and answer any questions I had.. and I had many. I took a day off from work to spend with the roofing team, I was right beside them the whole time inspecting and learning about the process. I was so impressed at how focused everyone was on protecting the surroundings of my home even prior to touching the roof itself. Instead of slamming the package of roofing shingles on to the roof, the AB Carnes team gently place them at the ridge peak. This technique minimizes the shock of landing very heavy bunches of shingles on the roof.. the previous contractor did not do this, and slamming the shingle bundles just anywhere caused cracks in my plaster walls and ceiling. After a bad experience with a previous roofing company, I was skeptical about AB Carnes. However, Barry and his team exceeded my expectations. , I cannot express enough how much Barry and his team has made me happy on this project. They handled the roofing, underlayment, flashing, fascia board replacement, chimney re-flashing, skylight installation, deck plywood replacement, and yard cleanup with great care and attention to detail. If only every contractor can be as honest and dedicated as Barry and his team, the world would certainly be a better place! Cheers to you Barry for building such a great team of talented professionals ! and thanks to the team for treating my home with such care and attention. PS, my brother Tonino just completed his house’s roofing project as well.. he took my advice and hired AB Carnes.. lets just say another extremely happy customer !! Best regards, Marco
— Marco MastroView on Google Reviews ↗ - 5.0Jun 7, 2023
Great work!Great people to deal with
— Joe RavidaView on Google Reviews ↗ - 5.0Jun 8, 2022
From the first interaction to the last, a great company to work with. Amazingly responsive from the moment you inquire to the walk-around check to make sure everything was cleaned up to your satisfaction. Total transparency with the costs as well. We had some plywood that needed to be replaced - they showed it to us and they made the repair. When they found a double layer of shingle (which costs a little extra to remove) they told us about it right away. When one of their workers stepped on a gutter, they sent them back to replace the gutter. Highly recommend them for your roofing needs.
— P. Ryan WilsonView on Google Reviews ↗ - 5.0Aug 13, 2021
Had our roof redone by AB Carnes Roofing and we were quite happy with how it went. The owner Barry was extremely responsive to any and all questions and his team did a great job. Everyone I dealt with was professional, polite and hard working. Nice to see this can still occur these days.
— David UView on Google Reviews ↗
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Update history
Added 5 new comments, added 15 new photos, verified active license, established rating 3.8
- confirmed against the state license registry
- behind the score: Owner-written posting — BuildZoom's sole review is the president's litigation warning
What does a roof replacement cost in Greater Boston?
Typical Greater Boston range for this kind of work, from regional averages — not a quote from AB Carnes Roofing, Inc. Use it to sanity-check bids, then get the real number in writing.
A square is 100 sq ft of roof surface — bigger than the floor plan because of pitch and overhangs.
Estimated range
$9,000 – $18,600
Typical roofing project around $13,800