C.J. McCarthy, Inc.

Nineteen Google reviews, all five stars, and not a single complaint in the last six months — C.J. McCarthy, Inc. is the hardscape crew South Shore homeowners keep calling back. Based in Scituate, the company says it's been building outdoor spaces since 2017, run by owner Chris McCarthy, and covers towns including Cohasset, Duxbury, Hingham, Norwell, and Marshfield with landscape construction, stonework and masonry, planting design, and property maintenance. The work reviewers describe is almost entirely hardscape: replacing old railroad-tie retaining walls with natural stone, laying bluestone patios and walkways, adding a cobblestone driveway apron, building side-yard and driveway installs that reviewers say "look like they were always there." One customer who's hired the crew for projects spanning patios, a bluestone entryway, a stone walkway, and ongoing maintenance says the work has held up through years of harsh coastal weather with no problems. Several others describe using them across multiple projects and even multiple houses, which points to a level of trust that doesn't come from a single good job. Communication comes up again and again as the thing people notice: Chris picks up the phone, walks the yard to talk through ideas, and gives straight answers — one reviewer specifically credits him for saying upfront when something wasn't his team's strong suit and pointing them to someone else instead of taking the job anyway. The Better Business Bureau lists the company at an A+ rating, though it isn't BBB-accredited. One thing worth asking about directly: a landscaping directory describes C.J. McCarthy as "more than three decades" in business, which doesn't line up with the company's own claim of a 2017 start. That could reflect Chris McCarthy's broader landscaping career rather than this specific company's age, but it's worth clarifying rather than assuming a longer track record than the company itself states. For South Shore homeowners looking at a hardscape-heavy job — a patio rebuild, a stone retaining wall, a driveway redo — the reviews line up consistently behind careful work and responsive service. Confirm current pricing and scheduling directly, since neither shows up in the public record, and ask about the age discrepancy before assuming decades of history.