McDonald Contracting, LLC
Local business · 26 Dudley St, Arlington, MA 02474, USA
Their work
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Call (781) 488-3288Visit websiteSee on GoogleYou reach them directly — we don’t take a cut.
Verified record
- MA HIC licenseVerified active
- A+ BBB rating
- 4 reviews in the last 6 monthsNo negatives
- 9 customer photosOf completed work
Highlights
- Consistent 4.9★ — 142 Google ratings spanning 2021 to 2026
- Whole-project GC — additions, basements, and gut remodels run end to end
- Clear communication — reviewers name project managers and cite daily updates
- Clean jobsites — recent customers note tidy, organized work areas
- Verified MA license — HIC 182441 active in the state registry
- Timelines on big jobs — a few large remodels ran a bit long
- Not BBB accredited — A+ grade but no accreditation on file
The range is the story. In just the last few months, McDonald Contracting has framed a three-season room with an attached deck, finished a basement (with a custom kids' playhouse tucked under the stairs), rebuilt cabinets and a bar area, and gut-remodeled a 150-year-old house in Melrose that needed steel beams and a structural engineer to hold it together. This is an Arlington general contractor you call for the whole project, not a single trade. It's a family business — owner Ed McDonald runs it with James and Brenna McDonald on staff — and its Better Business Bureau page lists 13 years in Arlington with an A+ grade, though it is not BBB-accredited. Its Massachusetts Home Improvement Contractor license, number 182441, is active in the state registry. The company also markets an in-house electrical arm (McDonald Electric) and a home-maintenance plan (UpKeep), and describes itself as a Phius Certified Builder. On Google, the number that anchors everything is 4.9 stars across 142 ratings, and the reviews run deep and steady from 2021 into 2026. Two themes keep repeating in the recent ones: communication and cleanliness. Homeowners name their project managers — Jamie on the three-season room — and describe daily updates and worksites left clean and organized. The work itself skews toward big jobs: multi-room renovations, additions, basement conversions, and the kind of old-house remodel where they coordinate architects and structural engineers. The one soft spot is schedule. The single recent review below five stars was that complicated 150-year-old house in Melrose, and a couple of larger jobs elsewhere in the history mention running a little longer than expected — worth pinning down a realistic timeline, and what happens if it slips, before a big project starts. One more thing to check: while its state HIC license is verified active, the construction-supervisor and builder license numbers floating around third-party sites like BuildZoom are self-reported, not confirmed here. If you're planning a substantial renovation, addition, or basement build-out in the Greater Boston area and you want one outfit to run the trades and keep you in the loop, McDonald fits that brief. Confirm who your project manager will be, get the timeline in writing, and verify the specific license class for your job with the state before you sign.
Read the comments
Most recent comments
- 5.0May 5, 2026
"We recently hired MacDonald Contracting to build a Three season room and attached deck, and we couldn't be happier with the results! From the design phase to the final walkthrough, their professionalism and expertise were unmatched. The craftsmanship is incredible—the screen tension is perfect, the deck boards are beautifully laid, and they seamlessly blended the new structure with our house. They kept the worksite clean and organized every single day. Communication with Jamie the project Manager was stellar; he kept us updated and addressed all our questions immediately. The project was completed on schedule. We now have a beautiful new living space, and I highly recommend MacDonald Contracting Company for any outdoor renovation!
— Anne KaneView on Google Reviews ↗ - 5.0Apr 16, 2026
We had our basement finished and all of the crew was friendly and knowledgeable about what they were doing. They fulfilled some custom requests and made a perfect kids playhouse under the stairs. It tuned out great!
— Katherine SarkarView on Google Reviews ↗ - 5.0Feb 24, 2026
I've used McDonald Contracting for the past few years for snow removal. The team really goes above and beyond - Ed always texts to see if I need snow removal, and sends a team out in a timely manner. The teams are excellent - efficient, effective, and they do a much better job of clearing snow than I could ever do. I plan to continue working with McDonald Contracting now and in the future.
— Kara KatzView on Google Reviews ↗ - 5.0Jan 21, 2026
We had an excellent experience working with McDonald Contracting from start to finish.They built new cabinets and a beautiful bar area, created a custom closet and bench, and also added new electrical outlets and light fixtures throughout our space. The entire process was seamless and professional — communication was clear, timelines were respected, and everything was handled with care. Most importantly, the craftsmanship was truly outstanding. Every detail feels intentional and high-quality, and the finished work exceeded our expectations. If you’re looking for a contractor who is reliable, skilled, and easy to work with, I can’t recommend McDonald Contracting enough.
— Kristin JenkinsView on Google Reviews ↗ - 5.0Jan 8, 2026
We worked with McDonald on a large project (~7 months) after buying a new home. They built a new bath and office, made the basement useable, updated another bath, painted and stained everything, did built-in bookshelves and some other custom projects like dog-proofing the fence and adding gates to the front porch so we could keep said dog out of the road, redid the electrical systems and added central air. Like I said, big project. From the outset, they made us far more comfortable than any other contractor we talked to, in large part due to Ed McDonald making sure the quote was comprehensive such that we knew every element of what would need to happen. There were a few hiccups along the way, which I think is inevitable for a project of this scope, but at the end of everything we have a house we love and a contractor we’d come back to. Whenever an issue did come up, we were able to quickly discuss and make a plan to get to where we needed. They were more than fair on cost and left us with a great final product. We particularly loved the folks who worked on electrical, plumbing/HVAC, floors, and carpentry. Would recommend working with McDonald!
— Calvin BohnView on Google Reviews ↗
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Update history
Added 63 new comments, added 52 new photos, verified active license, established rating 4.3
- confirmed against the state license registry
- behind the score: Timelines on big jobs — a few large remodels ran a bit long