J & A Carpentry

Jessica Lynn Taylor

2 months ago

★★★★★

I worked with James back in mid-2024 to add storage and seating to my entryway. He was always respectful of our time, our home, and us. He has an eye for design and guided us away from trends that - in hindsight - turned out to be short lived while still collaborating with us to help us achieve our vision. Everything came out beautifully, and two years later it looks and functions like it did on day 1. There is no worn paint, and not a single wobbly door or piece of tarnished hardware. He strove to be a good craftsman in every sense, so if something ever went awry, he put in the work to make it right instead of covering it up like I've seen other contractors do. If ever I need custom carpentry work again, James will be the first person I call.

Emily Ockay

7 years ago

★★★★★

We really wanted a dining area in our new apartment, but there wasn’t that much space to work with. James created a custom table and L-shaped bench that fit perfectly in the space and we LOVE it. He even built the benches so that we can lift the seats and store things inside of them. The piece is beautiful, sturdy, and well-designed. James was communicative, professional, considerate, and enthusiastic throughout the project. We met three times throughout the process. He came to measure the space before he started so that we could talk about the dimensions that fit our vision and made the most sense. He invited us to his workshop when he was halfway done so that we could see how it was coming along. And then he installed it in a few hours (and did a thorough job cleaning up afterwards too). I definitely recommend J&A Custom Carpentry and I hope to work with James again on future projects!

Joseph

a year ago

★★★★★

I searched long and hard for someone in Northern NJ with great reviews and very reasonable prices and James was the man! I felt I could trust him and he kept me updated each step of the way with my board and batten installation at my house. He offered many additional tips on the best way to proceed with rest of my project as well. Couldn’t be nicer and easier to work with.incredible craftsmanship (I can’t even see any seams or nail holes) and knowledge and he milled his wood himself for the job at his shop. No sup-rises. The Contract was very fair and up front and he had previously given us an estimate that was free.

Ian Fisk

2 years ago

★★★★★

James is an artist. He built new ash hardwood frames for our almost 100-year-old leaded glass windows, preserving the original glass and matching the finish to the existing chestnut trim perfectly. The windows themselves look like fine furniture. In his heart, James is a preservationist and has a deep knowledge of how to complete a project using the right woods and right techniques. James is also nice, trustworthy, transparent and careful. I cannot recommend him highly enough.