“What impressed me most about Brad was his attention to detail.  I needed to work with someone who understood what we were trying to achieve and was just as excited about the project as we were.  I am also very particular in what I wanted aesthetically for our home and I found Brad really thought things through, came up with suggestions on how we could improve our plans and wanted the best outcome for our project.  He worked with us and explained in simple English when we didn’t understand something.  I would definitely recommend Brad to anyone building a new home.”

-Daniel Cho

Homeowner, Hillsdale N.Y.

“Brad is excellent.  When looking for someone to help us build our dream home we interviewed a number of general contractors and Brad was by far the best.  He had a genuine passion to make our project come to life and nothing was too big or too small for him to handle.  I also appreciated how he problem solved when issues arose and was open to our ideas on using new and innovate materials in our build.  As we live overseas he was also a great help in understanding the local building requirements and permissions needed to build and had a great network of contacts for us to utilize.” 

-Timothy Bean

Homeowner, Hillsdale N.Y.

“As a family that works in real estate development and has dealt with dozens of contractors and sub-contractors, we can unflinchingly say that Maddox Construction, as lead by Brad Rapplyea, is incomparable to any other GC's or carpentry businesses in the region. Not only is their team highly skilled and professional, they are trustworthy, respectful, generous, and all-around fun to work with. It's rare to find such a high level of aesthetic taste matched with expert execution... Maddox is the best, without comparison!”

-Stef Halmos

V.P. Halmos Holdings

“I am so delighted with the results of Mr Rappleyea’s work in my historic Catskill home. Mr. Rappleyea and his team of masterfully skilled artisan’s have worked with such talent and careful professionalism throughout several projects over the years. I couldn’t be happier with their craftsmanship and such insightful knowledge.”

-Richard Philp

Homeowner, Catskill N.Y.

"I bought an old house in the Village of Catskill. A strange and amazing old house. Buying this house is clearly the best decision I have made in the last 10 years, maybe ever. But there was a catch: I wouldn’t buy a house like this unless I had some leads on good restoration architects, someone who would not only be competent, but also interested in a house like this. 

Enter Brad Rappleyea. He did an on the fly consult while I was still going through the bidding process. I suspected this guy was good, and he gave me the confidence to move forward (and essentially provided a gratis second opinion on the home inspection). 

I have to date worked with Brad on two large projects and several smaller ones. The scope has varied, from restoration (steel work, stabilizing beams, sistering joists etc) to conversion (a garage to artist’s studio) to renovation (floor to ceiling bookshelves). My suspicions first meeting him have proven out over and over again in multiple situations. 

Brad’s personal touch and attention to detail is as much the vision of an artist as a contractor. His attention to detail and collaborative spirit have made daunting home-ownership issues manageable and even pleasurable.

The confidence I have with Rappleyea’s work has allowed me to enrich and beautify a home of note, a home with eccentric details and almost entirely custom needs. It’s age (built 1860) and it’s relative uniqueness (a Fowler-style octagonal house) put challenges forward that I now only trust Brad with. I look forward to a lifetime of collaboration."

 -Jesse Bransford

Homeowner, Catskill N.Y.

"I contacted Brad a few months ago because I needed to renovate the new retail space we had just signed a lease for.

A couple of months prior to starting the work, Brad and I got together our plan. I was scheduled to be abroad when the work started, so we met multiple times prior to my departure.  Brad went through everything that would need to be done. His approach was to put everything into categories, so not to overwhelm me. Then we went through each part with him listening carefully to what I wanted to accomplish, then he would come up with different ways to do that, what labor skills would be involved, price points and the pros and cons. Not only does he have an amazing, elegant and very refined aesthetic sense, but Brad also is extremely knowledgeable of costs, from the material, to the type of labor required. So well before my departure, everything was in place, with a clear schedule for each phase and a wrapped budget.

Working with Brad is like having the privilege of working with an architect, combined with an interior decorator, combined with a general contractor, combined with an accountant.  We had time constraints, challenging budget constraints, building constraints, not adding my picky person constraints – but Brad made sure the whole thing happened on time, within budget and that I was happy!

What I love most about Brad is that he really enjoyed the work, and put his own heart into it, as if the store was his. I loved that I could trust him completely. And I was so impressed and deeply touched by the fact he would come to the store each day, and almost each day participate in the work, even after the other contractors were gone. Before his involvement, I had dreaded the whole process, bracing myself up for countless delays and hurdles, instead I found myself having a lot of fun, learning a lot and most importantly having a the space turned into everything I ever wanted.

I’ve hired many contractors for many projects over the years.  Brad is by far the most honest, trustworthy, hard-working, talented, and knowledgeable contractor I’ve ever met.”

-Magatte Wade

CEO Tiossan Inc

"After Hurricane Irene damaged our home, Brad Rappleyea and his crew responded to our call promptly. He worked closely with our architect, and made excellent suggestions, which improved the rebuilding design, and in addition, reduced our costs.  His crew of workers were timely and extremely skilled.  They have all become our friends. The attention paid to detail was remarkable;  pride of workmanship was evident in every step of the project.  We love our beautiful newpost and beam screened-in porch and outsidedeck and look forward to years of enjoyment.  We would not hesitate to call Brad for our next project."

-Dan Arshack and Nancey Rosenswieg

Homeowners, Catskill, N.Y.

“I am so pleased to share my experience of the fine craftsmanship and professionalism of Brad Rappleyea.  Brad has completed a number of personal and business projects for my company.  He possesses extensive knowledge and skill in both historical preservation and new construction.  He is attentive to the client’s needs and makes sure the job gets done right and on time.   I am happy to recommend Brad for your design and construction needs.”

-Robert Hoven

Robert Hoven Inc.

“I have had the distinct pleasure of having Brad in our Preservation Program at North Bennet Street School.Brad was the ideal student. In order to achieve the highest grades and my deepest respect, he has demonstrated outstanding leadership and maintained a clear sense of purpose.Brad manages his time well, works well in group situations under strict deadlines, and recognizes the importance of strong work ethic, persistence, and intellectual integrity.”

-Richard Friberg

Preservation Instructor, NBSS

“Brad Rappleyea has worked on a number of projects that were part a large scale renovation of our home in Hudson, NY. I was impressed with the integrity and skill he brought to each of the projects whether large or small. For instance he designed and built cabinetry for a bathroom, came up with an ingenious solution to venting a stovetop and did a lot of finishing work throughout the house. When asked to replace a broken gate leading from our property to the alley behind our house, he designed several different gates – each offering a different look, priced them out and sat with us and went through the pros and cons of each solution. I found him to be thorough, honest and detail oriented. I have no hesitancy recommending him and would definitely hire him again. He is a pleasure to work with.”

Michael Colberg and Gene Parseghian

Homeowners, Hudson N.Y.

"I needed a porch replaced, but not with just any porch. I needed to replace a porch on a historic house on the National Register. So, I needed a carpenter, but not just any carpenter. I needed a carpenter who understood and appreciated historic architecture, would be able to create an appropriate design, and who valued craftsmanship. I found what I needed in Brad."

Stephen Hickey

Homeowner, Catskill, N.Y.

"Mr. Rapplyea approaches small jobs with as much attention to detail as he does larger ones, taking pride in his craft in any scale project. Not only was his creative problem-solving cost effective; the results were beautiful.  I look forward to using his services again."

Rosaria Sinisi

Homeowner, Hudson N.Y. 

"I hired Brad to build a new staircase for my property. With just a few crude drawings to show him he totally understood my vision and even made helpful suggestions, all the time keeping me within my budget. The outcome was beyond my expectations, the staircase is beautiful, excellent craftsmanship all around. He is professional and so easy to work with, I would HIGHLY recommend Brad for any carpentry work you need."

Randie Jaffe

Homeowner, Claverack N.Y.