Kitchens
New layouts, cabinets, counters and lighting, with your finishes chosen before we price the job.
Home Renovation Contractor in Greater Boston, MA
Your home,planned withcare.
We plan every addition, kitchen, bath and whole-home renovation with you, from the first walkthrough to the final cleanup.
Stephen A. Selby, FounderMA Construction Supervisor License CS-089723
Who you’ll work with
“You don’t need to become a construction expert overnight. I’ll be there supporting you every step of the way.”
Stephen A. Selby, FounderMA Construction Supervisor License CS-089723
Stephen Selby founded Renovation Defenders to be on the homeowner’s side of a renovation. We plan your project with you before any work starts, and we stay with it through the final cleanup.
More about StephenWalkthrough
We start with a walkthrough of your house.
You show us what you’d like to do, and we look at the house as it stands today. Every project starts with that visit.
Home additions
Additions that match your house
Second stories, primary suites and family rooms. We draw the roofline, windows and siding to match your house before the job is priced.
See home additions
Planning
Then we put the whole job in writing.
Before work starts, we write up the scope, the schedule and the payments, and you sign off on them.
“We brought in designers to help design what they desired. We went through the permitting process for them. We helped them vet the contractor together, chose the style of the finishes that they want, made sure all the insurances were lined up, set up the timeframe, the payment schedule, and all the details of cleaning up the project.”
Stephen Selby
The written planRenovation Defenders · agreed before work starts
- Scope of workWhat’s being built, the materials and finishes, and what’s left out.
- DesignA designer draws it up with you, and you decide which features matter most.
- Finish levelPractical or high-end, picked before anything is priced.
- Permits and insuranceWe pull the permits and confirm every policy before work starts.
- Schedule and paymentsA realistic timeline and a payment schedule you agree to.
- Inspections and cleanupWhen each inspection happens, and how we leave the house at the end.
A tip from Stephen
“I strongly recommend that you take photographs and videos of all areas where the contract will be working, as well as entry points of access to your home.”
Stephen Selby
Construction
Inspections happen while the walls are still open.
Each inspection is tied to the permit, and your payments follow the schedule you signed off on.
Home additionsWhole-home and gut renovations
Renovating an older house, top to bottom
One plan covers the whole house: the systems, the structure, the layout and the finishes.
Whole-home renovation
Finish
Every job ends with a final inspection and a clean house.
Cleanup is part of the plan from day one.
Start your projectOn the record
Licensed in Massachusetts.
Stephen Selby holds a Massachusetts Construction Supervisor License. You can check it on the state’s license lookup.
CS-089723Massachusetts Construction Supervisor LicenseStephen A. Selby, active
Already have a contractor’s bid?
A second opinion before you sign.
For $99, Stephen reviews the contractor and their proposal before you sign. He looks at:
- The contractor’s licensing, insurance and financial standing
- Their project history and the quality of the proposal
- The scope of work, line by line
- Whether they can handle a renovation your size
Proposal
Second-floor addition, two bedrooms, one bath
- Deposit
- 50% due at signinga deposit right away?
- Permits
- Pulled by the ownerthe builder pulls them
- Start and finish
- To be setdates in writing
- References
- On requestfive, names and numbers
- License no.
- ask for it
- This price
- Good if signed todayno rush to sign
ReviewedS. Selby · CS-089723
What to ask any contractorbefore you hire
If a contractor does any of these, slow down.
- They can’t or won’t give you at least five references, with names and phone numbers.
- They haven’t been a licensed contractor for at least five years.
- They won’t give you their license number.
- They’re very late to an appointment, or don’t show up, without a phone call.
- They ask you for a deposit right away.
- They press you to sign a contract on the spot.
- They get uncomfortable when you say you’ll run a background check on them and their subcontractors.
Where we work
Towns within about 25 miles of Stoughton.
We’re based in Stoughton and work in the towns around it, from Milton and Sharon out to Newton and Hopkinton.
Newton’s median house was built in 1940, and 59% of Wellesley homes predate 1960. Older houses need a careful look before anyone prices the work.
What size projects do you take on?
Additions, whole-home renovations, kitchens, bathrooms and basements. If yours is smaller, or you already have a contractor, the $99 project assessment is usually the better fit.
Are you licensed?
Yes. Stephen holds Massachusetts Construction Supervisor License CS-089723 under his own name, and you can look it up on mass.gov.
What do you handle on a project?
We plan the job with you from the first walkthrough: the design, the permits, vetting the trades, the finishes, the insurance, the schedule and the payment plan.
How are payments set up?
On a payment schedule you agree to before work starts, along with the scope and the timeline.
Do you work on older houses?
Yes, and they’re common here: Newton’s median house was built in 1940, and about 59% of Wellesley homes were built before 1960. In a house that age we expect to open walls, so the wiring, pipes and insulation are part of the scope from the start.
Where do you work?
Towns within about 25 miles of Stoughton, our base, including Hopkinton, Wellesley, Newton, Needham, Weston and Westwood. Put your town in the form and we’ll tell you.
Start your project
Tell us about your project.
Send us the project, a rough budget and your town, and we’ll call to set up a walkthrough.
(774) 296-4034