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Home Renovation Contractor in Newton, MA
We plan Newton renovations around the house you have.
Newton’s median house was built in 1940. We plan for the wiring, pipe and framing behind the walls along with the rooms you want to change.
Newton houses
Renovating an older Newton house.
Newton is built around 13 village centers, from Auburndale and Newtonville to Waban and Oak Hill. Its median house was built in 1940, earlier than in Wellesley, Needham or Weston.
Open the plaster in a house that age and you can find old wiring and pipe, and framing cut by earlier projects. If the walls are coming open for a kitchen or a bath anyway, it can make sense to replace the systems at the same time.
We lay out those options with you and the designer, and you choose what goes into the plan.
- Auburndale
- Chestnut Hill
- Newton Centre
- Newton Corner
- Newton Highlands
- Newton Lower Falls
- Newton Upper Falls
- Newtonville
- Nonantum
- Oak Hill
- Thompsonville
- Waban
- West Newton
circled: the four local historic districts
newtonma.gov (Villages; Local Historic District Commissions)
Newton’s demolition delay
An addition to a Newton house 50 or more years old may count as partial demolition, which goes to the Historical Commission.
Every house built before 1960 is past that age, and that covers at least 69% of Newton. If the Commission finds a house “Preferably Preserved”, the delay is 12 months, or 18 for a property on the National Register.
For partial demolition you can ask for a waiver at the same meeting; for total demolition, no sooner than four months after the finding. We put the review at the front of the schedule, ahead of the building permit.
- Walkthrough
- Design
- Historical Commission
- Permit
- Build
+12 months if “Preferably Preserved”, 18 on the National Register
Permits and local review
Newton handles permits and historical review online.
Building permits and the Historical Review Application both go through NewGov, the city’s permitting portal. We start with your house’s age and address. Between them, they tell us which of these reviews apply.
- Building permitsBuilding, mechanical, plumbing, gas and electrical permits come from Inspectional Services, applied for online through NewGov, which runs on OpenGov.
- Demolition delayTotal or partial demolition of a structure 50 or more years old goes to the Newton Historical Commission. A “Preferably Preserved” finding means a 12‑month delay, or 18 months on the National Register.
- Historic districtsAuburndale, Chestnut Hill, Newton Upper Falls and Newtonville are local historic districts, each with its own commission.
- Floor areaAdditions are checked against floor area ratio, with the FAR worksheet Inspectional Services publishes.
- Energy codeSpecialized Opt‑in Energy Code, effective January 1, 2024.
Sources: newtonma.gov (Inspectional Services, NewGov permitting, Newton Historical Commission, Local Historic District Commissions, Villages); mass.gov energy code adoption by municipality; US Census Bureau, ACS 2019 to 2023 five-year estimates.
Do you work in all 13 Newton villages?
Yes, every one, from Waban and Oak Hill to Nonantum, Thompsonville and Newton Corner.
What does a Certificate of Appropriateness cover?
In Newton’s four local historic districts (Auburndale, Chestnut Hill, Newton Upper Falls and Newtonville), exterior work you can see from a public way needs one from that district’s commission. In-kind repairs may get staff-level approval instead.
Does Newton limit how big an addition can be?
Additions are checked against floor area ratio. Inspectional Services publishes a FAR worksheet and calculator with its permit forms, and we run the numbers with the designer early in the design.
How long does a “not significant” finding last?
Two years. If the Newton Historical Commission finds a building not significant, that finding stays valid for two years, which leaves time to finish the design and file for permits.
Is lead paint likely in a Newton house?
Plan on the possibility. At least 69% of Newton houses predate 1960, and Massachusetts requires paint-disturbing work in any home built before 1978 to be done by a Lead-Safe Renovation Contractor licensed by the Department of Labor Standards. We check for that licence when we vet the contractor with you.
Around Newton
About 15 miles from our base in Stoughton.
In Newton: additions planned around the house’s age and floor area ratio.
Start your project
When was your house built?
The year tells us whether the Historical Commission sees the plans, and what’s likely behind the walls.
(774) 296-4034Already have a bid for a Newton job? Stephen reads it for $99 before you sign. The $99 bid review