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Whole-Home Renovation Contractor in Greater Boston, MA
An older house, renovated for how you live now.
For older houses that need new systems and a new layout. We plan the whole job with you before the first wall comes down.
Gut renovation
What a gut renovation involves
A whole‑home or gut renovation takes an older house back to the framing. The wiring, plumbing, heating and insulation are replaced, the layout changes where it makes sense, and everything is finished new. It’s a big job. We plan all of it with you: the design, the permits, the schedule and the payments.
Opened up
Rebuilt
What opening the walls turns up
- Knob‑and‑tube wiring
- galvanized pipe
- framing cut for a long‑gone duct
- rot under a window
- insulation that isn’t there
Each one gets its own line in the scope.
In a house built before 1978, work on painted surfaces has to follow lead‑safe practices, and some older materials need to be tested for asbestos before they come out. The scope says what happens with each one and what it costs.
In Newton, Wellesley, Needham, Weston and Westwood, the median house was built before 1978.
Source: US Census, American Community Survey, 2019 to 2023.
How a gut renovation runs
Each trade depends on the one before it
- Design and permitsLayout, structure and finish level drawn and permitted.
- DemolitionDown to the framing, with lead-safe practices where the paint is old.
- StructureFraming repaired or changed, and new beams and openings put in as drawn.
- SystemsNew electrical, plumbing and heating roughed in and inspected.
- Insulation and wallsInsulated to the energy code, then drywall, trim and floors.
- Finishes and finalKitchen, baths, paint, fixtures, final inspections and cleanup.
We set the schedule and the payment schedule to match these stages, and each inspection happens while the walls are still open.
Before work begins
“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
Living somewhere else for a while
A gut renovation usually means moving out for part or all of the job. The schedule shows the dates, and we go over them with you early.
Questions
Whole‑home questions
Anything else, call (774) 296-4034, Mon to Fri 9 to 5.
Read nextPre-1978 homes: asbestos, lead paint and what you must know
Can a whole‑home renovation be done in phases?
Sometimes, if the systems can be split. We work that out with you in the design. Phasing changes both the permits and the price.
Does a gut renovation count as demolition?
In some towns, yes. Wellesley’s demolition review covers houses built on or before December 31, 1949, and counts removing or enveloping 50% or more of the exterior structure as demolition. Newton’s ordinance covers total or partial demolition of any structure 50 or more years old. In both towns, a Preferably Preserved finding means a 12‑month delay, or 18 months for a Newton house on the National Register. We check this before the design is drawn.
What if the house is in a historic district?
Then exterior changes need the district commission’s approval. Around here that includes the Hopkinton Center and Woodville districts, Wellesley’s Cottage Street district, Newton’s four local districts and Weston’s Crescent Street district. Interior work isn’t reviewed.
What does a whole‑home renovation cost?
The price depends on the size of the house and how far back it goes.
Adding space
Adding on while you renovate
We can plan a second story or a rear addition as part of the same renovation, once we’ve checked your town’s setback and height limits.
See home additions
Home additions
Start your project
Renovating the whole house?
Tell us about the house, a rough budget and your town. We’ll call to set up a walkthrough.
(774) 296-4034If you know what year the house was built, tell us. It changes what we look for on the walkthrough.