Service Area · Chatham, MA
Chatham summer homes often need more room for family and guests. We design additions that suit the house and the historic districts, and build them over the off-season while the home is empty.
Many Chatham homes near Stage Harbor, Mill Pond and off Queen Anne Road fill up every summer with family and friends, then sit empty for months. When the house runs out of bedrooms or gathering space, an addition is often the answer: a guest wing, a primary suite or a larger family room that opens to the yard.
Because most owners are away in winter, we plan the addition during the season and build it over the off-season. Septic capacity, historic review, coastal setbacks and flood rules all need attention before design is final. As a home renovation contractor based in Dennis Port, we manage all of it with one team.
Guest wings and primary suites added to Chatham homes over the off-season.
Whole home renovations that pair an addition with updates throughout.
When the owner is away, the builder has to get the details right without supervision: flashing at the old roof, matching trim and siding, a foundation sized for the site. Our crew has more than three decades of Cape Cod experience doing exactly that. The company is licensed and insured.
That is the standard behind our home additions work for owners who live elsewhere.
Older Chatham houses, especially around Chatham Light and in South Chatham, were added to for generations, usually with modest ells and wings that kept the original house in charge. A new addition should follow that tradition in size, roofline and materials.
Depending on the address, exterior work may also go through town review, so we confirm the requirements before drawings are final.
We meet during the season to understand how the house is used, measure and agree the design. Approvals and permits follow, then construction starts once the house closes: foundation, framing, roofing, siding, windows, systems and finishes. Decisions that need you are scheduled ahead.
Seasonal owners in Harwich Port, just west, often plan additions the same way.
Next door, Harwich Port adds a twist with the way the town counts flood zone work over a full year. A few miles further, Dennis Port is where our crew is based and where small cottages constantly need more room.
That short drive keeps our team close to every Chatham job.
Near Stage Harbor and Mill Pond, many owners want a guest wing that gives visiting family their own space. Near the Godfrey Windmill in Chase Park and the older parts of town, additions often need to suit historic houses closely.
Homes off Queen Anne Road tend to be newer, so additions there usually focus on a bigger kitchen and family room.
Summer is planning season for a winter addition. If we meet at the house while you are here, the design, approvals and permits can be ready by the time it closes. Get in touch and we will find a date.
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Every project begins with a conversation. Share a few details and we’ll be in touch within one business day to schedule your in-home consultation.
370 Upper County Rd Bay #1, Dennis Port, MA 02660, United States
No. The design work happens while you are here for the summer, and construction runs while the house sits empty. You will get updates and set check-in points for anything that needs your input, rather than calls out of the blue. Owners in Harwich Port use the same approach.
Usually not very far. Chatham’s shoreline moves, and building close to a coastal bank or wetland brings Conservation Commission review and often firm limits. Expanding to the landward side or upward is frequently the more realistic option. We study the site before sketching anything.
Quite possibly. The system’s approved bedroom count is the limit, and an extra guest room pushes past it in many older Chatham homes. Upgrading can add time and cost, so it belongs in the plan from the beginning. We go over your septic records with the Board of Health before the design is final, as we do for additions in Dennis Port.
We match the roof pitch and dormer style, trim details, shingle exposure and window proportions, and keep the addition secondary to the main house. Careful flashing where the old and new roofs meet prevents leaks. Rear or side placement usually keeps the street view intact.
The addition may have to be raised to the required flood elevation, and if the project is large enough relative to the value of the house, the existing building gets pulled into flood-resistant requirements too. Checking the flood map is one of our first steps on any Chatham addition.
Ideally during the summer before you want construction to start. Design, septic and conservation reviews, historic review where it applies and the building permit all take time before work can begin. Starting early gives the best chance of finishing before the next season.
