Whole-Home Renovation - West Newbury, MA
What started as a dormer addition became a full structural rebuild - new foundation, new framing, new everything - without ever tearing the house down.
The Story Behind This Build
We were originally called to this West Newbury cottage - right on the Plum Island line - to add a dormer on the back of the house and expand the deck. Before adding that load, we checked the structure underneath.
What we found changed the entire project: the entire backside of the house had no foundation. You could literally crawl underneath the house and get outside from the kitchen floor. There was no concrete or any type of support at all.
The project went from a dormer addition to a near-complete structural rebuild - but with a critical constraint. Removing the exterior walls would trigger flood zone codes that would force the house to be built much higher off the ground. The homeowners, an older couple aging in place, couldn't have that many stairs. So we had to restructure the entire house from the inside, making it fully self-supporting while leaving the exterior walls in place.
Solving What Others Wouldn't
A lot of builders would've flagged the foundation problem and told the homeowner to call someone else. We stayed, worked with our designer and engineer, and came up with a solution as a team.
We installed roughly 50 sonotube footings throughout the crawl space to create the point loads needed across multiple new girders. Everything was built self-supporting from the inside - the exterior walls are essentially doing nothing structural anymore.
Because the property sits in a flood zone near the ocean, we built flood gates into the crawl space that open when water comes in, allow it to flow through to reduce static pressure against the foundation, and installed sump pumps to get it out fast once the water recedes.
The Finished Home
From exterior to every room inside - here's what a near-complete structural rebuild looks like when it's done right.
Exterior
New roofline, updated siding, and a completely rebuilt structure underneath - all while preserving the original exterior walls to avoid triggering flood zone elevation requirements.
Deck & Screened Porch
Composite decking with marsh and Plum Island views. The screened porch was a priority for the homeowners - sit outside at night without getting eaten alive by greenheads.
Kitchen
All new - cabinets, counters, fixtures, everything. This is where the missing foundation was discovered along the back wall. Now it's fully supported and completely rebuilt.
Living Room
New joists, new ceiling, new subfloor - everything you're standing on and looking up at was rebuilt. The main carrying beams now run down the center, supported by the sonotube footings below.
Staircase
The original staircase was basically a ladder - no way for the homeowners to navigate it safely. This was one of the most critical parts of the project: fitting code-compliant treads and risers into a tight layout with main carrying beams limiting our options.
Bedrooms
The second floor ceiling height was barely six feet before the rebuild. We extended the exterior walls on the upper level to get full cathedral ceilings. Big windows throughout - this house is all about the views toward the ocean and Plum Island. The entire home runs on heat pump mini-split systems, efficient for 1,200 square feet and ideal where space for ductwork was limited.
Upper Deck
This didn't exist before the renovation. Built on sleepers over a flat roof with a drainage system underneath, it's accessible right off the primary bedroom. The homeowners weren't sure we'd be able to pull it off - it ended up being their favorite part of the whole project.
Bathroom
Fully tiled shower, new vanity, all new fixtures. Originally this wasn't part of the scope - it became a bonus when the rebuild required us to open up most of the house anyway.
How We Work on Every Project
We Stay and Solve It
When we found the missing foundation, we didn't tell the homeowner to call someone else. We worked with our designer and engineer to develop a solution - and kept the budget from getting out of control.
Transparent Pricing
The scope changed dramatically on this project. Every change was documented, priced, and approved before we moved forward. No surprises.
Daily Photo Updates
The homeowners saw exactly what happened on their project every day through their portal - from foundation work to finish trim.
Lifetime Support
This home automatically enrolled in Bradford Home Services. Six-month inspection from foundation to ridge, Gold membership with 24/7 emergency response, and ongoing maintenance for as long as they own it.
Have a Project That Needs the Right Team?
Whether it's a straightforward renovation or something more complex, we'll give you an honest assessment of what's involved and what it'll take.