General Contractor in Lexington, MAWho Plans Around Historic Rules and Modern Homes

Lexington has one of the most varied housing stocks around Boston. Near the Battle Green and Lexington Center, and out through East Lexington, you find colonials, Federal houses and Victorians, some of them centuries old. Most of the town filled in after World War II with capes, ranches, colonials and split-levels on quiet side streets.

Lexington also has something few towns do: planned mid-century modern neighborhoods. Six Moon Hill and Five Fields were designed by The Architects Collaborative, the firm led by Walter Gropius, and Peacock Farm was developed by Walter Pierce and Danforth Compton. Those houses have flat or low-slope roofs, large glass walls and post-and-beam framing, and they need a contractor who respects the design instead of fighting it.

On postwar capes and ranches, the common goal is more room without moving: additions, dormers, open kitchens, a primary suite and better baths. Many owners would rather improve a solid house than tear it down, and a well-planned addition often gets them most of the way there.

In the older homes near the center, the work is more about careful repair and updating: rebuilding rotted trim and sills, restoring porches, and bringing kitchens and baths up to date while the house keeps its character. Finish carpentry is a big part of that, and we do it in house.

For the mid-century moderns, the usual requests are roof and envelope improvements, window and door work, kitchen and bath updates that fit the original lines, and replacing worn siding with material that matches the house.

Decks and outdoor living come up a lot too. Many Lexington lots are wooded and generous, and a well-built deck or a rebuilt porch is often the simplest way to add usable space in the warm months without touching the footprint of the house.

Lexington has four local historic districts overseen by the Historic Districts Commission: the Battle Green, Hancock-Clarke, Munroe Tavern and East Village districts. Exterior changes visible in those districts generally need a certificate from the Commission before the Building Department will move forward. Ordinary repair that does not change design, material, color or appearance is typically exempt.

Outside the districts, Lexington also has a demolition delay bylaw for buildings on the town inventory of historic structures, administered by the Historical Commission. For regular projects, structural changes, additions, roofing and most decks normally need a building permit, with separate plumbing and electrical permits. We check all of this at the first visit, help prepare the paperwork and keep the inspections on track.

Lexington winters bring snow load, ice dams and steady freeze-thaw. Low-slope roofs on modernist homes and old eaves on colonials are both prone to water getting in where it should not. When we open up a roof or wall, we fix the flashing, ventilation and drainage that caused the problem, not just the stain on the ceiling.

Roofing, siding and decks are best scheduled from late spring through fall. Kitchens, baths, basements and floors run year-round, so interior projects are a good use of the winter months.

For homes that need historic district review, the calendar starts earlier. Getting the design and application together in winter means the exterior work can start once the season opens instead of waiting through the summer for approval.

We are based in Woburn, a short drive up Route 128. Nathan, the owner, does the first walkthrough, writes the estimate and is on the job while work is underway. You have one point of contact and a clear written estimate that spells out scope and materials.

Lexington homes often have finished interiors and busy households, so we protect floors, control dust and clean the site at the end of every day. The estimate is free.

If something unexpected turns up once walls or roofs are open, such as rot, old wiring or framing that was altered in an earlier renovation, we stop and show you before going further. Any change to the scope is explained and written down first, so there are no surprises on the final bill.