May 9th update! Add the town of Brewster to the list of Stretch Energy Code Towns!  The town of Brewster voted to adopt the Stretch Energy Code at town meeting on May 6th, 2019, and the new energy code will be enforced starting July 1, 2019 for all new construction projects! 

More towns on Cape Cod voted to become Green Communities in 2018, which means they have also approved adoption of the enhanced energy code know as the Stretch Energy Code. As of January 1, 2019, Yarmouth, Harwich, and Orleans will now be enforcing the Stretch Energy Code, which applies primarily to new residential construction in those towns.

what is the Stretch Energy Code? Basically it is an enhanced energy code that requires the highest level of energy code compliance for new residential construction and some major renovations. You can find more information here: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/building-energy-codes

Which towns have elected to participate in the Stretch Code Program?

On Cape Cod:  Wellfleet, Truro, Mashpee, Provincetown, Orleans, and Harwich, Yarmouth

How does it impact your project? That's easy, this program means that building a new home or undergoing a major renovation in these towns will cost you more money. Extensive building monitoring and testing is required, advanced insulation techniques must be used, and the total energy consumption of the home must be approved prior to issuing the building permit. This program also generally requires the highest efficiency heating and cooling equipment, can often limit the size and type of appliances to be used, and it may require green energy production such as solar or wind energy to offset the energy consumption in the home.

If you are considering building your new home on Cape Cod, please Contact Us today to see how we can help!

Here's a groundbreaking opportunity to own a luxury Chatham vacation home a at a fraction of the total cost! REEF is proud to share this opportunity for the first time on Cape Cod. This stunning new home is being offered through collective asset ownership with the Lifestyle Asset Group. What does this mean?

With the collective asset ownership model, you could enjoy full use of this property for 3-4 weeks a year for as little as $253,750, plus taxes and fees. This would allow enjoyment of a property valued at $2.7M without the full burden of the maintenance and operation of a home that would otherwise be empty for several months of the year. The property is owned through an LLC and the asset is held for 8 years. At the end of the ownership period, the property is offered for sale, often times with significant appreciation on value. These collective asset opportunities are only offered in select vacation areas throughout the world such as Hawaii, Florida, California and the Caribbean Islands.

To find out more, here's a link to the offering with detailed information on the investment, pricing and frequently asked questions about collective asset ownership:

73 Rowland Dr. Chatham - Collective Asset Ownership Opportunity

Collective Asset Ownership - How Does it Work?

For More information about this property please email us at info@capecodbuilder.com

REEF Builders offers complete design build services, along with exclusive real estate services for customers seeking exclusive waterfront properties on Cape Cod. We specialize in design, permitting and construction of projects in complex environments and other environmentally sensitive areas. If you are looking for other real estate opportunities for your Cape Cod vacation home, please visit our Real Estate Services page.

Thinking of building on Cape Cod? you might want to download our Construction Cost Guide or our Waterfront Property Guide which are great planning tools if you are interested in building or renovating on Cape Cod.

Looking for a summer rental? Check out or latest summer rental offering overlooking Barnstable Harbor - The Cape House at Barnstable Harbor

Here is some recent video of one of our custom waterfront home projects in Chatham. This home features 3600sf of living area with 4 bedrooms and finished basement, along with a highly detailed shingle style gambrel exterior. This project is a good example of what we do here at REEF, as we specialize in design, permitting, and construction of projects with complicated and environmentally sensitive locations like this one.

If you are considering and investment in your Cape Cod home, or if you are looking for property to build your dream vacation home, the team at REEF is here to help.

If you are would like to know what your project might cost, you can download our 2019 construction cost guide here: Cape Cod Construction Cost Guide

If you are looking for waterfront property on Cape Cod or if you are considering a renovation project, or tear down and re-build if your existing waterfront home, click here to download our waterfront property guide: Cape Cod Waterfront Property Guide

Do you want to know what it is like to live in one of REEF's expertly built new homes?  Starting in Spring 2019 you could spend a week in one of our newest waterfront custom homes at Barnstable Harbor : REEF Summer Rental Home

Last year, Massachusetts adopted a new Short Term Rental tax, which will impact hundreds if not thousands of homeowners here on Cape Cod. Beginning on July 1, 2019, all short term rentals are subject to this new tax which varies by town and can exceed 14% of the total rental costs of a home. As of 2017, nearly 37% of the homes on Cape Cod are seasonal, and many of those are rented during the peak summer months.

Here's a good summary of the new law and what will be required of homeowners from the Cape and Islands Association of Realtors: https://www.cciaor.com/shorttermrentals/

 If you are considering building a new custom home or remodeling your existing Cape Cod property, download our construction cost guide for current per square foot costs to build on Cape Cod:  2018 Construction Cost Guide

2019 will be an exciting year for building here at REEF, with several custom home projects underway across Cape Cod. There are hundreds of design and decor decisions to make when designing and building a custom home and we have found that picking the right paint color to complement the decor can be a tough decision.

This year, it looks like color trends are coming from the subtle cues provided by nature, with light tones such as muted grays, blues, and greens often seen along the beautiful shorelines of Cape Cod.

We are also seeing some bold contrast colors being used to define certain features of the home, such as darker blues, and black which can highlight features like kitchen islands and built-in cabinetry.

If you are looking for inspiration for your custom home project, renovation or addition, you can find out more about the 2019 color trends here: 2019 Color Forecast

Thinking of building your custom home on Cape Cod? Click here to download our Construction Cost Guide

Check out our latest blog at the This New Cottage site! If you are considering a major renovation or addition project for your Cape Cod home then you'll definitely want to find out which path is right for you! You may also want to request a copy of our new book about building your Cape Cod Home: at This New Cottage,

This New Cottage, written by homeowner and its builder, Matt Teague of REEF Builders , is a tale of color, nostalgia and the challenges of rebuilding a Cape Cod cottage. Watch for it in bookstores soon!

What costs are involved?

When is the right time to consider a tear down vs. a renovation project?

How long does the tear down process take?

What are the benefits to renovation or new construction?

you can click here to find out more: This New Cottage, Renovate or Teadown

If you want to know current costs per square foot for building a home on Cape Cod, then download our Construction Cost Guide

More towns on Cape Cod voted to become Green Communities in 2018, which means they have also approved adoption of the enhanced energy code know as the Stretch Energy Code. As of January 1, 2019, Yarmouth, Harwich, and Orleans will now be enforcing the Stretch Energy Code, which applies primarily to new residential construction in those towns.

what is the Stretch Energy Code? Basically it is an enhanced energy code that requires the highest level of energy code compliance for new residential construction and some major renovations. You can find more information here: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/building-energy-codes

Which towns have elected to participate in the Stretch Code Program?

On Cape Cod:  Wellfleet, Truro, Mashpee, Provincetown, Orleans, and Harwich, Yarmouth

How does it impact your project? That's easy, this program means that building a new home or undergoing a major renovation in these towns will cost you more money. Extensive building monitoring and testing is required, advanced insulation techniques must be used, and the total energy consumption of the home must be approved prior to issuing the building permit. This program also generally requires the highest efficiency heating and cooling equipment, can often limit the size and type of appliances to be used, and it may require green energy production such as solar or wind energy to offset the energy consumption in the home.

If you are considering building your new home on Cape Cod, please Contact Us today to see how we can help!

We see this as the new standard for home construction and will be coming to Massachusetts soon.  The requirement for solar ready roof areas on new homes has already been debated at length in Massachusetts and now that California has mandated solar installations, we are certain the rest of the country will quickly follow with similar regulations
To find out more about the regulation recently passed in California click here:

California Requires Solar Panels on New Homes

We here at REEF have had solar panels on our office since 2009 and we have been able to realize substantial savings on energy consumption year over year.

If you are considering designing and building your new custom home on Cape Cod, you can download our construction cost guide here: 2018 Construction Cost Guide

This past Monday, Brewster residents approved a new Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) bylaw in an effort to meet the current housing needs in the town. An accessory unit is a great way to tackle the long standing housing shortage here on Cape Cod. The bylaw does have specific restrictions, such as size limitations, year round rental mandate, and requirements that the owner of the property occupy one of the units. Many towns here on Cape Cod currently have accessory dwelling unit bylaws, but they are generally limited to direct family members, or they are income restricted.

This new bylaw may be a great opportunity for homeowners to make a significant investment in their current Cape Cod home, and obtain strong returns on that investment while creating housing for a younger generation who want to live and work on Cape Cod, but have had a hard time finding a place to live. The ADU concept has been strongly supported by the Cape Cod Commission and also the Smarter Cape Partnership as a viable method to address the 20,000 unit housing shortage needed in Barnstable County

If you are interested in creating an accessory dwelling unit on your property, here's some information that might be helpful:

Brewster Adopts Accessory Dwelling unit Bylaw

If you are considering a project for your Cape Cod Home, click here to download our Construction Cost Guide