The 2018 Construction Cost Guide is here! See how all of the various economic, labor, building code and trade issues will impact your Cape Cod home project.

Click Here to download: 2018 Construction Cost Guide

Here are some interior pics of our Chatham Waterfront renovation project that we recently completed. This project involved extensive permitting and design work as the site provided sweeping views of Ryder's Cove in Chatham. Our team worked with the owners and various regulatory agencies in the town to create the final product which takes advantages of the unique views afforded by this lot.

If you are considering a project here on Cape Cod, please contact our team here at REEF for complete design, permitting, and construction services. You've been visiting the Cape your whole life, isn't it time you stayed?

This spring, we expect to see lumber prices hit record highs due to a number of factors in the industry. Over the last year the US government has imposed a 20% tariff on Canadian lumber in an effort to protect US Lumber manufacturers. In addition to tariffs, lumber supplies have been limited due to bad weather and wild fires in western Canada. The supply shortages got so bad last month that some lumber yards in the western US completely ran out of materials! Current commodity projections now show lumber moving to unprecedented record highs.

So what does this all mean? Over the last 14 Months, lumber commodity prices have increased over 50% and we could see an additional increases as overall demand for construction materials is expected to skyrocket this spring and summer! Consumers can expect to pay anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 in additional costs on a new small to mid-sized home project.

If you are considering a new Custom Home project, or major renovation project here on Cape Cod, plan on increasing your overall budget by at least 2-3%. There are also several design considerations you may want to take into account to reduce waste and maximize the value of the structural lumber used in your project.

At REEF we provide complete design, permitting and construction management services for all of your project needs here on Cape Cod. Contact us today to see how we can help!

For more information about lumber prices - check out this article by the Wall Street Journal!

We are thrilled to be featured by HomeBunch in their latest design blog post this month. Check out the article they put together on our Dennis Beach House project highlighting the various design features and finishes throughout the project. Click Here to see the full article!

If you are looking to design and build your Cape Cod Beach House - please contact us today!

We also offer exclusive property search services to help you find your special piece of Cape Cod. Click here to download our guide to buying land on Cape Cod

You've been visiting the Cape your whole life, Isn't it time you stayed?

Last week's storm was probably the first weather event in the last 40 years when the Cape experienced widespread coastal flooding. All of the areas that experienced this flooding are in documented FEMA flood plains. The combination of high winds and moon tides created the perfect conditions for flooding, especially along Cape Cod Bay. We are often invited to look at potential projects in these waterfront or coastal areas, and the fist thing we always check are the flood maps for each area.

Below are pictures from the Barnstable Harbor and Yarmouthport areas on Cape Cod Bay

Here are some things to consider if you currently own properties in a documented flood zone (A, AE or V) and are planning a renovation or new construction project:

1. Is your property in a flood zone and what type of flood zone are you in? You can start by looking up your address here: FEMA Flood Map Portal
2. How does being in a flood zone impact your renovation or addition project? Take a look at the Substantial Improvement Requirements from FEMA also known as the 50% rule. This means that any work on an existing structure that exceeds 50% of the value of the existing structure will require that the ENTIRE STRUCTURE meet current flood zone requirements and be lifted out of the floodplain.

If you are in fact in a flood plane (Zone A, AE or V) your ability to renovate or build new will be governed by the current flood zone construction requirements. In basic terms, FEMA will require that any new home or major renovation or addition project be built to current flood zone construction standards. Currently FEMA requires that all new construction or major renovations be lifted at least 1' above the floodplain. In areas closer to the shoreline where there may be waves during a flood the home may have to be 3' or more above the top of those waves.

Those considering projects in these areas should also be aware that traditional basements are not allowed, as foundations in these areas must be designed to allow water to flow through without causing structural damage. Furthermore, all mechanical systems such as heating, cooling and electrical equipment must installed above the highest flood elevation.

If you are considering a custom home or renovation / addition project in one of these areas, feel free to contact us at info@capecodbuilder.com to see how we can help!

If you would like more information about building in coastal areas, click here for our waterfront property guide

We have had the opportunity to design and build several beautify custom homes over the last few years and we wanted to take this opportunity to show some of the great kitchens, which are always a focal point of the interior design. Here are some of our favorites.

 If you are considering designing, building or renovating your Cape Cod custom home, consider working with the team at REEF.  We provide complete design, permitting and construction services throughout Cape Cod and Southeastern Massachusetts.  If you would like to know what your new Cape Cod Home might cost, please download our Construction Cost Guide!

This week the Baker administration announced new proposed legislation that may lead to the creation of up to 135,000 new housing units in the Commonwealth. This proposal includes a combination of grants and incentives for municipalities to encourage smart growth through zoning changes that have hindered housing development in the past. Over the last several years, many towns have adopted exclusionary zoning (such as 2 acre minimum lot size requirements) that virtually prohibits reasonable density for residential development. Housing costs have skyrocketed over the last several years, namely due to zoning and building code changes. We hope that this bill will be well received by the legislature, and provide opportunities for housing development at all levels. On Cape Cod, sensible housing development has reached a critical point and all sectors of the economy are scrambling to find reasonably priced housing to sustain a year round workforce. Incentives for development around village centers, and reasonable zoning that includes things like accessory apartments are key to attracting a viable workforce to the Cape.

For more information on this proposed housing plan, click here!

If you are interested to find out what current housing costs are on Cape Cod, click here to download our Construction Cost Guide

This Saturday will be the 118th Army/Navy Football game. After last year's great Army victory - we'll be looking for another Army win! Go Army- Beat Navy!

Since the last part of this series a lot has happened! We completed the design process and were able to obtain our final building permits through the town's building department. This process should take about 30 days, but with a large home, expect lots of questions from the building commissioner. Structural details and engineering had to be submitted and reviewed with our engineer and this process takes time. We began work in September, clearing the site and moving out excess soil that would have otherwise been in our way for construction.

Most of this soil will have to be brought back into the site for back fill, due to the limited area to work and the constraints inherent to construction in a conservation area. With the fill removed, we were able get to work on the basement footings and walls.

After the footings are installed, the next step is to form and place concrete in the lower level walkout basement walls, which will remain below grade once complete - you can see the form work in the next photo

Once the concrete has been poured in the lower walls and it has cured, the forms are removed and rigid foam insulation is placed against the walls to protect from frost from migrating through the foundation walls and heaving the soils below the house.

Here are some pictures with the foam insulation installed:

With the foam in place - the lower walls can now be back filled and we are ready to grade and compact the soils under the areas inside the footings to prepare for the flood slab. This is an important step in the process, as it saves time because it would be impossible to use heavy equipment inside the foundation after the walls are poured.

Next steps? This week we will be setting up the rest of the form work for the basement, installing the remaining reinforcing bars and pouring concrete in the walls! We will also start working on the foundation waterproofing system, drainage work and the plumbing that will go under the slab for the basement bathrooms.

If you are considering designing and building a waterfront new home, please consider our team here at REEF!

Here are some more useful links!

Construction Cost Guide for Cape Cod

Waterfront Property Guide

Interested in Post and Beam construction - check out our Timberpeg Page