Every week we get phone calls about building a new home or renovating existing homes here on Cape Cod. More often than not, we discover that many of these project sites are located within documented FEMA Flood zones. Why is this important?

Any construction within a FEMA A, AE, AO or V flood zones require special design and construction considerations that can either limit or dramatically change a homeowners' concept what their new home or renovated home may look like.

If you want to know if your home is in a FEMA Flood Zone - Click Here to enter your address and find out!

Here's a great diagram from FEMA that explains the impacts of different flood zone designations on home construction:

Any properties located within these zones (with the exception of the "X" zone) must be designed and built to flood resistant construction standards which generally means that any new home or addition in these areas must be raised up above the flood plain, and foundation areas must be designed to allow flood waters to pass through the foundation without damage.

Renovations and additions are especially tricky as the size (monetary value) of the project may require the entire existing structure to be raised up above the flood plain before the renovation or addition work can begin. The requirement to raise the home up is determined by the "Substantial Improvement" regulation defined below:

Any reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, or other improvement of a structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds 50 percent of the market value of the structure before the "start of construction" of the improvement. This term includes structures which have incurred "substantial damage," regardless of the actual repair work performed. The term does not, however, include either:

1. Any project for improvement of a structure to correct existing violations of state or local health, sanitary, or safety code specifications which have been identified by the local code enforcement official and which are the minimum necessary to assure safe living conditions or
2. Any alterations of a "historic structure," provided that the alteration will not preclude the structure's continued designation as a "historic structure."

Floodplain management requirements for new construction apply to substantial improvements. Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) coverage does not apply to substantial improvements unless a structure is substantially damaged due to flooding.

Here's a good example of a home after a substantial improvement in a flood zone:

  So what will the hot new home design and decor trends be for 2022? With the Covid era passing, people have been spending more and more time at home, working, attending class or just "social distancing."  This new interest in the home is driving some new trends which we love!

We have seen trends towards more natural finishes and interior decor elements bringing in rich wood tones and brown and tan colors from nature.

Also, elements like multi-purpose living areas that can transition from a home office to entertainment space, or guest bedroom are big this year as people continue to work from home.

Patterned Textiles and natural wood furniture often with carved elements are on trend, again playing on the nature theme, with calming and neutral brown and wood tones.

If you want to learn more about interior design trends for 2022 - click here to learn more from Vogue - 2022 Interior Design Trends

If you are considering building or renovating a home on Cape Cod, please take a moment to read our Construction Cost Guide for Cape Cod

Looking for that perfect parcel of land or property to build your Cape Cod dream home? Check out our Cape Cod Land Search

Pantone has released their color of the year: Very Peri!

More importantly, Pantone has provided several complimentary color palettes that provide inspiration for any of your home projects. Pantone provides a universal language of color that enables color-critical decisions through every stage of the workflow for brands and manufacturers. More than 10 million designers and producers around the world rely on Pantone products and services to help define, communicate and control color from inspiration to realization – leveraging advanced X-Rite technology to achieve color consistency across various materials and finishes for graphics, fashion and product design.

Their "color harmonies" provide a great tool for designers looking to compliment this great classic color. If you are planning your new home, renovation or remodeling project on Cape Cod, Pantone offers exception tools and color consulting that can really help your decision making process.

Click below to find out more about Pantone and their expertise in color!

Pantone Color of the Year

If you are considering building a new custom home on Cape Cod, or if you are considering renovating your existing Cape Cod Home, you may want to download some of our helpful project guides:

Cost Control Guide

Cape Cod Construction Cost Guide, Cost per Square Foot

We came across this article the other day and we had to share it!  We are big fans of shake style cabinetry as the clean lines and simple design are a perfect compliment to any Cape Cod Home.  We have designed and built hundreds of kitchens over the years, and we would have to say that 80% or more used shaker style cabinetry!

Click here to see 44 inspiring kitchen designs featuring shaker cabinets

Here is a kitchen we recently completed as part of a renovation and addition project in Orleans!

If you are considering building a new home on Cape Cod or a major renovation or addition, please download our Construction Cost Guide!  

Looking for Land on Cape Cod?  Visit our Cape Cod Land Search

    Designing and building a new home can be a daunting process, but new technology has made it much easier.  REEF Builders is now using the latest in 3D design and integrating that capability with an immersive design review process using virtual reality.  The virtual reality aspect allows our customers to see, and almost feel what their new home will look like.  In this platform we can examine different finish options, color schemes, furniture layouts and we can very quickly make design modifications and see those results in 3D.  Gone are the days of confusing line drawings, covered in details many just don't understand. Below is a video of a recent design presentation:

If you are considering building a new home on Cape Cod, you will want to work with a team that has 35 year track record of success, and is on the cutting edge of design and building technology.

If you are looking for a cost per square foot to  design and build a new home on Cape Cod, click here to download our Construction Cost Guide

We are thrilled to present our latest custom home project in Falmouth, the Wild Harbor Gambrel.  This project was originally contemplated as a renovation of the existing home on the site, but after a number of design iterations, it was quickly apparent that the limitations of the existing home placement on the lot, would not allow the owners to capture the sweeping views of Megansett Harbor and Buzzards Bay to the north and west. 

       A new plan was created on a completely new foundation, which allowed a fantastic view of the water, from the living room, kitchen and master suite, and allowed more flexibility to expand the home for a growing family and guests!  The end result speaks for itself! The new home has 4250sf of living space, with fantastic views of the water, along with plenty of room for family and guests.   This project is a great testament to the capabilities and talents of our design team and the craftsmanship and quality put forth every day buy our team of contractors.  This home featured stunning custom millwork, a separate, highly detailed hearth room with custom fireplace, and exceptional wood flooring and tile finishes.

Here's how the project started  -

And here is the final result! Wild Harbor Gambrel Portfolio

If you are considering designing and building a new home on Cape Cod, or a major renovation, please keep the REEF Builders team in mind!  Wondering what the cost per square foot is to build a new home?  Click Here to download our  Construction Cost Guide

    Designing and building a new home can be a daunting process, but new technology has made it much easier.  REEF Builders is now using the latest in 3D design and integrating that capability with an immersive design review process using virtual reality.  The virtual reality aspect allows our customers to see, and almost feel what their new home will look like.  In this platform we can examine different finish options, color schemes, furniture layouts and we can very quickly make design modifications and see those results in 3D.  Gone are the days of confusing line drawings, covered in details many just don't understand. Below is a video of a recent design presentation:

If you are considering building a new home on Cape Cod, you will want to work with a team that has 35 year track record of success, and is on the cutting edge of design and building technology.

If you are looking for a cost per square foot to  design and build a new home on Cape Cod, click here to download our Construction Cost Guide

  Legislation is currently being proposed in Congress to require net zero energy homes by 2030 in an effort to reduce the the impacts of climate change.  This all sounds good, but the cost of construction will increase exponentially to achieve this goal, making building cost prohibitive for current and future generations.  According to Freddie Mac  in 2020 the US already had a housing shortfall of 2.5 million units, and much of that is due to regulatory requirements which drive the cost of housing  development above affordable levels.  As you may also know, lumber prices have skyrocketed to unprecedented levels in 2021, with lumber indices increasing nearly 300% in the span of a short few months!  If sensible, safe, and code compliant housing is already too expensive for many Americans, how will the market react to the astronomical expense of producing net zero energy housing over the next 9 years.  America needs to find a happy medium that makes positive progress towards energy efficiency, while still keeping affordability at the forefront.  

Here's a recent article that summarizes the latest legislative proposal in Congress:

Climate Change Proposal with Residential Energy Efficiency Provisions in Congress

If you are thinking of building a new Custom Home on Cape Cod - Click here to download our Construction Cost Guide

Here's an interactive walk through of one of our current projects in the design stages here on Cape Cod. We are experimenting with different virtual reality integrations to provide the customer the ability view the actual design in 3D. The next iteration of this concept will include complete VR integration where customers can look at different finishes or layouts in real time with the click of a button. REEF is currently leading the way in custom home design and VR integration on Cape Cod and will continue to invest in these cutting edge technologies to provide our customers with an immersive design experience!

The accuracy and authenticity of these 3D models will also allow the customer to set clear expectations for what the final building product will look and feel like. This is a fantastic tool for custom home projects or renovations and additions.

If you are considering building a new home on Cape Cod, or renovating your existing home, please take a moment to download our Construction Cost Guide