Welcome to the Cape Cod Builder blog

How a Government shutdown could disrupt flood insurance on Cape Cod

Posted by REEF Cape Cod's Home Builder on Tue, Sep 30, 2025

A government shutdown could have serious consequences for Cape Cod residents, especially when it comes to flood insurance. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which provides most of the flood insurance policies on the Cape, is at risk of lapsing if Congress fails to pass a spending bill. This could leave many homeowners and home buyers in a difficult position.

waterfront

A lapse in the NFIP would mean that no new flood insurance policies could be written and no existing policies could be renewed. This would have an immediate and significant impact on the Cape's real estate market. Many home sales would likely be delayed or even canceled, as flood insurance is required for mortgages in high-risk areas.

The economic impact of a shutdown could also be significant. The National Association of Realtors estimates that a lapse in the NFIP could disrupt thousands of home sales across the country every day. On the Cape, where the real estate market is a major economic driver, the impact could be particularly severe.

In addition to the immediate impacts on the real estate market, a lapse in the NFIP would also create uncertainty for homeowners. With hurricane season upon us, the last thing that Cape Cod residents need is to be worried about whether their flood insurance policy will be valid.

DJI_0091

Here are some of the key impacts that a government shutdown could have on the NFIP and Cape Cod:

  • No new flood insurance policies will be issued, and existing policies will not be eligible for renewal.

  • Real estate transactions in flood plains will be frozen.

  • The NFIP's ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury will be significantly limited, which could impact its ability to pay claims in the event of a major disaster.

Cape Cod is a beautiful place to live, but it is also a place that is vulnerable to flooding. That is why it is so important to have a strong and stable National Flood Insurance Program. A government shutdown would put that program at risk, and it would put Cape Cod residents at risk as well.

FLOOD RESISTANT HOMES

Many inquiries we receive for new construction or renovations on Cape Cod are for properties within FEMA flood zones. Homeowners must be aware that building in these designated A, AE, AO, or V zones is subject to strict design and construction regulations that can significantly alter the original concept for their home.

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

With the constant uncertainty surrounding federal programs, we believe the most sensible and permanent precaution is to design and build a resilient, flood-resistant home. REEF Builders has vast experience in this specialized area, creating custom homes on Cape Cod that are engineered to meet and exceed coastal building standards, providing peace of mind no matter the situation in Washington.

FEMA Substatial Improvement

Download your FREE Guide to Permitting and Building your Custom Home  on Waterfront and Coastal  Property on Cape Cod here


Source: National Flood Insurance Program is set to expire Tuesday, halting new policies and some home loans - Newsday

Tags: Construction Costs, Cape Cod Real Estate, FEMA flood maps, FEMA flood zones, Home Design, House Design, Cape Cod Design Build, Hurricane, How to build a custom home on Cape Cod, flood insurance

2026 Interior Design Trends Shaping Cape Cod Homes

Posted by REEF Cape Cod's Home Builder on Thu, Sep 18, 2025
18naLR-149

This post explores how Cape Cod home style is merging with innovative 2026 design trends.

Blending classic Cape Cod charm with emerging design elements for modern living

Cape Cod homes possess a unique charm rooted in coastal tradition, simplicity, and a timeless sense of place. In 2026, the spirit of Cape Cod design is evolving to embrace contemporary influences while maintaining its welcoming, easy-going appeal. Designers are increasingly blending classic shingle and clapboard exteriors with striking modern elements—think large, floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the dune grasses and ocean vistas. Cozy, well-placed nooks are being integrated into open-concept layouts, connecting indoor living with breezy outdoor spaces. The fusion of classical trim, beachy palettes, and cutting-edge geometry creates a look that is equally at home in Dennis or Provincetown as it is on the design pages of international magazines. Explore 2026 Design Trends.

18naLR-63

Smart home tech, biophilic touches, and sustainability as leading design priorities

Technology is a major driver for 2026 design. Smart home amenities—integrated lighting, security, and HVAC controls—are increasingly common, concealed within thoughtfully designed millwork and furniture. Biophilic design is paramount, featuring living green walls, indoor planters, and ample use of wood to foster a tranquil, healthy home environment. Sustainability has become expected, not optional, with energy-saving appliances, recycled materials, and responsibly sourced woods. For Cape Cod homes, this means higher-resilience materials for salt air and climate, married with energy-efficient windows and solar-ready roofs. As the industry advances, ‘future-proofing’ homes to adapt to new technology and ecological standards is an essential component. See Top Decor Picks.

18naLR-53

Material, furniture, and layout innovations inspired by global and local trends

When it comes to the aesthetics of 2026, expect luxurious simplicity: plush, low-profile furniture in neutral or soft, coastal-inspired tones, paired with bold accent pieces—perhaps a statement sculptural light fixture or a hand-carved coffee table. Global influences, such as balayage parquet flooring and Mediterranean-style arches, inform local reinterpretations in Cape cottages. Open shelving, artisanal tile, and layered textiles are making waves in kitchens and living rooms. With a blend of tradition and innovation, Cape Cod homes in 2026 reflect both a respect for heritage and an embrace of what’s next. Discover Interior Styles.

Tags: Cape Cod Life, Custom Homes, Home Design, Cape Cod Design Build, Design Trends, Designing and building a home on Cape Cod

Pantone Color of The Year 2023

Posted by REEF Cape Cod's Home Builder on Tue, Dec 06, 2022

magentaversePantone2023
What is Viva Magenta?
Pantone’s Color of the Year, Viva Magenta 18-1750, vibrates with vim and vigor. It is a shade rooted in nature descending from the red family and expressive of a new signal of strength. Viva Magenta is brave and fearless, and a pulsating color whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative.

This year’s Color of the Year is powerful and empowering. It is a new animated red that revels in pure joy, encouraging experimentation and self-expression without restraint, an electrifying, and a boundaryless shade that is manifesting as a stand-out statement. PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta welcomes anyone and everyone with the same verve for life and rebellious spirit. It is a color that is audacious, full of wit and inclusive of all.

Pantone has also shared a beautiful nature inspired color palette (below) to compliment this vibrant shade of red.

magentaverse

Source: https://www.pantone.com/color-of-the-year-2023

If you are looking to buy, build or renovate your home, kitchen or bath on Cape Cod, consider working with the REEF Builders team with complete real estate, design, permitting, and construction services.

Looking for costs per square foot for a new home on Cape Cod?  Click here to download our Construction Cost Guide

Follow us on social @thecapecodbuilder

 

Tags: Construction Costs, Cape Cod Real Estate, Cape Cod Home, Custom Homes, Cape Cod Builder, Home Design, House Design, Interior Desgin, Home Decor, Home Furnishing, Design Trends, How Much House can I Afford, Paint color

Building A Waterfront Home Part III - 3D Design

Posted by REEF Cape Cod's Home Builder on Thu, Jun 08, 2017

Welcome to Part III of our series on planning, designing and building a waterfront custom home on Cape Cod. Currently, this project is nearing the construction phase, and the final plans have been turned into a 3D rendering to allow our customer the ability to get a very accurate feel for the design both inside and out. An accurate, 3D rendering is a great way to view the house on the site, with accurate topography, finishes and furnishings, and allows the owner to see and feel what it will be like to live in their new home. When designing a waterfront custom home, maximizing the view is always the driving factor. However, important considerations such as interior and exterior finishes, interior layout and overall feel of the home are still incredibly important. Our 3D rendering capabilities are extremely helpful in assessing the overall design and confirming that we have met the owner's design intent.

If you are considering designing and building a home on Cape Cod, contact us today to see what our design and construction team can do for you. Our team of designers and custom builders have a 30 year history of successful projects here on Cape Cod. As we always like to remind our customers, "You've been visiting the Cape your whole life, Isn't it time you stayed?"

 

Tags: Cape Cod Builder|Cape Cod Custom Homes|beach house, Cape Cod Builder, Home Design, waterfront homes, 3D Design

3-D Print your new Cape Cod Home?

Posted by REEF Cape Cod's Home Builder on Tue, May 16, 2017

There are several great tools available to designers and homeowners to help envision what a new custom home, renovation, or addition might look like in 3-D. Readily available software like AutoCad, Revit, and Sketchup can all produce high quality renderings, but nothing beats a true architectural model. Recently, we had the opportunity to work with one of our customers and have their design printed to scale on a 3-D Printer. This exercise was extremely helpful to our customer by providing a clear look of how the spaces will feel and look, far better than any computer generated views of the home.

Here are some pictures of the model (printed to 3/16" =1' Scale) in actuality - the physical model is about 12"x12"x8" tall

IMAG0095.jpg

3D Printer Custom Home Cape Cod Builder

3D model Custom Home Cape Cod Builder

3D Model Custom Home Cape Cod

Tags: Home Design, Cape Cod Design Build, 3D Design

REEF Awarded for Excellence in New Home Construction for 2016

Posted by REEF Custom Homes on Tue, Jan 10, 2017

REEF is proud to be selected as one of the winners of the 2016 BRICC Awards Established in 2012, the BRICC Awards are presented biennially to outstanding builders, remodelers, architects, designers, and other housing-related professionals. Featuring over 40 categories, the BRICC Awards encompasses all facets of the residential building and remodeling industries, including sales, marketing, design, and landscaping.. From overall design to sustainability, the awards program offers categories for individuals and businesses of all size

REEF Was selected as one of the silver award winners for Excellence in New Home Construction for our Northside Bayview project. We would like to thank our hard working team of designers, project managers, subcontractors and staff for a job well done! We would also like to send a special thank you to our customers who put their faith trust in our team to turn their vision into reality.

If you are considering designing and building a custom home on Cape Cod, please consider REEF for your next project!

IMG_20170110_101310_247.jpg

Tags: Home Design, awards, construction

What is the REEF Team working on?

Posted by REEF Cape Cod's Home Builder on Thu, Nov 10, 2016

Fall 2016 has been a very busy time for the design and construction teams here at REEF! This is tradionally our busiest time of year for the construction team as many of our custom home projects begin after Labor Day.  Our design team has also been busy, working on several new projects from Bourne to Truro.  Currently, we're seeing strong demand for not only traditional cape-style homes, but contemporary home designs as well. Contemporary design styling affords a lot of flexibility and versatility for a custom home plan.   If you want to see what we're working on - follow us on Instagram - click here to see our latest work

We are also starting a few exciting custom home projects in select waterfront locations.  After several monts of design and regulatory review, we're excited to begin these new homes!

If you are considering designing, building, or renovating your Cape Cod home and want a custom design and building team, please consider the team at REEF!

"You've been coming to the Cape your whole life, isn't it time you stayed?"

 

 

Tags: new homes, Home Design

What's New for 2016?

Posted by REEF Cape Cod's Home Builder on Wed, Aug 03, 2016

We're gearing up fpr another busy year here at REEF, and we wanted to show you some of the projects we are working on! We have a few waterfront homes in the design stages right now and it looks like our design team is having some creative fun with these new home designs! Let us know what you think!

 

Can't wait to see this custom design built in Chatham this fall #designbuild #capecodbuilder #chatham

A photo posted by REEF Custom Builders (@thecapecodbuilder) on


 

Our next cape cod beach house in the planning stages #capecodbuilder #beachouse

A photo posted by REEF Custom Builders (@thecapecodbuilder) on

 

Tags: Home Design

Dennis Waterview  Dream Home

Posted by Matthew Teague on Wed, Mar 30, 2016
The town of Dennis has some of the most pristine views of Cape Cod Bay! With the topography in the area of Scargo Lake, cascading to the sea, there are several opportunities for homes with commanding views of the ocean.  REEF recently designed and built a home in this area that balances incredible views with th fun, casual  family lifestyle of the homeowners.
 
Here's where the project started before the design team at REEF began their work !
Dennis_ocean_view_before_.jpg 
After several months of design and permitting with the Old King's Highway Historic District a new home began to take shape, using the natural topography of the lot to allow for sweeping views from Provincetown to Plymouth
Northside_Bayview_Cape_front_left_web.jpg

 The porches, and decks all provide a great place for gathering with family and friends and the open interior allows for entertaining inside while enjoying the view. 

If you are considering designing or building your Cape Cod home, please give REEF a call at 508-394-3090  or contact us today and see what we can do for you! 

 

 

Northside_Bayview_Cape_screened_porch_web.jpg

 

One of the most exciting features of the home is the custom made staircase which was designed to allow open floor area at the water side of the home  - 

Northside_Bayview_Cape_stairs_w_landing_web.jpg

Northside_Bayview_Cape_stairwell_web.jpg

 

And most importantly the view from the upper deck! 

Northside_Bayview_Cape_master_suite_web.jpg

Tags: cape cod waterfront homes, Home Design, Dennis homes

What is a Custom Cape Cod Home?

Posted by REEF Cape Cod's Home Builder on Tue, Mar 22, 2016

When designing your Custom Cape Cod home, customers often refer to "Nantucket Style" or "Cape Cod Style" - but what does that really mean?  Traditional Cape Cod Homes were all about efficient use of materials, light, and most importantly heat! Which is why the old "capes" are centered around a large fireplace. 

So what type of homes do people want today - is  it really a cape style? Most of the home designs in our area are a mixture of traditional Cape Cod and  shingle style homes that became popular in coastal areas around the turn of the last century. Below is a link to a little information we put tugether regarding the various styles that are popular on Cape Cod and a little history about where these details came from!  This information will be helpful when consdidering the design of your new Custom Home on Cape Cod!  As always, feel free to contact us with any questions

 

Cape Cod Style Architecture

 

Tags: Home Design

Subscribe to Email Updates

Latest Posts