Project Spotlight: The O’Sullivan Home
Paula and Dan O’Sullivan own something of a rarity in urban Somerville: a farmhouse-style home. They loved the house when they first saw it six years ago, largely because of the two generous porches and …
Is a Major Interior Renovation Right for You?
Many people associate an interior renovation with an expansion of the home’s footprint. In fact, major remodeling projects frequently don’t involve building an addition, but rather reconfiguring the existing space in a better way. So …
Project Spotlight: The Cooke/Steinberg Home
It’s always nice when one of our clients takes the time to share some kind words about Custom Contracting. So we were pleased to come across this five-star review on Houzz.com from Arlington’s Heather Cooke: …
Understanding the Importance of Plot Plans
If you’re considering an addition or external renovation to your home, be sure to account for the plot plan. Failing to do so could cause a significant delay in your project. A plot plan, …
CCI Q&A: The Challenges of Creating a Project Timeline
Production manager Craig Lielasus explains what goes into creating a project timeline — and how we and our customers can use this valuable tool. At what point in the process do you begin working on …
Is Now the Time to Remodel?
With many Greater Boston homeowners having seen the value of their investment rise since the dark days of 2008–2012, now may be an excellent time to put some money into home improvements The key is …
A Dedicated Team Is the Key to Our Success
Outside of quality of work, price has traditionally been the most critical variable for homeowners evaluating general contractors. In Eastern Massachusetts today, however, availability may well have moved ahead of price. In the March …
Making the Case for Design/Build
When it comes to a sizable remodeling project, homeowners can take one of two basic paths: 1) Hire an architect to draw up plans and then a general contractor to execute on those plans, …
The Keys to Our Success
It doesn’t seem that long ago that we were celebrating our 20th year in business. Now it’s 25 years — hard to believe. Thanks to all our clients for …
What is Design/Build and why does it matter?
At Custom Contracting, we see design/build remodeling as the foundation of a successful home renovation or addition. Design/build remodeling is a project delivery system in which one entity is responsible for both design and construction. …
The Realities of Renovating a Bathroom
Despite what you may see on HGTV or hear from companies like Bath Fitter, you can’t complete a major bathroom renovation in a week. If you’re going to do it right — which is how …
The Importance of the Lead Carpenter System
In this Management Memo, we’d like to explain Custom Contracting’s “lead carpenter system” — and how it benefits our clients. The way we see it, there are two possible extremes for a remodeling project: chaos …