Teardown & Rebuild on Cape Cod
Tear down the cottage.Keep the view.Keep the lot.Keep the neighbors.
Great lot, tired house. We take it down, keep what the lot gives you, and build the home that should have been there — with every crew under one roof, so nothing gets handed off.
- 7 crews, one company
- Demo to keys without a sub
- Nonconforming lots understood
- ★ 4.9 Google rating
The lot is the asset. The house isn’t.
A 1950s cottage on a pond or a half-mile from the beach is worth a fortune for what it sits on and almost nothing for what it is. Low ceilings, a failing foundation, a layout that made sense in 1958.
The tipping point is usually structure and code: once you’re replacing the foundation, the roof, and the systems, a rebuild costs less than a renovation and gives you a house designed for the lot — with the setback, height, and footprint questions answered before you commit.
Hyannis Port · beforeSix questions we ask about every old Cape house.
Flip the ones that are true for yours. This isn’t a quote — it’s the same gut check Fagner does on the first walk-through.
Flip a few switches.
We’ll tell you which way it’s leaning — and we’ll tell you the same thing on the phone, even if the answer is “renovate.”
Get a straight answer on your house No score is a verdict. Structure and setbacks decide it; we walk the house before we say either word.Seven crews. One company. No handoffs.
A teardown is the project where owning every trade matters most: the crew that takes the house down knows exactly what the next crew needs. Click a team.
Coast Disposal
Demo and haul-off
Coast Masonry
New foundation and hardscape
Coast Carpentry
Frame to finish
Coast Painting
Interior and exterior
Coast Landscaping
Grading, lawn, plantings
Coast Cleaning
Construction clean and turnover
Coast Vacation Property Mgmt
After the keys
Coast Disposal crewDemo and haul-off
The old house comes down in days, not weeks. Permitted demolition, material sorted and hauled, foundation broken out, site graded clean for the next crew.
Old shingle ranch to a two-story home. Same lot, same view.
Demolition, foundation, framing, finish, paint, and landscaping by one group — and a house that finally uses the lot it sits on. Click any photo.
KitchenLiving room
Deck
StairThree things we settle before you commit.
On the Cape, the lot rules decide the house. We answer these first — usually in the first week.
Same footprint, or new?
Most older Cape lots are nonconforming. Rebuilding within the existing footprint can preserve rights a new footprint would lose. We check the town bylaw before design, not at the board.
Height, setbacks, and the view
A second floor changes the setback math and sometimes the neighbors’ view. We model it against the town’s limits so the plan you fall for is one you can build.
Flood zone and Title 5
The old house predates both. Elevation and septic capacity decide the foundation and the bedroom count — so we settle them before the kitchen conversation.
The teardown questions nobody answers clearly.
Can I rebuild on the same footprint?+
What if my lot is nonconforming?+
Is a teardown really cheaper than a big renovation?+
How long from demo to move-in?+
Can I stay on the property during construction?+
Do you use subcontractors on a teardown?+
More answers on the full New Construction FAQ →
Bring us the lot. We’ll tell you what it can be.
A free walk-through — the house, the setbacks, and an honest read on renovate vs. rebuild. If the answer is “renovate,” we’ll say so.
↓Not ready to talk? Download the Cape Cod Building Guide — permitting, timelines, and what drives cost.
Nothing is required — but any of these help:
- Lot survey or plot plan
- Photos of the existing house
- A rough budget range
- Whether you own it yet or are under contract
