Berlin, MA builder for home additions and renovations
Berlin grew as a farm town, and if you like where you live, adding on can make more sense than moving. We are next door in Northborough, so a first visit is easy to set up, and you get a written scope and price before anything is scheduled.
Gamache Construction, next door to Berlin
Gamache Construction is a family-owned contractor in Northborough, Massachusetts, the town directly south of Berlin, and has served MetroWest and Worcester County since 2006. For Berlin homeowners the company builds home additions and garages, remodels kitchens, bathrooms and basements, and handles painting and whole-home renovations. Owner Chris Gamache runs three construction crews and brings in plumbing, electrical and tile trades as each project needs them. The company is licensed in Massachusetts and insured, handles permits and inspections, provides a detailed written estimate before scheduling, and backs its labor with a warranty.
What Berlin’s size and history mean for your project
Berlin is one of the smallest towns we serve, with 3,158 residents at the 2020 census on 12.9 square miles of land. It sits in a low range of hills between the Nashua and Assabet river valleys and grew as a farm town, known in the 1880s for asparagus and by 1940 for poultry, producing 836,600 dozen eggs a year. (Source: Wikipedia.)
- Settled
- 1665, and incorporated as a town in 1812
- Government
- Open town meeting, with a three-member Select Board
- Town offices
- 23 Linden Street, in the former elementary school since 1998
- Roads
- Interstate 495 and Route 62 run through town
Lots, wells and septic
On a larger lot, an addition can go out instead of up, which keeps the roofline simpler. If your house is on a private well, we look at the supply when a new bathroom or kitchen is planned, and if it is on septic, an addition with a new bedroom needs the Board of Health to confirm the system under Title 5 before a building permit, and we raise that at the first visit.
The 1870 town hall faces the Meeting House Common. Town government moved out in 1998, and the building, refurbished in 2019, is now used for meetings and functions.
Additions, renovations and more in Berlin
Roof or siding work goes to our roofing division, Roofing by Gamache.
How an addition in Berlin comes together
The order matters most on additions, because the approvals have to line up before the crews can start.
Visit the property
We walk the house and lot and talk about how the new space will be used.
Written estimate
Scope, options and price in writing, with design guidance available as we plan.
Approvals
Board of Health review if bedrooms change, then the building permit, which we file.
Build and review
Chris’s crews build it, the trades come in as needed, and we finish with a walkthrough.
Customers on additions and outdoor work
“A sunroom addition for us”
…A few years ago, Gamache also did a sunroom addition for us, as well as replacing all of our windows and replacing a bathtub with a walk in shower. We were very happy with that work, also!
“Throughout the winter & spring”
Chris and his team did an outstanding job reconstructing our front porch. They worked tirelessly through all of the elements throughout the winter & spring and got the job done much faster than expected! Thank you!
Do I need a permit for a detached garage in Berlin?
Yes. A new garage needs a building permit from the town, plus electrical permits if it gets power. We handle the permits and schedule the inspections.
Will my septic system affect an in-law suite?
If the suite adds a bedroom, yes. Title 5 ties septic capacity to bedroom count, so the Board of Health reviews the system first, and some systems need an upgrade.
Do you need an architect for an addition?
Not always. We offer design guidance while planning, and if the project or the town calls for stamped plans, we tell you early so it is in the plan and the budget.
How close are you to Berlin?
Very close. Berlin borders Northborough, where our office is, on its south side.
Is financing available for an addition?
Yes. Financing is available for larger projects, and our financing page explains the steps.
Our Northborough team works across MetroWest and Worcester County. Towns shown on this site are examples, not a complete boundary for project inquiries. Share your location and the work you are considering so we can confirm coverage for your project.
Thinking of adding on in Berlin?
We are minutes away in Northborough. Book a visit, show us where you picture the new space, and we will follow up with a written estimate and a clear list of the approvals the job will need.