Home remodeling in South Lancaster, the village of Lancaster, MA
South Lancaster is a compact village with houses set near one another, so the crew working on your home is also working in front of your neighbors. You want people who keep the site in order, treat the house with respect and give you the price in writing first.
Gamache Construction in South Lancaster
Gamache Construction, a family-owned remodeling contractor based in Northborough, Massachusetts, serves South Lancaster, a village within the town of Lancaster, along with the rest of Worcester County. Since 2006 the company has remodeled kitchens, bathrooms and basements, built additions and garages, and painted interiors. Owner Chris Gamache runs three crews and brings in plumbing, electrical and tile trades when a project needs them. The company is licensed in Massachusetts and insured, handles permits and inspections through the Town of Lancaster, provides a detailed written estimate before scheduling, and backs its labor with a warranty.
What is different about working in South Lancaster?
Density and the village’s institutions. South Lancaster is a census-designated place inside Lancaster with 1,642 residents and 799 housing units on about 1.3 square miles (2020 census), so homes sit much closer together than in the rest of town. (Source: Wikipedia.)
A village shaped by a college
For well over a century, village life centered on Atlantic Union College, a Seventh-day Adventist school founded in 1882 that closed in 2018. The village is still home to South Lancaster Academy and to two regional Seventh-day Adventist conference offices.
Close quarters
With roughly 600 housing units per square mile, staging, parking and dumpster placement matter.
Lancaster rules apply
The village has no separate town government. Building permits come from the Town of Lancaster, whose offices are in the Prescott Building at 701 Main Street, and we file them for you.
Sewer or septic
Lancaster’s sewer system reaches mainly the streets closest to Clinton. Whether your house is on sewer or septic decides if adding a bedroom needs Board of Health review under Title 5, so it is one of the first things we check.
The village’s Nathaniel Thayer Estate, once the college’s music building, has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976. For the wider town, see our Lancaster page.
Remodeling services in South Lancaster
Every service below is available in the village.
Kitchens
New cabinets, counters and layouts that make a smaller kitchen work harder.
Bathrooms
Walk-in showers, tile and vanities, including tub-to-shower conversions.
Basements
Living space below the house when the lot leaves little room to build out.
Additions
Second stories and rear additions, planned for the lot and zoning.
Painting
Interior rooms, trim and doors.
Renovation
Several rooms or the whole house, with one team running it.
Decks
New decks, rebuilds and repairs.
Windows and doors
Replacement windows and entry doors.
Specialty work
Porches, garages and other builds.
Roofing and siding: Roofing by Gamache.
“Easy to work with” comes up a lot
“They were very professional and did fantastic work. Contractors who are easy to work with are hard to find, but Chris was just that.”
Gamache Construction has a 5.0 rating from 34 Google reviews, and many customers name Chris in their reviews. Read them
Is South Lancaster its own town?
No. South Lancaster is a village and census-designated place within the town of Lancaster, so Lancaster’s building department and boards handle permits and reviews.
How do you handle work on a tight village lot?
We look at the lot, the driveway and the street at the first visit, and on tight lots a second story or a finished basement can add space without using more ground.
Can I finish my basement instead of adding on?
Often, yes. A finished basement adds living space without changing the footprint, and it needs a building permit like any other remodel, which we file.
Do I need to hire a designer first?
Not necessarily. Design guidance is available from us while we plan the project, and for many remodels that is enough to settle layout and finishes.
Close to South Lancaster
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.
Planning a project in the village?
We will come by, look at the house and the space around it, and send a written estimate. If the job goes ahead, Chris’s crew does the work.