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Hampshire County, MA

Home Additions in Ware, MA

Ware grew around the Ware River mills and calls itself the town that can’t be licked. We are a Ludlow-based general contractor building additions across Hampshire County, licensed in Massachusetts and Connecticut, with the zoning and permitting handled for you.

Custom home under construction with scaffolding at the entry
Client Reviews

Hear from Our Satisfied Clients!

We take pride in delivering quality craftsmanship and outstanding service. Explore our client reviews to see how we've transformed visions into reality and built lasting relationships along the way.

Dan was extremely easy to work with. He made our families emergency renovation process simple and was always available for questions. His company did fantastic work in a timely manner and Everything fell within budget. I would definitely recommend Dan for all your home remodeling needs.
Scott paluck
Scott PaluckSatisfied Client
From the beginning of the porch being knocked down. To the rebuilding of my new enclosed porch. Dan and his workers were amazing people. Very professional and courteous people. Beautiful job from start to finish.
Deborah batista
Deborah BatistaSatisfied Client
Dan and his team just added on a 12×12 composite deck to a existing deck at my home. It came out amazing and we are so happy with it. Dan and his team were excellent and will be using them in future projects, thank you Dan
Jeff francis
Jeff FrancisSatisfied Client
Best construction company!!! Very responsible and professional. Always on time, always ready to answer all questions!!! Highly recommend to anyone looking either to build a house, to do extension, build a porch or something else. They do free estimates and do the job quickly.
Anastasia nester
Anastasia NesterSatisfied Client
Dan’s Construction just completed a Trex deck with two sets of stairs for me. I am thrilled with the outcome! Dan was pleasant and efficient in overseeing our deck project, his crew worked tirelessly to complete their work, despite bad weather and the issue of trash on my site…
Deborah tymkowiche
Deborah TymkowicheSatisfied Client
I came across Dan’s Construction by accident while searching the internet and I’m glad I did. I read the reviews and checked out the company and contacted for an estimate. He was quick and professional and reached out enthusiastic to work…
David m
David M.Satisfied Client
Dan is super nice and easy to work with. His team worked all day to get our roof replaced which had damage down to the rafters. He is knowledgeable, fair and trustworthy. I highly recommend this company and will definitely hire them for future projects.
Review photo 1
Steph KingSatisfied Client
We called after seeing a recommendation on Facebook and we are very happy we did. We had them build a covered pergola off our back sliders, and since we live in a log home, we wanted rough hewn lumber. Not only did they order the perfect stuff…
Review photo 2
Libby OverlySatisfied Client
Dan and his team completed a full replace of the deck, staircase and balcony at my home. From the beginning Dan was knowledgeable and responsive to my inquiry including being quick to respond to any changes to material or additional items…
Review photo 3
Courtney StrzeleckiSatisfied Client
Home addition
WHAT KIND OF ADDITION

Adding to an older home

Ware's dense mill-era housing near the center leaves little room to spread, so additions there usually go up or out the back. The farmhouses on the roads toward the Quabbin are the opposite case, with room for a wing, a garage or an outbuilding. Homes of Ware's vintage have often been added to already, sometimes more than once, and what is there now decides what can come next. We handle rear additions, dormers, primary suites and full second stories, and we are candid early about what a house of this age and framing will carry. Home offices and family rooms are the two uses we are asked for most, and both want daylight more than they want floor area.

Framed interior of a home addition looking out to the yard
FOUNDATION & STRUCTURE

What the existing house will carry

This is the part that decides an addition on a Ware house of this era. We look at the foundation, the framing and the load path before pricing, because a century of previous work sits in the way. Where the existing structure will not take a second story we say so, and a rear addition on its own foundation is usually the better answer. On a tight lot near Ware's center, access for the excavator and the concrete truck can decide whether a full foundation is possible, and that is worth knowing before design starts.

Completed gray home exterior with new roof and lap siding
MAKING IT MATCH

Matching a house that has already changed

A Ware house that has been added to twice does not have one language to match, so the first job is deciding which part of it is the original and matching that. Roof pitch, siding exposure, trim depth and window proportion all get carried across deliberately rather than defaulted.

Home under construction with new roof, windows and house wrap
ZONING & APPROVALS

Permits on a lot that predates zoning

A lot of Ware's housing was laid out before the current zoning existed, which means many lots are legally nonconforming: the house already sits closer to the line than today's bylaw would allow. Adding to one of those is a specific process rather than a straightforward permit, and knowing which case you are in is worth establishing in week one. We file with the Ware Building Department.

Remodeled bathroom with a freestanding tub and marble walk-in shower
FINISHING & THE WHOLE HOUSE

Finishing the space, and the rest of the house

A shell is the easy half. On an older Ware house we are honest early about what the existing heating and electrical will carry, then finish the new living space properly: a new bath or bathroom remodeling where it ties in, updated finishes that match the rest of the house, and insulation and windows that give the new part real energy efficiency. An addition rarely stays inside its own footprint, either. As a full-service general contractor for home remodeling and renovations, we handle the roofing, siding, gutters, windows, doors, kitchens and bathrooms it touches, on one schedule with one point of contact.

THE REST OF WHAT WE DO

Everything else we handle in Ware

Roofing and siding through to kitchens, additions and new construction, all run by the same crew.

#1 Priority

Satisfaction Guaranteed

We firmly believe in honesty and long term relationships with our customers. We strive for our best and guarantee 100% satisfaction.

Top Quality

Fully Licensed & Insured

We have a multi-million dollar insurance policy to protect you. You’re in safe hands with us! We’re excited to hear about your project.

Free Estimates

Onsite Estimates

We offer completely free quotes and consultations with no strings attached. We will walk you through every and any question you may have about the project.

Common questions about home additions in Ware

Will adding a bedroom affect my septic?

If the property is not on town sewer, yes, and it is the first thing to settle. Under Title 5 an added bedroom is a septic capacity question for the board of health before it is a building question at all, and the answer can change the design or the cost. Whether your street in Ware is on town sewer is the first thing we check, before design work starts.

What does an addition cost in Ware?

On a Ware house of this age the number depends on what the existing structure will carry and what has to be corrected on the way. We look before we price rather than after. On a house of this age a phone quote is a guess. The estimate is free, done at the house with something opened up if it needs to be, and itemized.

How long does the whole process take?

A survey of the existing structure comes before a date on a house of this age. That is a short visit and it makes every later estimate real. The build itself is the predictable part; design and approvals are where the range comes from, which is why we start those first.

Talk it through with someone who has built here before

Tell us what you are planning and we will tell you what it takes. The estimate is free and there is no obligation.

Licensed in Massachusetts and Connecticut · Fully insured · BBB accredited · Over 20 years

More about home additions in Ware

Adding to a Ware house that has already been added to

Ware grew around the Ware River mills and calls itself the town that can’t be licked. The housing runs to dense mill-era housing near the center and farmhouses on the roads out toward the Quabbin, and a good share of it has been extended at least once already, often before the current bylaw existed.

That has two consequences worth knowing early. Structurally, we have to establish what is carrying what before designing anything, because previous work is buried in the walls. And legally, many of these lots are nonconforming, meaning the house already sits closer to a boundary than today's rules would allow, which changes the approval route rather than closing it.

Mill-era houses in Ware have usually been changed many times, and many of their lots were laid out before zoning. Adding to a house that already sits closer to the line than today's bylaw allows needs a specific approval, and we sort that out first.

Adding on in Ware

Ware sits on the Ware River east of Belchertown, with its downtown and mills along the river and the rest of town on hills toward the Quabbin and Hardwick.

Downtown homes are often close together on small lots that slope toward the river. An addition there usually goes up or back, and the slope can mean a taller foundation on one side.

On the outskirts, homes surrounded by woods and Quabbin land have room for a wing, a garage or an outbuilding. Access for concrete and lumber is the main question there, and we look at it on the first visit.

How the season shapes the build

An addition in Ware has one deadline the calendar sets for us: get the shell closed in and weathertight before the cold. That makes the start date matter more than it does on most jobs, because a foundation poured in May and a foundation poured in September lead to very different winters.

Interior finish carries the cold months and is the right work for them. We would rather give you a date that holds than the earliest one we can say out loud.

Zoning and permits in Ware

Work in Ware is permitted by the Ware Building Department under the Massachusetts State Building Code, and the contractor doing it has to hold a Home Improvement Contractor registration as well as a construction supervisor license. We hold both, and we file in our name, which is what puts the code responsibility on us rather than on you.

An addition runs two approvals in parallel, and the zoning one is the slower half. Setbacks, lot coverage and height come from Ware's bylaw, and where the design cannot meet them the route is a hearing for a special permit or a variance. We establish which case you are in before design work starts, because it changes both the drawing and the timeline.

If the house sits inside a local historic district, that review can govern windows, siding and anything that changes a street elevation. We check whether one applies at the start, prepare the submission where it does, and build to what gets approved.

Why Ware homeowners choose us

We are a family-run construction company of more than 20 years, working out of Ludlow and serving Ware, MA every week. The same team that quotes the job runs it, which is the practical reason the quality holds. We hold the Massachusetts Home Improvement Contractor registration and the Construction Supervisor License, are licensed in Connecticut, carry liability and workers compensation insurance, and are BBB-accredited with an A rating. Reviews come from Hampshire County homeowners you can look up, and the quote is free, written and itemized.

Where else we build home additions

We build home additions in the towns around Ware too, including Palmer, Belchertown, Warren and Monson. In Ware we also build decks and remodel bathrooms. For everything else we do there, see our Ware page. Not sure whether we reach you? Call +1 (413) 351-5125 and ask, it is a short conversation.