Service area
Remodeling in Waltham and ten nearby towns
We work in Waltham and the towns around it: Newton, Wellesley, Weston, Belmont, Lexington, Arlington, Watertown, Needham, Winchester and Wayland. Close enough that the crew is on site early and back fast when you need us.
- 11 towns, all within 7 miles of the shop
- Free estimate visits in every town listed
- Permits filed with your town's building department
Map · to scale
Every town within seven miles of the shop.
- Watertown, MA3.0 miNext door. Multi-family homes & iron work, c. 1947c. 1947Homes built48%Owner-occupied35,543ResidentsRemodeling in Watertown →
- Belmont, MA3.1 miThe oldest housing nearby, c. 1938c. 1938Homes built65%Owner-occupied27,175ResidentsRemodeling in Belmont →
- Newton, MA3.4 miOlder colonials & Victorians, homes built c. 1942c. 1942Homes built70%Owner-occupied89,044ResidentsRemodeling in Newton →
- Weston, MA3.6 miLarge lots for additions & new homes, c. 1964c. 1964Homes built88%Owner-occupied11,579ResidentsRemodeling in Weston →
- Arlington, MA4.7 miTwo-families, kitchens, baths & basements, c. 1945c. 1945Homes built62%Owner-occupied46,350ResidentsRemodeling in Arlington →
- Lexington, MA4.8 miMid-century homes ready for additions, c. 1965c. 1965Homes built80%Owner-occupied34,295ResidentsRemodeling in Lexington →
- Wellesley, MA5.4 miBig-kitchen remodels and additions, c. 1955c. 1955Homes built84%Owner-occupied30,347ResidentsRemodeling in Wellesley →
- Wayland, MA6.5 miBig lots: additions, basements & new builds, c. 1962c. 1962Homes built88%Owner-occupied13,914ResidentsRemodeling in Wayland →
- Needham, MA6.6 miRebuilds and additions, c. 1965c. 1965Homes built83%Owner-occupied32,459ResidentsRemodeling in Needham →
- Winchester, MA7.0 miOlder single-family homes, c. 1954c. 1954Homes built82%Owner-occupied23,406ResidentsRemodeling in Winchester →
Housing figures: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates. “Homes built” is the median year built.
Local conditions
What changes from one town to the next.
Eleven towns means eleven sets of rules. Here's what differs most for remodeling and building work. Each town's page has the details and links to the official sources.
- House-size limits
Several towns cap how big a house can get on its lot: Weston's residential gross floor area cap, Wellesley's Large House Review, Lexington's gross floor area limit, and floor area ratio rules in Newton and Needham. They shape additions and new homes most.
- Demolition delay and historic review
Most towns can delay tearing down, or partly tearing down, an older house while their historical commission reviews it. The age cutoff and the length of the delay differ by town, and local historic districts review exterior changes like porches, fences and railings.
- All-electric rules
Lexington, Arlington and Newton limit fossil-fuel hookups in new construction and major renovations, and several other towns use the state's Specialized Opt-in energy code for new homes.
- Septic instead of sewer
Every house in Weston, and much of Wayland outside its sewered center, is on a private septic system, so the Board of Health signs off on additions and finished space, and a septic system's design can limit how much living space a house can add.
- Stormwater permits
Adding a roof, patio or driveway can trigger a local stormwater permit. The thresholds vary a lot from town to town, from a few hundred square feet of new hard surface to thousands of square feet of disturbed ground.
- Wetlands, rivers and flood maps
The Charles, the Aberjona and the Sudbury run through the area. Some towns protect wetland buffers wider than the state's 100 feet or keep no-disturb zones, and new FEMA flood maps took effect in 2025 in parts of the area.
Why we stay close
A short drive is part of the service.
- 1On site early
- Most of our jobs are a short drive from the Calvary Street shop, so the crew starts the day at your house, not in traffic.
- 2Back fast
- An inspector's visit, a delivery, a punch-list item: being close means we can come back the same day instead of next week.
- 3Local permits
- We file with your town's building department and schedule every inspection, so the work is on record when you sell.
Every service, every town
What we build across the area.
- 01
- 02
- 03
- 04
- 05
- 06
Questions
About our service area.
Which towns does HouseCraft work in?
Waltham, where our shop is, and Newton, Wellesley, Weston, Belmont, Lexington, Arlington, Watertown, Needham, Winchester and Wayland. All of them are within about seven miles of Calvary Street.
Do you take jobs outside these towns?
Sometimes. We travel for the right project, so call or send the details and we'll tell you straight away whether it's a fit.
Who files the permits in my town?
We do. We file the building permit with your town's building department and schedule the inspections; licensed plumbers and electricians pull their own trade permits, as Massachusetts requires.
Is the estimate visit free in every town?
Yes. We come out, measure, listen and send a written, line-item estimate at no charge, wherever you are in our service area.
Town not listed? We travel for the right job. Tell us where you are and what you're planning, and we'll be straight with you about whether it's a fit.
Tell us about your projectFree estimate
Tell us about your house.
We'll come out, measure, listen, and send a written estimate. The visit is free and there's no pressure to sign.
Call 617-934-1875