General Contractor in Portland, ME
A general contractor in Portland, ME mostly works on houses that already stand, from the balloon-framed Victorians and triple-deckers of the peninsula to the postwar capes of Deering and Rosemont. We put each job on paper first, with drawings and a fixed price signed before a wall comes down.
- (207) 613-8565
- 680 Gray Rd, 1st Floor, Gorham
- [email protected]
- 5-year workmanship warranty, in writing
- Free estimate requests
- 22 towns, Portland to Raymond
Why Price a Portland Renovation Before Opening a Wall?
We price a Portland renovation before opening a wall because the city's older houses hide balloon framing, plaster over lath and knob-and-tube wiring, and a price written after demolition is one you cannot plan around.
- 12 local historic districts, most of them on the peninsula
- A Certificate of Appropriateness before visible exterior changes
- New homes reviewed for site plan and building code at once
Get your free estimate request sent in 60 seconds!
Where Else Around Greater Portland Do We Work?
- South PortlandCumberland County1 mi
- FalmouthCumberland County5 mi
- Cape ElizabethCumberland County4 mi
- WestbrookCumberland County6 mi
- ScarboroughCumberland County6 mi
- GorhamCumberland County9 mi
- CumberlandCumberland County10 mi
- YarmouthCumberland County11 mi
- Old Orchard BeachYork County11 mi
- North YarmouthCumberland County12 mi
- WindhamCumberland County12 mi
- SacoYork County14 mi
- BuxtonYork County14 mi
- BiddefordYork County15 mi
- StandishCumberland County16 mi
- FreeportCumberland County16 mi
- GrayCumberland County16 mi
- PownalCumberland County17 mi
- HollisYork County17 mi
- DaytonYork County18 mi
- RaymondCumberland County20 mi
Which Projects Do We Take On in Portland, ME?
Portland work falls into three kinds of job; our services page covers all five.
Custom Homes on Portland's Few Open Lots
A custom home in Portland is a rare build, because the city is largely built out: of 548 permits issued here in 2025, 479 went to buildings of five or more units.
The site plan for a new house must show grading, stormwater controls and the foundation drain's outlet, plus elevations of all four sides and two street trees.
Additions on Deering and Rosemont Capes
A home addition on a postwar cape in Deering or Rosemont usually means a full second floor or a family room out back, with rafters tied into the old roof.
Inside a peninsula historic district, an addition visible from a public way needs a Certificate of Appropriateness, separate from the building permit.
Kitchen Remodels Behind Old Portland Walls
A kitchen remodel in a peninsula Victorian or triple-decker opens walls built roughly between 1870 and 1920, where balloon framing and knob-and-tube wiring turn up.
Keeping the sink and range in place costs far less than rerouting plumbing through an old floor, and lead paint in any pre-1978 home brings the EPA's renovation rule into the tear-out.
What General Contracting Services Do We Offer in Portland?
Most Portland jobs use three of our services.
Portland's Permitting and Inspections office prices a building permit at $25 on the first $1,000 of construction and $15 on every $1,000 after.
- Second floors and rear additions on capes
- Kitchens and baths in older houses
- New homes on the city's open lots
How to Start a Portland Renovation Without Surprises
A walk through the house and the lot.
We look at the visible framing, the foundation and the wiring, and check whether the property sits in a historic district.
Drawings, reviews and one signed price.
Full plans go through the city's reviews, and one fixed price is signed before demolition, with the deposit capped at a third.
Weekly reports through the last walk.
Joe Hausler reviews each phase before the following trade starts, a written report reaches you weekly, and our 5-year written warranty starts at the final walkthrough.
Why Does Joe Hausler Run Homes Like Commercial Jobs?
Joe Hausler
Owner, General Contractor Portland · Portland, Maine
Joe Hausler plans each job on paper, prices it in full and inspects every finished phase before work moves on.
Joe Hausler was eight years old the first time he followed his father onto a job site. He kept going back, and he later earned a degree in construction management.
He spent the next fifteen years in commercial construction, starting as an assistant project manager and working up to developments worth as much as $300 million, among them institutional buildings, mixed-use blocks and office towers. He came back to Maine on the first day of 2021 and started Legacy Construction that year.
Joe keeps the company to 4 to 6 active builds at a time, by choice, so he can be on site several times a week and inspect each phase himself before another trade builds on it. He also holds a Maine real estate license, which lets him help clients find a lot and judge it before they buy.
- 20 years in construction
- 5 years running Legacy Construction
- 15 years managing commercial construction, up to a $300 million development
- Founded Legacy Construction in 2021
- 4-6 active builds at a time, by design
Training and certifications
- Degree in construction management
There is no state license for a general contractor in Maine, so Joe offers what you can actually hold him to: a fixed price in a signed contract, a workmanship warranty written to last five years, and his own inspection of every phase.
More about JoeWho Do You Want as Your General Contractor in Portland, ME?
The general contractor in Portland, ME you want can explain how the job clears its city reviews before any talk of finishes: historic review, site plan review or a flood permit.
Ask about the ground, too, since soft Presumpscot clay under parts of the city can move after a long wet spell.
Maine law treats any home construction deal above $3,000 as one that must be written and signed, and it lets the opening deposit reach a third of the price at most.
Where Does Portland Review Apply, Who Decides, and When?
Something else to ask? Call (207) 613-8565, any hour.
Who decides on exterior changes in a Portland historic district?
Exterior changes in a Portland historic district are decided by the seven-member Historic Preservation Board or, for minor work, by city staff, and the standard favors repair.
Where in Portland do the historic rules apply?
Portland's historic rules apply in its 12 local historic districts, mostly on the peninsula, with Munjoy Hill, India Street and the West End among them, and to individual landmarks elsewhere.
When does a new Portland house go into review?
A new Portland house goes into review once its online application and boundary survey are filed, and a mapped flood hazard lot adds a $50 permit, so we read the FEMA flood map before design.
How Much Does a Portland Home or Remodel Cost?
A Portland home or remodel costs, on average, $315 to $490 per sq ft for a custom house with everything but the land, or $15,000 to $82,000+ when the job is a kitchen. Both are averages, a planning number rather than a quote.
| Project | What it usually covers | Average range |
|---|---|---|
| Custom home | turnkey, everything but the land | $315 to $490 per sq ft |
| Home addition | a second floor or rear room on a postwar cape | about $350 per sq ft, opening near $310 |
| Kitchen remodel | cosmetic refresh to full gut | $15,000 to $82,000+ |
Averages from many Portland-area jobs, never a quote. Old framing, historic review and finish tier move a number most.
How much is a new garage in Portland?
A new Portland garage runs $145 to $175 a square foot unfinished and $275 to $310 finished, framed on the 4-foot grid with gravel, not concrete, at the doors.
How much does one bathroom cost to redo in Portland?
One bathroom costs at least $13,000 to redo in Portland, and a larger medium bath can climb to $22,000 to $24,000 when an old subfloor or the plumbing has to change.
What moves a Portland custom home inside its range?
The finish tier moves a Portland custom home most, with mid-tier work averaging $365 to $435 per sq ft. City lots usually skip a well and septic but pay the $382 Minor Site Plan fee.
Want Your Portland Project Priced Before Demolition?
Your Portland project gets priced before demolition, starting with a free estimate request.