General Contractor in Old Orchard Beach, ME
A general contractor in Old Orchard Beach, ME starts with the flood map: FEMA's 2024 maps zone the beachfront VE, with base flood elevations around 11 to 16 ft. We read your lot's zone and walk the property before pricing anything.
- (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
This page covers general contracting in Old Orchard Beach, Maine: new homes raised to the town's 2024 flood rules, additions on small beach-area lots, and bathroom remodels in cottages and year-round houses.
General Contractor Portland reads each lot's flood zone and walks the land or house before pricing, then puts full plans and a fixed price into a signed contract. Most of the town sits on sandy ground rated poorly for septic fields.
The figure to keep: a turnkey custom home in Old Orchard Beach averages $312 to $485 per sq ft, and a kitchen remodel averages $15,000 to $82,000+. Both come from many jobs and are not quotes.
Why Does the Flood Zone Decide So Much in Old Orchard Beach?
The flood zone decides so much in Old Orchard Beach because the town's 2024 floodplain ordinance sets how high a new home sits and what holds it up. In VE and Coastal AE zones, posts or columns carry a new house, and its lowest floor rises a foot or more above base flood elevation.
- Beachfront VE zones and Goosefare Brook AE zones
- Sandy ground with a high seasonal water table
- Work timed for the empty off-season months
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Where Near Old Orchard Beach Do We Also Work?
See all 22 towns we serveWhat Do Old Orchard Beach Properties Need From a Builder?
Our three main services here bend to the flood map and the sand beneath it.
Custom Homes Built to Old Orchard Beach Flood Rules
A custom home on the beachfront is designed from the required elevation up. Off the beach, a seasonal water table near the surface still shapes the footings.
Water comes from the Saco River through Maine Water's Biddeford plant, and the town's own sewer matters here: federal soil surveys rate most local land too limited for a standard septic field.
Additions to Old Orchard Beach Cottages
A home addition on a beach cottage is decided by the lot first: near the beach, setbacks and lot coverage govern almost every project. On a tight lot, a second story over the back usually beats a wing.
On the beachfront, the flood rules also decide between adding on and starting over, so we check the house against them first.
Bathroom Remodels in Old Orchard Beach Cottages
A bathroom remodel in a summer cottage or rental runs best off-season, while the house sits empty.
Salt air and wet towels are hard on a small bath, so we check the vent fan and subfloor before choosing tile or a surround.
What Contracting Services Do We Offer in Old Orchard Beach?
These three fit the town's small lots and seasonal houses.
Code Enforcement issues the town's building, plumbing, electrical and sewer permits under MUBEC, the state code. We file with the code office; approval is its call, never ours.
- New homes raised on posts or columns
- Additions sized to small beach lots
- Whole-house updates for converted cottages
How to Plan an Old Orchard Beach Project Around the Season
The lot and the map, first.
We walk the property and pull its flood zone and base flood elevation, or open the house enough to see sills and framing.
Drawings and a price you sign.
The written contract carries full plans and one fixed price, with a first payment of a third at most.
Weekly word, phase checks, a final walk.
You get weekly updates and Joe Hausler's review of each phase, and the closing walkthrough comes with our written workmanship warranty, which runs five years.
Who Is a Good General Contractor in Old Orchard Beach, ME?
A good general contractor in Old Orchard Beach, ME prices the flood zone and the lot lines before anything else. A bidder who has not pulled your base flood elevation is pricing a guess.
Ask what the house will stand on and how high; that answer decides whether an old cottage gets an addition or gives way to a new one.
Then read the paperwork: under Maine law, a home job above $3,000 must be put in a signed, written contract, and the deposit can't top a third of the price.
Who Says Where and When You Can Build in Old Orchard Beach?
Something else to ask? Call (207) 613-8565, any hour.
Who must show insurance on an Old Orchard Beach permit?
Insurance must be shown by any contractor working at an Old Orchard Beach address. We carry two million dollars in general liability coverage plus workers' compensation.
Where does shoreland zoning reach in Old Orchard Beach?
Shoreland zoning in Old Orchard Beach reaches 250 ft from salt water and from the stretch of Goosefare Brook below the railroad bridge, and 100 ft from the brook above it, under the state's shoreland rules.
When does an Old Orchard Beach building permit lapse?
An Old Orchard Beach building permit lapses when six months pass with no work begun, and the job has two years to finish unless the permit is extended.
How Much Does a Project Cost in Old Orchard Beach?
A project in Old Orchard Beach costs $312 to $485 per sq ft on average when the job is a custom home built turnkey, and a kitchen runs from $15,000 to $82,000+. Each averages many jobs, not a price for your lot.
| Project | What it usually covers | Average range |
|---|---|---|
| Custom home | turnkey, everything but the land | $312 to $485 per sq ft |
| Home addition | a second floor on a small-lot cottage | about $342 per sq ft, opening near $303 |
| Kitchen remodel | cosmetic refresh to full gut | $15,000 to $82,000+ |
Averages from many local jobs, never a quote; a raised foundation or wet sand pushes a row up.
How much is a garage in Old Orchard Beach?
A garage in Old Orchard Beach averages $151 to $183 per sq ft unfinished and $287 to $323 finished. Widths of 24 or 28 ft frame cleanly in 4-foot steps, and gravel, not poured concrete, meets a detached garage's doors.
What does an Old Orchard Beach bathroom remodel cost?
An Old Orchard Beach bathroom remodel has a $13,000 floor per bath for a small room with plain updates, and about $16,500 is typical for a medium one. Rot behind an old tub and moved plumbing push it higher.
What moves an Old Orchard Beach custom home in its range?
An Old Orchard Beach custom home moves first on finish (the middle tier averages $361 to $430 per sq ft), then on the foundation its zone demands. Off the sewer, septic in this sand is a separate $17,500 to $44,000 line.
What Happens After You Ask About an Old Orchard Beach Job?
After you ask about a job here, we see the property and its flood zone, then put a fixed price on paper.