Kitchen, Bath, Addition and Basement Remodeling for Massachusetts and New Hampshire Homes
A kitchen laid out for the way you cook now, a bathroom that finally works, more room for a growing household, or an attic or basement that sits unused? New England Remodeling Pros is a free referral service for homeowners in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Call (978) 951-4644 or send the form. A person reads every request and replies with what happens next.
- Free for homeowners
- Contractors screened first
- One company per area
Ask About Remodeling Service in Your Area
Tell us about the room, the house and what you have in mind. A person reads it and replies with what happens next.
Please add your name, a 10-digit phone number and a valid email.
Your request didn't go through on our end. Please call (978) 951-4644 so it isn't lost.
Too many requests have come from this connection in a short time. Please call (978) 951-4644 and we'll take it from there.
We couldn't finish the spam check. Wait a moment and send it again, or call (978) 951-4644.
What we refer
What are you planning?
Kitchen Remodeling
New layouts, cabinets and counters, with licensed trades for any plumbing, gas and electrical work.
Bathroom Remodeling
Tub-to-shower conversions, full gut renovations and added bathrooms, permitted the way your town requires.
Additions & Whole-Home
Additions, dormers, second stories and whole-house renovations, with the structural permits and zoning they bring.
Attic & Basement Finishing
Turning an attic or a dry basement into living space, with the building department involved from the start.
Not sure where to start?
(978) 951-4644A wall you would like gone, a bathroom that leaks into the ceiling below, a family member moving in, a basement you only walk through on laundry day: tell us what you have in mind and we'll help you sort out what kind of project it is.
How it works
One request instead of a week of phone tag
Good remodelers book up months out, and many homeowners spend weeks leaving messages before anyone calls back. Tell us your town and the project, and the request comes to us. No remodeling contractors are participating yet; we're signing them up one area at a time, and until then we reply to every request ourselves.
Each area has one participating company at most. We don't design, build or pull permits for anything, and we don't sign contracts. The price, the schedule and the agreement are between you and the contractor.
- Describe the project. Your town, the rooms involved, roughly when the house was built if you know, and whether you are thinking about walls, plumbing or an addition.
- A person reads it and answers. Every request is read by a person, who writes back with what to do next.
- Most real remodels need permits. In Massachusetts, cutting away walls or structural members needs a building permit, and plumbing and gas work needs its own permit; in New Hampshire, your town decides what needs a permit, and the plumbing, gas and electrical work is done by licensed trades. The contractor handles the applications.
Service area
The towns we cover
Each town page covers the local building department and which remodeling jobs it says need permits, the zoning rules for additions and accessory apartments, historic review for older houses, and the kinds of homes you find there. Towns with a local guide so far: Greater Lowell, MA (Lowell, Chelmsford, Dracut, Tewksbury, Billerica, Westford, Tyngsborough and Pepperell), Andover, Lawrence & Haverhill, MA (Methuen, Lawrence, Andover, North Andover and Haverhill), Woburn, Reading & Melrose, MA (Woburn, Lexington, Burlington, Wilmington, North Reading, Reading, Wakefield, Melrose, Stoneham and Winchester), Nashua Region, NH (Nashua, Hudson and Merrimack), Salem, Derry & Londonderry, NH (Pelham, Salem, Windham, Derry and Londonderry), Manchester & Bedford, NH (Manchester and Bedford) and Portsmouth, Dover & Rochester, NH (Portsmouth, Dover and Rochester). We add towns across New England as we can cover them properly.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts remodeling rules and every town we cover →
New Hampshire
State rules
How the two states handle a remodel
Massachusetts: registered contractors and written contracts
Registration. Renovating, altering or adding on to an existing owner-occupied home of one to four units is "residential contracting" under the home improvement law, and the program does not cover new construction, investment or vacation homes (M.G.L. c.142A §1, OCABR homeowner resources). You can look a contractor up on the state's Contractor Hub.
The contract. A job over $1,000 needs a written contract with the contractor's registration number, start and completion dates, the work and materials, the total price and a payment schedule. The deposit can't exceed one-third of the price unless special-order materials cost more, and a contract signed away from the contractor's place of business can be cancelled until midnight of the third business day (M.G.L. c.142A §2, c.93 §48).
Who pulls the permit matters. If a registered contractor doesn't pay a judgment, an eligible homeowner may apply to the state Guaranty Fund for up to $25,000 of actual losses (as of November 2026). Homeowners who pull their own permits, or hire an unregistered contractor, lose access to it (OCABR).
Structural work. On one- and two-family homes, a licensed construction supervisor or a registered design professional must oversee construction (When a CSL is required). Cabinets, countertops, tile and similar finish work don't need a building permit, but cutting away a wall, removing a structural beam or changing a required way out of the house does, and plumbing, gas and electrical work may need permits of their own (780 CMR R105).
Older homes and ADUs. In a home built before 1978, renovation must be done by a licensed lead-safe renovation contractor (MA Department of Labor Standards). Since February 2, 2025, one accessory dwelling unit of up to 900 square feet, or half the main house if that is smaller, is allowed by right in single-family zoning districts; it still needs a building permit (EOHLC ADU page).
New Hampshire: vet the contractor yourself
No state license. The Attorney General's office says "contractors do not need to be licensed" in New Hampshire and tells homeowners to ask for references and proof of insurance (NH Attorney General). Plumbers, gas fitters and electricians are the exception and hold state licenses (OPLC, RSA 319-C).
The contract. The same advice calls for a written contract with the scope, materials, total price and payment schedule before any work or payment, and treats a down payment over 50% of the final cost as a warning sign. On a contract over $5,000 for building or improving a home, the contractor must give a written notice about the state's construction defect law, which asks a homeowner to serve written notice of a claim at least 60 days before suing and gives the contractor 30 days to respond (RSA 359-G).
Permits come from your town. Building permits are issued by towns and cities, and a town may keep codes stricter than the state's (RSA 155-A:2). The state building code moved to the 2024 editions on July 1, 2026, with a concurrence period through December 31, 2026; from January 1, 2027 permit requests follow the new codes (Town of Merrimack code page).
Older homes and ADUs. Anyone paid to disturb paint in a pre-1978 home must be EPA-certified, and window replacement always counts (EPA RRP). Towns must allow one accessory dwelling unit, attached or detached, by right wherever single-family homes are allowed (RSA 674:72).
Massachusetts remodeling rules in full · New Hampshire remodeling rules in full
Last verified November 2026. Fees, restrictions and deadlines on this page are due for re-checking by January 2027.
FAQ
Common questions
Does it cost anything to use New England Remodeling Pros?
No. Asking is free for homeowners. The contractor prices the job, and the price and the contract are between you and that company.
Something in the house is failing right now. Can you send someone tonight?
We are not an emergency service. We review it and reply by the next business day. If you smell gas, leave the house and call 911 from outside. If a ceiling, wall or floor is sagging or cracking fast, keep people out of that area and call your building department or 911.
Will a bunch of contractors start calling me?
No. Your request goes to one company at most, the one that covers your town. We never send it out to a list.
What remodeling work do you refer?
Work on owner-occupied homes: kitchen and bathroom remodels, additions, dormers and second stories, whole-house renovations, and finishing attics and basements as living space. New homes built from the ground up and commercial buildings are outside what we refer.
Does a contractor need a license for a remodel?
In Massachusetts, a contractor working on an existing owner-occupied home of one to four units generally must be registered as a Home Improvement Contractor, and on one- and two-family homes structural work is overseen by a licensed construction supervisor or a registered design professional. In New Hampshire, the Attorney General says contractors do not need to be licensed, although plumbers, gas fitters and electricians are licensed in both states.