Additions. A growing family needs a primary suite, a larger kitchen, or a first-floor bedroom. In Wellesley, any addition that increases Total Living Area Gross by more than 10% triggers Large House Review through the Planning Board, which adds review stages, time, and fees. We calculate that impact before we draw. Additions are also where design and structure collide hardest, because the new roofline and foundation have to meet the old one correctly, which is where having the architect and the framer on one team pays off most.

ADUs. Wellesley’s ADU bylaw was amended in 2025 after the state’s Affordable Homes Act, and the rules are specific. Size is capped at 900 square feet or 50% of the main dwelling’s gross area, whichever is smaller, with a 250 square foot minimum. Detached ADUs are allowed only in the rear or side yard, or in pre-existing structures. An ADU is a zoning question first, a design question second, and a construction question third. We handle all three in order.

Full remodels. Gut renovations of older Wellesley homes, where the scope is not fully known until the walls are open. A significant share of the town’s housing stock predates 1950, and the demolition review bylaw applies to dwellings built on or before December 31, 1949, so a major renovation removing 50% or more of the exterior structure can trigger a demolition delay. We plan for that with a clear process for surprises rather than pretending they will not happen.

Decks Construction. A deck in Wellesley requires a certified plot plan signed by a Massachusetts Registered Land Surveyor, because it modifies the structural footprint of the lot. That plot plan has to show the proposed deck dimensions, setbacks, lot coverage, and frontage before the permit application is accepted. Decks also sit on the frost line, which in Massachusetts runs 42 to 48 inches, and footing depth is where most homeowner-built decks fail inspection. We handle the survey coordination, the permit, and the framing together, because a deck is a structural project first and an outdoor living space second.