Expert General Contractor in Saco, ME
Owners of large 19th-century houses on Main Street and mill-era homes by the river choose Legacy Construction as their general contractor in Saco, ME because we plan the whole renovation before anything is torn out. One fixed-price contract covers every trade, and our owner checks each phase in person.
- Founded in 2021
- 4-6 active builds at a time
- Written 5-year workmanship warranty
A general contractor in Saco, ME runs a renovation under one contract, coordinating framing, systems and finish work from drawings to handover. Saco's housing ranges from large, ornate 19th-century homes on Main Street to mill-era houses along the Saco River and coastal properties at Camp Ellis and Ferry Beach.
Legacy Construction sets a fixed price once the drawings are complete. A full-gut kitchen typically runs $50,000 to $82,000+, a mid-range bathroom about $16,500, and additions in Saco average about $344 per square foot turnkey.
The Saco River flood plain reaches a meaningful share of lots, so flood maps get checked before design. Owner Joe Hausler inspects every phase himself, and the work carries a written 5-year workmanship warranty.
Why Saco Residents Hire Us for Their Renovation
- One contract and one fixed price for every trade
- Licensed plumbers and electricians on all system work
- A 5-year workmanship warranty, five times the usual one year
Saco residents hire us because a big, ornate house punishes shortcuts, and we price the careful version of the job from the start. Joe Hausler spent 15 years managing commercial work up to a $300 million development, so a phased plan for a large house on Main Street is familiar ground.
- Original trim, stair and plaster detail protected or reproduced in the large Main Street homes
- Flood-map checks on Saco River flood-plain lots before any foundation or addition work
- A written report each week, with Joe walking the job more than once a week
- 5-YearWorkmanship warranty, in writing
- 4-6Active builds at a time, never more
- $300MLargest project Joe has managed
What do homeowners say about us?
We appreciated how collaborative Legacy Construction was throughout our project. They listened to our ideas, offered practical solutions, and kept everything on track. The finished work is beautiful and built to last.
If you're looking for a contractor who is honest, detail-oriented, and dependable, Legacy Construction is a great choice. They were clear about costs and timelines and delivered a high-quality finished product.
Joe was hard working, trustworthy, a good listener and an excellent builder. He advocated for us when some inevitable glitches came along from suppliers, and he always had our back through the entire process. Our new kitchen is beautiful, highly functional, and a delight to use.
Get your free estimate request sent in 60 seconds
Answer a few quick questions about your Saco project. Your answers go to Legacy Construction so we can discuss the scope, budget and next steps with you.
What Other Contractor Services Do We Offer in Saco?
What Other Towns Do We Cover near Saco?
Where is our office?
Directions from Saco, ME to our office in Portland
185 Ridge RdPortland, ME 04103
Which Saco Houses Need the Most Careful Renovation?
The large 19th-century houses on Main Street need the most careful renovation in Saco, because their size and ornament make every shortcut visible. Mill-era houses along the river come next, since what sits behind their plaster is rarely what the original builder left.
Additions and Whole-House Remodels in Saco
A whole-house remodel of a large Saco home goes best in phases, one floor or one wing at a time, so the family can keep living in part of it. We reroute the plumbing and wiring that serve the whole house first, then finish each floor in turn.
Additions behind Saco's older homes need the same patience, because the new foundation has to meet an old one that may sit at a different depth. On lots in the Saco River flood plain, the FEMA flood map can set the addition's floor height before anything else gets drawn.
Custom Cabinets, Countertops, Backsplashes, and Flooring in Saco
Custom cabinetry is worth the money in a 19th-century Saco house, because out-of-square walls and tall ceilings defeat standard boxes. Built-to-fit cabinets can climb to the ceiling and scribe tight to old plaster, which stock units cannot do.
For counters we favor stone in a hard-working kitchen, and the backsplash should suit the age of the house rather than this year's trend. Kitchens that keep their layout typically land at $24,000 to $44,000, while custom cabinetry with a new layout moves the job toward $50,000 to $82,000+.
Framing, Foundations, and Structural Repairs for Saco Homes
Water is the first structural question for a house near the Saco River, so we look at grading, drainage and the foundation walls before any interior work gets priced. A finished basement or a new first-floor kitchen is only as dry as the foundation under it.
Settled floors and overloaded beams turn up often in houses this old, and we correct them while the rooms are open instead of leveling over them. When a beam has to be replaced, a structural engineer sizes it and the Code Enforcement Officer reviews the plan.
What General Contracting Services Do We Offer in Saco?
The general contracting services we offer in Saco give one company responsibility for every trade in a renovation, from the first drawing to the final inspection.
- Multi-trade renovation of large older homes, phased floor by floor
- Additions and structural remodels, including foundation tie-ins
- Permitting and code compliance with the City of Saco
Phasing matters most in a big Saco house you plan to keep living in. Before work starts, we map which rooms stay usable in each month of the job.
What Is Our General Contracting Process in Saco?
Assess the whole house.
Joe walks every floor with you and notes the structure and systems, then we spend four to six weeks on drawings, specifications and a phasing plan that the fixed price covers.
Permit and phase the work.
Saco Code Enforcement issues the permit, and each phase passes Joe's inspection before the next one opens. You read a written summary of every week's progress.
Finish and warranty it.
The last walk-through ends with a cleared punch list and a written 5-year workmanship warranty in your hands.
How to Find a General Contractor in Saco, ME
Find a general contractor in Saco, ME by asking each bidder to walk the whole house, attic to basement, before pricing even one room. In a house as old as the ones on Main Street, the problem in the kitchen often starts somewhere else.
Maine has no general contractor license, so your real protection is the insurance certificate and the written contract, backed by references you actually call. We hold $2,000,000 in general liability with workers' compensation, and our contract is a fixed price tied to finished drawings.
Ask about phasing as well. A contractor who plans to open every room at once in a large house you live in is planning for their own convenience instead of yours.
Who, Where and When to Remodel in Saco
The people who hire a general contractor for a Saco renovation are often owners of the big Main Street houses and of mill-era homes near the river, buying a plan as much as a crew. Owners near Camp Ellis and Ferry Beach call when storm exposure has started to show on the house.
The Saco neighborhoods that call for extra planning are Camp Ellis, where erosion and storm damage are a long-documented problem, and any lot in the Saco River flood plain. Near the shore, Maine shoreland zoning can also limit how much a house may expand.
The right time to plan a Saco remodel is the season before you want to build, leaving room for design and the city's permit decision before a construction date is set. Exterior and foundation work goes best between the spring thaw and late fall.
How much does it cost to remodel a home in Saco?
The cost to remodel a home in Saco depends on how many rooms you open and how much original detail has to be matched. Each range below averages many finished projects, so it shows where your plans fall without standing in for a quote.
| Project | What's included | Saco range* |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen, cosmetic | Existing layout with new counters, hardware, lighting and paint | $15,000 to $24,000 |
| Kitchen, mid-range | New cabinets, counters, flooring and lighting | $24,000 to $44,000 |
| Kitchen, full gut | Down to framing, new layout, plumbing and wiring relocated | $50,000 to $82,000+ |
| Bathroom, small | Compact bath, new fixtures and finishes | From $13,000 |
| Bathroom, mid-range | Typical full bath, new tile, vanity and fixtures | $16,500 typical, $22,000 to $24,000 at the top |
| Bathroom, full gut | Down to framing with extensive tile | $27,500 to $38,500 |
| Addition | Turnkey, per sq ft of new living space | Opens near $305, about $344 average, $378 to $433+ upper finish |
Kitchens are priced per project and bathrooms per bathroom, at the same bands everywhere we work. Saco's addition row assumes ordinary conditions, and flood-plain foundations or reproduced 19th-century detail can push past it.
What should you budget for an addition in Saco?
Budget about $344 per square foot for an addition in Saco, the turnkey average, with simpler ones starting near $305. Matching a 19th-century house usually calls for upper-tier finish at $378 to $433+.
Which kitchen tier suits a Main Street house?
The full-gut tier of $50,000 to $82,000+ usually suits a Main Street kitchen, because custom cabinets fitted to old walls rarely pair with a cosmetic budget. A smaller mill-era kitchen that keeps its layout can sit in the mid-range tier.
What does a bathroom remodel cost in an older Saco home?
A bathroom remodel in an older Saco home runs about $16,500 for a typical mid-range job and $27,500 to $38,500 for a gut with extensive tile. Rot under an old tub or plumbing that has to move is usually what turns the first into the second.
What Are Your Next Steps for General Contracting in Saco?
Your next step for general contracting in Saco is a call to (207) 544-4607, answered around the clock, so we can book a walk-through with Joe. Once he has seen the house, we begin the drawings your fixed price will be written from.