Joe Hausler
- Founded in 2021
- 4-6 active builds at a time
- Written 5-year workmanship warranty
This page profiles the founder and owner of Legacy Construction, a custom home builder based in Portland, Maine. He started the company in 2021 after a full career in commercial construction.
His background runs from a construction management degree to overseeing developments as large as $300 million, and he also holds a Maine real estate license that he uses to help clients evaluate land.
He is the named author of the cost guides on this site. Every range in those guides is an average across many builds, offered so readers can place their own plans, never as a quote.
Joe Hausler, Founder and Owner of Legacy Construction. Portland, Maine.
Joe grew up on job sites, swinging a hammer beside his father from the age of eight. He is the author of record for the guides on this site, and the person who answers for every number in them.
What did Joe Hausler build before 2021?
Joe Hausler built commercial projects for 15 years before 2021, after earning a degree in construction management. He worked up from assistant project manager to overseeing developments as large as $300 million.
Those were office towers, mixed-use buildings and institutional projects, where one scheduling mistake can cost millions. That work trained him to plan every phase on paper and check it in the field before the next crew arrives.
On January 1, 2021, he moved home to Maine and founded Legacy Construction. The company builds custom homes with the same systems he ran on commercial sites, on a deliberately short list of four to six active builds.
What credentials does Joe hold?
Joe holds a degree in construction management and a Maine real estate license, and he brings 15 years of commercial project management to every house.
His public LinkedIn education profile lists California State University, Chico.
- Degree in construction management
- Maine real estate license, used to help clients find and judge land before they buy
- 15 years managing commercial construction, up to a $300 million development
Maine does not license general contractors or builders, as the Attorney General explains in its home construction guidance, so there is no builder's license to list here. What Joe offers instead is a fixed-price contract, a written 5-year workmanship warranty and his own review of every phase.
Why does Joe put his name on these guides?
Joe puts his name on these guides because a lot of building advice online comes from people who have never priced a house against a full set of drawings. Three beliefs in particular cost homeowners real money:
- "A builder can price your house from a sketch." A sketch price is a placeholder. The real number arrives later, one change order at a time.
- "One year of warranty is plenty." A house shows its workmanship over several seasons. Ours runs five years, in writing.
- "Every builder gives every job the same attention." Attention is finite. Joe keeps four to six builds going so he can be on each site several times a week.
How do these guides get written?
These guides follow three editorial principles.
Ranges, never quotes. Every cost band on this site is an average across many builds, there to show where your plans are likely to land. Nobody can price your house without the drawings and the lot.
One model for construction cost bands. The construction ranges use a consistent model across the site. Municipal fees and other published requirements have their own linked official sources.
The Code Enforcement Officer decides. When a permit, a setback or a shoreland rule is the town's call, the guide says so. We never promise that a plan or a permit will be approved.
What does Legacy Construction build?
Legacy Construction builds custom homes first, typically $400,000 to $2 million and up, and usually 10 to 14 months from foundation to final walkthrough. We also take on additions, garages, whole-home remodels and house plans in Portland and 20 nearby towns.
Land, site work, finish level and schedule decide whether a custom home stays on budget. The guides here go deep on all four, because custom homes are the core of our work.
How do you reach Joe directly?
You reach Joe directly by calling (207) 544-4607 at any hour, or with a note through the contact page that goes straight to him. If something you read here conflicts with what another builder told you, ask him about it before you sign anything.
Start with what it costs to build a house in Portland, Maine, read more about how Legacy Construction works, or browse every guide on the site.