New England homes are old. According to the National Association of Home Builders’ March 2026 analysis of 2024 American Community Survey data, the median home in Massachusetts and Rhode Island is 59 years old, against a national median of 42. That’s a lot of slate, clapboard, and “we’ll deal with it next spring.”
So when something finally gives, the question isn’t whether to hire help. It’s who.
The ten companies below are the ones we’d hand our own keys to, ranked from a full design-build firm you’d trust with a whole house down to the exterior specialists who keep the weather where it belongs. Each entry gets the highlights, plus a short note on why we like them.
How We Picked These Companies
We chose these ten New England home improvement companies by checking public records rather than ad copy.
For each firm, we looked at four things: years in business and ownership, state licensing and manufacturer certifications, third-party review platforms with verified survey data (GuildQuality, Houzz, Google, and the Better Business Bureau), and recognition from industry bodies such as Qualified Remodeler’s Top 500 list and NARI.
We also spread the list across all six states.
A Boston-only list isn’t a New England list, and a homeowner in South Burlington deserves better than a company that “sometimes travels.”
One caveat: we didn’t hire all ten. We read the survey comments, checked the license numbers ourselves, and leaned on a few hundred strangers who took the time to fill out a form. That’s still a better basis than a lawn sign.
Feinmann, Inc. — Lexington, Massachusetts
Feinmann, Inc. is a luxury design-build firm serving Greater Boston, MetroWest, and the North Shore, and it has been doing that since 1987.
The company is 100 percent employee-owned through an ESOP, which is rare in residential remodeling and shows up in how long people stay.
Highlights:
– Design and construction handled by one team under one contract – 4.8 out of 5 on GuildQuality from 168 verified reviews, with 97 percent saying they’d recommend the firm – Named a GuildQuality Guildmaster 15 times between 2009 and 2026 – 2026 NARI Regional Remodeler of the Year
Why we like them: Employee-owners tend to act like owners.
The pattern in Feinmann’s verified GuildQuality surveys is continuity: the person who drew the plan is still around when the tile goes in. For a whole-house project, that is worth more than any showroom.
Ranch Roofing — Arlington, Massachusetts
Ranch Roofing is a family-run roofing contractor that has been installing residential, commercial, and condominium roofs from its Massachusetts Avenue shop since 1996.
The company holds GAF Master Elite status, a certification GAF gives to fewer than 2 percent of roofing contractors nationwide, and it pairs that with Owens Corning Platinum, Elevate Master, and Carlisle SynTec certifications.
Highlights:
– 30 years serving Arlington, Belmont, Cambridge, Lexington, Medford, Somerville, and Winchester – 4.9 out of 5 across 131 reviews on GAF’s contractor directory – Workmanship coverage of up to 25 years on GAF systems and up to 50 years on Owens Corning – Roof deck replacement, roof cleaning, and skylights in addition to full replacements
Why we like them: Four manufacturer certifications on one small company is the tell.
Most roofers carry one, because each program means training, inspections, and a track record the manufacturer will stand behind with its own warranty.
Ranch Roofing carries GAF, Owens Corning, Elevate, and Carlisle, which means you can pick the roofing system that fits the house instead of the one the crew happens to know.
In a region where winter finds every weak shingle, that flexibility plus 30 years of local addresses is exactly what you want at number two. [EDITOR: add your own first-hand note here if you or a reader has used them — a sentence on the estimate visit or the cleanup is enough.]
Yankee Remodeler of New London — New London, Connecticut
Yankee Remodeler has handled residential and commercial remodeling along the Connecticut shoreline since 1971.
Founders Harry Mantzaris and Fred Bolles sold the company in 2008 to Karl Bagwell, a long-time employee, and the firm reports more than 18,000 completed projects across Connecticut and Rhode Island.
Highlights:
– Ranked number 243 on Qualified Remodeler’s Top 500 list in 2024, on roughly $10 million in remodeling revenue – Licensed in both Connecticut (HIC 0525759) and Rhode Island (Reg. 6797), and EPA Lead-Safe certified – Takes on small repairs and painting, not only big-ticket remodels
Why we like them: A 55-year-old company that still answers the phone for a small repair is unusual. Most firms this size stop returning those calls. Yankee didn’t, and that says something about how it treats the big jobs too.
RIKB Design Build — Warwick, Rhode Island
RIKB Design Build, formerly Rhode Island Kitchen & Bath, has been designing and building kitchens and baths since October 1989.
The company has been BBB Accredited since 1994 with an A+ rating and runs a full showroom in Warwick.
Highlights:
– 4.9 out of 5 on Houzz from 45 reviews, and a 17-time Best of Houzz winner from 2014 through 2026 – NARI Contractor of the Year Gold and Silver in 2019 – Aging-in-place and basement work alongside kitchens and baths, including basement waterproofing that goes beyond a coat of sealer
Why we like them: Seventeen straight years of Best of Houzz doesn’t happen by accident.
RIKB also treats aging-in-place as real design work rather than a grab bar and a shrug, which matters when you plan to stay in a house built before your parents were born.
If a lift is on the table, our breakdown of home elevator costs is a useful starting point.
Peregrine Design/Build — South Burlington, Vermont
Peregrine is an architect-led design-build firm serving Chittenden County, with roughly 38 years of experience in kitchens, baths, additions, and custom homes.
The firm leans hard into durable, energy-efficient construction, which in Vermont is less a marketing angle than a survival strategy.
Highlights:
– 4.9 out of 5 on Houzz from 38 reviews, with 25 Houzz awards since 2012 – Voted Best Residential General Contractor in the 2022 Seven Daysies readers’ poll – Member of the Vermont Builders and Remodelers Association
Why we like them: Peregrine designs for the January that’s coming, not the July that’s here. Its projects tend to prioritize insulation, air sealing, and window performance before finishes, which is the right order in a state that sees sub-zero nights.
Wright-Ryan Homes — Portland, Maine
Wright-Ryan was founded in 1984 by Tom Wright and John Ryan and became 100 percent employee-owned in 2016, with more than 100 employee-owners today.
Its Homes division handles custom builds, kitchen and bath remodels, additions, and restorations across Greater Portland and coastal southern Maine.
Highlights:
– In-house millwork shop for custom cabinetry and trim – Best of Houzz Design winner every year from 2015 to 2026 – A post-construction maintenance service that keeps a crew familiar with your house on call
Why we like them: Coastal Maine houses eat trim. Salt, wind, and freeze-thaw cycles chew through anything off the shelf. Wright-Ryan mills its own, then sticks around to maintain it. That’s a rare pairing, and it’s the right one for that climate.
Nu-Face Home Improvements — Berlin, Connecticut
Nu-Face is a replacement specialist founded in 2003 that focuses on bathrooms, roofing, siding, windows, doors, and decks across central Connecticut, with a second license covering Massachusetts.
The company has made Qualified Remodeler’s Top 500 five years in a row, from 2022 through 2026.
Highlights:
– More than 600 Google reviews, per the company’s 2026 Top 500 announcement – 2025 Angi Super Service Award – Licensed in Connecticut (HIC 0632669) and Massachusetts (HIC 210606)
Why we like them: Nu-Face does a short list of things repeatedly, which is how exterior work should be done.
A crew that has installed a thousand windows will flash your window better than a general contractor who installs ten a year.
Advanced Metal Roofing — North Hampton, New Hampshire
Advanced Metal Roofing has installed standing-seam and metal roofing and siding since 1966, working from a North Hampton base with satellite locations in Manchester and Nashua, New Hampshire, Biddeford, Maine, and Gloucester, Massachusetts.
Highlights:
– Ranked number 366 on Qualified Remodeler’s Top 500 in 2025 – Sixty years in a single specialty – Serves all six New England states
Why we like them: Metal is the honest answer to New England snow load and ice dams, and this company has spent six decades learning how to detail it.
If your roof pitch, budget, and patience for shoveling all point toward metal, this is who we’d call first north of Boston.
JM Construction — Framingham, Massachusetts
JM Construction has run design-build kitchens, baths, basements, additions, and outdoor living projects across MetroWest since 1986.
If you’ve priced a kitchen renovation as a DIY job and flinched, this is the kind of firm that takes it off your plate.
It’s a NARI and NKBA member and EPA Lead-Safe certified, which matters when the house you’re opening up predates 1978.
Highlights:
– 4.9 out of 5 on GuildQuality from 42 reviews, with 40 of 41 respondents saying they’d recommend the firm – Named a 2026 GuildQuality Guildmaster – Remodelers Advantage Impact Award and a PRISM Award for Building Design
Why we like them: The reviews name people. Not “the crew,” but specific carpenters and project managers, by first name, over and over.
When clients remember who was in their kitchen, it usually means the same people were in their kitchen the whole time.
Coastal Windows & Exteriors — Beverly, Massachusetts
Coastal Windows & Exteriors is a woman-owned exterior specialist installing replacement windows, doors, roofing, James Hardie and vinyl siding, and gutters across more than 730 towns in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine.
Highlights:
– 4.6 out of 5 on GuildQuality from 715 verified reviews, the largest review base on this list – GuildQuality Guildmaster in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2020, and 2023 – EPA Lead-Safe certified, with a 3D visualization tool for previewing siding and window choices
Why we like them: Volume is data. Seven hundred surveyed customers is a large enough sample that the score means something, and a 4.6 across that many jobs is strong for exterior work.
Some reviewers mention scheduling delays, so ask for a firm calendar in writing. Skip the “50 percent off installation” banner and negotiate on the actual quote.
What to Check Before You Sign With Any of Them
Before signing with any New England home improvement company, check four things (and if you’re still house-hunting, read our guide on what to consider before buying a home first): the state license number, proof of insurance, the manufacturer warranty in writing, and a payment schedule tied to milestones.
In Massachusetts, the Home Improvement Contractor registration is searchable through the state’s Office of Consumer Affairs, and a registered contractor is what makes you eligible for the state’s Guaranty Fund if something goes wrong.
Two more habits will save you grief:
– Ask who will be on site each day, and whether they’re employees or subcontractors – Get the change-order process in writing before the first change order shows up
Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies projected in its April 2026 Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity that national remodeling spending will reach about $518 billion by the end of 2026, with growth slowing to 1.6 percent.
Good crews stay booked even in slow years. Book early, and treat a company that can start tomorrow with a little suspicion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the best roofing company in the Boston area?
For the Boston suburbs, Ranch Roofing in Arlington is our pick. It has held GAF Master Elite certification, which fewer than 2 percent of roofers earn, and it has 30 years of local work behind it. For metal roofing north of the city, Advanced Metal Roofing in North Hampton, New Hampshire is the stronger specialist.
What does a home remodel cost in New England in 2026?
It depends heavily on scope and the age of the house, but expect New England projects to run above national averages because older homes hide more surprises behind the walls. Design-build firms on this list typically publish project minimums on their sites. Get three quotes with the same scope document so you’re comparing the same job.
Should I hire a design-build firm or a general contractor?
Hire a design-build firm when the project involves layout changes, permits, or more than one trade, because one team owns both the drawings and the schedule. A general contractor is fine when you already have plans or the job is a straightforward replacement, such as a roof, windows, or siding.
How do I verify a home improvement contractor in Massachusetts?
Search the contractor’s Home Improvement Contractor registration number on the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs website, then confirm the Construction Supervisor License if structural work is involved. Ask for a certificate of insurance sent directly from the insurer, not a photocopy.
Do any of these companies serve all of New England?
Advanced Metal Roofing and Coastal Windows & Exteriors cover the widest footprints, spanning multiple states. Most design-build firms on this list stay within roughly an hour of their office, which is a good sign, since a crew that drives three hours each way rarely does its best work on the job site.
