Somerset's postwar homes, reworked for how you live

A compact town with a lot of water

By census figures, Somerset holds roughly 7,500 homes on just under eight square miles of land. Water accounts for nearly four more square miles, about a third of the town's total area. That puts many houses close to the shoreline, where wind and damp air wear on siding, decks, windows and trim faster than they would farther inland.

Somerset is about fifteen miles southwest of our Raynham base. On exterior work this close to the water, flashing details and the way the roof and walls shed water get as much attention as the finish. Fasteners suited to wet, salty air on decks and trim are the kind of small decision that decides whether the work lasts.

Mid-century exteriors in a setting like this often carry several generations of repairs: a newer roof over old sheathing, vinyl over the original clapboard, a deck added decades after the house. Before we put a number on replacement work we look at what is underneath, because the condition of the sheathing and framing decides how much of the job is surface and how much is structure.

One person answers your calls from the walkthrough to the last punch-list item.

Very little new construction and a lot of 1950s and 1960s housing

Only about 8 percent of Somerset's homes were built after 2000. The median house dates to 1962, and roughly one in six predates 1940. When so little new housing is going up, owners who want a better house generally remodel the one they already have. That makes planning more important, since the goal is a house that works for the next few decades rather than a quick cosmetic pass.

That usually means a kitchen or bath that is original or was last touched decades ago, plus rooms that were built closed off from each other. Capes and ranches from those years often have a cramped second floor or unfinished space that can be reworked, and a finished basement is a common way to add room without adding footprint.

Any house built before 1978 may contain lead paint, so disturbed surfaces get lead-safe handling. The electrical service gets an early look too, since older panels and circuits often cannot carry a modern kitchen, and upgrading them is work for a licensed electrician that belongs in the written scope from day one. Plumbing in houses of this age is often a mix of original galvanized or cast iron and later copper or plastic, and the licensed plumber looks at what will be reused before tile goes back over it.

Going up instead of out on a smaller lot

With most of the town's land already built on, lots are often modest, so growth tends to go up rather than out. A dormer on a Cape or a second story on a ranch means confirming that the existing walls, footings and foundation can carry the added load. We work that out before drawings are final, not after the roof is open. A ranch roof that comes off for a second story also exposes the house to weather for a stretch, so the sequence is planned to get it closed in quickly.

Somerset permits come from the town building department under 780 CMR, and Steve's unrestricted Construction Supervisor License covers the structural side. Expect inspections at rough framing, rough trades, insulation and final. One person answers your calls from the walkthrough to the last punch-list item.

The energy code comes into play as soon as new walls or roof go up. Additions and dormers get insulated and air sealed to the code that applies in town, and while the house is open it often makes sense to tighten the existing attic and rim joists at the same time.