Home Remodeling Oakland, ME: The Renovation That Starts Under the Floor
- Newman Homes starts the home remodeling Oakland, ME lake houses need where nobody wants to spend money: underneath.
- Brandon Roberge started the company in 2017 after 25+ years of building in Florida and Massachusetts.
- Our files show 94% finished on the original timeline and at the original number. We check that figure monthly.
- 25+ years in construction, building as Newman Homes since 2017
- Over 200 projects completed in Central Maine
- Affordable work, two-year written warranty
Whole-house and multi-room remodeling in Oakland, Maine, in the village, around the old mill, and along the full Messalonskee shoreline.
Lakefront remodeling has a permitting layer inland work does not. Expanding a footprint, adding a bedroom or changing what the septic has to handle can all trigger shoreland review, and those answers come before the design is finished.
Inside the existing envelope most of that falls away. Rooms are priced individually here, from a $12,000 floor on a full room up through gut-and-rebuild work.
What a Multi-Room Oakland Project Includes
A renovation this size has six moving parts. Only two appear in the finished photos.
Beam and post sizing follows published span tables, keeping a structural opinion from being merely an opinion.
Finishes over a bad foundation are money set on fire. We price the bottom of the house first.
The foundation first. Block piers and seasonal footings will not hold a year-round renovation, and finding that out after the cabinets arrive is expensive.
Structure. Load paths, headers, and sills, checked before we touch anything that might be carrying weight.
Mechanical systems. Wiring, plumbing, and heat resized for the house on the plan, not the one on the deed.
Sills and framing. Where water has been getting in at grade for decades, the sill is the first thing we open and the first thing we price.
Access and staging. Steep, narrow lake lots limit what can get to the house, and that shows up in labor rather than material.
Envelope and finish. Insulation and air sealing first, then board, floors, and trim. Paint is last for a reason.
What homeowners say
Read more reviews- ★★★★★
We were very pleased with the extensive home remodel we contracted with Newman Homes. Brandon was always very fair with any adjustments to our fixed price contract, and we were quite happy with the outcome.
David K. - ★★★★★
…found Brandon to be knowledgeable, responsive, and professional. We highly recommend Newman Homes and plan to use them in the future.
Dawn R. - ★★★★★
Very quick, efficient, and enjoyable to work with. Everyone was so friendly.
Erin R.
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Related Services in Oakland
Where Our Oakland Projects Are
The village. The streets around the old mill.
And the full Messalonskee shoreline.
Lake lots are steep and narrow. Materials get staged in steps, and the crew walks more than it drives.
Work within shoreland zoning receives closer review. We plan the schedule around that requirement.
When to Start a Oakland Remodel
Foundation and structural work need unfrozen ground, so we schedule them for spring or fall.
Interior work continues through winter, when the lake road is quietest anyway.
Oakland Code Enforcement issues shoreland and building permits. The code officer decides what gets approved.
Why the Estimate Holds
Because we put a number on work nobody can see yet.
The estimate includes allowances for structural repair and mechanical upgrades. You don’t pay for amounts we don’t use.
A camp conversion has more unknowns than any other job we take. Before one cabinet is ordered, the foundation and sills carry named allowances.
The septic does too.
Who Calls Us About Remodeling in Oakland
Two Oaklands call us. Each has different problems.
One is the village and its postwar streets. The houses are sound, but the kitchens are forty years old.
The other is Messalonskee. A camp is becoming a house, and its piers were never meant to carry one.
How Much Home Remodeling Oakland, ME Costs
There’s no single price for a project like this. The total comes from room prices plus the systems underneath them. Kitchens start at $28,000 for a refresh that keeps the layout. A standard gut with semi-custom cabinets and quartz runs $46,000 to $58,000 when the sink and range stay put. Moving the plumbing without removing a wall raises the range to $60,000 to $80,000. Opening the kitchen into the next room costs $85,000 to $105,000. Custom boxes with stone counters add $15,000 to $25,000. Bathrooms are priced separately. $12,000 is the hard floor. A larger bath runs $18,000 to $25,000; serious tile work puts it at $25,000 to $35,000. An addition within the project starts around $280 per square foot. The average is $320, with the top end at $350 to $400. Then there’s the work between rooms. Service and heat depend on your house. So do insulation, windows, structural repair, and related work. Treat those figures as planning bands, not bids. Each reflects hundreds of quotes. A real house usually lands near a band, rarely right on it. Village and postwar Oakland houses usually price in the middle band. Lake properties run higher because of the work required before the finishes. We carry the same math through each item in our guide to remodeling costs.
How to Hire a Remodeling Contractor in Oakland
Know this before handing anyone a deposit: remodeling contractors in Maine work under no licensing standard whatsoever.
The trades are different. Electrical and plumbing work requires a state credential, and your contractor should hold the right one.
Put that requirement in the contract. These five items belong there before you sign.
A written opinion on the existing foundation, before you spend a dollar above it.
Who is carrying the shoreland permit, and what happens to the schedule if review takes longer than planned.
It is the only way to see what dropping the second bath saves.
A fixed price recorded under Maine's contract statute, which holds the first payment to one third.
A 2-year workmanship warranty in writing, backed by the A+ file on our BBB profile.
The trades listed individually, with state credentials you can verify.
Where is our shop?
Directions from Oakland, ME to our shop in Augusta
125 Community DrAugusta, ME 04330-8156
How We Order the Trades
- A walkthrough first.We look at the panel, the plumbing, and the framing before the paint colors.
- One contract, itemized.You see each room priced, so scope can move without reopening everything.
- Then we start.Two photo updates a week, and 2 years of workmanship warranty.
Let's Walk the House
Call (207) 480-7700 any time, 24/7. Brandon himself answers most often.
You can also email info@newmanhomesme.com or request a free estimate.