Building Center of Gloucester

The Building Center in Gloucester isn't a remodeling crew — it's the lumber yard and hardware store the North Shore's actual contractors buy from. The company says it's been at 1 Harbor Loop since 1903, when Charles "Cap" Heberle bought the old Gloucester Coal and Lumber Company, and that it's still family-run: two of his granddaughters own it today, with a fourth generation now on site alongside a second location in Essex. Recent Google reviews describe exactly what you'd expect from a century-old lumberyard. "I usually run into Peg, Don, Deb, or Mike, and they're all solid," one customer wrote in May, praising staff who "know the business and the community." Others point to the range under one roof — lumber, hardware, landscaping stock, even a small gift shop — calling it "a great stop." Google puts the business at 4.4 stars across 68 ratings, and the BBB grades it A+, though it hasn't sought BBB accreditation. Houzz lists it separately under Kitchen & Bathroom Designers with a perfect 5.0, but that rating rests on just three reviews tied to its role as an authorized Waypoint Living Spaces cabinetry dealer — a design-and-ordering service layered on top of the retail business, not a crew that guts and rebuilds bathrooms or kitchens. One recent reviewer noted that prices on a few items weren't the cheapest around, even while saying the trip was worth it for the service. Beyond that, the written reviews across sources tell a consistent story: helpful counter staff and a well-stocked yard. This is the right call for lumber, hardware, and landscaping material runs, or for working out cabinetry through its Waypoint line — not for hiring a bathroom or kitchen remodel outright. If cabinetry or design work is the goal, ask specifically what the Waypoint dealer relationship covers versus who actually installs it, since that line isn't spelled out in what customers have written.