Verified record
Since October 2024, three Byggmeister customers have written about basement renovations: one turned a musty old basement into a place the whole family enjoys, another a dank, dark one into a space the family uses every day. The Waltham design/build firm says it started in 1983 as a group of friends with limited carpentry experience, was founded by Paul Eldrenkamp, and is now led by CEO Rachel White; it renovates older metro-Boston homes with in-house design and a focus on energy efficiency, air sealing and durability. A March 2026 Google reviewer said Byggmeister handled a full basement renovation from planning through final inspections, and came back promptly to resize an exterior door that had swelled with the weather. In an October 2025 review, a family described a basement job with significant structural, electrical and plumbing work. An October 2024 reviewer said the crew took a walk-out basement to the studs, improved water management, insulated it and added doors and windows, finishing it as a home gym, utility space and workshop. In a May 2022 r/somerville Reddit thread, a commenter said LaValle Systems, subcontracting for Byggmeister, was great to work with and that they were very satisfied with the result. In a February 2025 review, a condo resident said the firm coordinated purchasing, subcontractors and deliveries through a three-month kitchen renovation, and follows up for two years afterward. A February 2025 Houzz reviewer described an aging-in-place bedroom, bath and laundry renovation from design in August 2023 to completion in July 2024, with daily updates and weekly progress reviews while they lived at home. In an August 2024 review, a customer said designer Annie fit a new powder room into a reworked mudroom and kitchen, and construction finished ahead of schedule. Byggmeister holds 5.0 from 12 Google ratings and 5.0 from 9 on Houzz. Its Massachusetts home improvement contractor license, #104126, is active on the state registry.
“I’ve heard nothing but great things about them from folks who have worked with them in my network”
“Looks like Honeycomb is permanently closed. Do you have experience with Byggmeister that you could share?”
“If you want design build that works in Somerville often look at Honeycomb and Byggmeister.”
“LaValle Systems subcontracting for Byggmeister — great to work with and very satisfied with the result.”
We hired Byggmeister to completely renovate our basement. It was by far the most significant home-improvement project that we’ve undertaken. We couldn’t be happier with the results! Byggmeister handled every aspect of the project from the planning through the final inspections. When there was a very minor issue after completion (an exterior door had expanded with the change in weather and needed to be resized), Byggmeister stood by their work and completed that adjustment in a timely way. We’ve recommended Byggmeister to anyone who has asked us for a referral. The next time we do a home-improvement project of any size, Byggmeister will be our first call.
We recently completed a large project with the team and are extremely happy. We were able to turn our musty old basement into a wonderful place the entire family enjoys. This was a project that involved significant structural, electrical, and plumbing components. The Byggmeister team was professional, well-organized, and very talented. The level of finish was extraordinary!
I hired Byggmeister for a long overdue kitchen renovation in my condo. The whole team was fantastic from beginning to end. From the first meeting to define the scope of the project and my expectations, through the design phase, the construction period and even the follow-up (yes they will follow up for 2 years after the project is done). I was a bit nervous entering a 3 month-long period of having no kitchen while also working from home. The team made sure to make the process as smooth as possible. Working with a design/build firm was a great choice for me as they coordinated everything from purchasing to subcontractors, deliveries, etc. All I really had to do is makes choices! The results are fantastic and my only regret is not having done this earlier. I would highly recommend working with Byggmeister for your next renovation project.
Byggmeister has done construction at our home previously so when we decided to renovate a second floor bedroom and bathroom/laundry to be suitable for aging-in-place, they were an obvious choice. Their current team exceeded the level and quality of service we expected for this design/build project. Communication, scheduling, cooperation and workmanship were excellent from the beginning of the design phase in August 2023 until final completion of construction in July 2024. The design team gracefully managed the several iterations that we requested and answered the many questions, options, alternatives, and suggestions that we proposed. After the design was finalized in January 2024, budget meetings were held to define the lump sum cost and contract documents. Construction began in March highlighted by the continuous presence of Byggmeister personnel every day and close scheduling of subcontractors. Daily updates and weekly progress reviews kept us fully aware of what to expect next. This was especially important since we continued to live at home with access to our third floor sleeping area through the construction site. The placement of dust barriers and the daily cleaning routine was exceptional. Another benefit was Byggmeister’s willingness to work with us to incorporate owner-provided elements into the project and schedule. The overall experience of working with Byggmeister again to create the bedroom, bathroom and laundry that we can enjoy for many years to come was very satisfying. We recommend them highly to all of our friends and acquaintances who are considering construction or renovation.
We hired Byggmeister for a substantial project in our walk-out basement: bringing it down to the studs, improving water management, insulating the space, adding doors and windows to the walk-out side, and finishing it into an extensive home gym, a utility space, and a workshop. We also worked with them to add an upstairs laundry room along the way. Throughout the project, they were professional, reliable, and trustworthy, and turned our dank, dark, uncomfortable basement into a space our family uses every day. We had a vision, and worked with their team to flesh out the details, and we got the sense that they adapted to the level of involvement we preferred, which was great. Once construction started, they got creative about how to minimize disruption while still getting stuff done, and the team was pleasant and respectful throughout. They also nerd out on home performance and efficiency with the best of them, which was exactly what we wanted when considering the space we had. In all, we expect our home to be significantly more comfortable now than it was before, even in the areas they never touched, thanks to the thoughtful approach take in the basement. We’re looking forward to years of enjoyment, and certainly recommend Byggmeister to others looking for the same conscientious, respectful, and high-quality approach as us.
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3 changes recorded — last scanned Aug 4, 2026.
Typical Greater Boston range for this kind of work, from regional averages — not a quote from Byggmeister. Use it to sanity-check bids, then get the real number in writing.
Estimated range
$23,000 – $35,000
Typical remodeling project around $29,000
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Renovates century-old structures5.0
Verified HIC license3.5
Multi-trade condo work4.1
Basement flood repair completed while owners traveled3.2