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Two other builders told a homeowner to tear down their cottage and build new, and they did not have the resources to do it. In a July 2025 review, looking back on what they believe was one of Cape Dreams' earlier projects, that homeowner wrote that only Paul vanSteensel showed the vision and flexibility they needed — and their house renovation went ahead instead. Cape Dreams Building & Design works out of Brewster on new custom homes, additions and high-end renovations; the company says van Steensel founded it in 2004, starting with decks and window replacements, and names Allen S. Furman as vice president and Jon Buck as project manager. On Google the average is 4.9 across 37 ratings, with a 5.0 from two Houzz reviews. The written accounts are mostly large work: a teardown and rebuild in Brewster in a February 2023 review, a new house in Eastham in a January 2023 review, a room addition in Orleans that the homeowners' architect steered them toward in May 2025, and, in a March 2025 review, a one-story ranch that Pete Martinez turned into a two-story Nantucket cottage. Projects run through named managers, and Paul van Steensel, Allen Furman, Pete Martinez and Jon Buck all turn up by name in the reviews. A July 2025 customer whose kitchen, mudroom and laundry room were redone listed what they got: high quality subs, efficient oversight, and a job finished within the promised budget and timeline. A December 2022 reviewer said the team delivered on all their building deadlines, and a Houzz review from 2014 describes a house started in September 2013 and finished in May 2014, on time and on budget. The one sour note comes from someone who never hired them. In July 2025, a person living on a street where Cape Dreams was renovating a house at the far end left a one-star review: they could not speak to the quality of the work, they wrote, but the company was very disrespectful to the surrounding neighborhood — a street with two summer rentals and two elderly residents. A December 2022 customer described the opposite inside their own house, with crews cleaning and organizing daily to keep the work from taking over the household. The company's Massachusetts home improvement contractor registration is active on the state registry in its own name. Its site says vice president Allen S. Furman holds a Massachusetts construction supervisor licence and lists a LEED Accredited Professional credential. For a custom build, an addition or a whole-house renovation around Brewster and Orleans, this is the scale of work reviewers actually describe. Before signing, ask which project manager is assigned to your job, and how the crew will handle deliveries, parking and working hours on your street.
“Cape Dreams out of Brewster is good.”
***** We had the pleasure of working with Pete Martinez, as our Project Manager from Cape Dreams on a major renovation of our 1960’s ranch, and we couldn’t be happier! He transformed two small bedrooms into a beautiful master suite and added a convenient first-floor washer/dryer. Along the way, Pete went above and beyond, catching structural issues other contractors might have overlooked—like incorrect flashing by the sliders and even a crooked chimney—and made sure they were fixed the right way. Yes it extended our target completion date, but we have peace of mind forever, in our forever home. Pete’s background in the military shows in his organization, attention to detail, and commitment to quality. He’s also incredibly friendly, personable, and honest about where it’s worth spending extra money (and where it’s not). We truly trust his guidance and can’t wait to have him back again this winter for our kitchen renovation. Highly recommend Pete and the Cape Dreams team! Maureen M., Chatham, MA
Paul and the entire Cape Dreams crew demonstrated early and often their commitment to exceeding our expectations and ensuring our complete satisfaction in the construction of our home. The diversity of their portfolio of successful projects demonstrates their flexibility and expertise in custom home design and construction. We love our new home and strongly recommend Cape Dreams to anyone looking for a superior custom home builder.
We just complete a kitchen, mudroom and laundry room renovation with Cape Dreams. All the things you hope for when you hire a contractor were present…high quality subs, efficient oversight, and finished within the promised budget and timeline. But Allen Furman, who lead our project has a few of the MOST important ( and sadly missing) attributes. He leads with honesty and a strong desire to be sure the client gets exactly what they want. He has such pride in his job, his follow up and follow through are peerless. The finished work is also peerless!
Working with Paul and the entire team at Cape Dreams was a terrific experience. From the initial meetings through all stages of construction and final delivery, he and his team were professional, engaged, and attentive to our objectives. They provided guidance and support when design decisions needed to be made and worked extremely well with our architect. It was apparent throughout the process that Paul and his construction team maintain long-standing, trusted relationships with leading Cape subcontractors who performed reliably throughout the process. And the same team that delivered our new home have continued on to support the general maintenance going forward, which is very helpful. There has been little to no post construction issues, other than some minor items that needed attention and were done so immediately and effectively. It is also worth noting that our construction occurred during Covid, which presented unforeseen challenges that were addressed with transparency and skill. We highly recommend Paul and his team at Cape Dreams.
I believe my house renovation project was one of Cape Dreams earlier projects. Two other builders recommended that I tear down my cottage and build a new year round house. I did not have the resources to do that. I was stuck. Only Paul vanSteensel demonstrated the vision, flexibility, and creativity to see my situation clearly, devise a plan that would save the original structure, and turn my cottage into a year round home. Cape Dreams worked with me on a phase-in plan that truly became my Cape Dream house, and matched what I needed with what I could afford. Years later, I still walk around my "grown-up cottage" with inward smiles of satisfaction on how it all worked out. And with gratitude to Paul and his Cape Dreams team for having the patience to work with my situation and the courage to think outside the box. I continually refer my friends and neighbors to Cape Dreams. They run their business with integrity and class. Steve Valle
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1 change recorded — last scanned Aug 4, 2026.
Typical Greater Boston range for this kind of work, from regional averages — not a quote from Cape Dreams Building & Design. 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
Remodeler of the Year3.6
Active HIC registration3.0
