Local business · Waltham, MALocal business · 172 School St, Waltham, MA 02451, USA
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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.
Cabinets are roughly 30% of a kitchen budget.
Estimated range
$23,000 – $35,000
Typical kitchen remodel around $29,000
Byggmeister is what happens when a remodeling company decides its real product is the house forty years from now. The Waltham design-build firm says it started in 1983 as a group of friends with limited carpentry experience and charter subscriptions to Fine Homebuilding; Paul Eldrenkamp is named as founder, CEO Rachel White runs it now, and the company describes a move from workers to owners. Seventeen written accounts across five sources since 2017, and they line up: Google sits at 5.0 from 12 ratings, Houzz at 5.0 from 9. What customers describe is less a single trade than a process. A March 2026 reviewer had them take a basement from planning through final inspections, and when an exterior door swelled with the weather afterward the company came back and resized it. In an October 2024 review a homeowner walked through a walk-out basement stripped to the studs — water management, insulation, new doors and windows — turned into a home gym, a utility space and a workshop. Older homes are the through-line. A November 2023 reviewer arrived with a house that had never been updated and came away treating energy efficiency as part of the renovation; a 2017 account described a three-phase project on a circa-1900 home that ended with a reshaped dormer for solar panels and lower utility bills. The company's own site frames the work the same way: adapting existing homes, air sealing, durability measured in decades. Two things to raise on the call. BuildZoom lists an EPA renovation registration for the company as inactive — worth asking about directly if your house predates 1978, given how much of this work lands on century-old homes. And the paperwork is not settled across sources: Houzz gives the business address as Newton Center while the company's own site says Waltham, and the Massachusetts home improvement contractor registration #104126 appears on both BuildZoom and Houzz without being confirmed here against the state registry. On Reddit, a Somerville commenter in an August 2024 kitchen-renovation thread pointed at them as a design-build outfit that works in the neighborhood, and another said they had heard well of the company second-hand from people in their network — organic, but thin, and neither had hired them. If you want one firm to carry an older house from design through construction — a kitchen, a basement, or the whole envelope — this is that shape of company, and reviewers keep describing budgets set up front and then held. Confirm the registration yourself with the state, ask where the EPA renovation status stands, and ask which of the named designers and carpenters would actually be on your job.
“I’m neighbor to someone who works at Byggmeister and they are a great neighbor and 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.”
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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Added 19 new comments, added 41 new photos, established rating 4.2