Remodeling and Additions for Rye Homes
Rye runs along the longest stretch of ocean coast in New Hampshire, with salt marsh behind the beaches and a historic town center inland. Many of its houses have stood for decades, and some for more than a century.
A post-war Rye house may have a kitchen too small for the family, nowhere to park out of the weather, and no easy way out to the yard.
Much of our work is in Rye
The same goes for Portsmouth and North Hampton. Persson Construction is a remodeler based in Greenland, about 3.5 miles from Rye.
We work in a set order: plan, then price, then build. Planning first means we look for problems early, so fewer of them catch you by surprise during the build.
From the first call to a clear price
Your first step is a fit call, where we cover what you want to change, how you use the house, your budget, and your timing. Chris then visits to see the house as it is.
When the match is right, planning happens under a Project Development Agreement. Part of that work is trade days, when the subcontractors who will do the job walk the house, usually one or two at a time, and price their part. Because the plan is specific down to the finishes, the price in your construction proposal is more accurate.
Cost Plus pricing keeps the books open, so you see the actual costs of materials and subcontractors, plus our markup.
What we build in Rye
For one Rye family whose kitchen ran out of room, we built a kitchen addition, a two-car garage, a deck, and a bigger basement. See it in our Rye kitchen and addition project.
Older homes near Rye Center often call for historic renovations. A post-war house with several dated rooms may suit a whole-home remodel, and a house that is simply too small is a job for home additions. We also take on kitchen remodeling and bathroom remodeling.
Book a fit call and tell us about your Rye house.
Our Rye Remodeling & Historic Renovations Services
Kitchen Remodeling
We remodel kitchens in the room you have, or add on when the room is too small. We plan each kitchen with the designer, then price it and build it.
Bathroom Remodeling
Primary baths, plus showers with a low curb or no curb at all. We also swap old Jacuzzi tubs for bigger showers.
Whole Home Remodeling
Two or more rooms done as one job, such as a kitchen and a bath. We plan and price the whole job before the build starts.
Home Additions
First-floor primary suites, bump-outs, and great rooms. We also build ADUs, like an apartment over a detached garage.
Historic Renovations
In a historic district, window sizes, siding, and trim come with rules we plan around. Many old houses outside the district need a lot of work too.
See More of Our Work
View Our Work →Why Rye Homeowners Choose Us
Plan First
After Chris sees your house, we plan the job under a Project Development Agreement. Then the trades who will do the work walk the house and price their part for your proposal.
Open Books
With Cost Plus pricing, you see the actual cost of materials and subcontractors, plus our markup.
Daily Logs and Photos
After you sign the build contract, you can follow the job in Buildertrend, our online portal. It has daily logs and photos of the work, and you get an update each week.
Based in Greenland
Our office is at 17 Alden Ave in Greenland. Much of our work is in Portsmouth, Rye, and North Hampton, and older homes are a large part of it.
Our Reviews
Straight from the People We've Built For
Recent Projects
Kitchen Renovation & Addition in Rye, NH
We built a kitchen addition, two-car garage, deck, and bigger basement for a family whose kitchen was very small.
View Project →
Whole Home Remodel in Portsmouth, NH
Homeowners Chris and Janet bought their waterfront condo new in 2023. We remodeled its kitchen, dining area, and primary suite.
View Project →
ADU & Garage Build in Lee, NH
Since 2018, we've built Amber and Ben a home addition and a garage with an apartment and office above it.
View Project →Serving Rye and Surrounding Areas
Find Us Near Rye
Rye, Then and Now
In 1623, Europeans settled at Odiorne Point, then called Pannaway, and the town says it was the first such settlement in what became New Hampshire. The area went by Sandy Beach until 1726, when it became the Parish of Rye, and it became its own town in 1785. Its history includes fishing, farming, and seaside hotels and boarding houses.
Today Rye has eight miles of ocean coast, the most of any town in the state, and about 850 acres of salt marsh. Odiorne Point State Park, home to the Seacoast Science Center, lies on its north shore. According to the town, voters consistently support preserving open space, wetlands, and historic buildings.
The 2020 Census counted 5,543 people and 2,906 homes. Census survey data shows the typical house was built in 1969, with about one in six built before 1940 and about one in four in the 1950s and 1960s. About 82 percent of homes are owner-occupied, and about 442 are kept for seasonal use.
Rye’s neighbors include Greenland, Portsmouth, New Castle, and North Hampton, and we serve all four. Our office is in Greenland, about 3.5 miles from Rye.
Rye Remodeling & Historic Renovations FAQs
My Rye house is in a flood zone. Can I still add on?
Often yes, but the zone sets the terms. Rye’s current FEMA flood maps took effect on January 29, 2021, and the town’s Floodplain Management Ordinance applies them. We look up your lot’s zone before any drawings are made.
In Rye’s AE zones, the lowest floor of new or rebuilt living space must sit at least two feet above the base flood level. In the VE zones, where waves reach, new building has to stay landward of mean high tide and cannot stand on fill.
Close to the ocean or the marsh, the state also guards land within 250 feet of the highest tide line. The NHDES shoreland program explains what can be built there.
Will a big remodel make me raise my Rye house?
It can. Rye’s floodplain ordinance treats work that costs 50 percent or more of the building’s market value as a substantial improvement, and in a flood zone, that brings the whole house under the elevation rules. We check this during planning, so you can see where that line falls before you settle the scope.
Does Rye's Historic District Commission need to approve my project?
If your property is in a local historic district, such as Rye Center, yes. The town will not issue a building permit until the Historic District Commission files a Certificate of Approval.
The town also reviews plans to tear down all or part of a building over 50 years old. The Building Department, at (603) 964-9800, will meet with you early to say whether your plan needs review.
How do I start a remodel on my Rye home?
Call us at (603) 292-5901, or set up a fit call on our contact page. It helps if you already know your flood zone.