Project Overview
Total home
transformation.
Rivers Construction completed a comprehensive interior and exterior renovation on this Burlington, Vermont home — one of the most extensive residential projects in our portfolio. The project touched nearly every system and surface, from the roof deck down to the finish flooring, delivering a fully rebuilt home that performs as well as it looks through Vermont's demanding four seasons.
Rather than managing a rotating cast of trades, the homeowner worked with a single Rivers Construction crew from start to finish. That coordination meant every system was sequenced correctly — roofing before siding, framing before drywall — so nothing had to be redone and the project stayed on schedule and within budget.
- Full roofing tear-off and replacement
- Exterior siding installation
- Window and door replacement
- Structural framing repairs
- Interior drywall and painting
- Complete interior finish work
Scope of Work
What we did,
trade by trade.
Roofing
The project started with a full roof tear-off — stripping the existing shingles, inspecting the decking, and replacing any deteriorated sheathing before anything else touched the structure. A complete ice and water shield system was installed at all eaves, valleys, and penetrations, followed by synthetic underlayment and new architectural shingles. New ridge vents, flashing, and drip edge were installed throughout. Vermont's freeze-thaw cycles demand a roof built without shortcuts, and this one was done right from the substrate up.
Siding
With the roof watertight, we moved to the exterior walls. The old siding was removed, the wall sheathing was inspected and reinforced where needed, and new house wrap was installed before the new siding went on. The result is an exterior that's tighter, better insulated, and far more weather-resistant than what was there before — an important upgrade for any Burlington-area home facing Vermont winters.
Windows & Doors
Every window and exterior door in the home was replaced. New units were properly flashed and air-sealed during installation — not just dropped in and trimmed over. This step alone makes a measurable difference in comfort and heating costs through a Vermont winter, and it's one of the areas where cutting corners during a renovation shows up years later as drafts, moisture intrusion, and rot.
Structural Framing
Opening up walls and ceilings during a renovation often reveals deferred structural issues — and this project was no exception. Our crew identified and repaired framing that had degraded over the years, reinforcing load-bearing elements before the interior systems went back in. Addressing this during the renovation rather than after is what separates a real renovation from a cosmetic one.
Drywall & Interior Painting
New drywall was hung throughout the renovated interior spaces, taped, coated, and finished to a smooth, paint-ready surface. Interior painting followed — walls, ceilings, trim — using premium paints applied with the same care as the exterior trades. Clean walls and consistent finish work are what make an interior feel complete rather than contractor-done.
Finish Work
Interior trim, casing, and finish carpentry closed out the project. Every detail that a homeowner sees daily — door casings, baseboard runs, transition pieces — was installed with precision and finished clean. For a project of this scope in Burlington, Vermont, the finish work is what determines whether the renovation feels like a remodel or a new home.
About This Project
A full-scope renovation
in Burlington, VT.
This project is a good example of what Rivers Construction does best: taking on a home that needs significant work across multiple systems and delivering a result that holds together — not just visually, but structurally and mechanically. Burlington-area homes face real climate stress, and the materials and methods used here are spec'd for Vermont, not just for passing inspection.
Rivers Construction is based in Milton, Vermont and serves Burlington, South Burlington, Essex, Colchester, Williston, Shelburne, and greater Chittenden County. If you have a renovation project — large or small — we'd like to hear about it. Free estimates, honest scoping, and work you won't have to redo.
