8 Houzz Awards
4 Houzz Badges
Contact Info:
Shawn Cayer
16 Market Street
Ipswich, MA 01938
16 Market Street
Ipswich, MA 01938
Typical Job Costs:
$100,000 - 2 million
Category:
License Number:
CSL# 84001 HIC# 169079
https://www.houzz.com/pro/shawncayer copied to clipboard
Windhill Builders is a designer and builder of distinctive custom homes and renovations located in Ipswich, Massachusetts on Boston’s North Shore. From Martha’s Vineyard to the suburbs of Boston, to Southern New Hampshire and Maine, our quality craftsmanship and dedication to serving the needs of our customers has left a lasting impression. We are proud of our reputation, earned through our quality and service from both homeowners and industry peers.
Our knowledge and expertise covers all facets of construction, from conceptual planning to comprehensive design, excavation and structural build-out, to extraordinary finish work, and landscaping.
We pride ourselves in our ability to provide exceptional customer service, complete projects on time and within budget, and deliver comfortable, stress free construction experiences for our customers.
Our team is committed to a building process based on listening skills, ongoing communication, and a balanced collaboration between builder, architect, and homeowner. Ultimately, we can see our success in the invitations we receive to weddings, cookouts, and birthday celebrations from our past clients, still happy to have us around, still feeling connected by the journey we once took together.
We look forward to meeting you in person, listening to your plans, being inspired by your ideas, and exciting you with ours. We take great pride in our work and look forward to seeing you and your family cross your new threshold to a finer quality of life.
Areas Served
Andover, Beverly, Beverly Cove, Boxford, Byfield, Danvers, Essex, Georgetown, Gloucester, Groveland, Hamilton, Hathorne, Haverhill, Ipswich, Lynn, Manchester, Middleton, Newbury, Newburyport, Peabody, Prides Crossing, Rowley, Salem, South Hamilton, Topsfield, Wenham, West Boxford, West Newbury, Weston, Marblehead, West, Winchester, Amesbury, Merrimack, West Newbury, Melrose, Medford, North Reading, Lyn
Awards
BONS Best of North Shore Home 2017, 2018, Nominated for 2019 Best of Boston 2019 Chrysalis Award 2015, 2016 Best of Houzz 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
36 Projects for Windhill Builders

Winchester, MA
Bon Vie - Winchester, MA
9 photos

Marblehead, MA
Peach's Point - Marblehead, MA
35 photos

Merrimac, MA
Take Me Back to Merrimac!
8 photos

RUSTIC & TRADITIONAL GET MARRIED – FARMHOUSE IN IPSWICH, MA
15 photos

Ipswich, MA
We’re Not In Wellesley Anymore! Great Neck- Ipswich, MA
9 photos

Ipswich, MA
Inside Out - Outside In
12 photos

Love at First Sight
17 photos

Lynnfield, MA
Lynnfield Farmhouse
29 photosShared

Amesbury, MA
Over the Merrimack River and Through the Woods
9 photos

Winchester, MA
The Johnson Thompson House - Restoring History
20 photos

Ipswich, MA
The Wave Beach Front Home
14 photosShared

Ipswich, MA
What Makes an Ocean Wave, Wave?
12 photos
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29 Reviews for Windhill Builders
4.9|29 reviews
Work Quality5.0
Communication5.0
Value5.0

Emily Lawson
Relationship
Client
We had such a great experience working with Windhill. The professionalism was top notch and each person that came to work at our house were able to answer all of our questions and concerns.
September 16, 2020

Edward Soares
Relationship
Client
We vividly recall our first meeting with Shawn Cayer from Windhill Builders, when we discussed our building project. Friendly, professional, organized, and fully informed with the knowledge of a building expert, Shawn straightforwardly and thoroughly answered each and every one of our questions. He engendered our trust and confidence almost right away. After that initial discussion, we knew that Windhill Builders would be the right choice to bring our architect's vision and plans (Cummings Architects) into the reality of our new dream home.
We cannot adequately express our appreciation for Kevin O'Connor, the Windhill construction manager who shepherded our building project from start to finish. Kevin was simply fabulous to work with. Always extremely reliable, communicative, and organized, Kevin truly made the building process so much easier for us. There were often daily texts, phone calls, and meetings, each helping us to move the project along. He inspired confidence and we always felt things were in good hands. But along the way, we also got to know Kevin on a more personal level and that made our interactions even better. Kevin always helped us keep things in perspective, and we also enjoyed his fabulous sense of humor.
It is not uncommon to hear about issues with sub-contractors, but our experience with ALL of the Windhill Builder subs was terrific. We were extremely pleased with the high quality work they performed -- from those who excavated and poured the foundation, to those who framed the house, insulated, painted, implemented the electrical plan, created the custom built-ins and cabinetry, installed the flooring, AV systems and alarms --- they were all pleasant, professional, friendly and terrific at their jobs.
Windhill also provided wonderful inside administrative support. Billing and accounting was always clearly spelled out and specified. Any questions we had were always promptly answered, and we knew that Jessica was there ready to help with anything we needed. She always communicated the same high level of enthusiasm for the project and she played a crucial role in the success of the project. When we saw her in person, there was always a welcoming smile to greet us and a hand extended to help.
Our beautiful new home is everything we hoped for, reflecting the inspiration of Mat Cummings and his team at Cummings Architects and the "make it happen" team of talented, professional team of builders at Windhill Builders.
April 4, 2020

Andrea Bernard
Relationship
Client
We don't have enough good things to say about Windhill! We hired them for a significant renovation on our home which took 8 months and included an addition, all new kitchen, bathrooms, laundry room, new plumbing, heating, electrical, windows, etc..... It was a big project and these folks were amazing to work with every step of the way. They are very knowledgeable, do great work and are all around very good people. While we have never done a project of this scale, we have renovated other homes, and this is by far the best experience we have ever had with a construction project. We couldn't be happier with the finished product and we are so grateful to Windhill for all of the amazing work that has made our home so wonderful. Photo Credit: Eric Roth




April 2, 2020

Sherry Pearl
Relationship
Client
We hired Windhill Builders to do an addition/ kitchen remodel. The project was pretty involved and included a new addition/ foundation , kitchen,mudroom, powder room, and new laundry. There were a lot of moving parts and they did a phenomenal job. Their craftmanship was top notch and the attention to every detail was impressive. The project was on time and they communicated with us on every detail. We are thrilled with the results and enjoyed working with them. I would highly recommend them and would use them again


April 4, 2018

Douglas Owen
Relationship
Client
We hired Windhill Builders last year to renovate our home on Great Neck in Ipswich, following an exquisite craftsman-style design provided by Cummings Architects. Both firms are located in Ipswich and work together on design-build projects frequently, so their communication was excellent and seamless. Here are some of the reasons we can recommend them: professionalism; excellent communication; clear plans, timeline, and budget; great project manager, staff, and subs; flexibility and creativity; and ready solutions to unanticipated structural problems with the original house. Although the project started later than anticipated because of winter weather and other factors, the renovations were finished on time and even ahead of the longest projection. The completed renovations are top quality, and Windhill stands by its work. Working with this firm was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Thanks, Shawn and company!
September 19, 2017

Elizabeth Hamblin
Relationship
Client
We hired Windhill Builders for a large, complex renovation for a house built in 1729. Everyone from the owner, Shawn Cayer and project manager Kevin O'Conner, to the subcontractors were professional and responsive. Communication with the team was easy and I felt they listened to our thoughts and concerns throughout the project, while still keeping the project going. We are extremely pleased with the outcome and cannot recommend Shawn, and his team highly enough.




March 24, 2017

Stacey Ovanes
Relationship
Client
We hired Shawn Cayer and his team for our own Extreme Home Makeover in November 2015. The project included a two level addition for the kitchen and master suite, construction of a new laundry room, powder room and mud room, complete renovation of all existing bedrooms and bathrooms, installation of new flooring throughout the home, and more.
Not only did the project have very strict conservation guidelines to follow, it also had to be completed by April 2016, as we were moving out during construction and could only secure a five month lease.
Although Shawn promised to do his best, he wouldn't commit to a finish date. However, our architect reassured us that we were in good hands so we took a chance and hired Windhill Builders for our project.
I've never seen so many tradesman descend so quickly. They were on site each day, every day, for the entire day (very rare in this industry), working together in a very professional manner, with the same goal...to deliver for the client!
Our team consisted of Chandler, who handles all plumbing and is the consummate professional; the very kind Bob Wilson and his amazing team of framers and carpenters; Sam and his tile guys, Steve and Paul who are outstanding and worth every penny (so be sure they're part of your team); Mark Wellington, with Ipswich Cabinetry, who provided us with beautiful custom cabinetry; and, Kevin O'Connor, our project manager, who ran our project with an iron first, ensuring that the end product was delivered on time, meeting and/or exceeding expectations. A truly impressive group of professionals!
Of course, there's always at least one bad apple in the bunch and for our project that award is shared by American Renaissance Painting and the plasterers.
Everyone else busted their butts to give us an amazing product, and these knuckleheads came in, did subpar work, took no responsibility, and made virtually no effort to correct the problems. They created unnecessary tension, and it's still very disappointing to see their signs paired with Windhill's on some local projects.
That said, I would not hesitate to recommend Shawn Cayer and his team. I'm still so happy we chose to engage the services of Windhill Builders. I truly believe that they are the only builder who could have delivered us our amazing house in the timeframe allotted. They are focused, driven professionals, who take pride in what they do.
January 6, 2017

Michael Colombo
Relationship
Client
Windhill built a kitchen and master suite addition for our home during the winter of 2015-2016. Being the first time we have ever done a large construction project and being a young family needing to keep a close eye on our finances, we had a lot of fear of what we didn't know and what might go wrong heading into this project. This, to us, is where Windhill's value cannot be overstated. Windhill was patient, kind, informative, extremely professional and performed only the highest quality work under a very tight timeline (we were living in the house during the construction). Everyone they work with and brought into our house adhered to Windhill's same high standards of professionalism, communication, and quality. Windhill is an extremely rare find in an industry that, unfortunately, is very often very difficult to gauge. Beyond the magazine-quality work they did on our home, the way they treated our project will have an enormous impact on the course of our family for years and years to come. Without reservation, I would recommend them for your project.

June 4, 2016

ddonovanjr
Relationship
Client
We had an excellent experience with Windhill. Came in according to budget, managed expectations well with respect to planning. Very responsive when needed; kept us updated on status & next steps for the project before and during. Also, fast, hard-working team with excellent quality.
February 26, 2016

pmason160
Relationship
Client
We hired Windhill Builders to renovate a large section of our home and could not be more pleased with the result. They transformed our old kitchen, dining room and living room into a new open living space. They guided us through the planning phase by joining meetings with our architect to ensure a design-and-build approach to the project.
Their teams of skilled craftsmen were always on time and professional. The overall management of the project was excellent and there were never any gaps in scheduling. When one team was completing a phase of the project, another team was right behind to start the next phase. This allowed the overall project to be completed on time and within budget. They also made several suggestions once the project was started that enhanced the overall result. We highly recommend Windhill Builders and will hire them again for future projects.
June 5, 2015

Kate Carswell
Relationship
Client
We worked with Windhill Builders to do a total renovation/addition to our 300 year old home. From our first meeting with Shawn to the final touches, Shawn and Kevin were a pleasure to work with! We had lots of tough decisions to make building our dream home while keeping the old farm house character alive. Windhill worked closely with our architect and us to make it happen! Everyone Windhill brought on board to our project from plumbers, electricians, even lighting store recommendations were professional and fun to work with! I highly recommend Windhill Builders!
March 4, 2015

New Leaf Redesign
Relationship
Colleague
I've been fortunate to work with Shawn and his team at Windhill Builders, providing design assistance on several projects--including their own offices. I can't say enough good things about Shawn. He is a pleasure to work with, inspires confidence, and really focuses on doing things the right way.
Shawn always has a creative vision for his projects, but works very collaboratively, inviting input and suggestions. He is thorough, professional, responds to emails and questions quickly, and follows through with what he says he'll do. He is great with clients, and makes customer service a priority.
The results of his projects are always outstanding, and I'm proud to be associated with them. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Windhill Builders and look forward to our next project together!
February 25, 2015
Commented: what is the ceiling height in this room?These are 10' ceilings.
March 25, 2020
Commented: WindowsYes, casement. Jeld Wen Windows.
February 4, 2020
Commented: what is the patio materialIrregular Bluestone Thermal is the material.
January 16, 2020
Commented: counter material pleaseTahiti Quartzite
January 16, 2020
Commented: vanity colour pleaseBenjamin Moore 1649 Polaris Blue
January 16, 2020
Commented: Love the wallpaperThank you!
August 7, 2019
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