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Building Contractors, LLC
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Are you thinking about an upcoming project,
but aren't sure how to get started?

Stille and Sons writes a monthly column on home projects for Essex Fells Magazine. If you have a project in mind and are not sure where to start, why not take a look?

Click the Link below on the right to get started!


 The leaves are starting to fall, can the snow be far behind?

After the record snow falls of last year, it's time to make sure you are ready for the coming winter season. Stille and Sons provides contract plowing and snow removal services.
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About Stille & Sons Do you have an addtion or renovation project? Pictures of previous
building projects		 Contact us
with questions		 Essex Fells
Magazine Articles

A recent kitchen/addition renovationAbout us:

Stille and Sons, Building Contractors, LLC has been working in the Northern New Jersey area for more than thirty five years.  It started with Paul Stille, who at the time was a high school shop teacher.  Paul took on contracting projects during his summer vacation and worked with his three sons: Jim, Tom and Peter.  

Paul has since retired from teaching and now acts in an advisory capacity to the business.  His three sons have taken over the day to day role of running the business as “Stille and Sons” and finally “Stille and Sons, Building Contractors, LLC.”

Stille and Sons is a “general contractor” which means we run your project from permits to final inspection, making sure all the work is done correctly and that no detail is overlooked.  Stille and Sons is licensed with the state of New Jersey and is a fully insured builder.

At any given time, our projects range from small, 1 day projects to 6 month major renovations and even full houses.  We also contract for modular homes (like the one being set in the picture below). 

We’ve been in the Caldwell/West Caldwell/North Caldwell/Essex Fells/Chatham areas for more than 30 years and have developed a special knack for creating additions that blend seemlessly into older homes, some being 75 to 100 years old. We are also known for an obsessive attention to the details that makes every project we take on truly shine!
Do you have a project in mind?

Projects come in all flavors and sizes. Some rework existing parts of your home, while others are additions that give you new space. Still others are whole new houses. At Stille and Sons, we can handle it all!

To rework an existing part of your house:
Your project might be a new bathroom, kitchen or moving or removing walls and doors. Your project might also be a siding or roofing project that you need done,or you could be replacing windows with a wide selection of beautiful and energy efficient models.

We can come out to visit you at your home and work up a proposal based on our conversations and pictures we take while there.We will provide you with a thorough, but easy to understand proposal that covers all of the details related to your project.

And once we get started, rest assured that we'll handle all the permits and inspections, as well as pay attention to all the details that will make your new space spectacular!

To get started: Just give us a call and let's set up an appointment to go over your ideas. Most times, this is all that is required.



To add an addition to your existing home:
Adding an additions to your home is typically a bit more involved and most additions require an architect's plan for the town and permit. We do have several architects we work with and would be happy to make a referral, if you'd like. We'd also be happy to review your project prior to hiring an architect, so you can get an idea of the costs involved. While we can't bid the job at that point, we can estimated costs so that you know if it's worth going forward with an architect.

Once drawn by an architect, your project is either an addition that requires a foundation (be it a basement, crawlspace or concrete slab) or that doesn't ("add-a-levels"). We can handle either and will make sure all work is done right and as seemlessly as possible to your existing house.

We also are experts in making sure that you new space is properly heated and cooled in concert with the rest of your house.

To get started: Just give us a call. Let us know if you have an architect's plans or need them. We'll come meet you and review your ideas and help you determine the best next step. We can also make referrals on architects, site engineers and finance folks.


Building a whole new home.
You may want to build your own home from the ground up. This allows you to fully realize your vision without having to work within the confines of your existing house. As with most construction projects, there are several things to consider.

Do you have a lot? Is there a house on it already?
In some cases, the perfect piece of property exists but already has a house on it. We can take the old house down and remove it, so don't let that slow you up. In most cases, the cost is very reasonable.

If there is no house on the lot (and it's zoned for a residence), you are already ahead.

On-site (or Stick built) construction or Modular?
When you build a new house from the ground up, there are two primary ways you can do the construction.


On-site construction
Most people have seen buildings going up "on-site." You will sometimes hear this called "stick built" referring to the building step where the house looking like a skeleton of 2x4's and raw lumber. Many houses are built this way and it allows for great flexibility in design and the use of space. It's perfect for odd shapes or property with difficult truck access. Most additions are "stick-built," too.

Modular Construction:
The good news is that modular homes are not what they used to be!

Most people remember the early days when some modular homes were boxy, with very little style. Today's modular, like the one we built in the picture to the right, are solid, stylish and very customizable to your vision. You can start with an existing floor plan and customize it, or you can provide you own plans to be "modularized."

Most modular houses require only minimum support from an architect as the cost of the plans needed for the township is typically part of the modular company's "package."

The Pro's and Con's:
For the most part, costs are pretty comparable, modular vs. stick-built. That being said, stick-built construction can take longer than a modular - some times several months more. This can be a factor in you are paying interest on a loan or paying for a rental to live in during construction.

Modular construction, while faster, is slightly (and only slightly) limited in certain ways and sizes. Since these homes are built as modules (or "boxes") and shipped on trucks to your site, they are very sturdy (to withstand the travel), but each box has a size limit of approximately 16' x 60'. Most houses are made up of several boxes to create the "footprint" that you want. Modules can be stacked to create 2nd and 3rd floors. Rooms can, however, span boxes and you can even do vaulted and cathedral ceilings with a modular.

Garages are very hard to ship as a box (no floor!), so most times we "stick build" them on site after the modular home is on site. We also add other stick-built details that make our modular homes a sort of "hybrid" and gets you the best of both construction methods.

Once your initial structure is in place, be it stick or modular, Stille and Son's "finish" work is what will make your project shine! We take care of all the detail work, like hardwood floors, ceramic tile and custom closets.

Both kind of construction provide for virtually any siding from wood shakes to stone to modern composites like "Hardie-plank."

Both can be built with high-end detail like full wall tiles baths, master bedroom suites and much more.

To get started: Just give us a call. Let us know if you have an architect's plans or need them. We'll come meet you and review your ideas and look at your site (if you have one picked out already). As with additions, we can also make referrals on architects, site engineers and finance folks. If you not sure of Modular vs. Stick built, we can help you weigh your options.


Here are just a few pictures of our many previous projects. These were all done within the last 2 years or so, but we have projects going back 30 years.

You can be assured that we have experience with a projects like yours!


For this project, our customer wanted to add a screened-in porch that could be usable almost any time of the year.

With plenty of windows, remote controlled skylights, a hot tub, a wet bar and lots of room to entertain, this space is beautiful and open.

Details like the wood stained ceiling and French Doors back into the main house, make it welcoming, unique and easily accessible.


This customer wanted to create a living room space where the adults could gather while the kids were elsewhere, but nearby.

The house was not expanded, but to create the additional space, a wall was removed (right in front of the camera's view in the picture to the right) and another hallway wall was opened into a half-wall and column detail (see in the picture above, left). This created a wide open space. Energy efficient windows replaced older, drafty windows and the the happy home owner was left with an open room with great details and a relaxing appeal for adult gatherings.

A state of the art entertainment system was incorporated, as well.


Our customer's full project called for a two level addition, with a deck off the back of the house. Included in the project were bedrooms upstairs and a new, expanded kitchen downstairs.


In the kitchen, the entire area was gutted to the wall studs. The footprint was expanded back to add substantially more room.

A new kitchen was installed with beautiful cabinetry, a work and eating area "island" and stainless appliances. French doors lead out onto a deck build with maintenance-free "composite" materials.

Beautiful tile backsplash details, like the tile mosaic shown behind the electric cook-top, finish the room with warm and sunny details.

While limited in floor space, this kitchen was gutted down to the studs to update a space that was showing it's age. New cabinets and appliances, along with a durable ceramic tile floor created a modern, yet function space.

A wall between the old kitchen and former dining room was opened into a half wall "counter" and the former dining room is now used as a kids family room. (The living room is now the family's formal dining room and an area on another level is used as living room.)

The half-wall in the kitchen allows the folks to work in the kitchen while still having the little guys in sight. Separation with supervision.

Doors from the family room open up onto an outside deck for outdoor cooking in the warmer seasons.


When the old family room was too small, our customer knew it was time to expand. We created this wonderful addition space (which is open to the kitchen for wonderful flow for living and entertaining).

The space features details like a gas fireplace with a tile surround that matches the near-by kitchen's tiles, a tray ceiling for an extra feeling of space and half-round "cat-eye" details over the windows. This room also features radiant heating, with hot watering tubing under the floor.

Radiant heating (going into a basement floor at right) is one of our specialties.

This type of heating brings warm and comfort, while also being more efficient. Since this heat come up in the from the floor all across the room, rather than at a colder, outside walls, you get warmth wherever you are. Just think about it for a minute - you your feet will never get cold on a warm floor - something to remember the next time you step onto a cold, bathroom tile floor first thing in the morning!).

Stille and Sons can put radiant heating under most any floor, from hardwood to ceramic tile and even in a concrete floor for the best way to heat a finished basement. The entire concrete floor gets warm, acting as a heat conductor and radiating warmth for your family.

Your kids will love it and so will you!


For a free review on your proposed project
Email us at: office@stilleandsons.com
or telephone us at
973-226-8471