Sleeping Dog Properties (SDP) is helmed by president and founder, Chris Rapczynski. This respected member of the construction community has been remodeling, repairing, flipping, and constructing custom homes and commercial locations for 30 years, and his firm was recently named one of eight best contractors according to General Contractors Magazine. We’ll look at why he was singled out and how his business model is built for longevity.

Contracting Firms in Boston

There are more than 40 contracting firms in the Boston area that were considered for the Best General Contractor category in the trade publication. Scoring one of the slots isn’t easy for even the most established company in the city, but Sleeping Dog Properties has consistently gone above and beyond to ensure that clients are happy. Starting with the initial concept and working through every phase until the final result, every detail is accounted for.

Even people who haven’t built their own home or undertaken a major renovation know that construction projects are rarely straightforward. Deadlines are missed, materials are swapped, and structures aren’t always nearly as stable as they appear. With SDP, Chris Rapczynski did more than make promises about the quality of his work. Chris’s favorite part of his profession is the chance to be innovative.

When things go wrong, it can be a cause for panic, or it can be an opportunity to flex your creative muscles. Boston is a city that’s 400 years old and most construction firms only last a single generation. To really rise above the competition, Rapczynski is used to thinking fast.  Through empowering his workers to building an extensive network of suppliers and subcontractors, he’s built an empire that will last. As he expands beyond the Boston/Cambridge area to the Lakes Region of New Hampshire and Cape Cod, he’s scaling the operation to bring services to more clients. Thankfully, his strategy is flexible enough to handle the pressure.

Discipline on the Job

To President & Founder of Sleeping Dog Properties, Chris Rapczynski, discipline is everything. Architecture in the Boston area is by no means a simple equation. Some people want their streets to remain historical, while others want to introduce modern architecture to the neighborhood. Some homeowners or business owners want modern amenities without compromising the old-world feel of their homes and commercial locations.

Whether it’s a bathroom, kitchen, or home office remodel, Rapczynski has to be aware of how each change will impact the site. Curb appeal, design, functionality, accessibility: he and his team need to be on top of it. When he considers the scope of a project, he thinks about each factor on at a time. This not only allows him to think through each potential outcome, it gives him a chance to catch any inconsistencies before they’re executed.

So it might not come as a surprise that Sleeping Dog Properties fared through the pandemic better than most. While they were certainly squeezed by an unrelenting supply chain (as were all firms), Rapczynski was able to lean on the many strong relationships he had built over the years. He was also ready to propose alternative solutions when projects inevitably faced one delayafter another.

Official Awards

Sleeping Dog Properties has always put its emphasis on quality of life rather than profit margins or official awards. While money and recognition are great, the real rewards come from helping clients and improving the landscape of a community. That being said, Rapczynski is proud when organizations take note of his work.

Houzz, the Boston Society of Architects, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the Small Business Association of New England have all awarded Sleeping Dog Properties for the team’s efforts. They were also featured on the cover of Interiors magazine and in The Boston Globe. This publicity has helped them attract clients who want to work with an honest team and it’s propelled the company to greater heights.

When Chris Rapczynski considers the future, he reminds himself to stay anchored in the needs of today. By focusing on what’s happening now, he can prepare for what’s coming tomorrow. In the chaotic world of construction, that’s how he’s going to keep up with a shifting market.