Preservation Timber Framing Inc.

What Preservation Timber Framing Inc. does

Preservation Timber Framing, Inc. is a privately held specialty trade contractor founded in 1992 by Arron Sturgis and headquartered in Berwick, Maine, with a northern branch in Portland, ME and a workshop in Nottingham, NH. The company specializes in the repair, restoration, and documentation of historic timber-framed structures — including barns, homes, churches, steeples, meetinghouses, municipal buildings, and museums — using in-kind repairs (same species of wood) and traditional joinery techniques such as English tying joints, mortise and tenon, half-dovetail joinery, scarfed repairs, and custom millwork. Core service lines are Conditions Assessments (documentation, structural drawings, and prioritized repair plans with cost estimates), Framing Repairs (structural restoration using traditional joinery), Custom Timber Frames (new or restored frames), and Millwork and Finish (interior and exterior architectural restoration), plus an inventory of Historic Frames for Sale that the company has dismantled, documented, and stored for relocation.

The company operates with approximately twenty craftspeople of diverse educational and professional backgrounds, including graduates of North Bennet Street School's preservation carpentry program, Columbia University and Boston Architectural College preservation programs, and the Heartwood, Yestermorrow, and Fox Maple timber framing schools. The crew is supported by a 25+ year network of preservation subcontractors (masonry, lime plaster, coppersmithing), preservation architects and engineers, and local sawmills. Geographic reach is concentrated within roughly one hour of Portland, ME and the New Hampshire Seacoast, with willingness to travel for conditions assessments further afield.

The business model is project-based professional services sold direct to owners of historic structures — primarily nonprofit, religious, educational, and preservation organizations, plus selected SMB and commercial clients — through a sales-led motion in which potential clients contact the company by phone or email, share photographs and descriptions of their structures, and receive site visits and custom estimates. Projects are typically multi-year and multi-phase, with pricing negotiated per engagement and no publicly listed rates. The company has received regional preservation industry recognition (2022 Maine Preservation Honor Award, 2026 NH Preservation Achievement Award) and was founded with three craftspeople, all of whom remain with the firm today.

Name

Preservation Timber Framing Inc.

Legal name

Preservation Timber Framing, Inc.

Website

https://preservationtimberframing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Preservation Timber Framing, Inc. is a Berwick, Maine-based specialty contractor founded in 1992 that repairs and restores historic timber-framed structures — barns, homes, churches, steeples, and museums — across New England using traditional joinery and in-kind wood species, serving nonprofit, religious, and institutional owners through custom project-based engagements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historic Preservation Services

NAICS

Framing Contractors (23813), Custom Architectural Woodwork and Millwork Manufacturing (337212)

SIC

Millwood, Veneer, Plywood, & Structural Wood Members (2430)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic Home Renovation & Preservation (HSAPAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Structural Wood Repair & Framing (Studs, Joists, Subfloor Patching) (HSAGABAF), Wood Rot, Water Damage & Termite Damage Repair (Wood Restoration) (HSAGABAI), Window Sash, Frame & Wood Rot Repair (HSAGABAD)

Keywords

• Timber frame restoration
• Historic preservation services
• Structural frame repair
• Traditional joinery carpentry
• Heritage building assessments

Headquarters

HQ city

Berwick

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Preservation Services: Project-based professional services for repair and restoration of historic timber-framed structures including conditions assessments, framing repairs, custom frames, and millwork/finish carpentry. Revenue is generated through custom project contracts with clients including barns, historic homes, churches, steeples, and museums.
2. Historic Frames for Sale: Sale of fully restored historic timber frames and houses. The company professionally dismantles, repairs, and re-erects historic frames for new owners. Includes documentation, drawings, and architectural features.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Preservation Timber Framing provides traditional repair, restoration, and reproduction services for historic timber-framed structures including barns, homes, churches, steeples, meetinghouses, municipal buildings, and museums across New England. Their work centers on in-kind timber repairs using same-species wood and traditional joinery (mortise and tenon, English tying joints, half-dovetail, scarfed joints), supported by comprehensive conditions assessments, structural documentation, custom millwork, and dismantling/re-erection of historic frames for relocation.

Product overview

Preservation Timber Framing Inc. is a craftspeople-led company offering a unified suite of preservation services for historic timber-framed structures. Their core offerings include Conditions Assessments (documentation, structural drawings, repair plans), Framing Repairs (in-kind repairs using traditional joinery), Custom Timber Frames (new cuts or restored historic frames), and Millwork and Finish (architectural millwork restoration). The company also maintains an inventory of historic frames for sale, including the Israel Demeritt-O'Kane House and Bickford-Beaudet House, which they dismantle, document, and store for clients to reassemble on new foundations. Projects span barns, historic homes, churches and steeples, and museums across New England.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Conditions Assessments Comprehensive evaluation services including on-site visual inspections, annotated photography, existing conditions reports, structural drawings, color-coded conditions drawings, cost estimates for fundraising, and prioritized repair plans for historic timber-framed structures. Targeted at owners and stewards of historic barns, homes, churches, and museums seeking documentation to support grant applications, phased restoration, and contractor guidance.
• Framing Repairs Structural repair services using in-kind repairs with same-species wood and traditional joinery techniques (mortise and tenon, English tying joints, half-dovetail, scarfed joints) to restore timber frames while preserving historical integrity. Targeted at heritage property owners, churches, museums, and barn owners requiring authentic restoration rather than modern replacement.
• Custom Timber Frames Design and construction of new timber frames cut from new wood, or restoration of historic frames that can be raised for new owners, featuring traditional joinery and hand-finished timbers. Targeted at commercial clients and individuals seeking authentic traditional craftsmanship for new construction.
• Millwork and Finish Carpentry

Quantifiable outcome

• Structures well placed to provide another two-hundred years of reliable service
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Maine PreservationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual internship collaboration with hands-on experience working alongside PTF crews. Interns receive preservation policy education combined with practical experience. Collaboration described as extremely important to the future of the company and timber framing trades.
• New Hampshire Preservation AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual internship collaboration with hands-on experience working alongside PTF crews. Interns receive preservation policy education combined with practical experience.
• Timber Framers GuildcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProud long-term member and sponsor. Arron Sturgis serves as Vice President of the board and chairs the Non Profit Development Committee. Company actively contributes to Traditional Timber Frame Research Advisory Group (TTRAG) and has board liaison with Timber Frame Engineering Council (TFEC).
• Traditional Timber Frame Research Advisory Group (TTRAG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompany actively contributes to this Guild group focused on traditional timber framing research and education. Multiple team members including Arron Sturgis and Dan Boyle are active members.
• Preservation Architects and EngineerscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaborate with preservation-oriented architects and engineers to review and gain approval for structural solutions on projects.
• Local SawmillscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelationships with local sawmills help acquire timber as close as possible to project locations, supporting sustainable local sourcing.
• Subcontractors in Adjacent Preservation CraftscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor25-year history with special network of subcontractors in adjacent preservation crafts including masonry, lime plaster, and coppersmithing who work closely with PTF on projects.
• Heartwood SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArron Sturgis is directly involved with this Guild school providing timber framing education.
• North Bennet Street SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple team members (Tom Glynn, Scott Lewis, Tom Wilhelm) studied Preservation Carpentry at this renowned Boston school.
• Yestermorrow Design Build SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeam member Erik Lindquist took timber framing course at this Vermont school before joining PTF.
• Fox Maple Timber Framing SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeam member Peter Slattery attended this timber framing school before focusing his career on timber frame restoration.
• Fire Tower Engineered Timber (FTET)coreTechnology or IntegrationCollaborated on design of Poland Provisions custom timber frame, working together to create bents that could support restaurant seating on second floor.
• Geddes Building MoverscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBuilding moving company used for lifting structures like Sabbathday Lake Ox Barn and Penhallow House for foundation replacement. Described as peaceful, professional, and highly recommended.
• Heritage Co CoppersmithsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerVictor Wright of Heritage Co Coppersmiths replaced the stepped copper roof on Atkinson Academy lantern during tower restoration.
• Williamson Fine HomesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContractor partnership for conventional roof framing on Kavanagh project; northern crew handed reins over to Williamson Fine Homes to finish the Ell.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• North Bennet Street School: Boston-based trade school whose Preservation Carpentry program produced multiple PTF team members. Serves as a critical talent pipeline for the historic preservation craft trade.
• Timber Framers Guild: Industry trade association and education hub for timber framing. PTF is a long-term member and sponsor. Functions as an ecosystem participant, convener, and feeder of skilled labor and standards for the broader craft community.
• Yestermorrow Design/Build School: Vermont-based design/build education school attended by PTF carpenter Erik Lindquist. Sits in the same craft-education ecosystem that supplies PTF and similar firms.
• Fire Tower Engineered Timber: Engineered timber partner that collaborated with PTF on the Poland Provisions custom timber frame. Acts as a complementary technology/engineering specialist supporting traditional timber framing projects.
• Heartwood School: Timber framing education school referenced in PTF's partnerships. Arron Sturgis is directly involved, and recent hires (Michael Mason, Adam Bramhall) are graduates, making it an important feeder for the craft.
• Fox Maple Timber Framing School: Timber framing education school attended by PTF carpenter Peter Slattery. Functions as a craft training source for traditional timber framing techniques used by PTF and peers.

Regional players

• Carpenter Oak & Woodland: UK-based timber framing company offering both new builds and heritage restoration. Comparable craft, traditional joinery focus, and project model, though it primarily serves a different geography.

Direct peers

• Cascade Joinery: Timber framing company in Bellingham, WA where PTF carpenter Alex Dykstra previously worked for five years. Builds new timber frames and is comparable in craft focus, though more weighted to new construction versus PTF's restoration orientation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/preservationtimberframing
• Instagraminstagram.com/preservationtimberframing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/preservation-timber-framing-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Preservation Timber Framing Inc.