Sleeping Dog Properties and Chris Rapczynski Honored in General Contractors Magazine

By Exec Edge Editorial Staff

The Boston area is a challenging place to be a general contractor. It’s home to innovative modern structures as well as colonial architecture that requires the highest level of construction knowledge to service. Not only that, but at 400 years old, the market is established and highly competitive.

But that hasn’t stopped Sleeping Dog Properties and Chris Rapczynski, its founder and president, from becoming one of most successful construction firms in New England in just under 30 years. Sleeping Dog Properties’ meteoric rise is the result of pioneering strategies that boost efficiency in construction project delivery and a client-first service model.

Recently, Sleeping Dog Properties was honored in General Contractors Magazine as one of the best general contracting firms in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Over the past three decades, the firm has managed over $500 million in construction projects, specializing in luxury residential, bespoke commercial, and unique hospitality projects. And its growth is accelerating. Sleeping Dog Properties is expanding its services into Massachusetts’ Cape Cod area and the Lakes Region of New Hampshire.

And if Rapczynski’s got anything to say about it, SDP will be flourishing for years to come.

“Life is humbling,” he says. “And as you age and gain a few pounds or slow in your step, whatever the dynamic might be, you start to think about where the company will be. I think for the next generation is where my mindset is right now because I have to be forward-thinking about the long planning that it takes to get a company into a position where it can have a second generation. Most construction companies only survive a first generation of ownership. I think that our company serves by empowering our leadership to take on the responsibilities in an ownership type of capacity.”

Sleeping Dog Properties has managed over $500 million in construction projects in the Boston area. Some notable custom real estate projects include a high-rise apartment in Boston’s Millennium Tower, a high-end steak house in Andover, Massachusetts, and a 4,000-square-foot children’s medical facility in Wellesley, Massachusetts. The company also undertakes remodeling and repair projects of all types, such as kitchen, bathroom, and office remodeling.

Introducing Innovation to an Entrenched Market

Chris Rapczynski has been a respected member of the construction community in Boston for 25 years. But when he founded Sleeping Dog Properties 30 years ago, he was on his own. He was a creative type who saw construction as an act of creativity, and he began flipping condos as a way to fulfill his passion. “I’ve always believed that if you do what you love, then the rest will follow,” he says.

And it did. Soon after, demand for his work grew, prompting him to start his contracting firm, Sleeping Dog Properties. Rapczynski brought his unique perspective and values to his company: integrity, service, compassion, and discipline. In an industry fraught with dishonesty, fraud, and poor customer service, Sleeping Dog Properties’ people-first business model was a strong differentiator.

Raqpczynski has been a member of the Boston construction community for 25 years, and he’s a member of the Association of General Contractors and the American Institute of Architects.

Chris Rapczynski has been recognized throughout his career for his work and leadership, earning multiple awards from the Boston Society of Architects, the Small Business Association of New England, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In his free time, Rapczynski volunteers as a coach for the Andover Soccer Association in his hometown. He also actively engages in philanthropic giving, supporting charities such as Build Health International, Music Drives Us, and Pan-Mass Challenge.

Breaking Away From Competitors