On a cold January morning in 2017, a new show premiered on the DIY Network. Maine Cabin Masters introduced viewers to a different kind of renovation program. No mansions. No million-dollar budgets. Just rustic cabins in the Maine woods, a tight-knit crew, and a tenth-generation Mainer named Chase Morrill who believed old camps deserved a second chance.
Eight years later, the show has aired over 160 episodes across 12 seasons. It moved from DIY to the Magnolia Network, launched an Italian spinoff, and turned Chase from an unassuming Wayne contractor into one of the most recognizable faces in renovation television.
But the real story isn’t about fame. It’s about a man who grew up hammer in hand, learned wastelessness from his father, and built a career on the principle that preserving Maine’s cabin heritage matters more than chasing trends.
Growing Up in the Augusta-Gardiner Area
Born on December 25, 1977, in Augusta, Maine, Chase Morrill came into the world on Christmas Day. His parents, Eric and Peggy Morrill, raised him and his older sister Ashley in a family with deep roots in Maine’s building culture.
Chase is a tenth-generation Mainer whose family roots run deep in the region. That’s not just a number. It represents nearly 300 years of family connection to this place.
His father, Eric Morrill, was a builder. His grandfather was a civil engineer. Chase has said he grew up hammer in my hand following him around, learning the trade from an early age.
One of my earliest memories is sitting on the rough-cut floor deck with a bunch of my cousins, all between the ages of 5 to 10, and our job was straightening nails that had been pulled out of the original camp.
His grandparents, both with engineering degrees, were skilled in all aspects of construction. He says his grandmother did the plumbing while his grandfather did the electrical parts. They rebuilt the family camp when I was about 5 years old.
This wasn’t theoretical knowledge. This was hands-on learning from people who valued materials, who believed in fixing rather than replacing, who understood that good work lasted generations.
His father, Eric, passed onto him the idea of wastelessness and showed him how to be a loving husband, father, friend and hard worker. These lessons would shape not just Chase’s building philosophy but his approach to life.
Tragically, Eric Morrill passed away from cancer on July 27, 2014, just a few years before Maine Cabin Masters would premiere. He never got to see his son become a television star, but his influence is visible in every episode.
Education and Early Career
Chase attended the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, where he earned a degree in community planning. His college friends Ryan Eldridge studied English, and Dixie pursued a degree related to the ski industry. After college, they all circled back to building.
For his senior project in college, he renovated part of an old mansion into a student lounge. The experience made a lasting impression.
“As I tore into the grandiose original structure, I was struck again by how everything was built using real solid material and how long it had held up to Maine’s harsh coastal climate” said Morrill.
After graduating, Chase started reconstructing and renovating dilapidated buildings as his full-time job. He worked on cabins, lodges, and historic homes across the state, honing his expertise by restoring old structures while preserving their original charm.
His Wayne-based business, Kennebec Property Services, didn’t have a website. He had no social media presence of his own. Potential clients often tracked him down via his wife or his team.
This wasn’t strategic branding. This was just how Chase operated. Low-key. Word-of-mouth. Focused on the work.
How Maine Cabin Masters Began
When he heard that a production company was looking for a Maine crew that renovates old cabins, it was curiosity, not marketing potential, that compelled him to apply.
Chase joined the Maine Cabin Masters crew on DIY Network, now called Magnolia Network, out of curiosity. At that time, he was not on social media and had no business website.
He filmed a pilot at a pondside camp in Vassalboro. DIY picked up the show for a 10-episode run that ended in March 2017. A second season started shooting soon after.
The cast came together naturally. His sister Ashley brought design expertise. Her husband Ryan Eldridge contributed carpentry skills and project management. Childhood friends from the Augusta-Gardiner area, Matt “Dixie” Dix and Jared “Jedi” Baker, rounded out the core crew as master carpenters.
Maine Cabin Masters debuted on January 2, 2017. Over its first three seasons, it was DIY’s highest rated program. The show captured something authentic that audiences craved.
The Show’s Philosophy
Each episode begins with Chase introducing Ashley and Ryan to a new cabin, called “camps” in the local parlance, and its owners. Typically, the cabins are in poor shape and badly in need of renovation.
A budget and deadline are set. The Cabin Masters then make every attempt to restore these structures, remaining true to their original function, but sometimes adding modern amenities like solar panels and composting toilets.
Chase and the crew are known for their practical and frugal approach, stretching budgets, salvaging old materials and focusing on function first.
He has said that many camp owners’ top request is simply windows that open, a small but crucial upgrade that makes a cabin comfortable and usable.
It’s a challenge to balance big wows that producers crave with homeowners’ practical needs. Installing spray-foam insulation, for instance, doesn’t make great television.
Amid tight budgets and short time frames, he focuses on nuts and bolts. When it’s time for aesthetic flourishes, he lets Yankee frugality guide him.
At his own camp, he sources almost everything from used materials hoarded over the years: salvaged-wood doors, brightly painted furniture, and open shelving on mismatched metal brackets.
If we weren’t doing this on TV, we’d still be doing this, Chase says. If the show gets picked up for more seasons, great. But the work itself is what matters.
Family Life with Sarah and the Kids
Chase is married to Sarah Morrill, a registered nurse from North Andover, Massachusetts. They met at the College of Atlantic where they both studied, though in different subjects.
Their college friendship grew into romance. After dating for several years, they married on August 13, 2005. They’ve been together for nearly two decades.
Sarah works at the Maine Primary Care Association. She keeps a relatively low profile, preferring to stay out of the television spotlight, though she occasionally appears in episodes and social media posts.
Chase and Sarah have four children: daughters Maggie, Nori and Eva, and a son, Fletcher. Maggie, their eldest, was born on July 15, 2006, making her 18 as of 2025. Fletcher, their youngest, was born in September 2011.
The children have been part of Maine Cabin Masters from the start, occasionally appearing in off-camera clips or being tagged in updates shared online.
Chase has said that having his family around during filming has made the experience easier over the years, though it also means his own house sometimes feels neglected compared to the cabins he’s building for others.
The family’s adventure truly took center stage in 2024 when all four kids joined Chase, Sarah, Ashley, and Ryan for the Maine Cabin Masters: Building Italy spinoff, spending three months renovating a house in the Molise region.
The Wayne Farmhouse
Chase Morrill lives in Wayne, Maine, in an old 1850s farmhouse that he and his wife, Sarah, decided to save rather than tear down.
He has described the house as a teardown when they bought it, but they chose to restore it, turning it into a home for their family and their pets, which include two dogs, two cats, two rabbits, and a chicken named Henrietta.
The irony isn’t lost on anyone. The man who transforms other people’s camps for a living lives in a house that needed the same kind of rescue.
But that’s consistent with Chase’s philosophy. Save what can be saved. Honor the history. Make it work for modern life without destroying what made it special in the first place.
Personal Quirks and Inspirations
On his Maine Cabin Masters profile, Chase shares some personal details that reveal his character.
He can recite all 50 states in alphabetical order. “My fourth grade elementary music teacher, Mrs. Beaver, taught us ‘Fifty Nifty United States’ for a school concert and I never forgot the song. Anytime I need to recite the order of the states, a good party trick, I can do it while singing the song.” he says with a smirk.
He once had cat scratch fever. I got scratched by a cat and a few weeks later a gland on the side of my neck started swelling up. It got to the size of a baseball and then I needed surgery to have it drained. I have a scar across the side of my neck that’s hidden under my beard.
Before the show started, he would only cut his hair once a year. Usually in early spring I would shave my head and face, but I only had a set of old dog clippers so I used those. Now I get a haircut and trim the beard every few months.
When asked about his inspirations, Chase points to a mix of influences. Every day I am inspired creatively by my family, friends, and the beautiful state of Maine.
Some of my greatest influences are Bernard Langlais, a wondrous Maine Sculptor; Jim Henson, whose creative, loving creatures helped raise me and countless latchkey kids; and my father, who passed onto me the idea of wastelessness and showed me how to be a loving husband, father, friend and hard worker.
Building a Business
Before Maine Cabin Masters, Chase ran Kennebec Property Services alongside his sister Ashley, her husband Ryan and their friends Dixie and Jedi. The business expanded significantly as the show grew.
In 2019, the team purchased a historic 1850s homestead in Manchester that once belonged to the Daggett family featured in the show’s first episode. This became the home of Kennebec Cabin Company, their retail store and headquarters.
The company now operates multiple ventures. The retail store stocks Maine art, crafts, tools and Maine Cabin Masters merchandise. Behind the store sits The Woodshed, a restaurant and bar that hosts live music and community events.
Chase co-hosts the “From the Woodshed” podcast with his crew, answering fan questions and offering construction advice through their “Project Pointers” segments.
The business grew between 2020 and 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic as more people had time to restore their cabins and sought out rural properties.
The EPA Settlement
Not everything has been smooth sailing. In 2022, Kennebec Property Services faced scrutiny from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The company was accused of violating federal Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule regulations during five renovations in 2020. These projects took place on properties built before 1978, when lead-based paint was banned.
The specific violations included lack of required recertification for lead-safe renovation practices, failure to assign a certified renovator to each project, not providing homeowners with lead safety pamphlets as required by law, and improper documentation of lead safety compliance.
The lawsuit languished for over two years while Maine Cabin Masters continued airing new seasons. In October 2022, the company reached a settlement with the EPA.
Kennebec Property Services agreed to pay a $16,500 penalty fine. They obtained proper RRP Rule certification for future jobs and committed to following guidelines more strictly going forward.
As part of the settlement, the company agreed to help raise awareness about lead safety measures in at least three episodes of its upcoming television season and one episode of its “From the Woodshed” podcast. They also placed information about the rule on their website.
We have worked collaboratively with the EPA to address their concerns, said Jen Reese, business development manager for Kennebec Cabin Co.
The settlement served more as a public warning than a financial blow. But it reinforced an important point: renovation companies must follow safety regulations regardless of their television fame.
Show Success and Recognition
Maine Cabin Masters moved from DIY Network to the Magnolia Network in 2022, where it continues to thrive. The show is now in its 11th season with over 160 episodes.
Chase has said that the brother-sister relationship with Ashley is a little bit unique to this show, and that while they bicker on camera, it’s just how siblings are.
“If anything, it’s made us tighter. We’ve all been through the wringer and come out on the other side with a finished product we can all be proud of.” says Morrill.
The show has achieved something remarkable in renovation television. It remains authentic. The jobs and the budgets are legitimate. The friendships are real. The commitment to preserving Maine’s cabin culture is genuine.
Fans from around the world are falling in love with Maine’s natural beauty and authentic lifestyle through the show. Tourism to Manchester and the Kennebec Cabin Company headquarters has grown significantly.
Financial Success
Chase Morrill’s net worth is estimated at $600,000 as of 2025. He earns about $30,000 per episode of Maine Cabin Masters, making it his primary income stream.
Outside of television, he runs the Kennebec Cabin Company, which specializes in cabin restoration and merchandise. He also earns from The Woodshed restaurant, the podcast, and public appearances.
It’s modest by television standards. But it’s comfortable. And it supports the life Chase wants: raising his family in Maine, working on projects that matter, preserving the state’s cabin heritage.
The Builder’s Legacy
At 47 years old, Chase Morrill has become more than a television personality. He’s become an ambassador for a particular approach to building and living.
His philosophy is simple: respect what came before, waste nothing, focus on function, preserve history while making spaces livable for modern families.
He’s proof that you can build a successful career without chasing trends, that preserving old structures matters, that local craftsmanship has value in an age of mass production.
Chase represents the Maine work ethic. The value of doing things right. The importance of teaching the next generation. The belief that old camps, like old values, deserve to be saved.
One of my earliest memories is straightening nails with my cousins on a rough-cut floor. Decades later, Chase is still in the business of taking what others might throw away and finding a way to make it useful again.
That’s not just his construction philosophy. That’s his life philosophy. And it’s what makes Maine Cabin Masters resonate with millions of viewers who believe, like Chase does, that some things are worth saving.
