Key West Cove

The homeowners reached out in early spring. They'd already been through the process with another well-known local builder, but something wasn't right. They had plans drawn up, but the plans didn't reflect what they actually wanted. They felt like passengers in their own project.

We met the same week. No pitch deck, no sales process — just a conversation about what they were trying to build and what wasn't working. By the end of that first meeting, we had a clear picture of their vision and a path forward.

I connected them with Erin Kant at Studio ESK, an architect I trust to listen first and design second. Together, we drew up a whole-home remodel and addition that hit their stated budget. The homeowners were involved at every step — not reviewing plans after the fact, but shaping them in real time.

Then, two weeks after the first set of conceptual drawings were finished, the homeowner called with a question: should we go bigger?

I told them the truth: the biggest issue wasn't the floor plan — it was the 8-foot ceilings on the second floor. It's hard to make a house feel high-end with 8-foot ceilings, and no amount of remodeling would fix that.

We discussed options. Rebuilding the upper level. Raising the roof. None of it penciled out the way we wanted. So we landed on the best path: scrape the existing slab, extend it, run new plumbing, and build a brand new house from the ground up.

It was a bigger decision, but the right one. The homeowners knew it the moment we walked through it together. That's what happens when your builder is on your side instead of just protecting a contract.

The finished construction documents and permits took about five months. During that time, the homeowners weren't waiting in the dark. We reviewed material selections, locked in finishes, and made sure we could hit the ground running the day permits were in hand.

That front-loaded decision-making is what separates a smooth build from one that drags. When you're making cabinet selections during framing instead of during install, you don't lose weeks.

We broke ground in March 2024 and built 6,500 square feet of custom home in nine months. That's not fast for the sake of fast — it's the result of decisions being made early, trades being coordinated tightly, and the builder being on-site, not behind a desk.

The scope was comprehensive. This wasn't a house with a few nice upgrades — every detail was custom:

The family moved into their new home before Christmas. I helped carry the tree in.

From that first phone call in spring 2023 to keys in hand — under 15 months total, with five of those months in design and permitting. Nine months of construction for a fully custom 6,500 square foot home with pool, landscaping, and every finish dialed in.

That's what's possible when the process works for you instead of against you.