PARAGON CUSTOM BUILDERS

An Early Start in Woodworking

I remember being 9 years old and watching my father do woodworking in the garage where the aromatic smell of sawdust from every type of wood would fill the air. In amazement, I watched him turn blocks into bowls, nutcrackers, and jewelry boxes. 

Eventually, he started to hold my hand in his while we used the turning tools together. A slight cut here and another tool there would create features effortlessly. I learned just a little bit of effort could go a long way to creating an elegance that would last a lifetime, and bring joy to those who received the final work as gifts. 

From Sweeping to Cabinetry 

When I was 15, I accompanied my friend Alan at his father’s woodshop. There I met his dad Gary Weisenburger, and told him about my own father and our early forays into woodworking. I ended up asking for a job sweeping the sawdust and tidying the tools. Eventually, he asked me if I wanted to learn how to build cabinets and I said “Yes!” 

For 3 years, I worked with him in the evenings after finishing my homework. We built many cabinets together and he taught me the importance of the fine details and how they elevate the quality of the finished project. 

From Framing to Managing

In 1998, a general contractor named Charlie Armstrong gave me a job as a laborer on one of his high-end projects. During breaks from digging trenches, I would walk around the job site and study the framing. Charlie found me examining a door opening during a walkthrough and asked what I thought of it. I commented on the rough nature of the work and how it differed from my previous training. Seeing my eye for detail, he offered me a promotion to join his framing crew — an offer I accepted enthusiastically.  

Over the next 2 years, I went from framing to eventually learning all the other trades that contributed to a finished home. And when he asked if I would like to learn how to run one of his projects, there was no hesitation! 

I spent the next 9 years developing a deep understanding of project documentation, subcontractor relations, and cultivating relationships with clients. He always set a quick pace for his projects and taught me to continually forecast and prepare for the next construction phase so it was ready when the crews got there. 

I learned that moving quickly through projects maintained an excitement for everyone involved. This exhilaration would inevitably work its way into everything we built. And this, plus attention to the little things, helped us transform building materials into homes full of warmth. 

When Charlie decided to retire, I decided it was time to start my own company. My ultimate goal was to make use of my experience learning beside true masters; to bring that craftsmanship and attention to detail into creating magnificent homes.

What I Bring to Your Project

Through the years, I have examined every task and interaction to identify the best way to build homes by bringing the utmost enthusiasm for my clients. Understanding evolving building techniques and leveraging technology to assist our teams, I ensure we are always in pursuit of better ways to achieve our clients’ visions.

The passion for excellence in our work starts when we see the potential for beauty in every block of wood, every ingot of metal, every piece of stone — and we work it skillfully till it becomes something better than it was before, something that brings delight and gratification into our clients’ lives.

Hammer and Nail at 5

The summer I turned five, my parents purchased 10 acres to build their first home with their own hands. And I was so excited, I had to be in the middle of it. My father decided the best thing to do with me was to stand me on an overturned 5-gallon bucket next to a window and ask me to take care of driving a nail into the sill. He set a 16d nail in the wood framing and showed me how to hit it on the head, then let me go to town. It took me the rest of the day, but I drove that nail. My mom’s photo of me with a hammer in hand turned into one of her favorite photos of me. The next day I sat on the same bucket and told everyone I was the supervisor. Apparently, I’d had enough of hammers.

Fast forward to the summer, I turned 12. My parents decided to build their second home together in New Mexico. This time I was a full-time laborer. My dad and I did everything from the dirt work and pouring the foundation to framing, electrical, plumbing, cabinetry, and roofing! We worked for 3 to 4 hours every evening for two years — plus weekends, holidays, and vacations. And despite not being thrilled that I couldn’t enjoy weekends with friends, the lessons and skills I learned from that experience ended up being integral to who I am and what I do. And I am truly grateful to my parents for giving me that early start.

Learning the Craft

At 17, we moved to North Carolina, where I asked around for the best carpentry crew in the area and found Ray Coble at a job site. I walked up to him and told him I would work for $7.00 an hour and would be the first to show up and the last to leave if I could work with his most experienced lead carpenter who could teach me everything he knew. I ended up working with Keith Myers, who would stop, call me over, and show me something new every single day. Those lessons were unforgettable.

Later on, I ended up framing houses in Utah. One of the projects that I framed was a large 12,000 sq. ft. remodel. The general contractor on this project recruited me to work for him as a superintendent and general carpenter. Several large homes and remodels later, I found myself at a crossroads.

Windows (and Doors) of Opportunity

The crossroads was a 14,000 sq. ft home that I was helping oversee. One of the home’s main features was its bronze-clad Italian wood windows and doors — and I was in charge of installing and waterproofing them. But due to a shipping mishap, they arrived damaged and in disrepair. I spent 6 months working with the Italian manufacturer, the US distributor, and local carpenters to repair and install the windows and doors. And when the dust settled, the US distributor asked if I would start my own company and travel around the Western US installing this Italian company’s high-end windows and doors.

I ended up doing just that and was soon installing windows into houses that were 36,000, 60,000, and 90,000 sq. ft. in size!

After several years, I was recruited by a German window company to help market their product — with a heavy emphasis on the technical side of integrating their product into US construction. From there, I started representing other window and door manufacturers, still focusing on the technical aspect. The experience of working on 20+ high-end residences each year exposed me to different types of architecture and building techniques.

Back to Building Homes

Building a home brings a satisfaction that is hard to explain to those who have never experienced it. When I got the itch to get back into general contracting, I called Jared Wilcox of Paragon Custom Builders, a long-time friend I worked with side-by-side installing bronze windows at a project Portola Valley. He founded Paragon Custom Builders on the idea of not only giving owners an unsurpassed level of quality and service but also creating an enjoyable experience — a philosophy I wholeheartedly agree with. I joined Paragon as a Principal and Owner Partner and look forward to building experiences worth living in.

What I Bring to Your Project

I’ve literally been building houses since I was 12, so rest assured I know what it takes to bring a project to its completion. But despite all the experience, I still love learning about new building products and techniques.

I look forward to working with clients and architects and getting into the details that make each project special, making sure nothing is left unfinished. This is what drives me all day, every day.

Building a home should be one of the most engaging and enjoyable experiences of anyone’s life — and you don’t have to build it with your own hands to find delight in the process! I want to do everything in my power to make sure each of our clients feels the same way I felt when my dad and I put down our tools and looked at our newly-built home, saying: “We’re done!”