by Chris Allred
As a person that works with a lot of different businesses,
people, and personalities; there is somewhat of commonality amongst these
groups. So much, that one can “predict” the outcome of an event.
I’m not a psychic, nor can I actually predict anything; I am
however, able to understand people and why they do what they do. This skill is
very beneficial to my profession.
So when I say that spending the day with Elk Ridge Custom
Homes was eye opening; please don’t take that lightly, because some of the
things that I saw were shocking.
Shocking in a good way, because the attention to detail was
some of the best that I have ever seen.
Now…
I cannot claim to be a builder of any sort, and anyone who
knows me can vouch for that, but I am a consumer who knows what he likes.
If I ever get the opportunity in life to build a home; Elk
Ridge is the only company that I would call.
Why?
Because of the details.
On some of the homes that I got to go to on my adventure, I
saw a specific type of siding that needed to be gapped to allow for movement
and prolong the life of the product (and the house). At first, it seemed like a
small detail for us to be inspecting, but as I was taught the “why”, then it
became clear to me that they were looking at the big picture. Why build something
that wasn’t going to last?
But what really blew my mind was that Elk Ridge was willing
to rip the siding off of the walls and start over if it didn’t meet their
quality check. Thousands of dollars that they would have to eat, just to make
sure that it was done right.
There are no shortcuts with Elk Ridge.
That was just the siding. Everything they use is quality.
Roofs for example…
Some builders go with a 20 year limited warranty roof. Some
go with a 50 year. Not Elk Ridge…they go with a lifetime limited warranty roof.
Why?
Because they put their name on the house, and if Elk Ridge
puts their name on anything, it can be sure to outlast you and me.
There is however, more than quality product…
There are quality people.
On one of the jobsites that we visited, there was this red
mud everywhere, and I mean everywhere. It was a mess. The team that I was with
was not having it; they were pissed, because the mud was all over the building site
(of course), but it was also over the sidewalk and the road.
The boss got to the heart of the issue quickly, because his
company’s name was on this build, and the mess was uncalled for and ridiculous.
The mud all over the sidewalk and street was caused by a delivery driver who
was delivering materials and had gotten stuck.
I saw Elk Ridge flex their muscles. They had the delivery
company on the phone, and had them coming out to clean up their mess. Even
though it is construction site, that attention to detail, even when it comes to
cleanliness, is untouchable.
On my own, I talked to a few of the neighbors around the
build site. To my surprise, there were no complaints. Which surprised me, and
so I dug a little deeper. The truth was that there was noise and inconveniences
that come with any build, but Elk Ridge was so professional in everything, that
the neighbors couldn’t complain. They were so used to, and expected, lower
quality builders, that they couldn’t find anything negative to say simply
because of comparison.
Remember I talked about the red mud?
It was all over my shoes. It was also all over the builder’s
boots.
I took some photos of two of the workers, Smokey and Chris,
as they were building a deck on the back of one of the houses.
I want you to pay attention to Smokey’s feet…
His worn, but clean, white tennis shoes.
How did he keep them clean in all of that red mud?
Simple…
He would change his shoes and boots Mr. Roger’s style
whenever he went between stepping into the home (including the deck) and onto the
muddy ground.
This was a step that added a minute (he was really quick),
but it was so impressive to see. The care and quality never swayed on the Elk
Ridge site.
What about business partners and working with other
contractors?
A handshake…literally a handshake (I’m sure that there was
more to it).
For example…
Clayton and his crew from “My Concrete Guy, LLC.” were top
notch. They are true professionals. They were able to explain where they were
in the project, and what was happening going forward.
Honestly…true professionals.
I knew right away why Elk Ridge had been partnering with
them to do the concrete work on the project.
With a handshake, the two companies partnered up for
additional work.
It didn’t hurt my feelings that Clayton offered up some of
his pizza; although I didn’t take any, it was a really nice gesture that said a
lot about the man. I would have eaten a piece or six, but it was his and his crew’s
lunch, and all I was doing was standing around asking questions.
“My Concrete Guy, LLC.” is a great company that I had the
privilege of meeting and learning a little bit about. I wouldn’t hesitate to
give them all of my concrete business (if I had any).
In conclusion…
I saw a lot, and I learned a lot. I was able to see
different Elk Ridge homes in different levels of completion all over the area.
I saw build sites in residential areas, scenic hill tops, in the country, and
in town.
There is a quality that amazed me. Every aspect of the build
held a standard that I didn’t know existed in any one company.
There was no quality-vs-quantity…
There was only quality.
I know that they talk about it, but to actually see,
firsthand, a company willing to lose money to make it right was that jaw
dropping moment for me. Elk Ridge is everything that they claim to be.
Am I biased?
It’s hard not to be after I seen the best, but truthfully,
I’m a writer who has nothing to gain or lose by writing this piece. I’m not in
the market for a custom built home, nor am I looking to buy an Elk Ridge home
at this time. I’m simply sharing my journey with Elk Ridge Custom Homes with
you…take it or leave it.
