MEET NEIL
CUSTOM HOME BUILDER, GENERAL CONTRACTOR, CARPENTER, NEIGHBOR, HUSBAND, FATHER & FRIEND
“I started in business framing contracting in the Annapolis area of Maryland, residential framing and light commercial. These were custom homes on the Severn River, 5,000 sq. ft. + with conventional framed roof systems. Most of the architectural drawings were not working drawings…the carpenter had to lay out the home properly and design and build the home to be structurally sound. I learned a lot from troubleshooting house plans. After years of doing that, you knew what to look for in drawings, where to find the mistakes, some architects were easy to work with…some didn’t have the field experience.
“After years of just doing framing I thought that I shouldn’t limit myself to one specialty, especially in a slow economy. Most of the builders I was working for were not carpenters, they were just managers. So, I started building the entire home. I felt it helped do a better job, finding the mistakes before you even poured the footers.
“I draw the plans, lay out the building, obtain the permits, hire the subcontractors, dig and pour footers, set points, frame the structure, nail roof shingles, set windows and doors, apply siding and exterior trim, set interior doors, trim, lay hardwood flooring, all phases of carpentry! Most importantly, I am there with my nail apron on, doing the work and overseeing the trades. I think that’s part of this business you don’t find very often.
“I live in a three story Victorian home, in Denton, Maryland, that I restored entirely back to its original glory. I have raised two children with my wife of 36 years.
“Every job I do, I build as if it was mine, and I’ve done that since the first job I ever started. It’s made me a living and I will continue to do business that way.”