Builder Profile: Hemlock Homes

From that first concept, the three built Hemlock Homes; an established luxury builder sought after for its elegant custom residences.

“We can build whatever the owner wants,” said Administrator Taylor Campbell. “If you want a dog bowl built in your kitchen island, we can do that. If you want your door hinges to be fire-engine red, we can make that happen. If you want an entire room dedicated to Legos, we can design that, too. We can work with any ideas that a client has—the possibilities are limitless.”

The company specializes in single-family, luxury custom homes with a median price of $800,000. They build on a client’s own lot, working with the client to create the home of their dreams.

“We don’t build in any plans, so there’s no HOA,” said Campbell. “When it’s finished, the house is fully turnkey; on closing day, you just move in your furniture.”

The Process

When a client chooses Hemlock Homes, they gain a partner in the design-and-build process. If they don’t already have a homesite on which to build, one of Hemlock Homes’ three licensed realtors can help them with their search to find the perfect land.

Once a site is chosen, Hemlock Homes provides soil testing services to ensure that the land will be right for the custom home.

“We won’t build on bad dirt,” said Campbell, noting that this includes former mine sites or those with pyrite, which can cause significant structural damages to a home. “We have the client come out to the site to meet with our engineer to stake the property, choosing the best option for where to locate the home.”

By going out to the site, Hemlock Homes is able to provide a thorough, transparent and accurate budget before the design process begins.

“As a full, turnkey, custom, build-on-your-lot builder, we can’t deduce site costs until we do a walk of the property,” explained Sales Manager Mark Silvio. “This includes costs for all permitting, including 50 feet of utilities, seeding and repair straw if the grass gets damaged, and more. We’re pulling together all of the data from the site so that everything is included in the package, and listing extras that
are not. That way, we can capture an accurate understanding of
what it will cost to build on that specific lot.”

An initial design meeting is also held to review the features that clients want and to determine price points on those items. “We take all of that information and calculate costs,” said Silvio, noting that while some people come prepared with plans from an architect, others pull ideas from looking at already-built homes or homes and products that they like on the Internet.

“We have a model home that people can use to get ideas, and all of the products in that home are ones that we use in our builds,” said Campbell. “Some people they already have some design ideas in mind, maybe from Pinterest or a neighbor’s house. They may like what it looks like on the outside, but don’t know what they want inside.”

According to Silvio, Hemlock Homes provides an in-depth, fully transparent, line-by-line item listing of what’s included in the client’s package, and all costs that go beyond what Hemlock is  including. “We want our clients to have a firm understanding of budget before they commit, including site costs, site prep, and everything they want included in the house to determine if the design is a good fit for them,” he said.

If it is, clients invest $5,000 in a design agreement, which is credited back to them once the build is underway. Clients can choose their own lender, as Hemlock doesn’t provide that service. Then the fun begins.

Hemlock Homes has numerous home design plans ranging from farmhouse style houses to  ranch-style homes. “Maybe you like the farmhouse style but want it built as a ranch,” says Campbell. “We can manipulate those plans to build the home you want.”

Individual meetings are held for every step of the build from choosing cabinetry and faucets to what the electrical system is going to look like, going room by room. The company has its own in-house CAD designer who helps bring a client’s vision to fruition.

“Our designer can provide options and ideas, and tweak the home design however a client wants,” said Campbell, adding that their design studio, which is located in the basement of a model home, has every selection available so that clients can see samples pieces put together.

“Our designer uses a big, interactive screen, so that clients can see how it would all fit together in a 3D model,” said Campbell. “They can also make changes on the spot, so there’s no waiting period or guessing what it will look like.”

Clients are also kept apprised of the budget each step of the way to keep them within the parameters they have established.

“Once we go to contract, clients are locked in at that price,” said Silvio. “The project is full turnkey at that point with nothing excluded, unless the client makes that decision. We don’t ask for another penny at that point, which is really unique to the industry.”

“The building industry has the same reputation as a used car salesman when it comes to unforeseen costs,” he added. “They aren’t always transparent, and we are. That’s why we have 5-star reviews across the board. We build great houses, have a great process, custom-design the homes exactly how clients want them and remain conscious of budget parameters.”

Depending on the size of the home, it can take anywhere from 6 to 8 months before it is move-in ready.

Hemlock Homes prides itself on superior craftsmanship and employs Amish framers to construct the home. “Everyone we use is local; we don’t use any franchise businesses,” said Campbell of the building crew. “Our window installers, carpet guys and tile people are all local, and it’s a super niche group. We know all of them by name and that really sets us apart.

“People come to us because they want a super high-quality home,” she added. “We don’t use cheap materials and this is something that the owners are passionate about. Because this is the biggest investment a person will make, the buyer needs it to be exactly how they want it. It needs to be safe and high-quality, and something that they can have forever.”

“We really take pride in producing a great-quality product,” agreed Silvio. “Clients can live in our homes for years and not need to replace any materials.

“I feel blessed to be a sales rep for such a great product,” he added. “Hemlock really cares about our clients and wants to help them put together their dream homes. This is the biggest investments of their lives, building a forever home on the piece of property they’ve always dreamed about. It’s good to be a part of making those dreams come true in a way that always puts them first.”

While most of the homes that Hemlock Homes builds are within an hour of their Washington, PA offices, they expect to be licensed to build homes in Wheeling, WV by the end of January.

“Because it’s so close to Washington, we get at least five calls a day from there,” said Campbell. “We asked our subcontractors if they would travel to West Virginia and everyone was on board. We’re also looking at expanding into Deep Creek, MD.”

Making the Move

When Mike and Tiffany Dennison decided to move from Warrenville, IL to Peters Township, they did their due diligence before choosing a builder. They decided to go with Hemlock Homes because it was recommended to them as a quality company that put out a good product.

“We were told that Hemlock doesn’t skimp,” said Tiffany Dennison. “That was reassuring as well.”

The couple knew that they wanted a ranch with a walk-out basement and already had the land for the build. There was already a Cape Cod-style home onsite, but that home, which had foundation issues, was removed so that the Dennisons could build their 3,500 sq. ft., five bedroom, three bathroom home.

“Hemlock said the house would be ready in seven months and I laughed,” said Dennison. “We moved in nine months later; they weren’t messing around.”

The home recently won the BAMP Housing Excellence Award 2025 for best home in the $900,000-$1 million range.

Dennison said the design process was fairly painless, in part because Hemlock Homes uses Buildertrend, a software program designed to streamline project management. “Though we already had the plans, they could use this to make modifications as needed,” she explained. “I felt like we had a lot of different touch points during the decision process, which ran really smoothly.

“I’m really pleased with our selections, though I admit it was a little bit daunting, picking out so many different things,” she added. “But with Buildertrend, you can actually put the items in your bathroom or kitchen, so you get the whole picture of what you’re doing there.”

Dennison also had her own custom requests, including a brick fireplace, a brick archway from the kitchen to the living room, and cathedral ceilings that led straight from the front door to the double deck that overlooked the backyard.

“I saw this type of archway in Bratislava, Slovakia, and that was my must-have feature,” she laughed.

The couple also wanted horizontal railings on the staircase, which turned out to cause its own set of challenges. “At first they came in wrong; they were vertical,” said Dennison. “When we finally got them in, the first time my friend came over with her child, they became a ladder for a 2-year-old. My kids are 16 and 19, so that never occurred to me. I’ll just have to watch if I get grandkids.”

Other minor quirks were dealt quickly with during follow-up, which Dennison appreciated. “If I call, they come out,” she said. “They follow up with any issues and take care of it. I can’t say enough about their follow-through.

“It’s a really scary process to custom-build a home; it’s a lot of money and you want it done right,” she added. “For me, as an anxiety-ridden bundle of nerves, I appreciated the reassurance that if something wasn’t right, that they would make it right.

“This is your house, your safe haven, and the place you want to live and be,” she added. “Hemlock was always asking, ‘What can we do for you?’ And that’s what I appreciated.”  NH