Design/build remodeling
6 years in business
2002 volume: $2.3 million
Staff: 6 office, 7 field
When Stephen Howell's neighbor asked him whether he'd ever considered starting a construction company, Howell replied that he didn't want to wreck a hobby by turning it into a business. Six years later, that's no longer a concern.
The hobby-turned-business now boasts average project sizes of about $200,000. Howell, with a background in electrical engineering, handles the design work. "The biggest benefit of design/build is that it makes the design phase much more efficient by bringing the budget into the picture from day one, in a real way," he says.