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In terms of capabilities, the firm builds both new homes and undertakes major remodels. Where new builds allow for copious improvements to any part of the project, remodels present some separate challenges.“ Clients can explore all sorts of possibilities for their custom home and decide what meets their personal requirements,” notes Curran.“ Today, this often includes new technology available for controlling systems and such, but with remodels we are mostly dealing with older components and building practices.” One of the main challenges with remodeling is the fact that clients are usually living in the property while construction is taking place.“ Practices that work on a new construction site may not fit an occupied home,” he tells us.“ Customers are on site watching it develop, and our process isn’ t always well understood, so educating them on that is a priority from the start.”
Callaway’ s approach is shaped as much by who sits at the drawing board as who’ s on site. With two in-house designers working alongside the build team, the company avoids miscommunication that can quite easily occur in traditional designbid-build models.“ Our designers make the process much smoother, not just for our customers but also for us,” highlights Curran.“ They truly help us do a better job of building!” Having several perspectives in the room means more tailored solutions and ideas that homeowners may not have considered on their own.
Personal attention
As President, Curran positions himself as the direct point of contact for every client, backed by weekly project updates and, when needed, face-to-face meetings. Communication is vital to Callaway success – whether with clients, trade partners or subcontractors, some of whom have worked alongside Curran personally for over 30 years.“ It’ s all about those relationships,” he emphasizes.“ If issues ever arise on a build, which they inevitably do, they can always help us to improve and adapt. Your builder is only as good as his partners and his communication between them and with the homeowner.“
Looking ahead, Curran hopes to see local government lend more support to small, family-run builders, and other businesses, who are competing against national developers, yet his clearest ambition lies closer to home: his son, currently studying construction management, joining the business and carrying it into a new generation.“ Callaway is a familyrun business,” he ends.“ And I genuinely want it, and our projects, to stand the test of time.” ■
www. callawaybuilders. com
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