Written by Holly Hunt, Office Manager
We believe in bringing timeless and durable structures back to the public. Our love of history, archaeology, and architecture has led us to believe that the glorious and longstanding structures of old don’t have to remain in the past. So when Alex, our main builder for Willis Construction, became a carpenter and a mason in his early 20’s, he began to study and implement some old world building techniques into his construction. We are willing to go the extra mile to build a beautiful, unique, and quality design and diligent schedule.
“Do it Right or Don’t do it at all.”
There’s nothing more frustrating as a homeowner than working with a repairman or construction company that is difficult to contact, flakes on projects, or surprises you with extra fees as a project goes on. Being left high and dry without work being done is not only frustrating, but it can severely impede the safety or enjoyment of your property. That being said, it is our mission to be dependable and reliable from the moment you contact us to the day your project is finished and you’re happy with the results of our work.
Conducting our business the “right” way includes being deliberate and professional about:
- Staying in touch with you and having consistent and dependable communication.
- Organized scheduling that gives you peace of mind that your project will be done at the agreed time.
- Staying true to project agreements.
- Completing required paperwork and supplying you with copies.
- Completing work on your property to your specifications and needs as per the agreement we reach.
Our Philosophy in Action
For example, when Alex helped restore a 100 year old cabin in Estes Park, he took special precautions when he built the 500 linear foot privacy fence to ensure it would last a long time with minimal repairs by the homeowner. He got right to work in planning and beginning labor for the project researching the best methods for construction and planning around the boulders and rock that is underneath most Estes soil.
In terms of sturdiness, instead of pouring the dry concrete in the holes and mixing it he took the took the extra time to thoroughly mix all of the concrete before pouring and then trowling an angeled ramp leading away from the post for water drainage even though in most commercial settings pouring concrete the easier and faster way is more typical. The difference between the more sound structure to this fence may not be apparent to those who look at it, but the difference is that the property owner won’t need to spend more money maintaining and replacing post, whereas posts poured and mized in the post hole may rot and need to be replaced sooner.
The owner of the Estes cabin let us know that many visitors compliment the intricate details and unique touches Alex included in its construction. As Alex dug holes for the fence posts he found remnants of past occupants of the area including a horseshoe, which he added as an embellishment to this fence. Other embellishments included in this fence for uniqueness include wrought iron panels hand-selected from an antique store with the homeowner’s specifications. This re-purposing of antique materials adds something special to this historic property. Additionally, Alex was able to salvage a large amount of chain-link from the previous fence and created a unique fence section around the driveway with wood posts and rails and chain-link in-fill. At Willis Construction, we believe that a deliberate effort to build something that far surpasses expectations is worth the extra time and care it requires.
Reviving The Ancient Art of Masonry
The Willis Construction team has spent every vacation in the past five years exploring rock and mortar ruins of the civilizations that have come before us and revered the building standards and philosophy of the past. The ancient inhabitants of the Four Corners region where our family resides show their elite craftsmanship and foresight to build with materials that would last hundreds and thousands of years from now. Most contemporary builders, while incredibly fast and cheap, use more ephemeral or temporary building techniques and materials that will leave each new homeowner with a slew of construction projects. These builders use this more ephemeral approach because we Americans, as a society, don’t pass on our property to the next generation like we used to. But what we seek to support with our company is to live true to our philosophy that what we build in this life, both through family and the physical structures we inhabit, are meant to endure through several generations. We can be better inheritors of the land we are occupying by gracing the next generations with homes and gardens made of timeless masonry. Our fast, expedient modern society needs to nudges in the direction of sustainability.
Special Love for Outdoor Living
Garden beds, paths, and outdoor living spaces made from wood and masonry are another one of our favorite types of work because what we do enables you to grow your own food, plants, and trees. Alex and I’s love for growing our own vegetables, fruits, medicinal plants, flowers, and trees shows through in the work we do for our clients’ outdoor spaces.
Because we are first and foremost lovers of the outdoors, we can think through garden projects as not only as builders, but gardeners ourselves. We want to support your efforts to be more sustainable through gardening locally, helping pollinators and birds with native plants, or returning to traditions of just spending more time outside enjoying your space.
Continuing Construction Efforts
We’re continuing to seek opportunities to tackle projects that give us a chance to exercise our love and reverence for building unique and enduring structures, landscaping, and repairs that you will be glad you trusted us to complete. We schedule home repair tasks in between larger construction projects, so we’re used to squeezing in clients who need something quick repaired on their property. That being said, the projects we get most excited about are ones where we get to build from scratch, working with your parameters, the limitations of your space, and your budget to create something you will love to have on your property.