Values, Means, and Methods
We have developed core processes and values that define how we serve our clients. We’ve broken these down into three categories from high-level principle down to on-site application.
Project Approach & Management:
Low Volume Approach
True Way Builders is not an average track home builder. We operate and run single projects at a time. This allows us to devote our full attention and energy to your home without distraction or divided priorities.
Self-Performing Workflow
At True Way, we are more than a general contractor; we are a home builder. We maintain the capability to perform the majority of the trade work involved in constructing a home. With this expertise, we can avoid common pitfalls in the construction industry and prevent unnecessary expense, delay, and stress.
Schedule & Cost Reliability
When issues arise on site, general contractors are often at the mercy of their subcontractors for resolution. Because of our self-performing structure & workflow, True Way Builders can address challenges directly and efficiently, minimizing external delays and added cost to our clients.
Front-Loaded Decision Making
During early stages of design and before construction begins, all parties involved have complete influence over the outcome of a home building project. As design progresses and construction breaks ground, the ability to adjust pricing, influence schedule, and make design changes becomes substantially more difficult and costly. We seek collaboration and clarity with clients and designers from the outset of planning. Engaging early in this process allows for a more efficient, stress-free, and effective outcome for our clients.
Company Beliefs:
Building Responsibility
We understand that our projects are frequently the largest sum of money that our clients will spend on a single item in their lives. We gratefully take responsibility for our role in this process and understand the level of trust required by our clients. Our projects and clients deserve the utmost respect, honesty, in everything we do.
Mutual Partnership
For a successful project to be possible, we need to be the right fit for our clients, and our clients need to be the right fit for us. Some projects have requirements that would be better fulfilled by a different builder. We seek to align priorities with our clients before a contract is ever signed and ensure that our partnerships are built on trust, and set up for success.
Commitment to Improvement
We have developed strong standards and practices that we believe are essential to building quality, lasting, homes. While there are many non-negotiable “musts” on a given project, we don’t believe in the phrase “we always do it this way”. Rather we seek to combine proven methods and materials with new knowledge and education to better our craft. We are constantly learning and refining our processes to ultimately deliver the best product we can to our clients.
Construction Means & Methods:
Basis in Building Science
In home building, ”Building Science” can be a misunderstood and underused term. In our workflow, building science boils down to this: every decision, material, and method has intention behind it. From our methods for water management, to the selections of finish materials, every decision made on a home should have tangible reasoning for why it is the best possible solution and selection for it’s application.
Building as a System
We frequently use the human body as an analogy when describing a home. A skeleton/bones would be the framing & structure, skin as the waterproofing, heart and lungs as the electrical and HVAC systems that breathe and energize. The list goes on. All components in our bodies, and our homes too, must work together in unison to create a system that is durable, resilient, easy to maintain, and looks great too!
Craftsmanship is Irreplaceable
Discussions throughout the design and pre-construction process often leave out one of the largest variables and best assets that a home builder can have: the actual labor putting work in place. We are proud of our eye for detail and are always seeking to put ourselves and our trade partners in the best position possible to put premium work in place.
Our Story
Owner, Ben Schmitt, grew up in Southwest Virginia and attended Virginia Tech, earning a degree in Building Construction. Ben worked for multiple home builders and construction companies during his time at Blacksburg High School and Virginia Tech. Over the years, he noticed a clear need in the industry for a more transparent and dedicated approach to homebuilding. This vision led to the creation of True Way Builders.
Ben then brought on Callan Manley, who worked with him while they grew the business in Southwest Virginia. While they are both involved in projects in either location, Callan now heads up operations in Virginia while Ben has moved and expanded business to Knoxville.
Our company is growing through dedicated work, attention to detail, and building trust with clients who believe in doing things the right way. As a company we are proud to walk alongside homeowners as they turn their visions into reality every step of the home building process.
