Quality residential construction begins with trust

Whether you’re doing a complex renovation or building a custom Colorado mountain home from the ground up, it’s essential to understand a builder’s processes before you can determine if it’s the right fit.

A premium, high-quality builder values craftsmanship and precision, as well as the collaboration required to deliver impressive results. 

“We’re building with our hands and our hearts to create something out of ideas, vision, and design,” said David Hyde, president at Shaeffer Hyde Construction. “Bridging that gap between craftsmanship and bringing the architect’s vision to reality — it’s a dying art.”

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Shaeffer Hyde has been building high-end homes in the Vail Valley for the past 41 years, and built its first home in the Roaring Fork Valley 25 years ago. The team recently hired Bob Campbell to lead its Aspen-area business as demand for luxury home builders has been steadily increasing.

“Every builder will say they build with quality, but you need to go and see their work,” Campbell said. 

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When choosing a builder, step one is simply to ensure it’s the right fit for both sides. What types of projects are they most experienced at building? What kinds of results have they delivered? Is there proper alignment of goals?

“We have a defined process that we follow for any client we work with; we call it the Shaeffer Hyde Way,” Hyde said. “We follow four steps that involve aligning with our people, planning the work so we’re successful, executing to high standards, and ultimately delivering what the client wants.”

THE SHAEFFER HYDE WAY

1. Alignment

This is the first step in ensuring the end result can meet the expectations of both the client and the builder. You have to ask who you’ll be interfacing with, and then you need to understand how a builder builds, Hyde said. 

“We make sure we’re a good fit for a client, and also them for us,” he said. “We all have to get on the same page, so we have defined goals and a vision that we can build on.”

Strategically and culturally, this alignment has to work for both sides. If a client wants a home finished in nine months, for example, but Shaeffer Hyde knows it’s going to take 13 months to execute that vision at the highest possible level, then it’s probably not a good fit. 

“You have to be realistic,” Hyde said. 

2. Planning

If a builder doesn’t understand your vision or how you plan to use your home, it is challenging to have team synergy.

During the planning phase, Shaeffer Hyde ensures the budget is accurate and that there’s a detailed schedule. With input on cost and value engineering and analysis, this process leads to a solid plan and program from start to finish.

3. Building

The only way to bring a luxury home design and plan to reality is through precise, meticulous craftsmanship, which Shaeffer Hyde accomplishes by providing ‘round the clock quality control. 

From on-site supervision to safety management, the team of project managers, superintendents and preconstruction engineers work together to create beautiful homes for their clients, and lasting memories.

4. Delivery

Custom homes are built on relationships, Shaeffer Hyde is committed to building trust from the onset.

“It takes a special type of builder to deliver a vision,” Hyde said. 

Delivery involves much more than handing the keys over to a finished home. Shaeffer Hyde has a Home Care Team available to survey a home’s performance each season, providing services ranging from replacing light bulbs to seasonal repairs and maintenance. 

Campbell, who is currently working on finishing a home at Maroon Creek Club, said the team is committed to helping clients keep their homes in pristine condition for years to come. When a home is sold, for example, Shaeffer Hyde extends its Home Care and Renovations services to new homeowners to ensure the home performs as designed.