Five Questions: Brandon Bryant of Red Tree Builders

It’s not often you get to sit down with one the area’s top builders and discuss building in these mountains. Brandon Bryant is president and owner of Red Tree Builders and a Master Certified Green Builder (MasterCGP) who prides himself in building healthy, environmentally sound, and sustainable homes in the mountains of Asheville, NC.

So, we wanted to know what it’s actually like to build a home here.

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1. Before someone decides to build in the Asheville area, what is the most important thing they should understand?

Before you build or buy, understand that the dynamics of building here are different from anywhere else —from slope topography to getting a good team assembled.

2. Talk about the building scene in the Asheville area.

I’ve built for a lot of people from out of town and they always say things are different here, different pace, different type of work. And that’s even talking to other builders and people in the business. What I love about it is we’re just not throwing up houses everywhere. I like that we’re mostly small builders here using local people to do that.

3. How involved do you like to get with projects?

Love getting involved in every project. When they call Red Tree they talk to me. I’m the first person they get to talk to. Our whole entire team gets involved through the design process through the build process. We have a team approach through it all. There are times i’m more involved than other times, but always know what’s going on.

4. When do you know a client is right for you?

I’m a gut guy. Usually get a good feeling if they’re right in that first meeting. I try to ask good questions to see if we’re a good fit. Where’s the budget, when do you want to build. It’s about personalities, too. The reason we do our design build is we get a chance to know you before we build. Talked to a couple this morning that followed us on social media. They knew my wife’s name, my daughter’s name. They knew a lot about our team and us. They know who we are before we meet them. We want to have fun and build better houses.

5. What should people do before talking to a builder?

You shouldn’t do too much. It’s helpful if you’re not too far down the road. A builder’s expertise can save you money. The land really dictates what you should build. If you’re moving here, I like to talk to people before they buy land. Helping them qualify a piece of land for what they’re looking for. Give them that knowledge of what will actually work. We’re looking for a client that we can get to know and collaborate on a house with.

To learn more, visit Red Tree Builders.