When it comes to building the house of your dreams, it’s not only about using the most experienced tradespeople and highest-quality products; it’s also vital to enjoy the entire process. At least, Ross Built Construction believes so. With the goal of building beautiful homes tailored to specific requirements, the company employs tradespeople with a genuine passion for construction to create bespoke homes with individualized care.
With more than two decades of experience in the building sector, Ross Built is committed to exceeding the expectations of the client. Such a result is assured by building strong relationships between clients, architects, interior designers, and subcontractors, and always keeping the lines of communication open.
Founded by Greg and Lee Ross, this husband-and-wife team’s shared wealth of experience eventually led to pursuing a construction career in west-central Florida in 2000.
“We both had prior careers, with my husband in pharmaceutical sales with Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer right out of college, and also as a financial planner,” explains Lee Ross, Owner and Design Liaison. “During one of our first years together, we bought an old 1928 bungalow in Tampa, and we said, ‘let’s try to fix this up.’ We were the original flippers, doing it for fun on the weekends.”
Once Greg’s careers got underway, the couple moved to different states and were incentivized to buy brand new houses that were “in newer developments with modern amenities,” representing a better investment. “We were constantly buying new houses because they had modern-day features and amenities, but we love the charm and character of homes from the ’20s,” says Ross.
This continued for six or seven years until Lee became pregnant with twins, resulting in a desire to be near family. They bought a house on Anna Maria Island belonging to Greg’s grandfather, “a bargain of the century,” and rented it out while living in Philadelphia. “We gave Philadelphia 18 months, and decided this is not where we wanted to be long-term,” she says. “In the year and a half, I think we came home to our house in Florida 12 times. Florida is where we were meant to be. We decided to take a lateral position with Greg’s company, moved down here, and started doing spec houses for about five years.”
The 2008 recession forced the couple to scale back in every area of their lives, but also led to the creation of their company, when a neighbor in the industry asked them to do a custom remodel.
“He was so pleased with our work, he referred us to about six people on the island who wanted really nice custom homes,” Ross says. “We just rolled forward from there and it’s been a fun ride ever since.”
In the beginning, Greg did everything himself while Lee watched the twins during the day. At night Lee would select all the tile, cabinetry, and paint colors. “Eventually we grew a little bit,” she says. “He got an employee, and then an assistant, and now, fast forward over 18 years, we have 23 employees.”
While technically a medium-sized business, Ross Built “behaves like a small business,” she adds. “We offer what we think are large-business perks; we’ve made sure to stay current, stay competitive. We’ve got a nice compensation package. We offer insurance and 401(k). But it’s truly a family-run business with our 25-year-old children now working for us full-time since they graduated college. That kind of surprised us, and it’s been refreshing. My cousin works for us, and her husband works for us. Our team members are some of the most gifted and professional people around.”
The Ross Built brand has an outstanding reputation for building quality homes, she says, with an excellent reputation with all relevant state and municipal officials. “We have a lot of really happy clients, and we’re qualified as far as our building science,” she says. “We know how to build a really good house in Florida, which has some of the toughest building codes in the country; what we try to do as a point of differentiation is make it a fun process.”
There is a belief that building a home can be a difficult, stressful event, which is why the company strives to cater to the individuality of its clients in an effort debunk the myth that building can be “a nightmare.”
Communication, she adds, is the key. “That’s the number one thing. A lot of our clients are business owners, so they understand the need for managing expectations. We stay on top of everything as far as getting ahead of schedules and staying on top of budgets.”
While there are always times in construction when things aren’t perfect, Ross Built is committed to open and full disclosure about the process. “We never hide anything from our clients. We’re just very open book.”
To help ensure this transparency, the company instituted a construction management program called Builder Trend two years ago which has aided in productivity and has added a refreshing boost to customer satisfaction.
“We run [our operation] as a longstanding relationship,” says Ross. “Once you know what type of home you want to build and what caliber, we get asked all the time, ‘how do I pick my builder? What’s the most important quality?’ My simple answer is, ‘you have to like your builder.’ We get to know our clients; it’s a very intimate process. Outside of your investment in your children, your home is oftentimes your second largest investment, mentally and financially. We really try to make sure we’re sensitive to that.”
Getting to know clients well results in homes tailored to their specific needs, such as a recent build for a chef who required particular knife placement in the kitchen, and his wife, who loves bonsai and had specific irrigation needs. Another client with a passion for fishing desired a decked-out tackle room. Lee adds, “We love this level of detail.”
“It’s really about listening,” Ross says. “It’s about, ‘how do we craft a dwelling around how you live—not how other people live, not how the family down the street lives.’ There are a million ways to make someone happy by building a house around their lifestyle.”
And it’s all about having fun, she stresses. “I’m a very energetic person; I’m a people person. I love that every job is completely different,” she says. “I love that there’s something new and surprising around the corner on basically every single job. We never tell someone we can’t do something. We love to do the things that are insanely different. It’s very gratifying, and that just keeps us on our game.”
Second to making it fun, the value of Ross Built is in its long-standing relationships with subcontractors, she adds. “We have qualified people we’ve known for a very long time. We bid them out competitively on every job, but maybe only with one or two other subcontractors,” Ross explains. “They’re just insanely talented. It’s rumored on the island that we have, hands down, the best tile installers around. This goes for our painters, carpenters, cabinet makers, et cetera. We even have some local artists we have on hand for extra special projects. These folks are very important to us and key to our brand.”
Even during the struggles of 2008, Ross Built never let its subcontractors go or cut their pay, which has created a strong sense of loyalty. “We make it really easy for them to like us, which is, I think, a bit of a unique thing in the industry,” she says. “A lot of times contractors are butting heads and engage in arguments. We don’t do that because we have a very high level of respect for them, and they, in turn, respect us very much.”
When it comes to recent builds, there are some “fascinating” projects, including one on a remote island only accessible by boat. “I love everything about that house,” Ross says. “The owner just wants to bring 17 family members for a party every weekend, so the whole theme of the house is family time and durability. This home will also be a Southern Living Showcase home in 2025.
Durability is key for this remote property and there was a great deal of focus on appropriate finishes. For example, tile was used instead of wood to handle dogs and children running everywhere, along with sand being dragged inside, and foot washes and a beautiful outdoor shower were added to the project.
Another notable project was a modern 2,000-square-foot project affectionately called Usana, which means balance and harmony.
“Usana is a play on light and dark, with polished concrete floors but still very warm and very cozy,” says Ross. “The wife is a horticulturist, so the whole house has been adorned in her own plants. And while it’s brand new, you can’t tell, because it fits in the older neighborhood like it’s been there forever.”
Looking ahead, Ross Built aims to stay a medium-sized company, with no aspirations to become a massive conglomeration, she says. Staying smaller allows the team to maintain the higher quality as well as that important connection with clients that leads to award-winning projects such as the historic Van Wezel estate in Sarasota. The VWE was designed by a significant architect in the 1930s but fell into disrepair. Ross Built completed a period-appropriate remodel on the estate over the course of two and a half years, while contending with architectural limitations, eventually winning the National Society of Home Builders Best Remodel in the Country for the project.
“It’s a little footprint of a house and we were up against giant mansions, so we were beyond proud to get such notable recognition,” says Ross.
“We always want to have our quality up where it needs to be, so there’s just a bit of a dance you need to play with the size of a company. We feel we have the right balance and we have some outstanding projects ahead of us. We look forward to continuing to doing the best work in area.”
Building a home is a financial and emotional commitment so choosing the right builder is key. When clients ask Ross Built, ‘what are the deciding factors in choosing the right builder?’ we tell them two things: ‘make sure they are qualified from a building science standpoint’ and then, ‘like your builder.’” Building can, and should, be an enjoyable process for both the contractor and client.
