New Construction & Custom Builds
Custom Home Builder in Huntsville, Alabama
S&R Contracting builds custom homes across North Alabama for homeowners who want full control over their design, finishes, and layout. From lot selection through final walkthrough, every decision is guided, every cost is transparent, and every timeline is communicated clearly. Licensed General Contractor #29749, fully insured, based in Harvest, Alabama.
What You Get
Everything Coordinated, One Contractor
Building a custom home is the most complex project a homeowner will ever take on. Hundreds of decisions, a dozen trades, and a budget that has to hold across twelve months or more. Most custom builds go sideways for the same reason: decisions get deferred, costs stay undefined, and the homeowner ends up managing trades by default. S&R runs a pre-construction process that closes those gaps before a single shovel hits dirt.
Start Your ProjectAt S&R, pre-construction is a standalone paid service, not a free sales step we rush through to win the job. That's the difference between a custom build that lands on budget and one that doesn't.
Scope of Work
- Lot evaluation, site assessment, and feasibility review
- Design coordination with your architect and designer
- Full pre-construction planning: finishes, materials, and costs locked in
- Site prep, excavation, and foundation
- Framing, roofing, windows, and exterior finishes
- MEP coordination: plumbing, electrical, and HVAC
- Interior finishes: cabinets, countertops, flooring, paint, and fixtures
- Final walkthrough, punch list, warranty, and closeout
The Market
Why Build Custom in North Alabama
Hampton Cove is the premier custom build market in Madison County. Large lots, established tree cover, and an architectural standard set by the homes already there mean a custom build in the Cove is held to a higher finish level from day one. Homeowners building here are typically working with natural stone, custom millwork, real hardwood, high-end appliance packages, and detailed exterior work. It is not a market where you cut corners on trade quality, and it is not a market where a builder can hide a thin pre-construction plan behind a low bid.
Madison, Jones Valley, and South Huntsville are the other growing markets for ground-up residential construction in the area. Madison continues to pull families in behind its school system and Redstone Arsenal's expanding workforce, and available lots there get built on quickly. Jones Valley and South Huntsville offer established, mature neighborhoods where infill and teardown-rebuild projects let homeowners get a brand-new house without giving up location.
Design across North Alabama tends to land in one of two directions, and often blends both. Traditional Southern architecture — deep porches, brick and board-and-batten exteriors, gabled rooflines, formal entry — still reads as the regional default. Layered over that is a strong pull toward modern open-concept interiors: connected kitchen and living space, oversized islands, vaulted or coffered ceilings, and large window walls that pull the outdoors in. A well-run custom build gets the exterior right for the neighborhood while giving you the interior you actually want to live in.
Where We Build
Our Custom Home Service Area
S&R builds custom homes in Huntsville, Madison, Hampton Cove, Meridianville, Harvest, Athens, and Decatur — all in Alabama. Hampton Cove and Madison are our primary custom home markets, and that is where the majority of our ground-up work happens. Both have the lot inventory, the buyer expectations, and the architectural standards that fit how we build.
Huntsville, Meridianville, and Harvest see steady custom build activity as well, particularly on larger parcels where homeowners want more square footage, detached structures, or outdoor living built into the original plan rather than added later. Athens and Decatur round out the service area for homeowners in Limestone and Morgan County. We do not build outside North Alabama.
Recent Work
From the Job Site
How It Works
Our New Construction Process
Lot Evaluation
We assess the site before you commit: grade, drainage, soil, utility access, setbacks, and what the lot will actually cost to build on.
Design Coordination
We work directly with your architect and designer so the plans that come out are buildable, budgeted, and matched to your lot.
Pre-Construction Planning
Every finish, material, and cost gets locked in before we break ground. This is a standalone paid service, not a rushed sales step.
Foundation & Framing
Site prep, excavation, foundation, and full structural framing — the phases where getting it right determines everything downstream.
Roofing & MEP
Roofing, exterior dry-in, then plumbing, electrical, and HVAC rough-in sequenced so no trade is waiting on another.
Interior Finishes
Cabinets, countertops, flooring, trim, paint, and fixtures — installed in the order that protects finished surfaces.
Walkthrough & Closeout
Final walkthrough, full punch list resolution, warranty documentation, and a clean handoff. We are not done until you say so.
Why S&R
What Sets S&R Apart for New Builds
Pre-Construction Is a Real Service
Most builders treat pre-construction as a free sales step and rush it to win the job. We charge for it and do it properly — because a custom build that lands on budget is decided here, months before framing starts.
Decision Fatigue Management
A custom home involves hundreds of selections. We walk you through each one with a clear deadline, a defined budget, and the context to decide — so you are never guessing and never holding up the schedule.
Proactive Communication
You hear from us before you have to ask. Regular updates, immediate calls when something changes, and one point of contact for the entire build. People can handle bad news. People cannot handle no news.
No Surprises on Cost or Schedule
Costs are defined in pre-construction and tracked against the plan throughout. If something changes, you know before it hits your invoice — not after.
FAQ
Common Questions
How long does it take to build a custom home in Huntsville, AL?
Most custom homes in the Huntsville, AL area run 10 to 16 months from groundbreaking to final walkthrough, depending on size, finish level, and site conditions. Pre-construction planning adds two to three months before that, and it is time well spent — it is the single biggest factor in whether the build finishes on schedule.
Do you work with our architect, or do you provide design?
Both. We coordinate directly with your architect and designer if you already have one, reviewing plans for buildability and cost before they are finalized. If you do not have a design team yet, we can connect you with architects and designers we work with regularly across North Alabama.
What does pre-construction cost and why is it paid?
Pre-construction is scoped and priced per project based on the size and complexity of the build. We charge for it because doing it properly takes real hours: material takeoffs, trade bids, selection schedules, and a full cost model. Builders who give it away for free are incentivized to rush it, and that is where budget overruns start.
Do you help with lot selection?
Yes. We evaluate lots before you buy — grade, drainage, soil conditions, utility access, setbacks, and any site work that will drive cost. A lot that looks like a bargain can carry tens of thousands in hidden site prep. It is much cheaper to find that out before closing.
Do you build custom homes in Hampton Cove and Madison, AL?
Yes — Hampton Cove and Madison are our primary custom home markets. We also build in Huntsville, Meridianville, Harvest, Athens, and Decatur. All in Alabama; we do not service Tennessee.
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Service Area
S&R Contracting serves ONLY North Alabama
including Huntsville, Madison, Meridianville, Hampton Cove, Athens, Decatur, and Harvest — all in Alabama. We do not service Tennessee.
Alabama GC License #29749 · Serving Alabama homeowners since 2023.
Ready to Build Your Custom Home?
Free estimates, no obligation. We respond within one business day.