BHI Construction Company makes building an island home easy and convenient for clients. When you decide to purchase a home built by BHI Construction, you don’t have the concern of researching architects and selecting a builder. Our firm offers a wide range of home styles available in a variety of island environments, designed by the island’s top architects. We then construct the home to the highest standards and to the homeowners’ complete satisfaction. Here’s how our time-tested process works:

After you contract for a home, your key point of contact with BHI Construction is a dedicated Housing Coordinator who will walk you through each phase of the building process.

First, your Housing Coordinator will assist you in selecting finishes and fixtures, including flooring, cabinetry, lighting and paint colors. You’ll tour other homes the company has built to make it easier for you to visualize the different finishes that are available.

Your Housing Coordinator works directly with a Project Superintendent assigned to your home, who visits the construction site daily to check on your home’s progress, and then communicates directly back to you through email and through an internet-based communication system called BuildLinks, which provides you with an accurate, continuous flow of information during the building process.

Additionally, the Project Coordinator and Director of Construction make several visits to your home each week to make sure construction progress is staying on schedule. Unlike many other construction companies, every home built by BHI Construction Co. is reviewed and engineered by a licensed structural engineer. To ensure your home meets or exceeds all wind codes and structural stability requirements, we require our engineer to not only meet the code but to design to an even higher floor load capacity.

As work on your home progresses, your Housing Coordinator arranges client site visits so that you can see your home’s progress first-hand if you desire. When construction is nearly complete, the Housing Coordinator schedules a walk-through inspection with you and the Project Superintendant so that a “punch list” may be developed. In addition to regular follow-up via email and phone, 90 days after the punch list is completed, a customer satisfaction survey is sent to make sure you are absolutely happy.

To further ensure client satisfaction long after your home is completed, BHI Construction Company provides an extensive warranty with every home it builds, offering a 1-year limited warranty on materials and workmanship.

Defining Excellence

A detailed set of specifications is available for all our homes, which describes every aspect of the home, from finishes, fixtures and appliances, to room dimensions and more. Because exposure to the sun, salt air and wind makes coastal climate conditions harsher than on the mainland, BHI Construction Company uses only top performing materials in the construction of its island homes, including a number of more subtle items that distinguish it from other builders, as follows:

Windows and Doors:

- Andersen vinyl-clad windows are used exclusively due to their resistance to coastal climate conditions, availability of coastal hardware for the interior mechanisms, and high design pressure ratings.

- Andersen patio doors, as well as other custom doors, are used because of their three-point locking system, which prevents wind-driven rain from entering the home.

Exterior Siding and Trim:

- Pre-dipped cedar shingles that allow for much better weathering and include a 30-year warranty against rotting, splitting and cracking.

- Home Slicker, a fiber mesh product that goes against the exterior siding and provides breathing space between the wall sheathing and cedar shingles, ensuring longer life for the shingles.

- Hardishingle and Hardiplank sidings are also used because of their durability in coastal conditions and their 30-year limited warranty.

- All exterior trim is made of cedar or pressure-treated lumber to withstand the elements, meaning any band board, hand rail, porch rail, fence piece, roof or window trim board is decay resistant even if it is to be painted.

Roofing:

- Although Bald Head Island's architectural guidelines require the use of at least a 290-lb shingle, BHI Construction Company often uses an even higher quality shingle to achieve a thicker, more “dimensional” look. The use of red cedar, standing seam and corrugated roofing is also common, with the added benefit of a 20-year warranty on metal “Galvalume” (zinc-coated aluminum) roofs.

Interior:

- Oil-rubbed bronze exterior hardware is used because of its resistance to corrosion and the beautiful patina it develops over time.

- Appliance packages not only include the range and dishwasher, but also a washer and dryer, and refrigerator with icemaker.

- Solid surface kitchen countertops are standard in all homes, with virtually limitless options, from Zodiac and other manufactured stones to granite and soapstone.

- Hardwood flooring is used extensively in homes, with wood species ranging from basic oak and maple to Brazilian cherry, hickory, heart pine and bamboo.

- Interior and exterior painting is heavily scrutinized with exact specifications for high-quality primers, caulks and paints, which stand up to coastal climate conditions and offer a durable, attractive finish.

- In addition to excellent fit and finish, we are known for the extensive level of interior trim in our homes and our traditional craftsman-style door and window details.

Ancillary Structures:

- A garage is standard on all homes, complete with an automatic opener and ample electrical power for cart charging and general convenience.

- Often, a separate guest suite, commonly referred to as a crofter or crofter's cottage, is built on site or above the garage, and typically contains a single bedroom, separate bathroom and closet.

- Throughout most of Cape Fear Station (a planned community on Bald Head Island), a picket fence is required and is included with the home if so required.

- Trellises, pergolas and arbors are common themes throughout the island.

Landscaping:

- Complete landscape plans are designed for all homes, using indigenous plants that are appropriate for a coastal environment. Additionally, an irrigation system with timer is installed, making landscape maintenance more convenient.