HD Builders

06/05/2026

Kitchen design is one of the most important parts of your custom home, and in this video we’re walking through one of our Level 1 cabinet packages. Even at our entry-level cabinet option, you’re still getting real wood cabinets and a fully custom kitchen layout designed specifically for your home.

At HD Builders, we don’t believe in cookie-cutter designs. Every homeowner meets with our cabinet designer to create a kitchen that fits their lifestyle, floor plan, storage needs, and overall vision. Whether you’re looking for maximum cabinet storage, a large island for entertaining, or a functional family-friendly layout, we’ll help design it around the way you live.

You’ll also notice the custom range hood in this kitchen. We can order decorative hoods from manufacturers or build a completely custom hood to match your style. That’s the advantage of building with a 100% custom builder—we’re not limited to a handful of options. If you can dream it, we can usually build it.

This kitchen is a great example of how affordable options can still deliver a beautiful, functional, and high-quality finished product.

“For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.”
— Hebrews 3:4 KJV

06/03/2026

One of the biggest advantages of using open web floor trusses is what you don’t see after the home is finished.

In this basement home, you can see how we utilize the open web floor system to run HVAC ductwork, plumbing, electrical wiring, and low-voltage wiring throughout the home. The open design gives trades plenty of room to work and helps keep everything organized.

Why does this matter to homeowners?

When a home is framed with traditional floor systems, contractors often have to build chases to hide ductwork, plumbing, or wiring. A chase is typically a framed box, drop ceiling, or soffit that hangs down into a room to conceal mechanical systems. While sometimes necessary, chases can reduce ceiling height and take away from the clean look of a finished basement.

Open web floor trusses help minimize the need for those chases by creating built-in pathways for mechanical systems to pass through the floor structure. This can result in cleaner ceilings, more usable space, and greater flexibility when finishing a basement.

Will it eliminate every chase? Not always.

In basement homes, plumbing still requires proper fall and drainage, so some chases may still be necessary depending on the layout of the home. However, open web floor trusses can significantly reduce the number and size of those chases compared to many traditional framing methods.

There are several different floor systems available, and each has its place. At HD Builders, we’re always looking for the best solution based on the home’s design, budget, and long-term functionality.

If you’re planning a custom home, this is one of those structural decisions that can make a big difference later in the build.

“For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.”
— Hebrews 3:4 KJV

06/02/2026

One question we get asked a lot is, “How does HD Builders manage multiple custom homes at the same time?”

The answer is having the right people in the right roles and a system that keeps every project moving forward.

At HD Builders, I handle the office side of the business. That includes estimating, budgeting, contracts, payroll, scheduling coordination, and making sure every dollar and document is accounted for throughout the build process.

Hucks serves as our lead field superintendent, overseeing daily operations and helping ensure quality standards are maintained across all projects.

We also have three dedicated superintendents who manage the day-to-day construction activities on our job sites. Depending on the size and complexity of the homes, each superintendent can typically oversee three to four builds at a time while maintaining the level of quality and communication our clients expect.

In the office, Chloe helps keep everything organized by tracking selections, coordinating with vendors, assisting homeowners through the selections process, and helping ensure information flows smoothly between the office, homeowners, and field teams.

Building a custom home takes much more than hammers and nails. It requires communication, organization, planning, and a team that understands their responsibilities from day one.

This system allows us to stay organized, provide better communication, and deliver a smoother building experience for our homeowners.

“For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.”
— Hebrews 3:4 KJV

06/02/2026

One thing homeowners ask us about all the time is, “Why haven’t you painted the porch railings yet?”

The answer is simple: they’re built with pressure-treated lumber, and painting them too soon can cause problems down the road.

Pressure-treated wood contains moisture from the treatment process, and if you paint it before it has properly dried out, the paint can blister, peel, crack, or fail prematurely. We want the finish to last, not just look good for a few months.

A good rule of thumb is to let the lumber dry until the moisture content is below about 15%. One simple test is to sprinkle water on the wood. If the water beads up and sits on the surface, it’s usually still too wet. If it soaks in, it’s getting much closer to being ready for paint or stain.

The timeline depends on several factors including the weather, humidity, sun exposure, airflow, and even where you live in the country. Here in the Carolinas, we’re heading into summer, which helps speed up the drying process. In many cases, allowing the wood to dry through the warmer months gives us a much better surface for paint or stain to properly bond.

Sometimes the best thing you can do for a quality finish is simply be patient. A little extra time now can save a lot of maintenance and repainting later.

For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.
Hebrews 3:4 KJV

06/02/2026

HD will be a sponsor at this upcoming show! Can't wait!

🤠🎟️ Happy Friday, y’all! 🎟️🤠

The countdown is ON for Horns, Hooves, & Honkytonks Music Festival 🔥🙌🏼

Be sure to stop by one of our ticket locations, grab your tickets, and pick up some fresh rodeo attire before next weekend! We’re ready to kick off summer with an action-packed day of bull riding, barrel racing, and live country music all day and night!

🎟️ In-Person Ticket Locations:
📍 Lewis Feed – Gastonia, NC
📍Lebo's – Rock Hill, SC
📍 Yorkville Marketplace – York, SC
📍 Cherokee Outfitters – Gaffney, SC
📍 Boot Barn – Rock Hill, SC

Or get them online at -

https://app.myticketfox.com/prod/r/tf/ticketfox/event-details?evt=2011048&clear=CR&tz=-4:00

Sponsored by Bull Mountain Outdoor Living

Who’s coming dressed to impress?

👇 Tell us: What’s the first thing you put on for a rodeo—a good hat or a good pair of boots? 🔥🐂🎶

06/01/2026

One of the small details that can make a big difference in the finished look of your home is planning your porch columns and posts early in the process.

In this video, we go over why it’s important to know your post sizes during the foundation and framing stages. The goal is to make sure the posts line up properly from the foundation all the way to the framing above, creating a clean, symmetrical appearance.

It’s not just about looks either. These posts often structural loads, so the framing has to be designed around them correctly. We frequently fur out framing on both sides of the porch to ensure everything is centered, balanced, and visually appealing.

If this isn’t planned ahead of time, you can end up with columns that look off-center, uneven overhangs, or gaps that create places for birds to nest. These small details can make a finished home look like it wasn’t thoroughly thought through.

Custom home building is all about paying attention to the details before they become problems. That’s why proper planning during foundation and framing is so important.

Thinking about building a custom home in North or South Carolina? Follow along as we show the details that go into building it right.

“For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.”
— Hebrews 3:4 KJV

05/31/2026

One question we get all the time is: Which is better—stick-built framing or roof trusses?

The answer is that both have their place, but if given the choice, we generally prefer stick-built framing.

As you can see in this video, this home is being stick framed. The biggest advantage is flexibility. Our framers can make adjustments in the field, fine-tune everything, and ensure the roof lines, valleys, ridges, and overall structure line up exactly the way they should. It creates a cleaner look and allows us to achieve a higher level of craftsmanship.

Roof trusses definitely have their place as well. We use them on many projects, especially when large spans and wide-open floor plans are required. Trusses are engineered systems that can accomplish things traditional framing sometimes cannot.

The challenge with trusses is that even though they're manufactured, they aren't always perfectly identical. Occasionally, some may crown differently, sit differently, or require adjustments. Unlike stick framing, you can't simply modify a truss in the field. Any cuts, repairs, or alterations typically require engineered approval and repair details to ensure the structural integrity of the system remains intact.

Another consideration is attic space. Stick-built roofs often provide more usable attic storage, while truss systems can limit accessibility depending on the design.

At the end of the day, both methods are excellent when done correctly. For custom homes, we often lean toward stick-built framing because it gives us more control, more flexibility, and a cleaner finished product. But trusses remain a great option and are often the best solution for certain designs and structural requirements.

What do you prefer—stick-built framing or trusses?

"For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God." – Hebrews 3:4 KJV

05/30/2026

Today we’re reading comments from some of our previous posts. This one was both funny and a little sad at the same time.

The comment basically said, we are stupid for doing this that other Builder been doing it for 30 years and this wasn’t necessary.

The interesting part is that the method we were showing isn’t something we made up. It’s the exact installation method recommended by the manufacturer of the product.

Just because something has been done a certain way for 30 years doesn’t automatically make it right. It may simply mean it’s been done wrong for 30 years.

As builders, our job isn’t to do things the way they’ve always been done. Our job is to build homes according to code, follow manufacturer guidelines, and provide homeowners with the best product possible.

We get plenty of positive comments, but we also get our share of negative ones. That’s part of social media. The good thing is it gives us an opportunity to educate homeowners and explain why we do things the way we do.

So keep the comments coming. We enjoy the discussion. Just know that if you leave a comment like this, it might end up featured in one of our videos for everyone to see.

What do you think? Should builders follow “the way it’s always been done” or follow current manufacturer recommendations and industry standards?

“For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.”
— Hebrews 3:4 KJV

05/28/2026

There are a lot of upgraded features you can add to your custom home that people may not even know exist. One simple feature we love is automatic light switches on closet doors. Open the door, the light comes on. Close the door, the light shuts off. Sounds simple, but if you’ve got kids leaving lights on all the time, this is a game changer.

Another thing we focus on is prepping your home for future upgrades during the build process. As you see in this video, we run PVC pipe from the crawlspace up to the attic so future cabling can be added easily later on without drilling holes everywhere or running wires on the exterior of the house. Whether it’s security systems, internet upgrades, audio systems, or future smart home features, this makes life much easier down the road.

A lot of building a quality custom home is thinking ahead before the walls get closed in. These small details can make a huge difference long term.

If there are any upgraded features or behind-the-scenes things you want to see during our builds, let us know and we’ll make a video on it.



“For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.” Hebrews 3:4 KJV