Tim Ellis thinks he was born to build. This son of a union carpenter and holder of a construction management degree started his own company when a client of the commercial contractor he was working for asked him to transform an attic into a bedroom. Brother Barry, a landscape designer, soon joined him. Today, the majority of the work at T.W. Ellis consists of additions and porches, as well as decks and outdoor living projects.
T.W. Ellis uses the SoftPlan design program so plans, ordering, and construct-ion can be swiftly expedited. The program, combined with his experience, allows Ellis to give homeowners a hard number rather than “rolling the dice” with a competitor.
The Ellis brothers are believers in industry certification. Between them, they hold certifications in green building, remodeling, aging-in-place, deck building, estimating, and project management.
Takeaways
- T.W. switched from drawing kitchens by hand to using design program Soft Plan so that plans, ordering, and construction could be swiftly expedited. The program, combined with his experience, also allows Ellis to give homeowners a hard number. “I want people to know that if they go with me they will know what it costs. If they don’t go with me, they’re rolling the dice.”
- Problem solving, like building, is in Ellis's blood. On one recent addition project, digging for footings no sooner commenced than it was discovered that the site was an old landfill, unstable due to lack of compactable soil. The only way the addition could be built was on helical piers—an added cost of $20,000. “I about fainted,” Ellis says. The homeowner, appreciating the company’s professionalism, gave the go-head to move forward.
- The company’s website features a full roster of award-winning projects, inside and outside, from the local homebuilders association and other groups.
- The Ellis brothers are believers in industry certification. Between them, they hold certifications in green building, remodeling, aging-in-place, deck building, estimating, and project management.
