Ray Building Company

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United States
Springville, AL
Ray Building Company

We are a licensed and insured Alabama Homebuilder in the Birmingham area. We specialize in residen Ray Building Co. Ray, upon his return from a career in the U.S.

is a family namesake that was revived by its current president, Stephen S. Marines and a brief stint as a professional flight instructor and law student in the Birmingham area. This locally popular remodeling company balances its roots of true hard work and commitment to excellence with today’s fast-paced, information savvy market. strives to maintain its competitive edge by maintaining uncompromi

sing ethical standards, close attention to detail, and the establishment of as close a working relationship as possible with each and every client.

04/08/2024

Carving out the ideal drive and house site through a rural setting almost totally off the grid is one of the most exciting things to do for a builder. In contrast with the inner city dynamics of Building/Permitting offices, noise restrictions, limited access, and working on top of clients, it is similar the pioneer days, I suppose. Once you determine your property lines you begin to engineer the best use of the land, plan ahead for water, power, and septic tank locations, and work around the weather the best that you can. The dynamics out in the “woods” become more of being self sufficient with everything from EMS to Home Depot being miles away, so you have to plan ahead or you could find yourself in a pickle real quick. Unless you do this sort of building on a regular basis, it brings a builder back to the raw basics of planning and ex*****on and it’s a priceless experience. To me, one of the most challenging aspects of it is pulling together a new team of trades because many that you work with back in the suburbs just can’t reach these new remote locations. When you begin to explore your options of local operators, one leads to another and another and your world just gets bigger. I guess you could say, it’s a people thing. At first it appears to be a little overwhelming and uncertain and once you settle in it’s keeps getting more and more simpler.

02/15/2024

This is a very rare, at least with most of our competitors. Cabinet install issues? Well, they happen but it’s better to take them head on. After a detailed site meeting to iron out some punch issues, the entire build team, and client, have made time for a super pleasant lunch at Real and Rosemary. It’s all gonna work out just fine. 😉

Nice work Angie Little of Don’s Carpet One!

01/24/2024

I love this photo because it accurately portrays our versatility in the remodeling work we perform throughout the year. In any given day we are running the mill by either doing preliminary pricing and planning, demo, purchasing a myriad of materials, meeting with architects, engineers, decorators, building officials, and most importantly, our clients.

We recently knocked out a -30 day bath remodel that fell between Thanksgiving and Christmas which validated all of our experience, planning, and scheduling practices; however, I don’t recommend those sort of timelines during the holidays to the average camper. They are doable but they are huge stress incubators (humor intended). Given ample lead time, thoughtful design and pricing, and maintaining a professional dialogue with everyone involved, nothing is impossible, nor necessarily stressful.

We are actively looking at, and taking on new projects (typical list of projects below) for 2024. Anyone on the fence or sitting on a set of plans that want to get the ball rolling can reach us at:

[email protected] or phone/text STEVE at 205-296-5291

Typical projects:

•Whole house renovations
•Kitchen and baths
•Additions
•Deck and outdoor living spaces
•Engineered structural repair and waterproofing
•Custom Millwork (bars, great rooms, wine cellars. Etc.)
•Exterior updates with various siding, window, and door work
•Fireplaces (interior and exterior)
•Countertops, tile, and painting
•Lofts, playrooms, and carriage houses
•Elevators and lifts

01/05/2024

Window Logic appeared in our 2015 blog following a series of very interesting installs and experiences, some good and some not so good. God bless our most recent client for enduring a very long lead time, only to have factory defects in one of the central bay window sashes. After our 3rd try we hope that they are permanently set.

Lead times are still very long and the varieties of windows and doors continues to grow which is why we like to help map out the process, plan, price, and schedule the new or replacement products well in advance. I know that saying that I am very proud of the staying power of one of my key vendors and trades means little to the immediate comfort of the clients I mentioned above, but it does count greatly.

For more information about new installations or replacements, please don’t hesitate to call Steve Ray at 205-296-5291 or email at [email protected].

http://www.raybuildingcompany.com/blog/2015/2/25/window-logic

12/30/2023

Happy New Year Birmingham, AL residents, clients, and friends!

Ray Building Co., a custom remodeling and very difficult to tackle kind of projects family owned business is leaning forward into 2024 with the upmost enthusiasm! Our approach to every project is based upon a nationally accepted and proven process which involves client/project identification and vetting, very deliberate evaluation of scope of work and pricing, planning, permitting, and ex*****on. We have learned that more leg work on the front end equates to more efficient work and timelines. These all impact the button line in many ways.

On a typical day we will be involved in various projects ranging from structural repairs, window and door replacements, kitchen and bath redo’s, to whole house renovations. We stay on top of market trends and pricing, governmental affairs, and health and safety topics from one, staying busy, to two, by participating in continuing education and maintaining a healthy dialogue with our Homebuilder’s Association, building officials, and vendors/trades. All of our vendors/trades are top notch, responsible, and otherwise of a kinder and gentler temperament.

Appointments and consultations are initially free, then typically advance into State required contracting processes. Our contact information is below:

Owner/Operator- Steve Ray, 205-296-5291/[email protected]

Our base of operations is out of our mountain home in Springville and our typical operating area for the last 20+ years is what people refer to as the Over The Mountain area which now extends from Mountain Brook to literally Chelsea. By special arrangements, we can perform select work all over the state by pulling together the appropriate professional team.

Happy New Year!

Steve and Anna Ray

12/20/2023

What does 20 years of remodeling look like? See below! How does it feel or what are the reflections of a remodeler with that sort of time beneath their belt is a different, but worthy, story worth sharing.

Before I even hung my own shingle as sole proprietor of Ray Building Co. I had a pretty extensive background in the building industry; however, establishing personal relationships with the hundreds of clients, trades, vendors, accountants, attorneys, architects and engineers, and professional support groups is a lifelong journey because it’s the people that really count. In my opinion, unless you can effectively interact with others in a genuine and authentic manner, you wouldn’t survive your first year of business.

My childhood was of a contractor’s kid who was occupied with cleaning projects, toting lumber and brick, digging trenches, and a myriad of other related activities while my peers were playing, fishing, swimming, or playing golf and tennis. I would not fully appreciate the hard work ethic of my dad and granddad until much later in life. My younger adult life in the military added many life lessons that would ultimately spill over into the construction business. The common theme would be the “people.” Whether you are a one legged man playing in his own hat band or CEO of a larger enterprise, it’s still all about the people.

Early in my remodeling career I would feverishly build professional relationships with all sort of individuals playing the networking game but my tried and true bread and butter secret to success has been to focus on the individual client. Their needs are priority one and until you get that you will be spinning your wheels. It has mattered little what sort of networking that I have invested my time and energy own. By taking care of my clients, being on time, staying organized, going the extra mile, and remaining accessible, being candid on honest, and not accepting mediocre work, have not only kept me in business but I can now realize a stable and personally rewarding business.

A quick note for aspiring remodelers. Take a very hard inventory on what you want to gain from your respective business. On this list of all the nice things you aspire to see or do, unless working, not just working, but really digging your heels in with people is at the top, re-evaluate your choice of professions, fast! A lot of people would say that there is a lot of drama in residential remodeling and I will have to admit that there is a fair share of it. The key is to keep things in perspective, get your priorities straight, engage with everyone with respect and always, always keep the needs of your clients your #1 goal. The rest is gravy and you will never have to rely on referrals from anyone other than your clients. Those, after all, have been proven by many industry professionals as the best kind. Speaking from experience, it is indeed true.

Nine out ten times things will go as planned, the project will flow as sweetly as can be, timelines are followed, orders arrive like clockwork, your trades nail it the first time, and your clients sing your praises to all of their friends. That 1 out of 10 times is what you really have to train for and it all circles back to how you deal with people. In times of crisis, you have to keep your cool, accept responsibility, and reach out to those very same people you have built lasting relationships with to help you find the best solution to whatever is broke. Running away from a problem, playing the blame game, and any sort of delay will create a very toxic situation that almost never has a happy ending.

Looking back at the last 20 years I could say that I have many takeaways but I will repeat myself. It’s not what material object we actually created as much as it has been the friends (“PEOPLE”) that we have made.

God bless and Merry Christmas,
Steve Ray
Owner- Ray Building Co.
2003-2023 (and continuing)

12/09/2023

Dear Larry and Mary,

Thank you for being such graceful and patient clients these last several months. The experience epitomizes what I have been trying to perfect over the last 20 years in the professional remodeling business. Residential remodeling, when done right, builds relationships and leaves a pleasant taste in everyone’s mouths as the painters plastic, floor protection, and maid cleaning begin to wrap up and the clients begin to reoccupy their living spaces.

In your particular case, relationship building, Christian fellowship, kindness, attention to detail, and going that extra mile were, borrowing from Admiral Nimitz’ observation of the Marines on Iwo Jima in WWII, were all a common virtue. While not everything went totally as planned, the open dialogue, trust, and patience paid off beyond all reasonable expectations. Today, while visiting on follow-up inspections and little tweaks here and there the smell of fresh baked bread in the oven and the sofa chats are priceless. It’s what makes this line of work so priceless.

We began the project looking at two interconnected projects, one being the large carport and storage closets and the second being the conversion of the old carport into a modern bedroom, bath, and laundry with an intricately designed pantry off of the kitchen. Designed by Brannon Foster, AIA, and staged where the work made the most sense of making the least amount of disruption in quality of life we methodically completed the exterior scope of work and moved inside for the expansive conditioned space scope of work. Scheduling, daily chats, Mary’s hospitality with fresh cookies, sandwiches, and even a trip out to visit us up on the mountain for some fresh air and local vegetables from our favorite rural neighborhood market made this a very memorable project. It just doesn’t get any better and we are all grateful.

Ray Building Company’s sweet spot of projects, so to speak, are ones that require us to roll up our sleeves, to get really focused on the details, to develop open channels of communication, to be understanding of our client’s needs, work through sticky problems with as much grave as possible, and to leave our clients with a warm and fuzzy that their project was completed with care and that we aren’t going anywhere in the event that a call back is needed. We can expedite a lot of things but lasting relationships just can’t be. They do take time and it’s that timeless quality that is so very highly pursued by the best of the best.

Thanks again Larry and Mary and we wish you both a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

Sincerely,
Steve Ray

10/28/2023

Most excellent job with “encapsulating” our client’s crawlspace. We still have a couple of options to further improve their energy efficient around the home but the remodeled wing is a model for improved living conditions. The heavy duty membrane and dehumidifier lowers the thermal and moisture barrier below the membrane taking the loads off of the above floor heating and air. This practice leaves a pristine space void of moisture and pests and could hold any sort of storage.

10/13/2023

Nothing bites more than coming home from work and seeing one of these posted on your home. 9/10 Stop Work Orders are from non-permitted work. I often criticize all of the ordnances and permitting requirements but again, 9.9/10 protect everyone involved.

Within an established municipality such as Mountain Brook, permitting for exterior work involves everything from footings, the load calculations, property setbacks, working around utilities, to storm drainage. One of the biggest correlations to these violations is the absence of a design. Many of these projects have written agreements (contracts), but they lack any sort of sketch or design. Money is exchanged fulfilling the “consideration” aspect, but a huge red flag is when the actual building of the project is word of mouth and adopted practices that have been passed down from one builder or carpenter to another. Permits serve as a huge stop gap measure that affords the owner, builder, and Building Official the opportunity to make sure the project is being built correctly, to building Codes.

As a review, one of the most essential elements of any construction project is a baseline design, from there, accurate pricing can occur, snags with local building requirements and safety can be caught, and building officials can inspect vital progress and project completion. At the end of the day, everyone is covered and you certainly won’t be freaked out by a Stop Work Order, have to pay insane penalties, on top of possibly have to demo what has been built out to that moment.

10/07/2023

Stephen and Anna Ray

Ray Building Co., Birmingham, AL based operations with reaching power all over the state.

Home office- Straight Mountain, Springville, AL

Years of operation- This generation, 20 years followed by a break in activity during military service. Initial incorporation was in 1973 as Ray & Sons.

Capabilities and specialties- Whole house custom remodeling, additions, kitchens and baths, outdoor living spaces, decks, fencing, drives and walks, structural repairs, energy auditing and upgrades, waterproofing, windows and doors, and hardscapes.

Major awards- Remodeling Magazine Big 50

Major Disabled Veteran Projects- Homes For Our Troops first Alabama new home for Scot and RyAnne Noss and first Alabama Power Platinum Level Super Energy Solutions new build, also for Homes For Our Troops for Noah Galloway.

Current Board Position- Educational Trust Fund, Greater Birmingham Area Homebuilder’s Association.

Project scheduling- 2-3 week lead time on most projects. Emergency scheduling can be a quick as next day.

Average revenue- $1-3 million sized operation.

Phone(s)- Anna- 251-295-8489, Steve- 205-296-5291

Emails- [email protected], [email protected]

07/22/2023

Finally have my right hand (literally) back from weeks of Scout Camp and gallivanting in the Atchafalaya Swamp to help with some heavy lifting, design work, and all around fun out in the field. Anna mixes it up with our trades, vendors, and clients in her special way making our projects more productive and enjoyable than ever before.

Ray Building Co. (RBC)is an alumni of Remodeling Magazine’s Big50, an annual awards recognition from top achievers from each state. RBC is also a 20+ year veteran-veteran remodeling operation that doesn’t shy away from the small and out of the way projects to the urban high rise condo, has depth in architectural and engineering support, and performs a wide array of services from foundation repairs to roof leaks. We also get into the unique niche work such as gun rooms, wine cellars, and outdoor living spaces. Kitchen and baths and interior remodeling are a slam dunk!

Email us at Steve@raybuildingcompany or text 205-296-5291 to set up an appointment to discuss your own building or remodeling needs.

Address

Springville, AL
35146

Website

http://raybuildingcompany.com/, http://algreendesignworks.com/

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