Timber Ridge Craftsmen, Inc.

I had the privilege of working with the talented Timber Ridge Craftsmen team on a residential project at Smith Mountain Lake in 2016 (Project: Smith Mountain Lake Lodge). Our client, design and contractor teams collaborated on numerous decisions during construction including location of the house, grading, retaining walls, establishing elevations, ADA access, and material selection. Rich is a master of detail and quality who listens, educates and fosters collaborative decision-making, which strengthens design and construction. As steel sharpens steel – collaborative design with Rich, our client, and team of professional contractors resulted in a stunning home and site on Smith Mountain Lake. I welcome future opportunities to work with Timber Ridge Craftsmen.

It was my good fortune to meet Richard. He designed the addition of a timber portico to the front of my house. No detail was too small. He worked closely with my wife and me clearly explaining the challenges and hurdles of the project and professionally dealing with the unexpected. He is honest; hires and controls his sub-contractors; insists on "craftsman" level work, incorporates cutting edge building techniques into the plan, AND DOES NOT CUT CORNERS.

We had the best experience with Timber Ridge. Rich was experienced, thoughtful, and fully aware of our expectations. I had an idea for the remaking of the outside of our house, talked it over with Rich and he took my ideas and made them happen. He led us through the process, and stood by us all the way. He deserves the highest recommendation. Thank you, Rich Sincerely, Pat Blice

From the first meeting with Rich Backus of Timber Ridge Craftsmen, we knew he would be the one to build our home at Smith Mountain Lake, VA. Rich immediately understood our desire for a home of quality over quantity, incorporating as many energy efficient practices as we could. Working together to design a home with a smaller footprint and everything necessary for comfortable living was an enjoyable adventure for us. Rich has a vast knowledge and education of quality building practices as well as sustainability. The carpenters and sub-contractors of Timber Ridge are top notch craftsmen that take great pride in their work. . . it definitely shows. Rich was always attentive to our needs keeping us updated on the build schedule and budget issues. We love our lake home at SML and look forward to many happy years here.

My wife and I were fortunate and finally found our little piece of paradise at Smith Mountain Lake, VA. However, we were concerned whether or not we could find a local builder that would understand the type of home we wanted to build. Most of my management consulting career involved providing advice and solutions for various government and commercial clients on how to be more energy efficient and implement environmentally sustainable practices. Our realtor introduced us to Rich Backus and after one session with him, we realized that we found the right person to design and build our retirement home that would meet our requirements for energy efficiency, aging in place and use as many environmentally sustainable solutions as practical. His credentials surpassed our expectations, especially with his certification in passive home building and his knowledge of energy efficient building practices. Our design, planning, and build experience was superior, and we ended up with a home that is very energy efficient, will allow us to age in place for many years to come, and was completed on time and within the budget agreed to in our build contract.

Rich is a pleasure to work with. We are a manufacturer, with some personal friendly connection to Rich. We have worked with him on several jobs. From my take- Rich will work through all detail with you. Low pressure. He can get the job done right and with your input, explaining every step of the way.

Rich has been busy with many projects, however, he still took the time to work with us on our project. He acted as a consultant and helped us create an efficient home that met our goals. His knowledge of efficient building practices is impressive and his fees are more than reasonable.