A home is the longest thing most people will ever pay for. It should be the longest thing that lasts.
We don't build spec homes. We don't cut corners when the drywall goes up. We don't sub out the finish work to the lowest bid. Every Timber & Trade home is built by a crew that's been with us for a decade or more, using lumber we've hand-selected, and finished with millwork we've made in our own shop. That's how this company was built in 1978, and that's how we build every house today.
Custom home building
Full-service custom residential construction from schematic design through final walkthrough. Timber frame, traditional frame, and hybrid construction. Typical project: 3,500 to 8,000 square feet.
Historic renovation and restoration
Restoration of Arts and Crafts bungalows, farmhouses, and mountain homes. We preserve what can be preserved, replicate what must be replaced, and document every decision.
Custom millwork and fine carpentry
In-shop fabrication of staircases, built-ins, kitchen cabinetry, doors, and architectural trim. Hand-joined where it matters. We still use dovetails.
Three generations. One way of working.
Timber & Trade was founded in 1978 by Calvin Ashford, who taught his son Walter to do the work the way his father had taught him. Today Walter's daughter, Mary Ashford-Finch, runs the company. The tools have changed. The lumber has changed. Some of the building codes would make Calvin laugh. What hasn't changed is how we treat the work, the clients, and the crew.
What homeowners tell us.
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We interviewed six builders before we chose Timber & Trade. Five of them tried to talk us out of our ideas. Mary listened, improved every one of them, and built a house we still walk into every evening and can't believe we get to live in.
— Catherine and James Bellmont,
Biltmore Forest
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I grew up watching my grandfather work with his hands. When I met the crew at Timber & Trade, I recognized them. These are craftsmen. Not subcontractors, not salesmen. Craftsmen. That distinction is why we hired them.
— Dr. Henry Okonkwo,
Kenilworth
