Craig Construction | Carrying The Torch Partner Website

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By Cassidy Mantor
Photos: Project Maxwell by Lucy Call | Project WP246 by Scot Zimmerman

If perfection is a mathematical limit, Craig Construction comes as close to that limit as possible. A cursory scroll through their online portfolio instantly shows this to be true. Honest use of materials and organic textures so authentic the craftsmanship is tangible. Their core values are not just words on a wall in the boardroom, they are lived and breathed and built into every estate home they deliver.

Working with like-minded people is what first brought Chris Noorda and Steve McArthur together decades ago. Working together, the duo forged a professional relationship and personal connection based on integrity and honesty. As building envelope contractors, the two became experts specializing in the demands of building in Utah and the western United States. Both born and raised in Salt Lake City, they found they loved building one-of-a-kind estate-quality homes. They found common ground in a shared desire to work toward achieving their highest potential.

Over the years, Chris and Steve had opportunities to work with boutique home builder, Craig Construction. On those projects, they recognized a similar philosophy of doing business. Both firms prioritized transparency, honesty, and integrity. Client expectations were extremely high, as were the standards their colleagues held themselves to.

One of the first times they worked with Craig Construction was on an estate home they built 20 years ago. They were the roofing subcontractor, and they were impressed by the transparency Craig had with all its subcontractors, the architect, the designer, and the client. “There was a clear expectation among all of us from all trades that we would be working at high altitude in complex weather conditions, and that we had to coordinate appropriately to be able to hit the schedule,” Steve recalls. If they couldn’t deliver, this wasn’t the right job for them. He adds, “I appreciated that transparency and always remembered how important that communication was to me with the people working for me as well as the other subcontractors.”

When an opportunity to become part of Craig Construction presented itself, Chris and Steve knew it was meant to be. Having both been introduced to the construction industry in their youth, Chris and Steve consider becoming owners of Craig Construction a deal 30 years in the making. Today, working in partnership with Craig Construction’s founder Don Craig—who is still active and involved in the company after starting it over 48 years ago—Chris and Steve are leveraging their decades of experience and leading Craig Construction into its next 48 years building the purest estate homes with exquisite craftsmanship.

Craig Construction defines craftsmanship as skilled hands with years of experience doing quality work. Their work is wholly aligned with this definition. Of the many homes Chris and Steve worked on with Craig over the years is the Maxwell project, an estate home in The Colony, one of Park City’s prestigious ski-in/ski-out communities.

Completed in 2015, Maxwell was a 17,000-square-foot mountain transitional estate home with multiple en-suite guest bedrooms, game rooms, and a great room with kitchen built for entertaining family and friends. This large estate home offered ski-in/ski-out amenities and was built so that each room had its own unique features.

“Craftsmanship is evident in our homes because they are the product of seasoned individuals with the same values and experience whose work is pristine and shows quality. This characteristic is both evident in what is visually available on the surface as well as what’s not visible, and it is infused in day-to-day management of our work,” Steve says. Proper materials and subcontractor selection and a meticulous approach to their work is what established Craig Construction as one of the top boutique firms in the region.

From the reclaimed timber beams in the Maxwell home to custom stonework from limestone quarried specifically for the project, to the roofing assembly with immaculate copper detailing and slate features, every detail was executed to align with the design intent. Inside, custom molding and inlays for doors, paint, trims, wall coverings and ceiling treatments create a unique feeling in each room. Limestone tile on the primary bathroom floor and a sauna with custom-built shelving and benches offer an inviting personal wellness experience.

“This is the purest estate home. Our methodology was to use granite, marble, and authentic components including timbers and natural stones. It is the true definition of these pure materials with no substitutions of anything, but only high-performing material that we pursue.”

–Steve McArthur, Craig Construction

Chris recalls that this home involved a special process wherein they worked with the owner from the very start and helped with much of the pre-construction work. “Collaborating from the beginning was key because we could help the architect and designers specify products that would perform for longevity at 9,200 feet of elevation,” he shares. The owner envisioned a getaway for the whole family including the kids and grandkids, and Craig Construction partnered with architecture firm Shope Reno Wharton to execute a showstopping generational estate home of the purest materials.

Heavy snow and harsh conditions require that Park City homes be built to account for snow loads and drifts, leaks, and waterproofing. Insulation, roofing, and siding selection are first and foremost when making sure a home can withstand the elements.

While the exterior conditions are a huge component of building a home, Chris notes that interior comfort is a main focus too. “We create an environment that is cozy and livable so that when the owners arrive, the home is ready for them and they settle right in,” he says. Automation comes into play, and with a simple pre-programmed button or app click, the property manager or owner can turn on key systems such as the furnace, lighting, blinds, and snowmelt systems to be ready for owners to pick right up where they left off so they can maximize enjoying their time here.

“This is the purest estate home,” Steve shares. “Our methodology was to use granite, marble, and authentic components including timbers and natural stones. It is the true definition of these pure materials with no substitutions of anything, but only high-performing material that we pursue.”

Another Craig Construction home also in The Colony highlights Criag’s dependability and showcases why the firm is so well-respected. “WP246” is a 15,000-square-foot mountain modern ski-in/ski-out home built into the side of an almost unbuildable lot. The local building ordinances cap building at 30+% grade, and WP246 came close. With specific engineering involving retaining walls and securement, the excavation work to lay the foundation was next-level.

“Timelessness means it has class for its lifetime. A timeless product for us is one that is more worry-free for an owner who isn’t present 365 days of the year and that stands the test of time physically.”

–Chris Noorda, Craig Construction

Inside, it’s an entertainer’s paradise. Comfort was a big priority for the owners, who host groups of all sizes. Multiple bars, common areas, game rooms, guest en-suites, and a sauna plus a large pool—something less common for The Colony—make for another exceptional home from Craig.

First and foremost, Craig Construction’s clients can expect complete transparency. All costs and expenses are known before the work is done. This transparency eliminates any questions about budget. Transparency and honesty go hand-in-hand, and by default, Craig’s core values create trust. “We have an open book policy and share information and updates at every billing cycle,” Steve says.

A timeless build is the goal of any estate home. Otto-Walker Architects designed this home and brought Craig Construction in at the beginning of the project. From the start, the Craig Construction team helped coordinate product selection to ensure the build was appropriate and would withstand the home’s lifespan. 

Although there’s an architectural difference between the transitional style of Maxwell to the modern aesthetic of WP246, the homes share similar materials that are proven to perform in the high mountain environment. “Acoya treated wood is the same fundamental product for the siding but we used it in a different layout with different lines,” Steve explains. The beams are similar proven products that were used in different percentages to achieve the correct aesthetic for each home, and the roofing also contributed to the longevity of both homes.

“Timelessness means it has class for its lifetime,” Chris says. “A timeless product for us is one that is more worry-free for an owner who isn’t present 365 days of the year and that stands the test of time physically. It also must be relevant from a design standpoint. We share the expectation with our clients that our homes will be high-performance and low-maintenance.”

Although excavating an almost unbuildable lot would seem like the hardest part of the WP246 project, Steve says that building on a seasonal schedule with phases because of the high mountain location was actually the largest challenge of this home. “We phase within openings in the season for these homes,” he says. Certain components such as concrete or driveways, or anything exterior for that matter, are not done during the coldest, winter months. “Our experience has taught us that it won’t end right. We want to make sure the environment is comfortable for the individuals doing the work—if they’re uncomfortable the result will be substandard work. “

As such, Craig Construction schedules around quality working conditions. Phasing this project during seasonal building slots in a particularly challenging high mountain area and completing it within 18 months is something remarkable for the quality when many comparable projects would be on a 24- to 36-month timeline. Transparency also plays a major role again with a master schedule based on the desired end date of the owner, designer, and architect. Steve notes that usually homes are completed either in the middle of summer or during the holidays because that leaves the owners a portion of ski season or summer to first enjoy using it.

Being able to hit their delivery mark was based on the size of the home and historical data of similar prior projects, as well as open communication when Craig’s timeline and job durations evolved. “We’re very transparent with what this timeline could be for the owners, with deadlines and requirements, and have a collective group of subcontractors who get that same schedule,” Steve explains. “They have to fit within our schedule that we have laid out and agreed upon, and they have to be able to confidently align with our expectations of what can be done based on us doing this work for the last 48 years.” In other words, Craig Construction sets the expectation, and everyone must be on board that they can achieve it before proceeding.

“We’re proactive in trying to avoid big surprises but some things are out of our control. We spell it out and explain everything we can to owners, designers, and architects. Once we are underway on the project and challenges arise, we work through them by maintaining that same level of communication.”

–Steve McArthur, Craig Construction

“We’re proactive in trying to avoid big surprises but some things are out of our control. We spell it out and explain everything we can to owners, designers, and architects. Once we are underway on the project and challenges arise, we work through them by maintaining that same level of communication,” Steve says.

It’s no surprise that through such diligent construction management Craig Construction is well-respected among the profession. Experts in their field, the firm readily collaborates with local third-party designers and with their subcontractors’ skilled designers to help implement professional products upon installation.

WP246 is a brilliant example of this collaboration. The home was fully automated and contained multiple tech features that Craig Construction partnered on with other professionals to have implemented and installed. From radiant heating to snowmelt systems, an in-home theater, whole-house music, comfortability and lighting controls, the complex systems had to be automated to be fully appreciated.

“Our goal is to make it really easy for an owner to come in with any size group and click a button and make it comfortable,” Chris says. He notes that although some clients might be a bit intimidated by home automation at first, when clients learn how easy the app is to use, and that the house will set itself for different modes of habitation, they enjoy the ease.

Craig Construction’s formula works. With repeat business, Chris notes that if they have built for someone before, they almost always get the opportunity to build for them again.

Now nearing retirement age, founder Don Craig is still very involved in Craig’s business. He is routinely involved in operations to ensure the Craig Construction legacy will carry on for another five decades. In addition to bringing on Chris Noorda and Steve McArthur, the company is in an expansion phase where it is implementing and adding more resources and staff to make an already great business even better.

“We had worked with Craig Construction for so long and admired Don that when it came time for him to slow down, we all felt that this was a natural fit,” Steve says. “We intend to carry on his honest-minded business structure.” Indeed, they share a common heritage of being custom home craftsmen who hold themselves to the highest standard. Chris and Steve are a natural leadership succession plan for the business.

A mutual love of working with people who strive for the best result brought Chris and Steve together with Craig Construction. “We love working with people who have very high standards and expectations because it sets the bar for everyone to work very professionally toward a desirable high-performance end goal,” Steve says. The entire experience is elevated when the client, architect, design, and builder are all aligned in this pursuit. “We aim to harness the maximum potential enjoyment of life in Park City,” he reflects.

Along with the decades of experience that Chris and Steve have building residential homes and commercial structures, working with Craig Construction stood out because of the professionalism they also bring to the table across all trades, subcontractors, and the client. “There’s a proper way to build, and Craig has always worked with transparency to deliver a timeless, well-performing home,” Chris says. “High-quality products, materials, design, and collaboration help get us to the finish line. How we interact with all of the trades and the individual designers make it possible for us to deliver a pure estate-level home to the owner.”

Craig Construction generally works on three to four projects at any given time. Currently they are working on a ski-in/ski-out in The Colony, several homes in a gated golf community, and the first home in a new subdivision, Velvære (also a ski-in/ski-out). Reflecting on these new Craig Construction homes, Steve notes, “Something always changes with a transition, but our intent is to make sure we maintain stability and continue to prioritize all the same values.”

“We aim to harness the maximum potential enjoyment of life in Park City.”

–Steve McArthur, Craig Construction

Some positive changes include the excitement and energy that younger generations have who bring more resources and innovation to their work. Looking at some of those new innovations, more clients are requesting oxygen-infused homes that pump O2 into each individual room. “It’s a big challenge to infuse it into a specific bedroom so that it doesn’t dissipate, but when concentrated properly it can help acclimate people from 3,000 feet of elevation to 9,000 feet, helping them live more healthily and enjoy Park City immediately,” Steve says.

Other amenities that have become part of building for the modern Park City lifestyle include plunge pools, infrared saunas, and whole spa rooms. Beyond grand window walls with majestic views of mountains, Craig Construction has also recently built homes with elaborate car lifts that drop vehicles from one elevation to a lower garage storage level. Extremely self-aware, Chris and Steve note that their standard has gotten so high for what moves their needle for innovation because everything is always built at the highest level for the most discerning homeowner.

Ultimately, Chris and Steve’s goal is to carry on the legacy Don Craig established 48 years ago. They are leveraging the same mechanics that have worked for previous decades and infusing the firm with new energy and enthusiasm for the Park City lifestyle. “We’re still here and are still taking projects,” Steve says.

In choosing to work with Craig Construction, clients will be presented with a grounded approach, and they will also undoubtedly experience the most elevated experience in their home-building journey. At the end they will receive the purest estate home with pristine materials and showstopping craftsmanship that will stand the test of time.

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