Lake Keowee is a breathtaking 18,500-acre lake that sits right at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in western South Carolina. The area is a popular choice for people looking to build custom luxury homes, and for a good reason.
This location is a place where you can really have it all. Not only can you enjoy all that the crystal blue lake has to offer, there also are mountain views to meditate upon, forest trails to explore, and nearby cultural centers like Asheville and Greenville to visit whenever you please. Furthermore, Atlanta and its international airport are only 3 hours away.
In this article, we’ll explore ten of the best custom home builders in the Lake Keowee area to assist you during the builder selection process.
Of course, choosing a builder is far from the first step you’ll want to take. However, it can be helpful to familiarize yourself with the range of options available and gather inspiration from the galleries of Lake Keowee luxury homes available through these custom home-building companies.
… But Do This First
Shopping around for a builder seems a natural first step when exploring the possibility of building a custom luxury home on Lake Keowee. In reality, looking for a builder before you’ve established a design and build team can result in unpleasant and costly surprises. There’s a few things you must do first in order to avoid some very real costly surprises.
At Dream Home Studio, our team is dedicated to helping people design and build their dream home on time, on budget, with no costly surprise. We are here to assist you at every step in the process, from creating your personal on-budget pathway, offering a unique property selection process, to architectural design and builder selection.
The Dream Home Studio team of professionals can walk you through creating an on-budget pathway and achieving a clear sense of the contractual protections you’ll want to be built into your property, design, and construction contracts.
Before you start interviewing builders, make sure you watch the videos available on our site that will help you have a predictable luxury home-building experience that results in your ultimate dream home coming to life– on time and on budget.
10 of the Best Custom Home Builders on Lake Keowee
Builder selection is crucial to the luxury home building process, not to mention very specific contractual protections in your construction agreement that offer necessary safeguards against costly surprises. That’s why we’ve created the Dream Home Studio Guidebook and Workshop to help you rest assured you will receive the outcome you desire on time and on budget.
In this list of the best custom home builders on Lake Keowee, you’ll find ten highly experienced builders that create luxury retreats for distinguished clients. Each of these builders has been hand-selected as a preferred builder of The Cliffs communities and The Reserve, meaning they’ve all passed the communities’ stringent tests for general building requirements for these high end communities.
Note: This list was not created in any particular order and this isn’t a ranked list.
1. The Stillwater Group
The Stillwater Group specializes in building homes primarily on Lake Keowee, in addition to Cashiers and Highlands. Their gallery is filled with dozens of breathtaking lakeside homes that they’ve built in the area.
The Stillwater Group has been building custom luxury homes in Lake Keowee for over three decades. Combined with their knowledge of building in Lake Keowee, unique hands-on approach, and impressive attention to detail, they make the entire building process as seamless as possible.
2. Dillard-Jones
Dillard-Jones is a luxury custom home builder that serves prestigious communities in Lake Keowee, Cashiers, Bluffton, and more.
This family-owned and operated business has served the Greenville and Asheville area for over two decades. They are known for their craftsmanship and attention to detail.
3. Alair Homes
With a unique “Client Control” approach to construction and a proprietary online system, Alair Homes is the good choice for individuals who value staying connected and engaged with every detail of the home-building process.
Alair Homes has offices and partners across the US and Canada. Dedicated to bringing your vision to life, they only work with the highest quality materials and the most esteemed designers, architects, and trade partners. Their commitment to transparency and excellence allows you to create a custom home that meets your family’s needs.
You can see an example of a beautiful Alair custom home on Lake Keowee here.
4. Gabriel Builders, Inc
The team at Gabriel Builders has been building custom luxury homes in North and South Carolina for nearly four decades and has won the prestigious national award of the Custom Home Builder of the Year.
Known for their attention to detail, professionalism, and stellar reputation, Gabriel Builders delivers handcrafted homes that are custom-built to reflect the natural beauty of their environment.
5. The Paragon Group
The Paragon Group has been building bespoke luxury homes for decades that pride themselves on their high level of service, excellent communication, and hands-on style.
They will go above and beyond to ensure your luxury home fits your vision, from the lot and architect selection to tweaking the finishing touches once your new home is nearly complete.
6. Bergeron Custom Homes
If you are nervous about working with a construction company that is so large you fear you might slip through the cracks, take a closer look at Bergeron Custom Homes. This small luxury home-building company only takes on a limited number of clients at a time, which means they can always give you and your needs their full time and attention.
They are committed to producing a luxury home that leaves families with a feeling of complete and total satisfaction while keeping the channels of communication open and healthy during the entire home-building journey.
Bergeron focuses intensely on quality in every aspect of the process, including the materials, the workmanship, and customer service. The owner, Jason Bergeron, is involved in every part of the business and is both a professional businessman and a trained craftsman.
7. AR Homes by Arthur Rutenberg
With humble beginnings as the company of one man named Art Rutenberg in 1953, AR Homes have since grown to become the largest network of franchise custom homebuilders in the United States.
If you select AR Homes to be your builders in one of the Cliffs communities, the builders will be an independently owned franchise of AR Homes by the name of American Eagle Builders. With a team of local subcontractors working with them for over ten years, their highly organized process allows for an enjoyable and on-time luxury home build without any unwelcome surprises.
8. Evergreen Custom Construction
Nearly 70 homes have been constructed in the Cliffs Communities alone by Evergreen Custom Construction. This custom home builder will walk you through every step of the process if you so choose, from the first day on your lot until that magical day the keys are first in your hand.
Each of the onsite managers assigned to custom-build projects has more than two decades of custom home-building experience, so you know the process will go smoothly and efficiently.
The homes built by Evergreen typically range from 2,500 to 5,500 square feet, and many of their clients are building their dream homes from out of state; this means they are well-versed in the art of transparent and effective communication so the customer can stay informed during every step of the process.
9. Fairview Custom Homes
Fairview Custom Homes began building in The Cliffs communities in 2004 and have been focused nearly exclusively on these seven communities for many years now.
Thoroughly knowledgeable about the lifestyle desired by homeowners in these luxury communities, they are passionate about helping their clients create high-quality homes that exude excellence in every regard.
10. Cottage Group
Cottage Group is a division of Dillard-Jones that focuses on creating semi-custom luxury homes with flexible floorplans.
If you’re interested in a smart-sized custom home that doesn’t sacrifice style, durability, or quality, you can enjoy a simplified experience with the Cottage Group. Currently serving The Cliffs, The Reserve at Lake Keowee, and Hartness, this Greenville Based luxury home builder offers sixteen curated floor plans that allow some options for modification.
The Top 8 Communities around Lake Keowee
The pristine shorelines of Lake Keowee in western South Carolina are the perfect place for a luxury home that reflects your needs and lifestyle. With an ideal climate for year-round enjoyment of the lake and countless amenities both within the communities and nearby, living on Lake Keowee truly is like living in a dream.
Let’s explore some of the most prestigious and beautiful luxury home communities right on Lake Keowee. Furthermore, there are other stunning communities nearby in the gorgeous Carolina mountains, plus a jewel community situated just outside the colorful and vibrant city of Asheville, North Carolina.
1. The Cliffs at Keowee Falls
Located on 20 miles of Lake Keowee shoreline, The Cliffs at Keowee Falls consist of 2,500 acres of cascading waterfalls, lush forests, and fields full of the rare Appalachian flower known as Oconee Bells.
Living in this Cliffs community gives you access to ten miles of nature trails within Keowee Falls, endless opportunities for fun on the lake, a spectacular Jack Nicklaus golf course, and a stunning Adirondack-style clubhouse.
2. The Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards
Offering the perfect blend of lakeside living and incredible mountain views, The Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards has a lot going for it.
For example, it features an award-winning eighteen-hole Tom Fazio golf course, 200 miles of scenic horseback riding trails, a stately clubhouse, and much more.
3. The Cliffs at Keowee Springs
This community is perfect for families who want to enjoy all the Keowee Springs Beach Club offers.
Home to the immensely popular Beach Club, another Tom Fazio golf course specifically designed for the entire family, and endless opportunities for fun on the lake, this is an ideal location for the family that appreciates both luxury and outdoor adventure.
4. The Reserve at Lake Keowee
The Reserve at Lake Keowee is a nearly 4,000-acre private waterfront community that offers breathtaking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and more than 30 miles of shoreline on beautiful Lake Keowee.
Ideal for lovers of boating, golfing, swimming, water skiing, hiking, and exploring, the setting of The Reserve is truly hard to beat.
5. The Cliffs at Walnut Cove
A little over an hour by car from Lake Keowee and only twenty minutes from downtown Asheville, North Carolina, The Cliffs at Walnut Cove is a gorgeous community nestled in a lush valley formerly part of the historic Biltmore Estate property.
Home to endless outdoor recreation activities, the Walnut Cove community borders both the famed Blue Ridge Parkway and the Pisgah National Forest. It’s Jack Nicklaus golf course features comfortable terrain and a must-see English Tudor clubhouse and wellness amenities.
6. The Cliffs at Glassy
Located an hour from both Lake Keowee and Asheville, North Carolina, The Cliffs at Glassy is the original Cliffs community.
This community is truly remarkable, with an impressive Wellness Center, a grand Clubhouse, a scenic mountaintop golf course, and the ability to appreciate 85-mile views on clear days.
7. The Cliffs at Mountain Park
Only 45 minutes from Lake Keowee and Asheville, North Carolina, The Cliffs at Mountain Park are surrounded by 2,000 acres that offer endless fishing, mountain biking, and hiking opportunities.
With a gorgeous, walkable Gary Player Signature golf course and a state-of-the-art Wellness Center, this community allows you to live a lifestyle focused on relaxation and the adventurous mountain spirit.
8. The Cliffs Valley
Less than an hour to Lake Keowee and Asheville, The Cliffs Valley is nestled right in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Near Hendersonville, Flat Rock, and Greenville, South Carolina, living in the Cliffs Valley allows you to enjoy the best of both North and South Carolina outside the community gates. With cycling, hiking, and tennis programs as well as a grand Clubhouse and scenic golf course, there is always something to do at The Cliffs Valley.
The lifestyle offered by these eight communities is truly hard to beat, allowing you and your family to access the rejuvenation of nature and wellness centers, the exhilaration of outdoor adventures, the culture of nearby towns and cities, and the satisfaction of living in a luxury home that perfectly suits your needs, all in one place. Can you already picture yourself lounging in your resort-style lake or mountain house? Does it get any better than that?
How to Start the Right Way
Before you start making phone calls to realtors, architects, or builders, it’s essential you establish a design and build team that can help you create an on-budget strategy. In fact, this must happen before you even tour property. This is the only way to ensure you won’t encounter costly surprises along the way.
Here at Dream Home Studio, it’s truly our passion to help people achieve luxury homes that avoid the costly pitfalls built into the custom home industry. Whether you are certain you are going to build a custom home or you are simply exploring the option, let’s connect with a quick call to discuss the right way to engage this wonderful process.
Don’t worry, there isn’t any hidden agenda, and there’s absolutely no commitment required. It is our purpose to help people learn as much as possible about the steps luxury homes consists of and assist them in navigating the process.
Does that sound good to you? If so, feel free to set up a 30-minute exploration call to chat about the possibility of turning the home of your dreams into a reality. I promise that you’ll learn something new.
