Gonyea Custom Homes is a custom home builder founded in 1987, serving the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area from its Golden Valley office. The firm uses a fully integrated design-build approach in which the architect, designer, and builder are aligned from day one, following a process its site says has been refined over 30+ years, and it offers build-on-your-lot options alongside its available homes.
Orono Home Builders
17 vetted builders serving Orono (Hennepin County) · Luxury, Ultra-luxury, Mid-range price tiers · how we vet & rank
Building in Orono
Orono is estate country. Wrapping the north shore of Lake Minnetonka — including the waters around Big Island — the city has deliberately preserved a low-density, rural-estate character: large minimum lot sizes, protected shoreland, and some of the highest per-acre land values in Minnesota. Its public jewels reflect the same preservation ethic — Noerenberg Gardens on the north shore, the Wood-Rill Scientific and Natural Area's quiet forest trails, and Baker Park Reserve minutes away.
Construction here is low-volume and very high-value: lakefront estates with private docks, acreage customs, and comprehensive rebuilds of legacy properties. Orono's zoning and shoreland regulations are among the metro's most exacting — lot-area requirements, hardcover limits, and septic/well considerations on unsewered parcels all demand a builder who has navigated them before.
Projects in Orono are typically multi-year relationships involving architects, landscape designers, and builders working as one team. The short list of builders who operate at this tier is genuinely short — which makes the matching decision the single most important one a landowner here will make.
Neighborhoods & communities to know: Lake Minnetonka north shore · Big Island area
Top Orono Home Builders
Gordon James is a custom home builder founded by John Quinlivan and based in Maple Plain, with a second location in Pequot Lakes. Since 2005 the firm has helped Minnesotans design, remodel, and construct custom homes, and its site notes Quinlivan served as Housing First Minnesota's 2023 board chair.
Mark D. Williams Custom Homes is a third-generation high-end residential builder in the Twin Cities, handling both ground-up custom builds and whole-home remodeling from its Excelsior office. Founder Mark D. Williams has 20+ years of home-building experience, and the company builds wellness into its work as a certified Green Path builder, using organic materials and technologies aimed at air quality, water, and lighting. Its site notes the company was named Minnesota Builder of the Year in 2021.
Stonewood is a Wayzata-based custom home builder whose site traces four generations of handcrafted homes, with the family building since 1947 and the company focused on building and remodeling homes in the west metro suburbs - Edina, Lake Minnetonka, Wayzata, and the city lakes area. Clients choose their own architect, with Sven Gustafson participating in the interviews and design meetings, and projects are priced on a cost-plus-fee basis fully disclosed to clients. The company launched its home renovation arm, Revision, in 2013.
Denali Custom Homes builds one-of-a-kind custom homes throughout the Twin Cities from its Wayzata office near Lake Minnetonka, led by husband-and-wife team David and Jodie Bieker. The firm provides professional guidance throughout the entire building process and takes on projects of all sizes, from a 2,200 sq ft cottage to a 12,000 sq ft estate home. For clients interested in green construction, it works through the LEED for Homes certification process.
Hartman Homes is a custom home builder established in 1985 by Michael Hartman and now based in Hudson, Wisconsin, building in the Twin Cities metro area, western Wisconsin, and Big Sky, Montana. Its work ranges from single-family mid-level homes up to luxury homes and waterfront teardown properties. The company describes itself as a smaller builder that works one-on-one with clients, offering complimentary interior design services and an in-house showroom for selections.
John Kraemer & Sons has been building luxury homes and remodeling fine residences since 1978, when Gary Kraemer founded the firm with his late father John; with Gary's sons John and Jeff in the business, it is now a third-generation company with offices in Edina and Wayzata. Projects span large estate home construction, empty-nest homes, lake cabins, and major renovations, with the firm employing all of its own job superintendents — each client gets one on-site daily — and managing every project on a 100% open-book basis. Per its site, Gary earned his fifth Builder of the Year award from Housing First MN in 2023.
Pratt Homes has been building and remodeling homes in the Twin Cities since 1973, when brothers Len and Lowell Pratt launched the family business, and holds the very first builder license ever issued in the state of Minnesota (#BC000001). Based in Vadnais Heights, the company builds single-family homes, offers build-on-your-land construction, and develops custom luxury villa communities such as Bayhaven in Bayport and Spring Farm Villas in North Oaks. Its history page notes the company has helped more than 1,000 families build their dream homes.
Boyer Building Corporation is a four-generation family firm — started in 1949 as Joe Boyer Building and renamed Boyer Building Corporation in 1983 — building and remodeling from Minnetonka for over 70 years. The company keeps design and construction under one roof, with full-time carpenters (many with the firm for decades), field supervisors, and project managers on staff. It builds new homes, handles design-build remodels from kitchens and baths to multi-space renovations, and takes on light commercial work from its Minnetonka headquarters.
Dingman Custom Homes is a family-run custom builder based in the western Twin Cities, founded in 1997 by Dale Dingman, whose son Kyle grew up learning the trade at his side. The team serves homeowners throughout the greater Minneapolis western suburbs, working hands-on from lot selection to final walkthrough. Clients can build on their own lot or one the company helps them find, collaborating directly with its draftsman and designer, and model homes are open to tour.
Erotas Custom Building has specialized since 1992 in building architecturally designed residences and completing complex renovations of finely crafted custom homes. The Minnetonka-based firm works as the builder on a collaborative team, prioritizing transparent, reliable, and consistent communication among the client, architect, engineer, and designer throughout all phases of a project. Owner and president Tom Hendrickson has been involved with Erotas since 1995, having experienced the process first as a client, then as a craftsman, and now as a builder.
Hendel Homes is a Minnesota custom home builder and remodeler working on highly detailed residences and renovations, guided by a philosophy of stewardship that Rick and Amy Hendel describe as the foundation of the company. The firm facilitates communication among owners, architects, designers, engineers, and its construction team, and states it has completed more than one hundred highly detailed projects over the last twenty years. Its site lists Builder of the Year, Reggie, and Trillium awards from Housing First Minnesota among its recognition.
Kyle Hunt & Partners is an artisan home builder located in Deephaven near Lake Minnetonka, founded in 1990 by Kyle and Laurie Hunt and specializing in highly crafted, architecturally designed custom homes and renovations. The firm takes a collaborative approach to design, working with architects and interior designers in the field and hand-selecting the core team of craftspeople for each project. It also offers real estate services through Rooted, where Kyle Hunt and Madison Ludowese are licensed real estate agents.
Lecy Bros. Homes & Remodeling is a family company that has built custom homes in Minnesota for nearly four decades, working from its Minnetonka office on new homes, remodeling projects - additions, major renovations, and room remodels - and lake homes. The firm employs over 30 craftsmen and construction professionals and maintains an in-house architectural design team, interior design, and warranty services. Owners Mark Lecy, who coordinates all construction operations, and Roy Lecy, who handles home sales and finance, lead the company, which has been part of BATC since 1983.
Nor-Son Custom Builders is a luxury home builder and whole-house remodeler with its Minnesota headquarters in Baxter and a Twin Cities office in Eden Prairie. The firm helps clients assemble a project team from architects and interior designers across the Midwest, Twin Cities, and lakes area, provides cost projections throughout design, and competitively bids each portion of the work before building begins. Each home undergoes a quality inspection, and the company is led by CEO Andy Anderson and president Matt Holmstrom.
Oak & Arrow Homes is a women-owned and operated firm handling whole-home remodels and custom new builds in the Twin Cities and beyond. Founder Samantha holds a degree in architecture with 18 years of experience, and the team follows a signature 3-step process that works out every design detail before construction starts. The company emphasizes clean construction and intentionally designed, healthy homes — selecting products that minimize off-gassing and taking steps to control dust during the build phase.
Pillar Homes has designed and crafted custom homes throughout the Twin Cities since 1995, working from the western suburbs near Lake Minnetonka and serving homeowners in Wayzata, Orono, Minnetonka, Edina, and Plymouth. The firm specializes in new custom homes, luxury lake homes, renovations, and project and real estate consultation. Owner and president K.C. Chermak served as president of the Builders Association of the Twin Cities in 2008 and of the Builders Association of Minnesota in 2016, and the company's site lists honors including BAM Builder of the Year and the Parade of Homes Reggie Award.
Best Builders in Orono by Type
Narrow the field to the builders doing the kind of work you want in Orono. Each page below is a filtered directory with type-specific cost guidance.
Remodeling in Orono
What It Costs to Build in Orono
See the full breakdown of price per square foot by build type, what drives Minnesota budgets, and city comparisons in our cost to build in Orono guide and the statewide cost to build in Minnesota study.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many home builders serve Orono?
Our directory currently lists 17 vetted builders serving Orono, spanning mid-range, luxury and ultra-luxury price tiers. We're expanding coverage continuously as we verify licensing and service areas. See our methodology on the How We Vet & Rank page.
What does it cost to build a house in Orono?
Construction costs in Orono generally follow metro norms: roughly $230–$300 per square foot for production homes, $250–$400 for semi-custom, and $300–$450+ for custom builds, before land. See our cost-to-build guide for a full breakdown.
Do builders in Orono build on your own lot?
Several do. Gonyea Custom Homes, Gordon James, Mark D. Williams Custom Homes and others take on custom projects in Orono, and build-on-your-lot arrangements are common. Bring your lot details (or the listing) to your first conversation: siting, utilities, and soils drive early feasibility.
Are there remodeling contractors in this directory for Orono?
Yes — 9 design-build remodelers in our directory serve Orono, covering kitchens, bathrooms, basements, additions, and whole-home projects. See the Orono remodeling pages for the filtered lists.
Do I need a licensed builder in Orono?
Yes. Minnesota requires residential building contractors to hold a state license (BC number) issued by the Department of Labor & Industry, and Orono (Hennepin County) also requires local permits and inspections for new construction and major remodels. We display verified license numbers on builder profiles as we confirm them. Always verify a contractor's license status at the DLI website before signing.
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