Rooted in Maine’s long history of craft, we apply traditional principles of quality and detail to modern high performance buildings. We build custom homes and renovations with care that are super energy efficient and are made with environmentally conscious products and processes. We guide you through our collaborative process with designers and trusted subcontractors to ensure your beautiful home is healthy, sustainable, and will last for generations.
Our Mission
We focus our mission on two areas:
Our Work
Build high-quality, environmentally conscious, and super energy efficient homes and buildings with the best materials and processes that will stand the test of time.
Our Business
Be a company that lives its values by treating its clients, employees, and community with fairness and respect. We are a triple bottom line company.
Learn more about our Building Philosophy
Our Team
Reggie Lebel: President and Foreman
Started Emerald: 2006
Years in carpentry: 17
Favorite tool: Occidental leather tool belt, 14 years and still going strong!
Boots: Labonville, Keen, or Thermarest flip flops
Music: James Taylor, Pearl Jam, The Cult…depends on how much decaf he’s had.
“I love exploring craft in the built environment with wood and creating interesting spaces”
Reggie got his start as a kid helping his dad on drywall jobs, and knew from a young age he wanted to be a carpenter. He started Emerald because he wanted to create a company that filled his soul’s need to practice craft, environmental stewardship, and provide upstanding quality in all aspects of building. He loves mixing old world craft and natural and local building materials with modern building science to create spaces that feel warm and inviting and connect the occupant with nature, while using as little energy as possible. And he just loves working with wood.
When he’s not pounding nails Reggie likes his quiet time at home with his wife Rachel and their two adorable daughters. He also loves chasing after the perfect ribbon of single track on a bike, deep powder in the trees on a snowboard, perfect timber, and the ultimate session IPA.
Rachel Murphy: Operations Manager
Joined Emerald: There from the beginning
Favorite tool: Sarcasm
Boots: Bean
Music: I have small children, so, silence. Sweet, sweet, silence.
“I love the company commitment to our mission, crew, and customers. We have a great group of people who are enthusiastic and engaged.”
Rachel grew up running around her father’s millwork shop and among other things studied sustainable living, building science, and the building industry at Hampshire College. Her final project at Hampshire was designing and building an octagonal tiny house!
She’s been Reggie’s much better half since before he started Emerald Builders and has been running the books and keeping our nose clean ever since.
When she’s not keeping Emerald Builders on the straight and narrow Rachel also runs her own business in the form of a coworking space in Bowdoinham called The Alcove.
Of course Rachel loves her two daughters and husband, Reggie, and whenever she can pull herself away you can find her cross-country skiing, making and eating delicious food, consuming brown liquors, and above all: sleeping (although sleep is but a shadow of a memory at this point, did we mention she has two little children?).
Memberships
Emerald Builders is proud to be members of Passivhaus Maine, One Percent For the Planet and the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association.