As a Durham home builder, we’ve volunteered with about 15 local organizations over the years. We’ve built with Habitat for Humanity, cooked dinner for families at Ronald McDonald House and The Caring House, and planted trees in a Durham park. And every November since 2021, we’ve filled a van with food for neighbors who need

Our clients knew this Chapel Hill house well. They were already living here when they brought us in and the job they had in mind was a big one. The original brick house would stay. Inside, we’d take it down to the studs. Out back, we’d demolish a section and build a major addition around

Here's a situation that happens more than it should.  A client signs a contract, and only then does the project manager who's going to run the build get introduced. Same for the site supervisor. Neither of them was in the room while the budget was built. Neither of them heard the conversations about why the

From the outside, demolition looks like the easy part. A machine shows up, a wall comes down, and by lunch there's a pile where a building used to be. Anyone can do that, right? Not if you want to do it without hurting someone, damaging the building next door, or getting stopped cold by the

Most people who come to GBC have done their research. They know what they want. What they don't have, and what no amount of research quite prepares you for, is a feel for what the next 18 months are going to be like. Not the finished house. The experience of getting there. Before Anyone Breaks

Choosing a custom home builder is a massive decision, but many homeowners don't realize that the type of contract they sign is just as critical as the builder they hire. The contract dictates your visibility into costs, how your budget is managed, and ultimately, how your interests are protected during the year-long journey. In the

Most people start the custom home builder search the same way: What's this going to cost? It makes sense. It's a big investment. But here's the thing, if you hand the same set of plans to three or four quality builders in the Triangle, and everybody's working from the same set of facts and inputs,

When you decide to build a custom home, the first few months are the most critical. While it is exciting to look at floor plans, the success of your project usually depends on the work that happens before a single shovel hits the dirt. With nearly 300 years of combined experience across our team, we

When you’re choosing a custom home builder in Durham, NC and the greater Triangle region, you’ll hear a lot of focus on craftsmanship, staying on budget, and meeting deadlines.  At Grau Building Co., we care deeply about those things too. But we measure success differently. What matters most to us is the relationship we build