Oliver Construction Company Profile

ver time, as builders gain experience and the needs and priorities of homeowners and society change, the craft of home building evolves. Today, with an emphasis on green construction, i.e. building homes that are energy efficient and leave an overall smaller footprint on the Earth, more and more new home construction and remodeling projects are being approached with this in mind.

Leading The Pack In Green Building
Cory Oliver, owner of Oliver Construction in Santa Rosa is leading the pack in the area of green building. Growing up in Rohnert Park, California, he worked with his dad on handyman projects, learning the fundamentals of construction. During college he took a job with a contractor doing high-end kitchen and bath remodels, working there for four years and honing his skills.

At one point he quit and went back to school to study criminal law with an eye toward becoming a police officer but, "I realized I didn't want to work Christmas and other holidays for the next 30 years."

He went back into the construction trade with another contractor, working on high-end homes in the Bodega Bay area. There, he learned electrical contracting among other skills. In June of 2004 he earned his own general contractor's license and started a new chapter in his life with his business, Oliver Construction.

Quality Over Profit
Cory Oliver saw his business as an opportunity not only to work for himself, but to put his philosophy and vision for his company to the test. "There are lots of contractors who care about money a lot more than they care about the finished product," he said. "I don't work like that. On my jobs I do a lot of the detail work myself and make sure it's right. I always knew I could bring quality work at a fair price to my customers."

Quality work at a fair price. That's simple enough. It's exactly what you would want when hiring a contractor. But while many claim to offer just that, Cory Oliver delivers. "I love seeing the finished product and the happy look on my client's face when I'm done," he said. "I think clients are happy with me because I can do much of the work myself, plumbing, tile, electrical and sheetrock. I seldom subcontract, and when I do, I'm right there on the job with the workers. My clients don't have to worry about who's in their house. I pay personal attention to every aspect of the project."

Expertise And Certification In Leading-Edge Green Building Techniques
For a long time Oliver Construction specialized in kitchen and bath remodeling, and that is still a large part of the business. Over time, however, Cory has shifted his focus to green building. Having undergone special training to become certified as a Build-It-Green contractor, Cory Oliver is an expert in Structurally-Integrated Panel (SIP) construction. The SIP system consists of special panels with a core of rigid foam insulation sandwiched between two structural skins of wood. Building with SIPs costs about the same as traditional wood framing, and saves money over time through reduced energy and maintenance costs. Also, since it's a simpler form of construction, building with SIPs takes less time.

Several Sonoma County cities have implemented the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program (LEED). This programs assigns points for green building and in some communities, you must attain a certain amount of points or you may not go forward with your construction project. Cory Oliver can help you plan your project with this in mind, ensuring your plan incorporates enough green features to earn the points necessary.

Highest Possible Craftsmanship, Best Customer Service
Cory Oliver continues to grow Oliver Construction over time, focusing on green building and energy efficiency in all his construction projects. Cory is in the construction business for the long term and the care and treatment he brings his clients reflects that. From helping incorporate energy-saving features into existing plans, to crafting homes from the ground up utilizing every green feature available, one goal stands apart: To bring his customers the highest quality craftsmanship and best customer service possible.



---Jim Brumm
Staff Writer
The Prime Buyer's Report