Steven Quickery opened Custom Homes Consulting in Charlotte, NC 15 years ago. He has 23 years of corporate executive experience, though what really gave Steven his can-do construction attitude was his experience working for Tait Towers.  The world leader in the live entertainment event industry, Tait Towers constructs elaborately designed and engineered staging. Steven built stages for The Rolling Stones, The Who, and Pink Floyd to name a few rock & roll icons. On a quieter scale, he and his wife built homes in the Charlotte area before coming to Myrtle Beach.

Jeff Chestnut’s family goes back a half-dozen generations in the Myrtle Beach area. Jeff’s early career was in banking, before making a significant leap with his family into mission work. The family spent 17 years total between Israel, the Horn of Africa (Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya) and South Africa, where Jeff oversaw logistical coordination for the entire continent.  Jeff’s construction experience grew from addressing raw necessities – building shelters and getting water and electricity to them.  

Much of the company’s marine construction has evolved from residential building. As Steven was building custom homes on water, he needed docks and seawalls.  It quickly became apparent that it would be more cost effective to get a marine construction license, which was added to Custom Homes Consulting, Inc. in 2015. Days after receiving the license, Steven turned in two docks for approval, and the next day he got two more docks. Ever since, “It’s been a blessing,” he said.

Other residential contractors depend on Custom Homes Consulting for their marine expertise. When asked what homebuilders can expect from them, Steven replied, “The same that I expect of my subcontractors: professionalism, timeliness, quality workmanship, and all of the appropriate insurance coverage.” Jeff added, “They want a product that’s going to last. We use top-of-the line materials, even the ones that are buried.”

Hardscapes and outdoor living spaces go hand-in-hand with marine construction. Steven said, “Homeowners on fresh water who want seawalls and docks, also want outdoor living space. We install ground retaining walls, pavers, patios – whatever the homeowner wants to create their space.” Jeff added, “We also build kayak docks so homeowners can paddle from the lake straight onto the dock in their backyard.”  Jeff noted, “The trend in outdoor living is to create outdoor entertainment and relaxation areas near the water; that’s something we can supply. We do a lot of fire pits, barbecue pits, and outdoor kitchens.” Steven added, “As a residential builder I have every trade at my disposal.” That means having the ability to add roofing, lighting, electricity, running water – all that’s needed to bring the inside outdoors. Steven said that many times a production homebuilder does not offer an outdoor space upgrade.  Custom Homes Consulting will do the site prep and building required for adding a screen porch that blends seamlessly with the existing roofing and siding.  

Renovation and remodeling work comes to Custom Homes Consulting largely through word-of-mouth, whether post-storm restoration, adding a bonus room, or making other structural alterations. Adding to that, Jeff said they now do sand dune restoration by installing dune fences and walkways over dunes.

Steven and Jeff live and work by straightforward mottos. Jeff operates by the “Service Above Self” credo. He added, “We do a lot of listening. I want to make sure that I hear what clients say, then give them several options.”

Steven said, “I want to build partnerships.  We are actually one of the most competitively priced marine contractors. We offer the best warranty, our workmanship is second to none, and we are there when we say we’re going to be there. If you do what’s right, the business side is going to take care of itself.”