PEA Builders

PEA Builders were wonderful to work with and we highly recommend them! We had some challenging constraints to work with: Madison’s building code concerning the placement of the garage that affected the overall width and depth of the house, a lot with a steep slope towards the back, HOA restrictions requiring us to build a one story house with a minimum square footage that was a little bigger than we had wanted, and our own needs to build a home that would work for us for aging in place while reducing new construction offgassing and the potential for mold issues to develop down the road. We also wanted a large front porch so we could sit outside and enjoy the lovely sunsets, a large kitchen and lots of natural lighting. Steve rose to the occasion on all of these constraints, and with help from Lauren, designed a house we absolutely love, showing great skill and creativity and also patience as we worked our way through the process. He is also committed to building with energy efficiency in mind. The roof line includes a south-facing portion with proper slope for efficient solar energy production, and we’ve been thrilled by how much electricity our solar panels have been able to generate, even in winter. The house also includes a heat pump water heater and an outdoor heat pump unit that has low-temperature capability. A back up electric furnace for the few weeks out of the winter when the heat pump isn’t enough have allowed us to skip having a natural gas hook up all together. Mary, Lauren, and others skillfully guided us through the endless decisions needed to select exterior siding colors and interior paint colors, tile, appliances, lighting, bathroom fixtures, doors, flooring, etc., while being mindful of our budget constraints. Steve’s fleet of subcontractors were top notch and pleasant to be around. Chad, PEA’s construction manager, was outstanding at overseeing the build and a joy to work with. The finish carpentry was exceptionally well done by Kristin, who, like Chad, really paid attention to details. Jessie was great at staying on top of orders and deliveries, working closely with Chad to make sure there were as few delays as possible given the complexity of working around weather delays, contractors’ schedules, and distributors’ inventory. And Mary and Steve were always available for questions and concerns. As with any new construction, there will always be minor issues that need follow up. We appreciate PEA’s generous one year warranty and prompt follow up for the few things that have needed attention. By working with PEA, you will get a quality build and a really great team to work with. Thanks PEA!

There are contractors who stack houses in quantity then there are those that build a home of your dreams. We absolutely love our home and could not have had better people make it a reality for us. Our goal was to have an innovative, sustainable home that complemented our property. Steve and Mary listened, offered many suggestions, returned calls promptly, addressed the challenges that we may face going in and made a first time custom home for us that we constantly receive complements. The quality of design and vision by Steve is amazing. The use of his progressive ideas using passive solar, insulation, air flow and beauty for your terroir is a work of art. Mary and her team walked us through the many options that fit our budget to create an aesthetically pleasing living environment. They were up front on scheduling the stages during the process as construction was happening. The craftmanship of their team and contractors were top notch and immediately addressed what little issues one faces when building a custom home. This was our first time building a custom home and will leave a sustainable design for the future in our neighborhood for many years to come. If you are fortunate enough to have them work with you PEA Builders will exceed all of your expectations.

I couldn’t be more thrilled with my new custom home built by PEA Builders! From the very first meeting to the final walkthrough, the entire experience was outstanding. Steve, Mary and the rest of the team took the time to truly understand my vision, needs, and lifestyle, and then brought it all together with incredible craftsmanship and attention to detail. Every part of the design and build process felt personalized, collaborative, and thoughtful. The team was professional, responsive, and genuinely passionate about creating a home that was perfect for me. They made what could have been an overwhelming process feel smooth and exciting. My new home is not only beautiful, but it’s also energy-efficient, functional, and built to the highest standards. You can feel the quality in every room. PEA Builders turned my dream into reality, and I am so grateful for their expertise and care. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to build a truly special custom home!

Steve, Mary, and the entire team were fantastic! We met up for our intro meeting several years before we were ready to build, and they walked us through the entire process. We never looked back! Once we were ready to kick off that process, everything was as smooth as it could have been, given it was the middle of COVID. We are not interior design experts, but the team made sure the process of choosing things like tiles, paint colors, and floor finishes never felt overwhelming. Definitely will be using them again for future projects!

Steve and Mary did an amazing job with my condo remodel. The process went very smoothly due to their knowledge and professionalism. Communication was excellent as they were very responsive to all questions and concerns. I am extremely satisfied with the high quality work from their team members Erica, Kristin and Jessy.

Mary and Steve believe you should have the home meet our needs . Trust them to steer you clear of making disastrous decisions. They helped us figure out our style and a beautiful functional kitchen remodel all came together that we are dining to use! Quality work. Ongoing dialogue to discuss progress, changes, sliding timeline, satisfaction. etc. They ROCK

Steve and Mary did an excellent job with our remodel/addition. We had a lot of restrictions and they were able to work around all of them. Their main team members Shaun and Kristin were amazing to work with and were great to have on-site. Our whole family is very pleased with our new home. It's more than anything we could have imagined.

Steve is an expert in truly energy efficient construction. Mary brings an extra measure of design experience to the table. Both are hard working, conscientious, patient and persistent. They are personable, easy to get along with and they listen. They heard us when we said we wanted a house to retire and "mature" in. It's perfect for us. Their understanding of our long-term goals produced a beautiful, functional, highly satisfying house all while being conscious of our financial limitations. They formed a professional bond and relationship that is enduring. We are highly thankful to have connected with them.

PEA Builders. I have known Steve (and Mary) since college, attending the UW-Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning. In those days, our primary mode of collaboration was through music: writing and performing in an original alternative group. After graduation, while I continued along the path of architecture, Steve was drawn toward the more hands-on avenue of design/build. Fast-forward: in recent years, with the continued and increasing success of his custom home-building firm, PEA Builders, we have found ourselves collaborating once again: this time in the world of custom home design/build. I greatly admire Steve and Mary's passion for producing highly energy-efficient homes. To my knowledge, there is no other home builder in our region that does what PEA Builders does. Others may dabble here and there with limited aspects of so-called "green" or sustainable techniques (too many to list here), but as far as I know, PEA is the only builder that endeavors to bring it all together. It is a pleasure to continue to collaborate with Steve and Mary on projects of varying scales, complexities and budgets. - Chris Manske Architect/Owner CHRYSALIS: Home Studio, LLC

They are building our new house as I write this note. Have met with us on our ideas for this retirement home on family property (over 75 years now). They are attuned to our needs & desires as to the building site & personal wants. Honest folks & deeply concerned about their customer & our environment. Would highly recommend them to anyone planning on building their life's dream home as we are doing!

PEA Builders did a complete remodel of our rec room and kitchen. This contractor is excellent, reliable and hardworking. Steve Homa listened to our ideas and offered cost effectove solutions to design challenges. He is personable, and honest. His contractors are skilled and efficient. His designs were impressive. We will hire PEA again if we undertake a new project.

I hired Steve and Mary Homa of PEA Builders to help me design and build my passive solar home. Their thorough understanding of solar design and the home building process put me at ease immeadiately. They answered all of my millions of questions through out every step of the process and I never felt left out. The project finished on schedule dispite setbacks due to weather and I couldn't be happier. I look forward to working with them again and would easily recommend them to anyone building a new home.