If you elect to purchase a home from this builder I recommend that you hire an independent home inspection service to do a thorough pre buy inspection. Inspect everything. I purchased a home from Elder a few years ago and have recently sold it. I won't share details but there were problems with almost every aspect of the build resulting from shoddy workmanship...things that should have been inspected and corrected along the way. They were not and I did not discover many of these long after moving in. To Elder's credit, they were always responsive to requests to fix issues shortly after moving in and the floor plans and finishes are good. That said, I wouldn't buy an Elder built home again, ever. read more

Chris finished our home in December 2014. The house was already under construction when we found it. He and Wendy made negotiations very easy and fair. We were under contract in less than two hours. Chris and his investors had the details and furnishings planned, but he allowed us to change everything we we wanted. We made several changes throughout the process, and Chris always made us happy. There were a lot of delays with the build, which most were out of Chris's control. It is tough to build in Lakeway, especially as a custom builder. For example, some punks broke into the house and spray painted profanity on the walls and the white granite (Chris promptly repainted the walls and replaced the granite). The finished product exceeded our expectations. We fell in love with the house right away. There have been minor issues come up after the build, but Chris has always been accessible and willing to repair whatever has come up. He truly cares about making the customer happy. 2 1/2 years later, Chris still answer my emails and texts regardless of what silly question I may be asking. I have NEVER felt ignored by him or any of his staff. I would definitely recommend a Chris Elder home to my friends and family. read more

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If I could give zero stars I would. As a resident in a neighborhood he's currently building in (Deer Creek Ranch) and have seen multiple instances of inconsiderate construction practices. Trash blowing around the neighborhood and water draining into neighbors' yards. This builder does not show much integrity in his construction. Would never suggest him to a new home buyer. read more

Chris Elder Homes - General Contractors Near Me - Austin, Texas

Bait and switch!!!! This builder cuts every corner known to man and should be ashamed of the work he has put out. He has purchased many lots in the deer creek ranch area and all have major problems. His crew is limited in manpower, experience and after visiting the site several times, most seem to be undocumented day labor. If you have an opportunity to walk through a home, they will look nice on the surface level but look closely and you will find many flaws. It's all about speed for this builder, not craftsmanship. It's what you can not see that will become a big issue for you as a home buyer. We purchased a home from this builder and the staff was extremely nice in the beginning, but once we signed and progress began, the communication ended. They would not answer our questions, they would not provide us updates and they would lie about what was done after we actually visited the site several times. After the home was built, our concerns of corner cutting were in fact confirmed. A year later we ended up having to replace all tile in the home because they laid it up against drywall instead of hardiboard. Drywall expanded with all the moisture in the bathrooms and eventually expanded leaving us with a complete replacement in the whole home. Since we are just past a year, our home warranty will not cover this repair. The builders have completely denied wrongdoing regardless of seeing the pictures that clearly shows their horrible mistake and they have now accused us of harassing them. So, a lawsuit is on they way. If you want quality, honesty and a home with no regret, chose another builder. read more

We couldn't be more thrilled with our new home! Chris and his team are fabulous! Extremely friendly and personable. It's nice to actually meet the person who built and designed your home! read more

Where to start? I don't want to give this guy any stars , HE owes them to me. Well , this guy really knows how to cut corners. No integrity. We bought our house from him in 11/2011. There was a storm in 2014 that literally tore off the chimney and numerous siding boards. The company hired for repairs said that the base of chimney where it meets the roof was literally held by four nails on each side. (They showed me ) We were told that the siding was not properly installed either- they were already loose. I sent Chris a text message along with pictures and he replied with "there's nothing I can do about that , you have to go through your insurance " I knew he wouldn't do anything, but I was considerate enough , of other people, and wanted to bring up the chimney issue. I did go through my insurance, and they sent Gerloff Co (great company) to fix Chris Elder's shoddy work. I'm not done. ...I also had to replace the slate tile on the balcony because it rusted badly, oh and the side pieces fell to the ground. One nearly missed hitting my then 3yo ok the head (very hazardous, if you ask me ). I had to replace both of the porch posts. They rotted at the bottom. I didn't want that collapsing on me. I also had to replace one of the balcony posts. It was ALSO rotted at the bottom. What else ? Oh yeah, the garage lintel is sagging a bit. I can only infer that was shoddy craftsmanship as well. Let me remind you, this house is not even 7 years old! That is it , for now. -Luis read more

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Chris Elder earns one star for texting an apology for the "overly forward requests" he made a few weeks ago. He prematurely built a fence between my property and his, only to learn before closing the house that we had a greenhouse encroaching on his property. We inherited the greenhouse when we bought the house five years ago and it was partially built on his property line. The greenhouse had little value to us and we didn't mind its removal, however, in one day Chris began blowing up our phones, including my work phone, both our email, and both of our Facebook accounts. While running errands, and on vacation, my wife informed me that he wanted to meet, and to inform us that we only had two weeks to have the encroachment removed. We met the next morning and discussed the situation. Chris wanted to make a deal to have him and his team remove the structure, which he claimed would be a fair price, or he would have his Bobcat cut across my property and remove the structure. I simply replied, "That's not going to happen" but I was willing to here his offer. The following morning Chris texted that he had his guys evaluate the greenhouse, though I did not see anyone come at any point in the morning. He offered a price to us that my wife and I considered too high but he claimed,"You won't find a deal like this. And I doubt you'll find someone to do it within the timeframe." A timeframe he urgently set, and part of the payment included "labor to open up the fence (he prematurely built)...put panels back up...teardown haul off and dispose of building...bring in one load of dirt via truck and bobcat work." Shortly after he texted "The situation will be fully handled by January 19th. As mentioned this is two weeks from yesterday." We ended up renting a dumpster and took the greenhouse down for half the price Chris offered. His overly aggressive approach to the situation, and the attempt to have us pay for his mistake was unprofessional. After he learned of the removal of the greenhouse he texted again and we simply ignored the text. Quite frankly, I'm pleased I saved some money, and relieved to know that this guy is out of my life. read more

I have nothing but positive things to say about Chris Elder homes. Working as one of their subcontractors they are always professional and excellent in their dealings. I would imagine the experience of a home buyer is a great one! read more

I purchased a home that was a complete remodel by CHris Elder. The home was just being finished when I found it. With any new home there is a punch list of items that need to be addressed. Chris has been fantastic about taking every issue to my satisfaction. He has responded promptly and courteously. He also has a wonderful customer service rep, Susan, that is beyond helpful. In my home she is now known as the fairy godmother that makes it all happen.....including finding restaurants, dentists, exterminators....etc! I have taken on a few additional projects on the house and Chris has shared his wealth of competent "subs" with me. Each of them has been complimentary of Chris and how he treats them and his clients. I would recommend Chris without hesitation and feel very lucky that I fell in love with one of his homes which led me to a builder with integrity. Thanks for being one of the good guys, Chris. read more

Chris Elder built my house in 2013. He was always easy to work with, made adjustments to the original floor plan, allowed me to select fixtures to suit my own style from various suppliers, and added several upgrades to make my home seem more like a custom home. The actual move in date was a bit later than planned. During the first year after closing, he made sure the few small issues that arose were corrected. I am very happy with my home. read more