JBS Construction has been building homes in Sussex County and the surrounding area for more than 25 years. They are superior homes at a great value, featuring top-notch amenities such as solid wood cabinets, granite countertops, upgraded carpet padding and 30-year dimensional shingles.
“Our excellent reputation and long list of satisfied clients attest to our superior craftsmanship, attention to detail, clear communication, honesty and integrity,” said owner Bruce Wardwell. It was with those qualities that he and his wife, Sharon, launched JBS Construction in 1997.
As the new housing market has slowed down, JBS Construction has turned to renovations, additions and kitchen remodels for a larger portion of its business, often being called back by previous customers who want to invest more in their home. Decks and screen porches are in demand for spring.
Bruce Wardwell
“Remodeling has been pretty solid for a year or two,” Wardwell said, although he is still starting two new homes a month. “Now that the election is over, we expect to be building houses again.”
Headquartered in Greenwood, Wardwell has also expanded his territory north to New Castle County and south as far as Princess Anne. “We’re working all over the place now,” he said.
A native of Greenwood, Wardwell ran 15 fast-food chain restaurants for many years before deciding to get into construction. He had learned about construction from his father, helping build the family home as a youngster. He built his own first home when the contractor did not show up. “I had go pick him up on my days off,” he said. “I realized then there was a problem with the construction industry. No one knew how to deal with people, and that’s the number one thing about construction.”
Wardwell continued, “We made sure we surrounded ourselves with good people and went from there.”
Theirs is a family business. Sharon handles the paperwork. Son Bruce, or “LB” for Little Bruce, does grading, site preparation work and grass planting. His girlfriend, Kayla Ward, works in the office. Daughter Jessica Stanley, whose husband is in the military, answers phones remotely.
Long-time partner Shawn McIlroy runs the construction crews. Among the company’s 12 employees are two supervisors, in addition to McIlroy, who personally oversee the work onsite. Jeff Baker runs the remodeling side of the business. Scott Wagman handles sales. JBS Construction also has more than 100 subcontractors who can be trusted to do the job right.
Wardwell’s father taught him this: Of budget, speed and quality, you can have two of the three, but not all three. “We specialize in budget and quality,” Wardwell said.
That said, it is worthy to note that the firm has built 80 houses per year for the last three years with an average build time of six months.
JBS Construction builds a wide range of homes with nice amenities one would expect in more expensive houses. Whether an economical starter home, retirement home or a 5,000-square-foot custom home, each is built to high energy standards to save the customer money for the life of the home.
“We use products with the homeowner in mind. Both for quality and ease of use,” Wardwell said. “We use the best product with budget in mind.” If there’s something special you want, he said, “if you want it, we can get it.”
A lot of people think they can build a home themselves for less -arranging contractors, making all the decisions and taking care of the paperwork, Wardwell said, “but we can do it at a profit and still save them money.” Most people don’t understand all that is required to take care of all the details involved. “It’s like having kids,” he said. “Someone has to steer the boat in the right direction 24 hours a day.”
Sample house plans and a photo gallery are available on the company website, www. jbsbuildsforless.com. Wardwell said his team can build from scratch, from a homeowner’s plans they’ve drawn, from plans by a local designer or from plans off the internet.
“Our goal at JBS Construction is to not only help you design and build your dream home, home remodel or addition, but to make the process easy and enjoyable for you. We are a full-service builder with many years of experience and a whole lot of trying to do everything the right way. We don’t do anything to your house that we would not do to our own. Rest assured we will give you our best!” Wardwell said.
“We can help you with all phases of new home construction or remodeling: finding/procuring suitable land, architecture and design, building your home and landscaping your yard. And, we expect to branch into irrigation work in the spring,” he added.
Many new homebuyers find it difficult to secure construction financing, yet they can get the final mortgage. JBS Construction can fill that gap if you have an approval for your final mortgage. Ask for details if you find the need for this service.
JBS Construction has a showroom at 8961 Greenwood Rd., in Greenwood, where clients can pick out everything. For photos, inspiration and more information, visit www.jbsbuildsforless.com.
Wardwell said, “We are almost always available. So when you are ready to build or remodel your home, give us a call and let us show you how affordable that can be. Call 302-349-5705 to set up an appointment.”