Most 13-year-old boys have plenty of distractions to keep them occupied other than thinking about their future careers. While Sam King readily admits that he was not above some of those trappings, at the same time he also displayed a dogged work ethic and a passion for construction, even at a young age.

In fact, by his early teens he was already employed by a shop near his Pennsylvania home as a cupola builder. At 16, he joined a general contracting firm led by local builder Norman Graham and took his skills up another notch. Before long, he knew he had found the field that was right for him.

"My dad was a carpenter and he worked for Graham's, and I just had a big interest in it from when I was young," King says. "I'm thankful for the upbringing that I had, for sure."

King mentored under Graham for 11 years before deciding to branch out on his own. In 1999, he founded Beechdale Builders, a company that today specializes in constructing brand-new custom homes, creating additions for existing houses and renovating kitchens, bathrooms and basements.

His goal from the beginning was to utilize the knowledge and skills he had accumulated in his previous stops, while giving customers the stress-free experience they deserve when making a substantial investment and undergoing a major project in their homes.

"We try to be straightforward and honest with everybody," King says. "We go the extra mile to help them achieve their look and give them what they want."

That is especially true when it comes to custom homes, which are like a blank canvas for King and his team, including his designer/architect. Beechdale Builders works in a wide variety of styles and can usually complete a new house within six to eight months, or a little longer for larger homes. King understands the anxiety that customers are feeling during the process, but he is in constant communication and keeps them up to date on the progress.

"If they have the land, we can help them get the house that they want," he says. "We will help make their dream come true, whatever they're interested in. I recently estimated a project for $200,000, which is a small rancher, but we're also working on a $1.5 million house right now as well. I try not to count anyone out."

When it comes to additions, Beechdale Builders time and again rises to the challenge of providing a space that is functional, aesthetically pleasing and looks like a natural extension of the home.

"When you have someone who loves their location and doesn't want to move, they'd rather spend some money and make the house more like they want it instead of going out and buying a new home," King says. "We have all of the resources they need to do the planning and get started. They might just be looking for more living space, or a new master bedroom and suite area is also quite popular at the moment."

Remodels make up a large portion of Beechdale's business, with kitchens and bathrooms being the primary rooms in need of a makeover. In kitchens, it's common to remove a wall and open up the space, and Beechdale's designers and crews can handle everything from cabinetry and countertops to flooring and appliances.

"You can really upgrade a house with a kitchen renovation," King says. "Even though you're going to spend $80,000 to $120,000, it also adds to the value of the house."

With Beechdale offering all of those services and having a well-earned reputation for finishing projects on time and on budget, it's no surprise that the company is busy throughout the year. King is happy to have crews he can depend on—several employees have been with him for more than 20 years—including project manager Matt Graham, who oversees each job with a fine attention to detail. The grandson of Norman Graham, he already had a strong relationship with King and has been a welcome addition to the team since joining in 2020.

With that support behind him and grateful customers who appreciate his work, it's no wonder that King is proud of what he has built at Beechdale and the career he first embraced back in his teenage years.

"I love it now more than I ever did," he says. "It really helped bringing Matt on, because that has allowed me to focus on growing the business. Before, it would wear me out trying to line up new jobs while keeping the ones we already had running smoothly. Now, I can focus on the new jobs and Matt oversees the ongoing projects. That makes it enjoyable."

Beechdale Builders
507 A Beechdale Road | Bird In Hand, Pa.
(717) 278-3683
BeechdaleBuildersLLC.com

Published (and copyrighted) in House & Home, Volume 23, Issue 11 (September 2023).
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