Custom Builders

Seinsheimer Jr. has been turning clients into friends. The chairman of Dolphin Architects and Builders, Seinsheimer has built his company on a single guiding principle – customer satisfaction.

“Our total focus is on pleasing our clients,” states Seinsheimer. “We know that if the client is happy, we make a profit.”

Over the years Dolphin has built over 200 custom homes in a number of the Lowcountry’s most prestigious neighborhoods, including Sullivan’s Island, Isle of Palms, Kiawah, Seabrook, Wadmalaw, James Island and I’On. Most recently, Dolphin has begun construction in Hamlin Plantation and Sewee Preserve, both located in Mount Pleasant.

“Because we are a design/build firm, we accomplish a number of things for our clients,” continues Seinsheimer. “First, we save them time. Second we save them money. Thirdly, we save them a lot of acrimony.”

Seinsheimer explains that the design/build concept allows for a seamless, less complex transaction. “There’s no loss of motion between the architect and the builder,” he says. “Because the builder and the architect work together on a daily basis, it reduces the amount of drawings involved. Therefore, we can actually do our architecture for about 50 cents on the dollar because it’s not a profit center for us. We know our clients would rather put their money into their house rather than drawings.”

Dolphin has developed a three step process to turn an idea for a home into reality. “We not only give the client an outline of the process when they first sit down with us, but we have a procedures manual that we’ve developed so that we don’t deviated from the process. So we always deliver the same high quality product,” says Seinsheimer.

Step one is to develop the client’s concept into a set of preliminary plans. This includes full-size scale drawings of the floor plan and all four sides of the house. The architects also site the house on the lot and provide a written outline of the speci- fications. “Throughout this step, the architect and the builder are at the table with the client, working together to keep the house on budget,” notes Seinsheimer. “That way, the client doesn’t end up with a plan for a house they can’t afford.”

At the end of step one, Dolphin gives the client a price, plus or minus 10 percent. If the client decides to proceed with the project, Dolphin moves on to step two, which is the development of the working drawings and a firm price.

Step three is building the house. “At Dolphin, our clients get a number of things,” states Seinsheimer. “First of all, they get a guaranteed price. Then they get a guaranteed completion date. And thirdly, they get a five year warranty. I’m not aware of any other builders who do that. But if you’re spending the kind of money these people are spending, I think they’re entitled to know that it’s done right and that the builder is prepared to stand behind it,”

In addition to building custom new homes, Dolphin Architects and Builders also operates a major renovation division, with projects all over the Lowcountry, including downtown.

Dolphin shows its commitment to the Charleston area by donating five percent of it’s net bottom line to both human needs and arts needs causes in the community. “We are very committed to giving back to the community that has been so good to us,” Seinsheimer says.

Dolphin has two offices serving the Lowcountry, one on John’s Island and the other located in Mount Pleasant. For more information, please call (843) 768-2404 or visit them on the web at www.dolphinbuilders.com.

The road to building high-end residential homes does not typically begin in a doctor’s office, unless you are Dan Buffington. Ironically, that was precisely the route Buffington took on his way to a construction career in South Carolina. For the first twenty years of his professional life, Buffington followed his family tradition and practiced medicine. As he explained, “medicine is simply what my family does; my dad first, then I followed and finally, my two brothers, who are still in practice today.”

While practicing medicine, Buffington’s construction apprenticeship began in California when a large custom home developer offered him a partnership as they developed a 180-acre tract with significant environmental challenges within Buffington’s own neighborhood. This project spanned eight years and eventually supported 135 custom homes. In an unrelated turn of events, the Buffington’s decided the environment in southern California was not an atmosphere where they wanted to raise their soon-to-be teenage children, so they uprooted the family to Charleston, SC for a better quality of life.

Buffington had initially intended to open a medical practice in South Carolina until his wife convinced him otherwise. She persuaded him to finally fulfill his life long dream. Hence, in 1996 Buffington Homes got its start in South Carolina. Buffington’s eight-year apprenticeship in southern California proved invaluable. As an unknown player in an established market, Buffington knew he had to be better than the competition. The quality of his homes would speak loudly, however, a systematic process and tight quality control would insure consistent delivery. Great estimating and financial management with unbeatable customer service would round out the company’s offering. “Today our company is actively creating what we call “live-able works of art and a home building experience that is fun and as stress free as possible,” says Buffington.

As is other businesses, technology continues to become more and more of a priority for a home building company. Building a luxury home involves large expenditures of money, and the manner in which a builder controls the financial aspects of a project can often mark the success or failure of that builder without regard to the quality of his homes. Buffington has invested heavily in state-of-the-art computers and software to assist in the estimating and accounting process. With the start of each new project, a comprehensive financial plan for each client is designed along with a complete project schedule. These tools allow the company to track all costs against the estimated budget and keep homeowners informed every step of the way.

Each project manager is equipped with a laptop computer and actively uses it to relay information to and from the job sites in a controlled and timely manner. As opposed to most home builders in this market space, Buffington allows their project managers a maximum of two jobs at a time; if working on a large job, they are limited to one. This enables the project manager to be on site while serving as the key point person with the architect and client as well as the various suppliers and craftsmen.

Buffington Homes’ culture is to approach each project as if building for oneself without constraints, “when in doubt, do it the right way.” That mode of thinking is stressed for each artisan, making every project a labor of love. It is the creativity and skill of the many Buffington Homes’ craftsmen that have earned numerous awards as they transform client dreams into some of the finest homes in South Carolina. In a short span of time, the company has become one of the most respected and decorated builders of luxury homes in the Southeast. In 2003, Buffington Homes was awarded a Best In American Living Award (BALA) by Professional Builder Magazine and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). BALA awards in two separate categories followed in 2004. This prestigious national competition pays tribute to those individuals who create homes that illustrate design quality and success in the marketplace. Buffington Homes has also received regional PRISM Awards for the Best Resort/Island Home for each consecutive year from 1998-2003.

Looking toward the future, Buffington sees nothing but sunny skies – and homes to build. Buffington said he feels blessed to work with a great team. Although he is working longer hours than when he was practicing medicine, he says he would not have it any other way. “I get to build high-quality homes for wonderful, appreciative, people. It is the best job in the world.”

For more information, please call (843) 881 1481 or email The Publisher at publisher@mediaservices1.com.