Our Story

Jeff Sowder wanted to be in the building business since he started building ‘forts’ in his driveway when he was six years old. Growing up in a new subdivision, the carpenters building adjacent homes let him scavenge scrap lumber, plywood, and nails which promptly was formed into a small kid’s clubhouse, growing room by room as additional scrap wood was accumulated.

In an attempt to get in shape for high school football and make summer job money at the same time, Jeff worked as a carpenter’s helper for a local builder. The main job was on the foundation crew, where all the house footings were dug by hand. Today, this work is performed with a backhoe. Jeff got more experience than he ever wanted with a pick and shovel.

After graduation from Virginia Tech with a Civil Engineering degree, Jeff worked in commercial construction as a project manager with McDevitt & Street Company in Richmond. During this time the company was one of the ten largest commercial general contractors in the US. He managed the construction of various commercial projects ranging from office towers and hotels to nursing homes and shopping centers. His thorough understanding of the correct way to manage construction projects, trade contractors, contracts, change orders and proper documentation come directly from his experience with this company.

Moving to Snyder Hunt Corporation (now HH Hunt), he was responsible for land development and amenity construction at Wellesley, a planned community in Richmond’s West End. He served as the owner’s representative for the construction of The Dominion Club, the 33,000 sf golf clubhouse for the Wyndham development. Jeff was Snyder Hunt’s development manager for Waverly, a premiere Smith Mountain Lake community. He was responsible for the land planning design, development construction, and lot marketing and sales.

Taking what he learned from two of the top companies in their respective fields and wanting to satisfy his entrepreneurial desires, Jeff started Jeff Sowder Incorporated in 1992 as a part time business. After selling a family asphalt business, the home building business became a full time enterprise in 1997.

Starting small, Jeff Sowder Incorporated has grown through the years in both size and contract value of the homes built. The company has a long list of satisfied customers and the majority of business comes from word of mouth referrals. The company builds in the Roanoke Valley, Smith Mountain Lake, the New River Valley and at The Homestead Preserve.

Jeff Sowder Incorporated is pleased to have been selected to be a preferred builder member of the Builder’s Guild at The Homestead Preserve, a conservation community located in Hot Springs, VA and developed by Celebration Associates.

An advocate of continuing education, Jeff is a member of Builder 20, a business networking group sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Each group is comprised of builders (20 or less) with similar business models who meet twice a year to network and share best practices in all phases of their business.