Alamo Heights & Terrell Hills · San Antonio, Texas
Building in the neighborhood
takes more than knowing
how to build.
Hearthside Homes is currently building custom homes in Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills. Demolish-and-rebuild, from cleared lot to move-in ready, under a fixed-price contract.
Why It's Different Here
In-town custom building isn't a
scaled-down version of anything else.
Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills lots are smaller, more constrained, and surrounded by neighbors who have opinions. Setbacks are tighter. The architecture review board has standards. The demolition sequence has to be managed carefully so you're not the story on the block.
Carter has been navigating Central Texas neighborhoods and HOA processes for nearly four decades. The difference between a builder who can build and a builder who can build here is institutional knowledge — who to call, what to expect, and what to document before anyone asks.
- Demolition coordination. Permitting, utility disconnects, haul-off sequencing — handled before the first machine arrives.
- Setback and ARB fluency. We've built in these neighborhoods. We know what the review board wants to see before you submit.
- Neighbor relations. Carter introduces himself to adjacent property owners before work begins. It's not a policy. It's how he operates.
- Fixed-price contract. Once you sign, that's the number. If something unexpected comes out of the ground, that's on us.
The Neighborhoods
Currently Building
See the work in progress.
These aren't finished product photos. These are active job sites — which means you can see exactly how Hearthside builds, at every stage, before you commit to anything.
Every active build has a running diary — photos, progress updates, and notes from Carter at each stage. Click any project to follow along.
How It Works Here
The demolish-and-rebuild sequence.
This is how it goes from "I own a lot in Alamo Heights" to move-in day — the real sequence, not the glossy version.
The First Draft
Before any contract, Carter draws a preliminary floor plan for your specific lot — sized and shaped for your setbacks, your street, your life. No charge. No obligation. This is how we figure out if we're the right fit for each other.
Permits & Demolition
Demolition permits, utility disconnects, haul-off coordination. Carter handles the sequencing. The goal is to get the lot cleared cleanly and quickly, without disrupting neighbors any more than necessary.
The Pre-Construction Speech
Before a single sub sets foot on the job, Carter sits down with you and goes through every decision in the contract — what it means, what alternatives were considered, what you should know before it's too late to change it. Most clients say it's the most useful hour of the entire process.
Construction & Build Diary
Every milestone is documented in your project's build diary — photos, notes, and progress updates as the work happens. You're never waiting for an update. The update is already there.
Blue Tape & Final Walk-Through
Carter walks every inch of the finished home with you before closing. Anything that isn't right gets marked. Everything that gets marked gets fixed. That's the agreement — and it doesn't vary.
What Clients Say
Not what we hope they say.
What they actually say — specifically.
★★★★★
"The price we signed was the price we paid. We moved through a period where lumber went through the roof. Carter never once raised it as an issue. The number didn't move. That's what he promised."
David & Patricia M. · Custom Home · Bulverde, Texas
★★★★★
"We found Carter during an unscheduled walk-through vacuuming every wall cavity before drywall went up. He wasn't doing it because we were there. He was doing it because that's how he builds."
Jennifer W. · Custom Home · Canyon Lake, Texas
★★★★★
"One word: Carter. He knows what he's talking about, he'll always take your call, and he never passes the buck. Carter and Hearthside will take care of you. Beginning and end of story."
Kenneth M. · Custom Home · Canyon Lake, Texas
Free · No Obligation
The First Draft
If you own a lot in Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills, or Olmos Park — or you're seriously considering one — Carter will draw a preliminary floor plan sized and shaped for that specific lot. At no charge. And iterate with you until it's right.
Most clients who see their First Draft say the same thing: "I had no idea what I wanted, but that's it." Then they stop talking to other builders.
Ask About the First Draft →What's included
- 01A preliminary floor plan
Drawn for your lot and your life — not a stock plan with your name on it.
- 02A conversation with Carter
Not a sales pitch. A real conversation about what you're thinking and whether Hearthside is the right fit.
- 03Honest feedback on your lot
Setbacks, ARB, demolition sequencing — Carter tells you what he sees before it becomes your problem.
- 04No obligation. No fee.
The product locks the relationship — not the money. If it's not the right fit, we'll tell you.
About Carter
He's on every job site.
Every one.
Carter Schimpff has been building custom homes in Central Texas since 1987. He answers his own phone, shows up unannounced, and holds every sub to the same standard he holds himself. There's no project manager between you and the person responsible for the outcome. That person is Carter.
Hearthside takes on a limited number of projects each year. That's not a sales tactic — it's a structural constraint of building the way Carter builds. Every project gets his direct attention, from first conversation to final walk-through.
More About Carter →Ready to start?
No obligation. No sales pitch.
Just a conversation.
Tell Carter what you're thinking — the lot, the rough idea of what you want to build, the timeline. He'll tell you what he'd need to know to put a number on it, and whether Hearthside is the right fit. Most people find that the conversation is the easy part.
Start Here →