Texas Hill Country · Canyon Lake · New Braunfels · Boerne · Spring Branch
Nearly four decades of building
on land that doesn't
forgive mistakes.
Fixed-price custom homes on acreage lots across the Texas Hill Country. Septic, well, HOA approvals, rock — we've encountered it all, and we've built through all of it.
Why Experience Matters Here
Acreage builds are a different discipline entirely.
Hill Country lots don't come with city water, sewer, or a flat pad waiting for a foundation. Rock is common. Slope is common. Septic systems have to be designed around soil conditions and county requirements that vary by location. Every site has its own set of problems — and you want a builder who's seen most of them before.
Hearthside has been building across the Hill Country for nearly four decades. That's not a credential — it's institutional knowledge. The difference between a $300K mistake and a well-built home is often the site work that happens before the first framing nail goes in.
- Septic and well coordination. We manage the entire utility puzzle — perc tests, system design, county permits — before you're committed to anything you can't undo.
- Rock and caliche. We've blasted and bored through both. Knowing what's likely underground before you finalize a foundation design is the difference between a budget and a surprise.
- HOA and subdivision approvals. Vintage Oaks, Mystic Shores, Canyon Lake estates — we know what the ARBs want and how to move through the process without costly revisions.
- Fixed-price contract. Once you sign, that number doesn't move. If we hit rock we didn't anticipate, that's our problem to solve — not a line item we add to your invoice.
Where We Build
Completed Homes
A selection of completed Hill Country builds.
Each project tells a different story — different land, different clients, different constraints. What doesn't change is the standard.
164 Fly Line Trail
New Braunfels
1330 Via Principale
New Braunfels, TX
841 Rayner Ranch
Spring Branch, TX
230 Serenity Pass
Spring Branch, TX
1485 Stahlman Way
New Braunfels, TX
Senisa Way
Spring Branch
San Juan S.
Kerrville, TX
Mystic Shores Blvd.
Spring Branch, TX
Vivroux Ranch Rd.
Schertz, TX
Bridle Ridge
Bandera, TX
8179 Blue Oak Way
Garden Ridge
Before You Break Ground
What acreage builds actually involve.
Most builders don't talk about this until it's already a problem. We'd rather you know before you commit to anything.
Site Work & Pad Prep
Slope, drainage, clearing, and caliche — the prep work on a Hill Country lot is never a simple line item. We walk every site before we put a number on it, and we tell you what we see before you sign anything.
Septic System Design
Perc tests, soil absorption rates, county setback requirements, system capacity — septic design on acreage land is a discipline of its own. We coordinate the entire process, including the county permit, before you're committed to a foundation location.
Water & Utilities
Some lots have water district access. Others need a well. We establish the full utility picture early — because what's underground shapes everything above it.
Rock & Foundation Strategy
Caliche and limestone are common in the Hill Country. Knowing what's likely before you finalize a foundation design isn't optional — it's the difference between a budget and a surprise.
HOA & ARB Approvals
Many Hill Country communities have architectural review boards with real teeth. We know the submission requirements for the communities we build in, and we design to those standards from the beginning.
The Fixed-Price Contract
Once you sign, the number doesn't move unless you change the scope. Rock, weather, material prices — those are our problems to manage, not line items we pass on to you.
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 have land in the Hill Country — or you're seriously considering a lot — Carter will draw a preliminary floor plan sized and shaped for that specific site. No charge. No obligation. He'll also tell you what he sees in the land before it becomes your problem to solve.
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 land 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 land
Slope, rock, drainage, septic options, setbacks — 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 been building in the Hill Country since before it was popular.
Carter Schimpff founded Hearthside Homes in 1987. He has built across the Hill Country for nearly four decades — through lumber shortages, rock surprises, drought, and every flavor of Hill Country soil and slope. He answers his own phone, shows up on job sites unannounced, and holds every sub to the same standard he holds himself.
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 land, 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.
Start Here →