A Builder, Not a Brand.
Hearthside Homes in San Antonio is a second-generation, family-owned home builder, founded in 1987, with the owner on every job site. We don't market quality. We prove it, one specific, verifiable detail at a time.
Two Generations. One Name on the Work.
Our story starts in 1987, when Skip Schimpff put his name on this work and began building custom homes in and around San Antonio. No investors. No franchise. Just a builder, his trades, and a standard he refused to lower.
His son Carter grew up on those job sites hauling rubble at eight years old, before he was big enough to swing a hammer. He learned every trade from the ground up, the way you only can when the company dinner-table conversation is framing, foundations, and what went wrong on site that day. He went off to study finance, spent ten years in marketing because his father insisted he learn the world outside construction, then called at exactly the ten-year mark: "Alright, I did what you asked. I'm coming back."
Today, that second generation leads the company. Nearly four decades in, we're still family-owned, still an owner-operated custom home builder, and still accountable the old way: the name on your contract is the name on your job site.
That continuity is the whole brand. Not a logo. Not a tagline. The fact that the person who signs your agreement is the same person standing on your slab.
"During an unscheduled walk-through, I noticed the grout gap in one bathroom was closer to 1/4 inch than the specified 1/8 inch. I called the client proactively, explained what I'd seen, and let them know I was having the tile installers come back immediately to demolish and reinstall the floor correctly. They didn't ask me to do that. That's the standard."
What Sets Us Apart Isn't a Slogan. It's How We Build.
Six principles we hold ourselves to on every project — the same whether it's a Parade of Homes showcase or a build no one will ever tour.
The Owner Is the Builder
As an owner-operated custom home builder, we're personally involved in every home from First Draft to final walk-through, and our direct line doesn't change after closing.
A Fixed Price You Can Plan Around
One number, no escalation clauses, no allowance games. The only way it moves is by changing the scope.
Total Transparency
Every proposal is itemized line by line, including our margin, so you see exactly what you're paying for.
Trades Who Stay
Most of our crews have been with us for 10 years or more, with over 140 years of combined experience on your job site.
The Invisible Work
We vacuum every wall cavity before drywall installation, and a third-party TREC-licensed inspector walks every build at multiple stages. Nothing gets sealed up until it's right.
Deliberately Few
15 to 20 homes per year, on purpose. The standard can't survive volume.
What We Believe and How You'll See It on Your Build.
Four principles we hold ourselves to on every build — the specifics you'll see on your project, not the vague promises you'll hear from anyone else.
The Invisible Work
We build the same whether anyone is watching or not. The decisions made behind the scenes, where no client will ever look, are what separate a beautiful house from a truly great home.
We Own It
When something falls short of what we agreed to, we don't deflect, excuse, or pass the buck. We say so, and we fix it. Something will go wrong on your build; it always does. You'll find out when it happens, not after it's been covered up.
The Number Is the Number
The price you sign is the price you pay. Once we give our word, we hold to it, no matter what the market does. The only way you spend more is if you choose to.
Value Up Front
We earn the relationship by giving something real before a dollar changes hands: a First Draft floor plan drawn for your lot, a Land Tour, an honest conversation.
Where We Build.
We build within roughly an hour of San Antonio International Airport, across two distinct markets.
Texas Hill Country
With 600+ homes built across the region, we know this land: the rock, the slopes, the septic, the HOAs. We build in Canyon Lake, New Braunfels, Boerne, Spring Branch, Bulverde, Fredericksburg, and Kerrville, including communities like Vintage Oaks, Mystic Shores, and River Chase.
Building from out of state? Many of our clients do. You'll get frequent, proactive updates from the same owner-builder throughout.
Build in the Hill Country →Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills & Olmos Park
In town, we specialize in teardown-and-rebuild projects on established lots in the 78209 neighborhoods. We navigate the Alamo Heights architectural review and municipal permitting so you don't have to — with the discretion these streets expect.
Build in Alamo Heights →Don't Take Our Word for It. Check the Record.
- Building in Central Texas since 1987 — nearly four decades
- 600+ Hill Country homes built
- 10-year structural warranty; Texas requires 6
- Third-party TREC-licensed inspector on every build (standard, not required by law)
- Most trades on our crew for 10+ years; 140+ years of combined team experience
- Nearly 100% referral-driven for most of four decades
- Every proposal itemized line by line, including our margin
- Members: Texas Association of Builders, National Association of Home Builders, Greater San Antonio Builders Association
A ten-year warranty is only as good as the builder still being in business to honor it. After nearly forty years, ours is.
"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."
"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."
"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."
Questions People Ask About Us.
Who will actually run my project day-to-day?
The owner. Hearthside Homes in San Antonio is owner-operated by design. We limit ourselves to 15–20 homes a year so the person who signs your contract is personally involved in your build, not a rotating cast of project managers.
What does "second generation" actually mean for my build?
It means the standard was set in 1987 and never handed off. As a second-generation home builder, we work with trades who've been with us for a decade or more, an inspector we've used for 20+ years, and a reputation built almost entirely on referrals — none of which survives cutting corners.
Are you a contractor or a builder?
A builder. We draw the plans, quote one fixed price, manage every trade, and walk every inch before handing over the keys. One company, one point of accountability from start to finish.
Do you only build custom homes?
We build custom and spec homes to the same standard, with the same trades, third-party inspections, and a 10-year structural warranty.
We're not the right builder for everyone.
I'd rather tell you that now than discover it six months into your project.
Hearthside is right for clients who value the invisible work — who understand that the quality of a home is determined by decisions made inside walls and under floors, long before the finishes go in. Clients who want a builder they can trust completely, not one they have to manage.
If you're primarily focused on getting the lowest price, or if you plan to use construction as an opportunity to expand the scope of work beyond what we agreed to, we're probably not the right fit. I say that respectfully — and I'd rather say it now.
If you want a builder who will tell you the truth, fix things before you ask, and build a home you'll still be proud of in thirty years — let's talk.
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Meet Us Over a Floor Plan, Not a Sales Pitch.
Please tell us what you want to build and where. We'll draw a preliminary floor plan for your lot free of charge and with no obligation, and we'll follow up with you personally. Not a sales team. Us.