Odyssey Builders Inc. of Seattle is an award-winning residential contractor. We have been building and remodeling exceptional custom homes for nearly 30 years. Today, Odyssey Builders has a long list of satisfied clients. Our projects have been featured in top design magazines, and leading Seattle area architects and design professionals consistently recommend Odyssey Builders to clients. Odyssey Builders is owned by Matt Cantrell. Matt is a hands-on owner who is deeply committed to fine craftsmanship and customer satisfaction. He was a longtime employee before assuming full ownership in 2009. Founder Dave Crocker continues to play a key role in management, marketing and sales.

Our Philosophy

The success of Odyssey Builders is rooted in our unwavering dedication to fine craftsmanship, personalized customer service and ethical business practices.

We apply the same values-based business fundamentals to every project, large or small. These include:

the highest-quality construction methods
a team approach to design and building
frequent and open communication with clients and architects.

Green. Odyssey Builders is committed to creating homes that are healthy both for clients and for the environment and which provide sustained long-term value. Our energy-efficient design and building methods deliver direct benefits to clients. These include: a healthy indoor environment, reduced monthly expenses, savings on maintenance costs and improved return on their investment.

Cost-effective. We are sensitive to our clients’ need to contain costs, especially in today’s difficult economy. We pride ourselves on our realistic cost assessments, our ability to work within closely controlled budgets and our talent for matching affordability with a superior product.

Creative. Through the years, Odyssey Builders has earned a reputation for our ability to execute unusually creative design ideas. We are adept at using innovative, high-quality building methods to meet the requirements of challenging projects while staying within budget.

Committed. Odyssey Builders partners with a network of preferred subcontractors, journeyman carpenters and suppliers, each of whom has a reputation for high-quality professional work. Our knowledgeable, well-equipped and stable base of employees ensures a safe and efficient jobsite. Employee integrity and pride, together with owner supervision of every project, impart high value to the finished product.

Business Practices

Odyssey Builders holds itself to a high performance standard for every project and each contact with clients, designers, architects and subcontractors.

We pledge

To be accessible & responsive
To research & apply cutting-edge building technology
To conduct weekly team meetings
To maintain organized, safe and secure job sites
To be financially accountable
To pay suppliers monthly & track lien notices
To promptly address warranty and repair issues

Commitment to Green Building

Odyssey Builders is committed to creating homes that are good for our clients, reduce environmental impact and have excellent, sustainable value. A carefully crafted home made of quality materials will last longer and provide more value over time, saving on maintenance costs and minimizing resource use. We continually improve our green building techniques and:

Collaborate with professionals and clients who believe in sustainable and
environmentally friendly shelter
Research, learn and implement environmentally responsible construction techniques
Recycle and reuse deconstruction & waste materials as much as possible
Protect site, install storm water controls, silt fencing, wash out areas and other environmental controls
Provide experience in wetlands and shoreline management
Recommend and promote the use of environmentally friendly products such as
engineered wood, fiber cement siding, certified and salvaged finish lumber
Develop, in collaboration with water and moisture infiltration specialists, the best methods for keeping water out and providing breathable exterior wall systems
Carefully manage insulation and sealing of house exceeding code requirements
Suggest and provide resources for low VOC finish materials
Design and install complicated alternative energy systems, including low voltage, solar and on-demand hot water and photovoltaic cells
Promote and install rainwater cisterns for use in landscape irrigation
Fuel our dump truck with 99% BioDiesel

Odyssey Builders in front of their solar array

How and Why to Involve Your Builder Early!

Odyssey Builders offers and recommends our Price Planning service, an "insurance policy" that gives clients the ability to make design and construction decisions based on comprehensive and accurate information. Clients who use Price Planning select a builder during a project's conceptual stages to act as a cost and building consultant to the client, architect and any other designers.

The builder provides cost information and value engineering as the plans are being drawn, as well as input on new construction products and feasibility and cost of various building methods. The architect can focus on design and confidently leave accurate cost and construction analysis to Odyssey, refining the design as necessary to stay within the client’s budget.

Price Planning eliminates the common problems of bids that are significantly over budget or that underestimate project scope and quality level. When clients use Price Planning, the final budget is a realistic projection of the unique set of costs associated with each quality project. Clients reach the end of the planning process with confidence that the project is financially feasible and can be built as designed.

Price Planning also allows the client to assess compatibility with Odyssey before construction begins. Odyssey believes that a relationship of trust and mutual respect between client and builder is essential to the successful completion of a project. Price Planning will either develop this important working relationship or reveal its shortcomings.

Odyssey charges an hourly rate for Pricing Planning services. If a client retains Odyssey to build the project, Odyssey provides the entire Price Planning service FREE OF CHARGE! The client pays the fee only if the client contracts with someone else or abandons the project.

Odyssey’s Price Planning:

Begins anytime from conception until completion of schematic plans
Optimizes our team approach
Provides accurate cost information
Assesses feasibility of construction methods
Ensures a realistic budget for desired quality level
Assures continuity from design to construction

To help you can make an intelligent and informed decision Odyssey will happily explain our Price Planning services in more detail—with no obligation.

Leadership

Owner Matt Cantrell works closely with clients, design partners, building partners and vendors to ensure that Odyssey Builders meets and exceeds client expectations. His talent for orchestrating architects, construction crews, subcontractors, suppliers and clients is pivotal to the success of every project.

Creating healthy, energy-efficient structures that conserve natural resources while maintaining high quality and lasting value is top priority for Matt. Matt also oversees technical and scheduling aspects of Odyssey’s projects, ensuring that every job runs smoothly and efficiently.

Matt joined Odyssey Builders as an apprentice carpenter in 1984. He moved quickly through the ranks to journeyman, lead carpenter, site superintendent, and project manager. Acquiring Odyssey Builders in 2009 was a natural progression both for Matt and for the company.

In addition to his current role, Odyssey founder Dave Crocker is responsible for establishing the culture and business fundamentals that continue to guide all aspects of operations. From the outset, Dave understood that client relationships based in trust and mutual respect were critical to the successful completion of every building project.