Seattle Builder on His All-In-One Approach to Custom Homes

Builder in 5 is our five-question series with the minds behind standout custom homes.

In this edition, we speak with Ren Chandler, founder of Seattle-based custom home builder Dyna Builders. The firm brings design services and a metal shop in-house, and is one of the area’s only custom residential firms specializing in floating homes. Custom Builder spoke with Chandler about how these capabilities uniquely position the firm in the Seattle market and how they've come to shape the work Dyna Builders performs today.

1. What’s a decision you made early on in your career that defines how you build today?

2. With an in-house metal shop and design services, you offer more than just construction services. How do these capabilities define your approach to new projects?

I wouldn’t say those services necessarily define how we approach a new project, but they do give us a lot of flexibility. We’re not strictly a design-build firm, but we do have that capability when a project lends itself to it.

If a client comes to us first, I usually start by assessing the scope and determining whether the project is a good candidate to keep in-house from a design standpoint, or whether it would be better to partner with one of the many exceptional architects and designers we have here in the Seattle area. We’ve built great relationships with a number of firms, and we’re always happy to collaborate when that’s the best path for the project.

Our metal shop, on the other hand, plays a role in most of the projects we take on. Whether we’re working with an outside architect or handling design internally, the shop allows us to fabricate custom decorative metal and small- to mid-sized structural steel elements. It gives us the ability to solve problems quickly, customize details, and bring a level of craftsmanship and efficiency that’s difficult to achieve when everything has to be sourced externally.

Ultimately, it just gives us more tools to deliver the best possible result for each project.

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3. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced on a floating home project? What did you learn from that experience?

One of the biggest challenges we faced came very early in our experience building floating homes. What we learned quickly is that everything takes longer when you’re building on the water.

Floating homes require much tighter tolerances than most people realize, and the integration of wood framing with structural steel adds another layer of complexity. On top of that, because the structure is constantly moving, we can’t rely on traditional tools like levels or lasers in the same way you would on a conventional build. That forces you to approach layout and installation differently and requires a lot of careful coordination.

That experience taught us to be much more realistic about scheduling floating home projects and to set clear expectations with both our clients and our subcontractors. It also pushed us to refine our processes and become more thoughtful about sequencing and coordination. As a result, we’re much better prepared for the unique challenges that come with building on the water.

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4. Tell us about a project where you took a risk. What’s something others can take away from that experience?

One of the biggest risks we took wasn’t tied to a single project, but to the future of our company during the 2008–2009 recession. Work slowed dramatically and we were faced with the same decision many construction companies had to make at the time—whether to lay off a large portion of our staff.

Instead, we decided to keep most of our team intact. Everyone took a modest pay cut and we shifted our focus to smaller projects, often performing more of the work ourselves just to keep things moving. It wasn’t easy, but it allowed us to keep a group of experienced, committed people together.

When the economy recovered, we were ready. We had a seasoned team that knew how to work together and was eager to get back to building larger, more ambitious projects. In the end, the lesson for us was simple: invest in your people and believe in them. Everyone made a small sacrifice during that period, but it ultimately made our company stronger and better prepared for the future.

5. What’s one detail you obsess over that clients might not notice?

Lighting is probably the detail I obsess over the most. In my opinion, it’s one of the most important aspects of a house that clients don’t always consciously notice.

When a lighting plan is thoughtfully designed and executed well, it has a huge impact on how a home feels and how the architecture and materials are experienced. Good lighting quietly supports the design—it highlights textures, shapes spaces, and creates the right atmosphere without calling attention to itself.

Most clients won’t necessarily point to the lighting as the defining feature of their home, but they absolutely notice when it’s not done well. Poor lighting can make a beautiful space feel uncomfortable or flat. When it’s done right, everything else in the house just looks better.