Wm. H. Fry Construction Company knows green is not a trend; it's the new standard.

The Wm. H. Fry Construction Company, founded by Bill Fry, is a San Francisco Bay Area fine home remodeling and custom home building company. The company has its roots both in building structures and in custom cabinetry. Following university studies in business, Bill completed a four-year carpentry apprenticeship and worked for a hillside custom-home builder as a journeyman carpenter and foreman. Seeking greater challenges, he obtained a general contractor's license and started his own residential construction firm. Meanwhile, Jim, who became Bill's right-hand man, owned and operated a custom cabinet shop. As their complementary skills promoted collaboration on more and more Bay Area home improvement projects, Jim joined the company full-time over a decade ago.

Bill's interest in green building began with an economic need in remodeling his first home among the redwood trees in La Honda, California. He procured reclaimed building materials including structural lumber, an old maple school-gymnasium floor, and old sash windows of varying sizes. He later obtained a "Certified Green Building Professional" certification from Build It Green and an "EPA lead safe certified firm" certification from the EPA's Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule program. Bill now shares what he has learned and provides informed green building choices to his clients. His leadership in green construction practices has been featured in Green Building and Design Magazine and Palo Alto Weekly Home + Design. Likewise, his talents in building fine home remodels garnered a Gold Nugget Award of Merit for Best Renovated or Restored House or Project at the Pacific Coast Builders Conference (PCBC), San Francisco. The Gold Nugget Award is the largest and most prestigious competition of its kind in the nation. The award winners, who emerged from 440 entries, represent excellence and innovation in addressing complex design/build issues in the 14 Western States and internationally.

California has always been known for its environmental leadership and awareness, even more so with the new CAL Green building code, so it is not surprising that the company's clients seek greener choices when it comes to their home remodel or new home. While more and more clients are seeking greener options for their homes, they typically request non-VOC paints. However, there is little awareness of formaldehyde in construction products. Particularly since Bill and his wife Rhoda became parents, they advise their friends with children that although the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is reducing formaldehyde in pressed-wood products, it is better to be formaldehyde-free and select PureBond hardwood plywood by Columbia Forest Products for casework.

When it comes to cabinetry, the company offers unparalleled experience, service and flexibility to its customers. In addition to providing schematic designs for fabrication by fine local cabinetmakers, they also offer cabinetry from their own artisanal cabinet shop. While some clients also purchase cabinetry from designer showrooms, the company offers virtually unlimited options for cabinetry selection. Regardless of their choice, when the expert carpenters who install cabinets also know how to build them, clients get the very best results. More often than not, the Wm. H. Fry Construction Company is proud to say that PureBond by Columbia Forest Products is inside.