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.