SIDNEY – Sean Rank hopes people who tour D&S Construction’s Parade of Homes entry in Sidney will be inspired. The property already has inspired the company to reconsider the process by which it builds houses.
D&S Construction has two entries in the Western Ohio Home Builders Association’s Parade of Homes, which is scheduled for noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 10 houses in Miami and Shelby counties. One of D&S Construction’s entries is at 4319 E. Casstown Clark Road in Casstown and the other is at 3165 Marla Court in Sidney, the latter of which was built in just three-and-a-half months.
“It was actually really good for us because we learned a lot through the process,” Rank said of building a house in such a short time frame. “We created a very strict schedule, and our team did a great job sticking to it. And we proved that it can be done on a custom home.”
Rank, a co-owner of D&S Construction with his father, Doug Rank, wasn’t sure if the Parade of Homes would occur this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This past summer when the Western Ohio Home Builders Association committed to hosting the event, D&S Construction decided it wanted a house in Sidney included. That left just three-and-a-half months for construction, though.
“For us, or for any builder really, that’s pretty extravagant,” Rank said. “Homes normally take six to 10 months to build.”
To complete construction in the abbreviated time frame, D&S Construction couldn’t afford any delays. All materials had to be ordered in advance, and the company had to eliminate dead time between tradesmen completing their tasks.
It’s taken a frantic finish to complete the house – which Western Ohio Home Builders Association Executive Director Donna Cook said is Shelby County’s first entry in the Parade of Homes since 2008 – but Rank is proud of the project.
“It’s a very unique house for the neighborhood,” Rank said. “It’s not a farm house, but it’s got some great curb appeal.”
D&S Construction’s entry in Casstown, which was built at the traditional slower pace, is another project of which Rank is proud.
“It’s almost like a spin off on a ’70s house mixed with modern,” he said. “Really tall ceilings, transom windows, big overhangs, it’s a pretty special house.”
Moving forward, Rank thinks D&S Construction will aim to complete more of its houses in a quicker time frame, probably about four-and-a-half months.
In the past couple of years the company has started to do more work itself instead of relying on subcontractors, which does allow for quicker turnarounds while maintaining the quality customers expect.
“We decided to do a lot more in house and invested in more employees and trailers and tools and all that so we could control our own schedule and quality,” said Rank, whose company has 21 employees and is bringing on another project manager and a purchaser.
With some more employees, Rank expects D&S Construction to take on even more projects. This year already has been the busiest in the company’s 15-year history, and next year probably will be even busier with close to 10 houses to build along with other projects including home remodels, additions and roofing.
“People are still excited,” Rank said. “So I think ‘21 will be even busier than ‘20 for all trades.”
People who are interested in building or renovating a home will get a chance to see the latest trends and innovations at the 2020 Western Ohio Home Builders Association’s Parade of Homes. The showcase will feature 10 homes in Sidney, Casstown, Piqua, Tipp City and Troy. Denlinger & Sons Builders, Harlow Builders, Indian Ridge, and Stonefield Custom Homes each have two entries along with D&S Construction.
“It’s amazing for people that walk through and see new ideas for their remodels, for their new homes and meet builders,” Rank said.
The Parade of Homes houses will be open from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
To protect against COVID-19, there will be limits on the number of people in each home at a time. Guests should wear face masks and observe social distancing. Guests also should avoid touching anything and shouldn’t enter a home if they feel sick.
For more information about the Western Ohio Home Builders Association and its Parade of Homes, visit https://westernohiohba.com/ or call 937-339-7963.
For more information about D&S Construction, visit http://ds-ohio.com/ or call 937-492-0311.
