Custom Home Builder Highlands-Cashiers, NC
Build Your Mountain Retreat on the Plateau
2023 National Custom Home Builder of the Year
30+ Years of Design-Build Experience
Green Building Leadership
Refined Mountain Homes Built for the Plateau
Tucked into the southern Blue Ridge Mountains at elevations above 3,400 feet, Highlands and Cashiers are among the most sought-after places to build in North Carolina. Cooler summers, scenic waterfalls, and the dense forests draw homeowners who want long-range views, privacy, and a home designed around the way they actually live. As custom home builder in Highlands-Cashiers, Living Stone Design + Build brings 30+ years of design-build experience to crafting mountain homes that belong in this one-of-a-kind setting and that are as healthy to live in as they are beautiful to look at.
Years Building in NC
INSPIRED BY MOUNTAIN LIVING
Custom Home Builders for the
Highlands-Cashiers Plateau
Your vision deserves one team, fully committed from start to finish. From the first conversation to the final detail, your architect, interior designer, project manager, and builder work in complete alignment.
Healthy Homes, Built to a Higher Standard
Every home we build is Energy Star Certified and meets NC Green Built certification standards. Not as an upgrade. As a baseline. Better air quality, lower energy costs, and materials selected for your family’s long-term health are built into how we work.
Eight Levels of Service
From lot selection and architectural design through pre-construction, active construction, interior finishes, furnishings, final inspections, and post-build warranty, Living Stone is your single point of contact at every stage. Learn more about Eight Levels of Service.
Our No Regrets Promise
We measure success simply: every client should reach move-in day feeling they made the right choice in every aspect. Design, budget, process, and relationship. That standard shapes every decision we make on your behalf.
Our Design-Build
Construction Process
Discovery & Lot Selection
We start with your vision, your budget, and your land. Whether you own a parcel or need help finding one, we evaluate the lot for views, solar orientation, access, slope, rock, drainage, and the considerations unique to building at elevation on the Plateau.
Architectual Design
Our architects and designers get to work to translate your lifestyle into a complete set of drawings and specifications. Every element reviewed and approved by you.
Construction
Your dedicated project manager oversees the full build, handling all county permitting and inspections from groundbreaking to completion.
Move In
We walk through every inch of the home with you before handover. Our post-build warranty and client care program means we remain your builder long after you move in.
Featured Custom Homes:
Our Award-Winning Portfolio
The Bronder Residence
Hawks Nest Residence
Elk Mountain Zen
Recognition
& Awards
Living Stone’s custom homes have earned national and regional recognition.
NAHB National Custom Home Builder of the Year
NAHB Green Builder of the Year — National Recognition
#1 Custom Home Builder in the Carolinas — Home Builders Digest
Best in American Living Award — Custom Owner's Suite
American Residential Design Awards (ARDA) — Bronder Residence & Hawks Nest Residence
Testimonials From the Families
We’ve Built For
LET’S BRING YOUR VISION TO LIFE
Ready to Build in Highlands-Cashiers?
Why Build Your Custom Home on Lake Norman
A Mountain Retreat for Generations
The Highlands–Cashiers Plateau sits high in the southern Blue Ridge, making Highlands one of the highest incorporated towns east of the Rockies. Summers are refreshingly mild, often 10 to 15 degrees cooler than the lowlands, which has made the Plateau a beloved retreat for families from Atlanta, Florida, and across the Southeast for generations. Hiking to Whiteside Mountain, chasing waterfalls in the Nantahala National Forest, and fly-fishing for trout are part of everyday life here.
Two Towns with Two Distinct Rhythms
The two towns each have their own rhythm. Highlands offers a more bustling town scene of boutique shopping, fine dining, and year-round community, while Cashiers is quieter, known for its golf communities and mountain clubs. Explore what the Plateau has to offer.
FIND YOUR PLACE ON THE PLATEAU
Communities We Build In
Some of the finest homesites in Highlands and Cashiers sit within the Plateau’s gated communities, each with its own character and its own architectural review process. We’re an active builder in several of the area’s most desirable communities and coordinate closely with their design guidelines.
Cashiers Lake
A gated community in the heart of Cashiers, set around a private lake with 30 acres of preserved greenspace and walking trails, all just minutes from downtown. It’s ideal for homeowners who want nature and in-town convenience.
Bear Lake Reserve
An expansive 2,100-acre gated lake-and-mountain community between Cashiers and Sylva. Residents enjoy a lakeside clubhouse, marina, multiple pools, tennis, a nine-hole executive golf course, and 17 miles of hiking trails along the shores of Bear Creek Lake.
Peregrine at Whiteside Cliffs
An exclusive gated nature community of just 28 homesites across 104 pristine acres between Highlands and Cashiers, surrounded by Whiteside Mountain and the Nantahala National Forest, with community trails and long-range mountain views.
FAQs About Building a Home in Highlands-Cashiers
What should I look for in custom home builders in Highlands-Cashiers?
Building on the Plateau is different from building almost anywhere else, elevation, slope, rock, design-review boards, and scarce skilled labor all come into play. Look for Highlands-Cashiers builders with a real track record in the mountains.
How much does it cost to build a custom home in Highlands-Cashiers?
Costs on the Plateau can vary based on site conditions, square footage, architectural complexity, and finish selections. Mountain lots introduce additional variables, which may include slope, rock excavation, engineered foundations, access roads, and septic or utility connections. We provide transparent, line-item pricing after a discovery meeting and site evaluation.
How long does it take to build a custom home on the Plateau?
Most Living Stone custom home projects run 14 to 24 months from design to move-in. Site conditions, permitting timelines, and the scope of finish selections can all affect the schedule. We map out a realistic timeline in our first conversations and stick to it.
What does design-build mean, and why does it matter?
Design-build means your architect and your builder are the same team, working under one contract. In a traditional model, an architect designs the home and hands it off to a contractor, creating friction, cost uncertainty, and finger-pointing when problems arise. With Living Stone’s design-build model, one team is accountable for everything, from your first sketch to your final walkthrough.
Do you work within the Plateau's gated communities and their design guidelines?
Yes. Many of the Plateau’s finest homesites sit within gated communities including Cashiers Lake, Bear Lake Reserve, and Peregrine at Whiteside Cliffs, each with its own architectural review process. We coordinate with those boards and adhere to regional building requirements as part of our managed process.
What is Living Stone's "Whole Living" approach?
Whole Living is our philosophy that a home should be as healthy as it is beautiful. In practice, it means smart air filtration systems, low-toxicity paints and finishes, eco-friendly sealants, and energy systems designed for our climate. Homeowners care about the environment, and we build homes that reflect that in ways you can see, breathe, and feel in your utility bills.