We Build Barns: Cathy and Steve Vess Build Barns You Can Live In!
Submitted by: Chuck Ebbets
Email Address: chuck(at)usequestrian.com
Date Added: 11/29/2016
In 1988 Cathy and Steve Vess started a business building Class A homes in and around the Northern Virginia area. In 2004 they were completing a home for themselves. As passionate horse owners they also wanted to build a barn. What they ended up building was a barn that also served as their home. Their dream home now allows them to look out the window and watch their horses graze, gallop, scratch each other and enjoy a good roll in the dirt! As you will see on their website, http://webuildbarns.com, these horse people are in it for life! It's more than a hobby, it's a passion that drives them.
When people saw their new home, many were inspired and asked for Cathy and Steve's help in building something similar. Wanting to pass this unique lifestyle along to other horse lovers, they decided to go full time into the business of building barns that also serve as a home. in 2009 they launched their new business, We Build Barns. Since officially opening their doors, they have built dozens of unique homes to fit a wide range of budgets - never sacrificing quality. As Christians, they have poured their love and expertise into each home, and take an immense amount of pride in their approach with each homeowner.
Quality is not just a "buzz word" for Cathy and Steve, they truly dedicate themselves to putting quality materials into each home. "We never come in as the cheapest", says Cathy, "but there is not a lot of play room in barn building and some of our customers don’t always know what they are getting in comparison. I advise them that our standard barn comes with solid 6 x 6 and 6 x 8 posts, along with LVL engineered headers and 3/4" inch carriage bolts are all standard. Our barns are completely custom to fit the need of each client, we do not sell packages... That's where the difference is I find. We will not build a cheap unsafe barn. We will always find ways to save and make a budget work, but no corners are ever cut to get a job. As Christians, we consider every customer a blessing and treat them like we want to be treated."

Cathy and Steve have a wonderful set of sub-contractors they use on every job. "It helps with consistency and an overall good job. Our oldest son Chase is a project manager, and we have two other young men who work with him who all went to Fredericksburg Christian School together. Good Boys!"
When looking through the photos of the various homes Cathy and Steve have built in the past, you will see a wide variety of designs. Their tag line, "You dream it, we build it" seems to be common these days with other builders, though Cathy claims they have used this as their mantra since before it was popular. "We focus our attention on safety and maintenance, so that the homeowner doesn't have to. One wrong kick in a cement block barn can sideline your horse for months, or even forever. A broken stall board or protruding nail – from a kick in a wood barn – can do the same. A closed-in barn with poor ventilation and bacteria- and virus-harboring wood will quickly spread an illness through all your horses."
We Build Barns is planning to present at the Maryland Horse Expo from January 20 - 22, 2017, but that will depend on whether they can break away. If you are planning on attending the expo, please look them up and stop by to say hello. If you would like to know more about this wonderful company, you can email Cathy directly at webuildbarns@gmail.com, or give her a call at 540-623-4321.
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