Custom Home Builder Blog
At E-L Builders, we specialize in custom home building and design. We provide comprehensive services for each project, from concept to completion. Our team of experienced builders, designers, and architects are dedicated to creating high-quality homes that meet our clients’ expectations. We are committed to providing excellent customer service and have a proven track record of delivering projects on time and on budget. With E-L Builders, you can trust that your custom home will be built to last.
The information in our contractor blog is designed to help both homeowners and contractors alike to make informed decisions when it comes to the home contracting process. It provides an insider’s view into the industry, offering insights on the latest trends and techniques. It also serves as a great resource for DIYers, offering tips and advice on how to get started and complete projects with confidence. Our blog is regularly updated with the latest information and resources, making it a great resource to stay informed.
Family-Friendly Cabin Features
Creating a family-friendly cabin involves thoughtful planning and creativity. E. L. Builders can work with you to design spaces that cater to all ages, ensuring that everyone, from toddlers to grandparents, can enjoy their time together.
May 1, 2025
What Type of Shingles?
When choosing between metal roofing and composite shingles for your lakeside cabin, it ultimately depends on your personal preferences, budget, and the specific conditions of your location. Metal roofing offers unmatched durability, longevity, and low maintenance, while composite shingles can provide a classic appearance at a lower initial cost. E. L. Builders’ team of experienced designers can help you consider the factors that matter most to you, and we'll find the perfect roofing solution for your home away from home.
April 9, 2025
Exciting Revelations About New Home Construction
The landscape of new home construction is evolving rapidly, presenting exciting opportunities for builders. With a focus on technology, sustainability, personalization, and health, the homes of the future are not just places to live—they are holistic living environments that cater to modern lifestyles
March 3, 2025
What is Custom Home Building & Design
Custom home building and design allow homeowners to create a living space that reflects their personal style, meets their family's needs, and adheres to their budget
February 10, 2025
New Lakeside Cabin Trends for 2025
As we step into 2025, the allure of lakeside living continues to captivate homeowners and vacationers alike. E.L. Builders takes a look at some of the top trends expected to shape lakeside cabins this year.
January 21, 2025
Remodel Your Living Spaces
Remodeling your living spaces can significantly enhance the aesthetics of your home and the quality of your daily life. EL Builders works with you to plan each step and stay true to your vision, helping you create a beautiful and functional space. Contact us today to get started on your new life-space transformation!
December 2, 2024
Is It Time To Remodel Your Bathroom?
Remodeling your bathroom can bring immense benefits, both tangible and intangible. Whether you aim to increase home value, enhance comfort, or modernize your space, remodeling a bathroom can pay off in numerous ways.
November 4, 2024
5 Essentials for Building a New Home
Building a new home in Brainerd or Pequot Lakes is a significant undertaking that requires careful consideration of a wide range of factors. E.L. Builders can help you focus on essentials so you can create a home that not only meets your current needs but also stands the test of time. Contact us today to learn more.
October 1, 2024
5 Fall Considerations for Your Lakeside Cabin
With the change in weather, it's important to prepare your lakeside cabin for the upcoming fall months. Here are 5 essential considerations to ensure that your lakeside retreat remains comfortable, safe, and enjoyable during the fall season.
September 17, 2024
Design Your Lakeside Cabin for Remote Work
Many people now work from home, either remotely for a traditional job or in their own freelance business. The work environment has truly been transformed, beginning with the Digital Revolution and morphing throughout the Great Recession, the Great Resignation, the Great Exhaustion, and now into what is being called the Great Freelance Revolution.
August 1, 2024
Storm Proof Your Brainerd Area Lake Cabin
Living in a beautiful lake cabin in the Brainerd area can be a dream come true for many. The serene views, the calming sounds of the water, and the overall tranquility are unparalleled. However, living by the water also comes with its own set of challenges, especially when it comes to storms.
July 24, 2024
Smart Technology in Your Home
Incorporating smart technology into your lake cabin can enhance your overall experience and make your time spent there more comfortable and convenient. From improving security to adding entertainment options, smart technology can transform your cabin into a modern and efficient space. Here are some ways you can incorporate smart technology into your lake cabin.
June 3, 2024
Get Cabin Fever with These Great New Trends
Cabin trends in Minnesota Lake Country have evolved with the times. Old, rustic log cabins with rough interiors have given way to cozy retreats with the latest modern amenities and contemporary designs. E.L. Builders in Brainerd Lakes explores some of the latest cabin trends of 2024 to generate a little cabin fever in those considering a new lakeside cabin or cottage. We build cabins that are homes to be enjoyed for years and by generations.
May 1, 2024
Top 5 Considerations for Your Custom Lake Home Bathroom
A custom lake cabin bathroom is a prime consideration for your family and guests. Whether you are building a new cabin or renovating an existing one, there are several considerations you need to keep in mind when designing your bathroom. E.L. Builders, LLC, can help you design an exhilarating and relaxing personal oasis for your new or existing cabin by the lake. Here are the top five considerations we’ll guide you through.
April 5, 2024
Incorporating Sustainable Cabin Trends Into Your Summer Cabin
Summer cabins are the perfect getaway for those who love nature. But with the increase in environmental awareness, it's essential to consider sustainable trends when building your dream cabin. Sustainable design features not only help to reduce your carbon footprint, but they also add value to your cabin and can save you money over time. E.L. Builders shares some of the best ways to incorporate sustainable trends into your new summer cabin.
March 14, 2024
Insulate Your Lake Cabin To Withstand a Harsh Winter Weather?
If you're planning to build a custom lake cabin, you might be wondering whether it can withstand the harsh winter weather that comes with living near a lake. After all, the last thing you want is to end up with a cabin that's not built to withstand the elements.
February 1, 2024
Is It Time to Remodel Your Kitchen? We Love Remodels!
The kitchen is often referred to as the heart of the home. It’s where we gather with family and friends, share meals, and make lasting memories. But as time goes on, your once-beloved kitchen may start to feel outdated, cramped, or just not functional enough for your needs. E. L. Builders loves remodels! Our skilled and talented designers and craftsmen can take your kitchen to the next level this spring.
January 23, 2024
What is Luxury Home Construction
Luxury home construction is more than just a fancy term for building a high-end home. It is a proven process that requires attention to detail and a commitment to quality that is unmatched by standard home construction practices.
December 11, 2023
Lake Home Site Planning
Lake home site planning is an essential aspect of building a lake home. It involves strategically placing buildings, outdoor living spaces, and other features on your property. Site planning can help you maximize your land's natural features while minimizing negative environmental impacts.
November 30, 2023
5 Essentials to Enjoy the Lake Cabin
As the leaves start to change color in Brainard Lakes and the air gets crisp, it’s the perfect time to enjoy fall at your lake cabin. Here are five essentials to make the most of the season:
October 31, 2023
Lake Cabin Essentials
Having a lake cabin is a dream come true for many people in Brainerd, MN. It's a place to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and enjoy the tranquility of nature.
September 12, 2023
Hands-On Contractor
When it comes to building your new lake home near Brainerd, there is no doubt that having a hands-on contractor like E.L. Builders is incredibly important.
August 21, 2023
Luxury Home Craftsmanship
Craftsmanship is the cornerstone of our luxury home construction at E.L. Builders. We pride ourselves on high-quality craftsmanship in every detail that sets our luxury homes apart. But what exactly makes for quality craftsmanship in luxury home construction?
July 18, 2023
Summer Cabin Fun
Summer is just around the corner, and that means it's time to start thinking about how you can make your home more fun and inviting for the warmer months. If you're looking for some remodeling ideas, here are a few things to consider.
June 5, 2023
5 Tips to Build a Strong Foundation
A strong foundation is essential for any building. It supplies the support that the rest of the structure relies on, and it helps to protect the building from the elements. If your foundation is weak, your building is at risk of collapse.
May 24, 2023
Plan a New Home
Here are three things you should avoid when you are building a new home.
April 4, 2023
What's Trendy Up North?
It’s common for home construction blogs to talk about the latest trend in homebuilding. Naturally, people wonder what’s new; some don’t want to be left behind. Let’s look at what’s hot and trendy at E.L. Builders.
March 6, 2023
Our Building Process
As a premier contractor in Northern Minnesota, we know what it takes a great building process to build stunning homes for satisfied customers. How do we do it time and time again?
February 9, 2023
How to Beat Cabin Fever
Contrary to some thinking, winter doesn’t mean we stop building custom homes and cabins. Instead, we work year-round designing and building. We’ve learned beating cabin fever requires being well-prepared for winter.
January 26, 2023
Construction Work Stops in MN Winter, Right?
It’s easy to assume that construction work stops during a Minnesota winter, right? That isn’t necessarily the case with many builders in the land of 10,000 (frozen) lakes.
December 13, 2021
Home Building Trends Include Adding Work/School Spaces
As many feel the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the need to change the way we do things, many homeowners are looking to add on some room to set aside for workspace. Between school closures and work restrictions, changes include adding some room to your home.
November 16, 2022
Are You Ready to Build the Custom Home of Your Dreams?
When it’s time to build your new custom home, you want to make sure you build the home of your dreams. So first, you start with the backdrop of Mother Nature at her finest, with lakes, trees and wildlife everywhere you look. The Brainerd Lakes area is hands down one of the most beautiful parts of the state.
October 4, 2021
Can’t Find the Lake House of Your Dreams? Create it!
You’ve known you wanted your own lake place for years. Truth be told, ever since you were just a kid and when being up north, fishing and spending the summer running in the woods were the best times you could imagine. Those memories, so pure and innocent, are exactly what you want your own kids to have in their lives. Back then, lake homes were special, even if they weren’t modern or convenient. Of course, today’s world brings a lot more modern conveniences to the woods of the Brainerd Lakes area, but finding a place with that special feeling isn’t easy. So, why not create your own?
September 6, 2021
Is Your Dream as Simple as a Cottage in the Woods?
When you picture your perfect Saturday afternoon, are you sitting at your window, a glass of iced tea dripping condensation onto the side table, watching the lake where your better half is trying to scare up a walleye for dinner? And after the evening, complete with fish dinner, a fire and a glass of wine, you wander into your perfect cottage and sleep the sleep of the Brainerd Lakes Area.
August 20, 2021
5 Must Haves for Your Dream Home
For years, you’ve been dreaming about building your dream home in the lakes and woods of Minnesota. With its beauty and serenity, it's a place where Mother Nature loves to be at her best. You start thinking about how you can have a little piece of that for yourself-we all do it! So let's talk about what are some must haves on your list for this perfect dream house? Here is just five ideas:
July 20, 2021
3 Building Trends to Consider for Your New MN Cabin or Home
If you've been considering building a home or cabin in the Brainerd Lakes area this year, you may want to consider some of the building trends in Minnesota in 2021. While our number one goal is to build the house you want, right down to the smallest detail, we are experienced craftsmen and can pull in the trendiest features for your new build.
June 17, 2021
3 Best-Loved Reasons for Going to the Cabin
It’s true. If you have memories of going to the cabin, you probably have memories filled with laughter, sunburn and sand in the bed. Fishing trips, fires with s’mores and days and days of being on the lake. Good food, good friends and good times, right? It seems nearly everyone loves going to the cabin. We had to do a little digging to come up with only three best-loved reasons for going to the cabin.
May 3, 2021
Interested in Building Green in Your MN Custom Built Home?
The concept of going green in your home design used to raise a lot of eyebrows. Some thought it was too expensive, and others didn’t think it was possible to build a home with any significant difference by using environmentally safe materials. Still others didn’t know what was possible. Many people are considering the possibilities, especially when they have a deep love of the great outdoors. Let’s look at a few ways to choose some very trendy green design features in your new custom home.
April 13, 2021
What Sets a Good Contractor Above the Rest?
When you’re thinking about building a new house – whether it’s a lake home, your primary residence or a little cottage in the woods, consider carefully before choosing a contractor. You need more than just a guy who can hammer nails. So, what sets a good contractor above the rest? Here are the top three characteristics that pull your contractor to the top of the prospect list.
March 3, 2021
Ready to Remodel So You're Ready for Spring?
Spring is on the way! Yes, we know it will be a while yet, but even though the ground is still white and frozen, it's not too early to get started on that remodeling job you've been dreaming about for so long. If you start now, when the weather gets nice, you will be ready to get outside and enjoy it, rather than being stuck in the house redoing paint and tile.
February 2, 2021
The 4 Things You Need to Know Before You Hire a Builder for Your Lake Home
Building a lake house isn’t something you simply decide to do. It’s something you dream about and wait for, often for years. When it’s finally the time to get down to business and hire a contractor, you deserve to know just what you’re in for before you get the keys to your new home on the Brainerd area lakes. E.L. Builders believes your lake home is worth our time, and our goal is to build your dream. You want the job done right at the best price. We want the best possible build at the right price for both of us. That’s why we don’t want you to jump in with your eyes closed. Instead, see for yourself if we meet the following best practices for choosing your home builder.
January 1, 2021