A Client-First Approach with Every Home

Building Trust and Crafting Dreams Since 1987

In the world of custom building, where dreams and budgets don’t always go hand in hand, Gonyea Custom Homes makes the process of building your perfect home not only accessible, but enjoyable. Based in Minnesota and serving the Twin Cities area, Gonyea Custom Homes offers a streamlined, client-focused approach that emphasizes trust, transparency, and collaboration.

“What defines Gonyea is that we’re a design build firm,” shares President Jon Connolly. “We really try to focus on making the custom home journey as efficient as possible for clients, so that they don’t have to go hire an architect or interior designer, and drive around town to make selections. We make it easy because it’s all under one roof.”

That in house integration is a point of pride, and part of what makes Gonyea stand out. “It is very different from what a lot of other custom home builders do,” adds Mary Vranyes, Customer Engagement and Marketing Specialist. “Building a home is a really big process. It can be very stressful for clients. So, positioning our company this way makes it a lot easier for people, and it really makes it a more enjoyable process for them.”

Building Relationships First

For Gonyea, building a home begins with building a relationship. “In a sense, we’re becoming partners in a venture,” Connolly imparts. “So, it’s a relationship that’s going to last a long time, and we want to make sure that we’re doing it the right way.”

Trust is not assumed, it’s earned, beginning with a series of upfront meetings that establish expectations, vet feasibility, and ensure that dreams and budgets are in harmony. “That is one of the biggest challenges with custom home building,” he acknowledges.

“What happens is people sell the dream, but in the end, the cost ends up being hundreds of thousands over the expectation. We really work hard on the front end to make sure that that cannot happen as we guide you through the process and put you in control, so that in the end, we’ve hit your goals, and we’ve made it to the finish line.”

Cost Transparency and Strategic Planning

To ensure that the budget does in fact meet the reality, Gonyea uses a consistent, data-driven approach to pricing every home, whether it’s a $1 million build or a $4 million estate. “We work from what we believe is the right custom specification starting point so that every house goes out for bid the same, and this gives us the power of pricing. We can utilize that for any future buyers to understand price per square foot, which is a good metric for how to guide people on budget,” says Connolly.

Clients are brought into the design center early, where they can interact with materials first hand. This not only empowers homeowners but also informs the financial blueprint from the beginning. “We start by doing a full design review of what they want, so that we’re listening to them and not just pushing what we think it should be. We help guide them.” he continues.

“We listen to understand where they might spend money too, so we can account for not only the standard costs, but the other costs of what they might want it to be in the end, so that that all aligns.”

Character Through Design, Guided by Listening

With more than 30 years of experience, Gonyea Custom Homes has evolved with the market, refining its identity over time and gaining a reputation as a builder of quality and character, where every home they build has a unique aesthetic. “Who we are today is a custom design-build firm that can help provide value in the custom home journey,’ Connelly remarks. Whether clients gravitate toward modern minimalism, cozy farmhouse charm, or traditional elegance, Gonyea will bring their vision to life.

That flexibility is on full display during the Parade of Homes and the Artisan Home Tour, two major events that highlight the region’s finest residential construction. These tours give prospective buyers and design enthusiasts a chance to explore real projects and experience a builder’s style, quality, and attention to detail. The Parade of Homes happens twice annually, one in the spring and the fall, featuring 300 or more residences, and showcasing a range of styles.

“I would say what speaks better to what we do is our two artisan shows here,” relays Connolly. “There’s about 20 homes in both the summer and fall.” To participate, those homes have to meet a certain criteria in terms of price point and finish level. “I would say most of those homes are anywhere from $2 million to $10 million, and it really shows the high end features that people are asking for.”

A Modern, Tech-Forward Process

While Connolly describes himself as “a little bit old school,” Gonyea’s operations are anything but. The company utilizes Buildertrend, a cloud-based construction management system, which offers a comprehensive view of the project for both the builder and the client. “We really have embraced that tool,” he expands. “It’s fantastic because it not only helps us, but now it’s a hub for everything for that job. It gives clients a portal so that they can see on a live everyday moment where everything is at, including their schedule, pricing, changes, payments and selections.”

Drone photography also plays a role in keeping clients, particularly those building from out of state, involved in the process. “We’ll take different drone photos of their home at different key points,” conveys Vranyes. “We actually put that within Buildertrend so they can go and check them out that way as well.”

Growing Smart, Not Fast

While other builders may eye out-of-state expansion, Gonyea prefers to grow with intention in its home state. “Right now, our focus has been just the Minnesota area. There’s a shortage of supply here, and there’s enough custom home business that it works here,” Vranyes explains.

When it comes to housing shortages in the region, Connolly stresses, “That is not going to be tackled by one product or one builder. It’s going to take pretty much everybody, because the housing shortage isn’t just at beginner prices, it’s every price point and It’s a lot of different products as well.”  

He admits that one of Minnesota’s biggest challenges is land availability, noting, “We’re always working with agents or land sellers to try and find a path to the right locations, the right school districts, to drive that value to the locations that people really, really want to be in.”

 A Culture Built on Collaboration

One of Gonyea’s strengths is its tightly knit, highly collaborative team. “You have the right talking to the left,” describes Connelly. “Our architect sits 10 feet from our designer. They also sit 15 feet from our estimator. So, they’re not making decisions based on just their ideas. They’re really figuring it out together. I can’t speak enough about how creative they are for our clients and for any problem solving that is needed.”

This proximity and coordination allows for personalized, budget conscious, design solutions, which customers appreciate. “They give you options. They work through your expectations, they listen to what the client needs are, and that gives them flexibility to go to different price points,” he asserts. “Again, that’s the foundation of that design build mentality, that’s how it’s the best for our clients.”

This level of excellence extends beyond the internal team, to the strategic partners who are crucial to getting the job done. Connolly underscores, “When you’re putting together a house, there are a million different pieces. You really need that team behind you, and our strategic partners, whether it be a supplier or a subcontractor who’s supplying labor, are key to that.”  Among the most valued suppliers are Andersen Windows, Great Plains Millwork and Fireside Hearth & Home. “They not only really believe in what we do, but we partner with them to make sure that we’re utilizing their product in the most efficient way,” he details. “They all have really good products that kind of sell themselves.”

Looking ahead, Gonyea Custom Homes remains grounded in its mission to make the homebuilding journey as personal, rewarding, and enjoyable as the finished product itself. “It’s less about the sticks and bricks of the house,” says Connolly. “We’re really about listening, building relationships, building trust, making it memorable.”

That client-first mindset is echoed in every stage of the process, from transparent budgeting to client centered design and ongoing communication. “It’s one of the biggest purchases you’re ever going to make,” Vranyes adds. “People have a lot of fear about building a home, because there’s so many builders out there, they have no idea who to trust. We want to show them it can be fun and they can live in the home of their dreams that really works for them and their family.”

AT A GLANCE

Who: Gonyea Custom Homes

What: A design build company founded in 1987, serving the twin cities and beyond

Where: Golden Valley Minnesota

Website: www.gonyeahomes.com