We’re brothers — Shelby and Jaymie — and we grew up in construction.

Our family built custom homes, so from a young age we were around sawdust, tools, and the satisfaction of creating something that lasts.

Building was in our blood, and we always dreamed of having homes of our own one day.

But when the time came, reality hit: the price of land and construction had doubled.

What used to feel possible was suddenly out of reach.

Still, we weren’t ready to give up on that dream. 💪

A Mountain, Some Tents, and a Hard Lesson 🏔️⛺

We scraped together what we could and bought the only land we could afford — 160 acres of rugged, off-grid mountain terrain.

Everyone else told us we were insane, but we saw potential.

We set up wall tents as rentals to start paying the bills. At first, it worked — people stayed, and we were excited.

But after three months, reality sank in: the tents demanded endless maintenance, could only be used part of the year, and didn’t live up to the standards we had grown up with.

By the end of that first winter, a few of them already collapsed.

We realized what we really needed was quality, durability, and comfort.

Something that could handle +40°C summers, -30°C winters, and still provide the premium experience we envisioned.

The $400,000 Lesson 💸

So we turned to the modular market — cabins, tiny homes, saunas.

We bought two tiny homes at $200,000 each. Premium price, premium promises.

We waited almost two years for delivery. And when they finally arrived, they were full of problems:

❌ Heating systems that didn’t work in the cold

❌ Floors cracked wide open

❌ Front doors that swung open by themselves

❌ Water lines that froze in winter

❌ Showers that leaked all over the floor

And when we asked for help fixing the issues? The company blamed us.

We had spent nearly half a million dollars and ended up with homes that caused more frustration than joy.

The $17,000 Mistake 🚢

Disheartened, we swung the other way.

If “premium” wasn’t really premium, maybe we’d just buy something cheap and lower our expectations.

We paid $17,000 for an insulated shipping container office space, promised in three months. It took almost a year.

When it showed up:

🚪 Doors leaked, pooling water inside

🧊 Barely an inch of insulation (none in the floor)

❄️ AC unit wasn’t even hooked up

Then the company went out of business. The second unit we had already paid for arrived half-finished, covered in mold.

The Sauna Wake-Up Call 🪵🔥

For us, saunas were never just an extra — they were a “wow factor.”

They help rentals book faster, rent at higher prices, and give guests an unforgettable experience.

We needed one to generate more income and keep our dream moving forward.

So we bought a cedar barrel sauna, the kind you see everywhere online. It looked fine at first, but after just one season the truth showed itself:

🪑 The benches inside and out were falling apart

🪵 The shell had shrunk so much that gaps opened everywhere, letting in cold air

🌬️ The heat never flowed evenly because of the design

⏳ The whole thing looked like it had been sitting outside for ten years

What was supposed to be a premium feature that elevated our rentals turned into another disappointment — and more wasted money.

That was our last straw.

Deciding to Do Better 🚀

By this point, we had tried everything: “premium” homes that failed us, cheap units that fell apart, and saunas that couldn’t survive a single season.

Each time, we ended up disappointed — not just because the product didn’t last, but because the process left us feeling misled, ignored, and stuck with problems no one would take responsibility for.

We realized we were asking the same question over and over:

👉 Why is it so hard to find a company that actually delivers what it promises?

We weren’t just frustrated as buyers — we were determined as builders. We knew it was possible to create something better.

Something people could trust. Something that lived up to the kind of quality we had grown up building.

That’s when we made the decision: if the industry couldn’t give us the solution we wanted, we’d build it ourselves.

We didn’t want to be another company selling cabins. We wanted to create a business that changed the experience of modular altogether:

🛡️ A company that would stand behind the product, instead of pointing fingers when things went wrong

🪚 A company that valued craftsmanship and detail over shortcuts and mass-market materials

🖥️ A company that was organized, modern, and professional, because we had seen how badly clients suffer when builders run unstable operations

🤝 A company that would guide people through the process, instead of leaving them on their own

We believed that if we combined true craftsmanship with systems, accountability, and care for the client, we could raise the standard for modular housing.

Not just for us, but for everyone searching for a better way.

That belief led us to Josef.

He was a true craftsman, building cabins and saunas with the quality we admired.

But he admitted the business side was pulling him away from what he loved most — designing and building.

He didn’t want to run the systems, manage growth, or oversee operations. That’s where we knew we could step in.

We weren’t just looking for a project — we were ready to build a company that reflected our values.

A modern modular company that combined craftsmanship + professionalism, delivering homes and cabins that people could finally trust.

That’s how Elk Ridge Cabin Co. became our next chapter. 🏡

Today, Elk Ridge exists to raise the standard for modular homes: homes that are stronger, smarter, and built with care from start to finish.

We believe the process should be just as rewarding as the day your home arrives.

And we’d love to show you what’s possible.

Whether you’re dreaming of a cabin, a studio, a sauna, or a full-time home, we’re here to help you create a space that lasts — and a process you actually enjoy.

We’re just a phone call away. 📞✨