Ripley Beckman

Fine Building

IN THE HEART OF CHARLOTTESVILLE

Residential Remodeling, Additions + Custom Homes

Since 1999

Building Leadership 

Working in the construction industry for over twenty years, we’ve learned through blood, sweat and tears what it takes to be leaders in our field. We’ve seen a lot, and found creative solutions for the most challenging situations. 

We’re now passing that knowledge on to the younger generation, giving them an opportunity to become the next artisans who uphold the traditional values imbued in fine craftsmanship, which also means doing work that stands the test of time.

When we work with you to bring your vision to life, we are aware of the magical process of ‘design and build’ that’s unfolding in one of the most sacred places of all — your home.

That’s why each team member who comes to Ripley Beckman is taught through our apprentice program to do it “the Ripley Beckman way” — which means doing a meticulous job the first time, and equally as important to “do right by the client.”

We take each new project to heart, listen to what our clients really want, and do what we say we’re going to do. 

Our goal is to train top level tradesmen while satisfying our clients so completely that they will deliberately seek us out again.

We are proud of our work and of our fiscal transparency which has built trust over the years. We are honored to say that many of our clients become like family to us, welcoming us into their homes again and again. We’re so grateful to the good people we work with, and how we are all made better from our time together.

“Working with these guys was magic.”

~ John D’earth

Highlights + PRAISE

“Working with these guys was magic. I could not be happier with them from beginning to end.”

John D’earth

“I really appreciate the attention to detail, the flexibity and the clear communication that comes with each project we do together. I wish I’d found them years ago!”

~ Andrea Danforth

“Of all of the trials and tribulations that come with building your new home, it says something when your general contractor becomes one of your best friends afterwards!”

Tom Z. 

“There is no better feeling than doing it right, and doing right by the client.”

Chris Sigrist, Project Manager

OUR COMPANIES + PROJECTS

Beginner's Mind

We created Beginner’s Mind as a means of pairing beginners with experienced craftsmen in the building trades. Our purpose is to allow beginners to build skills and follow their interests through supervised, hands on experience and to instill in the experienced craftsman a beginner’s mind. Our motto is, “No matter how experienced you are, you can always learn something new.” Currently, we are renovating vintage trailers and loving every minute of it.

Ripley Electric

Due to our love of learning new things, we created our own electric company. Under the supervision of a master electrician with decades of experience, we built ourselves up from beginners to not only serving our own construction company, but also providing services for both residential and corporate clients. Click to find out more about our company and services.



Project Independence

We created Project Independence to address two interrelated problems. As contractors, our greatest challenge is finding skilled employees who share our work ethic. As members of the Charlottesville community, we also know that there are very few options for people who like working with their hands to get a start, better themselves and then establish a fulfilling career. We integrated Project Independence into our company as a way of providing tradesmen with an alternate path to starting their own companies.