serving the greater denver area
Where designers + builders come together
Prenvalley Builders is a full-service design & build company with a talented group of design professionals, construction managers & builders.
Our design team IS our build team, allowing us to incorporate feedback from construction into design, maximizing quality, building performance, and material / labor efficiency. This feedback is frequently lost in the traditional build process, where the designer doesn't collaborate with the builder leading to mistakes and oversights that compromise quality, efficiency, energy performance and the project budget.
The highest quality, most cost-effective buildings are a result of detailed planning and communication between the owner, designer and builder.
Prenvalley Builders offers this synergy, pairing it with our customer’s vision, producing exceptional results.
The team at Prenvalley Builders is passionate about unique buildings that will stand the test of time thanks to their character, craftsmanship, and energy performance. Additionally, we believe that designers & builders have a responsibility to act as stewards of the environment by minimizing material use, selecting responsibly sourced materials, and recycling job-site waste whenever possible. These are challenging goals in the ultra-competitive construction industry, but we believe we need not ignore environmental stewardship to remain competitive.
Check out our episode on building off the grid
featuring prenvalley owner, Phil Daughton
Meet the Team
Phil Daughton
OWNER AND DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
Phil started Prenvalley Builders right before a certain global pandemic in January 2020. He decided he was fed up with the cut-throat business of construction and wanted to build (no pun intended) a company based around passion, integrity, and craftsmanship. He’s honed in on these principles over the years, receiving a dual degree in Construction Management and Engineering from Syracuse University and working with various organizations and companies like Habitat for Humanity, a custom-home builder, and commercial construction. Phil believes that if a business is surrounded with hard-working, high-integrity, driven employees and trades that the working environment becomes a lot less stressful which translates to a better product and experience for the client. And when things do get a little too stressful, he finds time to unwind with friends and check out a new restaurant or brewery.
James Priester
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER AND ENGINEER
James holds the longest tenure of living in Colorado (19 years!), after relocating from rural Illinois for school. He received his BSCE from UC Boulder, and definitely has the funnest responsibility here - drawing! Kidding, but really James handles the Design side of the business and partners up with Phil to complete our clients’ architectural drawings. He’s spent most of his career in the design build construction industry from large commercial project to residential, and is a licensed Professional Engineer in both Colorado and Illinois. And if that’s not an achievement enough, he enjoys tackling 14ers or backpacking to alpine lakes.
Stephan Rupp
PROJECT MANAGER
Steve hails from Indiana, and grew up learning all about masonry and carpentry from his father. But his real childhood hero was MacGyver (sorry Dad!). He enjoyed collecting building scrap and letting his own inner MacGyver flow, but he also found time to help his Dad with home remodels including two additions to their family home. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in Business and Tourism and a stint in the restaurant industry, Steve found his way back to carpentry helping his friend (our own Paul) with his construction company. That’s when Steve decided to move to Colorful Colorado, and found his way to us. Along with his carpentry craft, Steve manages our Central and East Denver projects. When he’s not thinking about building, his heart is happiest in the mountains.
Paul Smith
LEAD CARPENTER
Paul comes to us all the way from Manchester, England! But don’t expect a British accent when you meet him, he grew up in Indiana where he graduated with a BS in Geography and Urban Transportation. Paul has an innate knack for detail, which he pursued further in the Limestone Capital of the US by building garden arbors and limestone hardscaping. He started his own construction company in Indiana, focused on high-end finishes and craft. However, the mountains (and his good friend Steve) called to him to move further West and Paul joined us out here in late 2021 as Lead Carpenter. He is an avid cyclist and runner, and you can find him hiking, biking or trail running in Boulder almost every weekend!
Laura Gallant
PROJECT COORDINATOR
Laura’s role in our company is a sort of “jane-of-all-trades''. While she comes with minimal technical construction experience (not including that tool-box she made in HS), she has a passion for process and procedure which she’s been fine-tuning since right out of College where she studied Culinary Arts. Just like the many career titles she has held from Baker to Solar Ops Associate to Commercial HVAC Coordinator, Laura handles a multitude of responsibilities here including A/R & A/P, client and contractor coordination, finish selection assistance and ordering, and social media guru! And when she’s not keeping all of us in line, she enjoys cooking and entertaining friends, and hitting up different Colorado venues for some concerts!
Bret Bracey
PROJECT MANAGER
Bret has called Colorado his home for 13+ years and has known our Designer, James, since High School! Although his professional path began with a dual degree in Finance and Business Administration, he spent almost 10 years working in Senior Living managing independent, assisted, and memory care living facilities. His real passions however have always lied with real estate, home improvement and building science and he has been investing and improving his five-home portfolio since 2012. He actually contracted Phil to build his backyard ADU (check it out in our gallery!) But we believe he’s finally found the perfect “home” here with our team, managing all of our North and West Denver projects. While he’s always keeping up with new building ideas and construction techniques via The Build Show or This Old House, he also enjoys the typical Colorado activities of camping, hiking, biking, skiing, and board game nights with friends.