Penta Builders Group

Barry Cavanaugh loves Steveston. The owner and president of Steveston based Penta Builders Group says, “I have travelled many places and I always look forward to coming home. I love Richmond.”

Following high school, Barry worked as a firefighter. After marrying his wife Laurie and having two children, he realized they needed to supplement their household income with a second job so he started a fencing and landscaping company. It was at this time he fell in love with construction.

Thirty years ago Barry took the next step and formed Penta Builders Group. By nature he is a highly organized person and decided to venture into the world of home building.

“When I started out in construction I had very little experience and working on sites I quickly realized that there’s a right and wrong way of doing things. The right way to build a home is by surrounding yourself with good people. I have put a team together over the last 30 years so we can control the quality of what we build. These guys are second to none with the detail, the knowledge of building codes and products – it’s all about consistency and the only way you can produce a consistently good product is to use the best people,” says Barry.

The small and loyal team is comprised of carpenters, landscapers, designers, talented craftsmen and experienced project managers - many of them have been with the company for over 20 years.

Penta’s scope of work includes building high-end quality custom and speculation single-family homes, multi-family homes, condominiums, townhouses, as well as restorations, commercial projects, and many home renovations.

Barry credits field manager Scott Cole and project manager Patrick Mullin as being masters of their craft.

His daughters Ashley Gaetz (design consultant) and Chelsea Cavanaugh (accounting) work alongside him at the Steveston based office, which is located in the beautiful building his company built on Bayview Street near Third Avenue.

Craftsman style homes are well suited for historical Steveston village. The most popular builds tend to be in the 2,000 to 3,000 square foot range. When it comes to design preference, both Craftsman and contemporary homes top the list.

Sought after features include open floor plans, radiant in floor heat, high ceilings, air Chelsea Cavanaugh conditioning and pre-wiring for smart homes. Barry believes wireless and smart technology are the way of the future for new builds.

Barry points out that while some people associate Penta with new projects, their services are also available for small renovations to fullscale makeovers.

They have heard many stories about renos going terribly wrong, but Penta’s clients can be assured that their work is done properly from start to finish from their knowledge of building codes, permit applications to their expertise in building.

Barry feels confident housing prices will stabilize. He remarks, “Vancouver is a world class city with world class prices. People want to live here.”

“We strive to make community contributions in ways that are significant, meaningful and long lasting,” Barry comments. He believes, “People who have more to give should give more.”

He is exceptionally proud to have married into the philanthropic Ilich family. Laurie’s parents are Maureen Ilich and the late Milan Ilich who amongst many significant accomplishments was an Order of British Columbia recipient.

Barry says, “We do what we can within our means to give back.” This includes contributing to Richmond Hospital Foundation’s Starlight Gala, Richmond Christmas Fund and sponsoring Richmond Girls’ Soccer.

He invites prospective clients to knock on the office door and find out what Penta can do for them. Barry, office manager Linda Nishi and Chelsea will happily answer your questions.

Reflecting back, Barry says, “I realized we were very good at what we did. Not only were we able to build a nice home but we also did it in a timely manner and on a set budget. Those three basic rules are still the basis of Penta. Customer service is what has given us longevity; Penta has been around for 30 years now. The future for Penta is to continue to build quality homes as we’ve done in the past.”

Barry concludes with a smile, "I enjoy what I do. It’s my passion to start from a sand lot and end up with a jewel of a finished home. It’s an exhilarating feeling.”

Penta Builders Group, 130-3531 Bayview Stree, Richmond BC V7E 5W3 Telephone 604-244-9594 www.pentabuilders.ca