All I Do Is Build
How Lance Holder Turns Craft, Relationships, and Vision into Lasting Homes
Story by Gabriella Nevin
Photography provided by Holder Homes LLC
Lance Holder of Holder Homes LLC has been building in the valley and beyond for over thirty years now. This experience has led to the culmination of an incredible subcontractor base, strong working relationships with the county and city offices, and a long list of clients who rave about their experience working with him. When you ask Lance what he is most proud of, he is quick to point to the tradesmen he is beyond proud to work with. Looking back at the decision to become a builder, Lance doesn’t recall a pivotal moment where he knew he wanted to become a contractor; he just has always loved to build. With a contented smile, he says simply, “All I do is build.” He laughs as he talks about his wife wanting to travel and check things off a vacation list, while he’s happiest doing what he’s always done—building. Thirty years in, the work hasn’t lost its pull. For Lance, building isn’t a career; it’s what brings him fulfillment, purpose, and a deep sense of satisfaction that hasn’t faded with time.
The Holder Family has roots that date way back in all things real estate. His grandmother was a real estate broker in the 60s and 70s in Grants Pass under the name Holder Realty, and his grandfather developed land and worked in realty as well. His father at the time owned a window company in San Diego. It wasn’t until the 1980s that they made the move to Oregon.
In 1990, Lance got his contractor’s license, and although he is based in Southern Oregon, he has had amazing opportunities to work out of state for clients in Nevada, California, Colorado, and Texas. Through those opportunities he was exposed to different architectural styles first hand and to different ways of doing things. Those experiences broadened his perspective. Each project refined what thoughtful design truly means to him, and it was formative in the way he approached design moving forward.
Folks who are building for the first or even second, third or fourth time come with a lot of fear and stereotypes of what contractors are like. They want to get to the root of who you are because they are making a huge investment in the project, and they need to be able to quickly build trust. Lance expresses the importance of building homes and spaces and making decisions that his clients are going to enjoy forever or will benefit future owners as well.
Lance is a visionary, seeing what “could be” rather than what most of us get hung up on—what is existing. A client for whom Lance began building a custom home about three years ago expressed it was his first time building a home from scratch. “It is intimidating when everything is fully customizable.” But he expressed that Lance was the easiest person to work with. After the plans were drawn up, they were doing a walk through discovered a bathroom would fit well in an empty space. Lance worked with the architect to make the adjustment and nothing was ever an issue. He also referenced a massive kitchen island that needed to be shifted, and Lance problem-solved on the fly and got the manpower to make the move. Not only during the building process, but after moving in, the client noted, “Lance didn’t go away once the house was built.” Navigating a brand new home, he was able to call Lance to ask questions if he ever came across something that he was personally unfamiliar with. The client also mentioned the friendly and helpful subcontractors that worked on the project.
I decided to call one of the subs to see what it was like working with Lance. Ponch, the owner of Ponch Lizarraga Construction and a spectacular framer for over 30 years, enthusiastically shared how wonderful it is to work for Lance. For 15 to 20 years now Ponch has appreciated the way Lance always makes things more like a family business rather than just business. “He cares, he asks you about your family, and you always want to work for him.” When the subs feel valued, you get cohesiveness on the job where everyone cares who is coming behind them and does a quality job.
This is an aspect that is of utmost importance. “Your home is where your family is and the people and things you want to keep most safe,” he says. “The moment you hire a contractor you’ve got 30 workers in your home or on your property. You want to know that the people there have a great reputation.” Having lived in the community for decades, Lance has gained a great rapport with clients. He has also built relationships with the staff in the city and county offices, bringing a vested interest that goes far beyond any project. City and county officials recognize that commitment, knowing his goal isn’t just to build houses, but to create homes that strengthen neighborhoods, increase property values, and contribute positively to the town as a whole. That shared vision has made the building process a true partnership, which has helped immensely in permitting and navigating tricky zoning—especially when building along the Rogue River and in the Wild and Scenic Corridor.
Although Lance has maneuvered through the computerization of plans and permitting, he speaks of the time when you could just go in person and talk with someone or submit a set of paper plans. As the people in offices get moved behind glass and walls, Lance still goes the extra mile to be relational. Laughing, he recalls hollering through glass, “I know you’re back there Terri,” gently encouraging staff to come to the window so he could have a real, face-to-face conversation. It’s a small moment, but one that captures who Lance is: a true people person who values relationships and believes collaboration is key. The connections and knowledge that Lance has established over the years makes the building process often quicker and less expensive because he knows the swiftest way to get the task at hand accomplished.
Holder Homes LLC can tackle any project from start to finish—from land development, parcels, bringing in power, surveying, building infrastructure. Beginning with bare land is something they are highly competent in doing. They can also take the existing and remodel it into your dream home or commercial space.
For those ready to build, Holder Homes LLC says, “Let’s build together!”
