Clay Dietrich was only 15 when he landed his first job in home construction. His older brother, Brent, worked at the company and put in a good word with the boss to hire Clay as an apprentice carpenter. Soon he was cutting, staining, varnishing – and whatever other odd job his foreman told him to do – every day after school.

After a few years, Brent decided to go out on his own, and he took Clay with him. That was 1977.

By 1980, the country was in the midst of recession and times were hard. Dietrich Construction took whatever projects it could get, from building small homes to remodeling jobs and painting homes to trimming trees. The brothers got by while laying the foundation of a solid reputation for excellent craftsmanship, attention to the smallest detail and old-school integrity. The Dietrich boys did what they said they’d do, and they did it right the first time.

In the mid-1980s, interest rates went down and homebuilding started to rebound. More new homes were being constructed and Brent had an opportunity to get into hotel and multi-family construction. Clay took over managing the New Homes Building Division, which was formed in 1987.

By 1992, Dietrich Homes was incorporated as a separate company with Clay as its president and managing partner. Clay has designed and constructed many homes since then while building a strong reputation for detailed craftsmanship and integrity in his business dealings. Today, we enjoy a reputation as one of the premier design-build home builders in the area, a reputation that’s grown and spread thanks to the our many satisfied clients we’ve served over the years.

Clay was the chief designer, carpenter and business manager for the new division, handling everything for his clients, hiring subcontractors who met his stringent standards, doing much of the finishing work himself and handling paperwork at night. But by 2003 he needed help, and he hired his first employee, an office manager and designer who is still with the company today.

Clay’s son, Tom, has worked within the company since he was 16, learning the trade much like his father did. Tom earned his business degree in 2007 from North Dakota State University and joined Dietrich Homes full time as a craftsman and jobsite superintendent managing all the finish and trim work. He worked his way up and is now our vice president in charge of all construction management, site superintendents and sub-contractors.

Clay earned Certified Graduate Builder certification from the National Association of Home Builders in 2010, a designation that further substantiates his expertise in all areas of homebuilding, from construction to management, finance to subcontractor control.

Today, the Dietrich Homes staff includes an office manager, CAD person, interior designer, jobsite superintendents, shop manager and finish and framing carpenters, as well as many long time sub-contractors who work with us each day to deliver the highest quality homes available in the market.

Dietrich Homes has “arrived” in many ways, but we’re never done building. The process continues, both for our company and our clients, with integrity and unsurpassed quality as the foundation.