Four bedrooms, a screened porch, a home office, and 1.19 acres of land for $629,900. That is what Blackwell Builders brought to the 2026 Franklin County Parade of Homes.
Blackwell Builders, Inc. is a family-run North Carolina builder whose 2026 Parade home sits in Cannady Mill, north of Franklinton. Its paper trail is longer than most small builders’: a Better Business Bureau file showing a 1995 start date, two active North Carolina building licenses on BuildZoom, and dozens of permitted projects. What it does not have is a working website, so the buyer has to assemble the picture from public records.
This guide does that work for you, then lists what you still need to confirm before you sign.
Who Is Blackwell Builders, Inc.?
Blackwell Builders, Inc. is a residential builder led by Ginger Blackwell. The Better Business Bureau lists her as president. The Franklin County Home Builders Association directory lists her as owner and principal, with (919) 291-8015 as the company phone. That is the same number printed on Blackwell’s page in the 2026 Parade guide, which ties the company record to the Parade home.
The documented history
The public record on Blackwell, by source:
| Record | What it shows |
|---|---|
| BBB business profile | Business started May 31, 1995; Wake Forest address on Orange Cosmos Avenue; not BBB accredited, not rated, 0 complaints in the last three years |
| BuildZoom (secondary) | NC building licenses #35399 and #60174, both reported active as of May 2026; 47 permitted projects; owners listed as Ginger Farrell Blackwell and Karl E. Blackwell |
| Franklin County HBA | Builder member; mailing address PO Box 926, Dunn |
| 2026 Parade guide | Entry #5, “Rylee,” 3710 Noah Mill Trace, Franklinton |
Thirty-one years since the BBB start date is a real track record. It is also a reason to ask who is running job sites today. Long-lived builders change superintendents, trades, and sometimes ownership. Ask.
Where Blackwell has built
Permit records summarized by BuildZoom show new houses in Franklinton on Basil Court, Woodford Way, and Medicus Lane. They also show smaller jobs elsewhere in the Triangle: a deck and screen-porch replacement in rolesville and a one-bedroom, two-bath addition in raleigh. That mix tells you Blackwell takes on additions and outdoor-living work as well as new homes.
Communities where Blackwell Builders builds
Blackwell Builders builds in these communities, based on our team’s own knowledge of the builder’s work. Ask the builder which have homesites open today before you plan around one.
- Paddocks at Woodford, Zebulon
What Did Blackwell Show at the 2026 Parade?
Blackwell Builders entered one home in the 2026 Franklin County Parade of Homes: The Rylee, a cottage-style ranch in Cannady Mill.
| Buyer question | What the public record shows |
|---|---|
| Plan name | The Rylee |
| Address | 3710 Noah Mill Trace, Franklinton (Cannady Mill) |
| Listed price | $629,900 |
| Heated square footage | 2,612 sq ft |
| Lot size | 1.19 acres |
| Bedrooms / baths | 4 bedrooms, 3 baths |
| Layout | Three bedrooms on the main floor; bedroom 4 with bath and walk-in closet upstairs |
| Work space | Dedicated home office |
| Outdoor living | Screened porch, covered front porch |
| Garage | Two-car, 21’2" x 22’4" |
| Plan designer | Dynamic Design Group |
| Listing agent | Janice Coleman, Julie Wright Realty Group |
At those numbers, The Rylee lists at roughly $241 per heated square foot, land included. On a lot over an acre, that land share matters. Ask what the builder paid for the lot, or what comparable acre-plus lots in Cannady Mill have sold for, so you can separate the house price from the dirt.
How the floor plan works
The Rylee is built around a 19’6" x 16’0" family room, an 11’8" x 20’4" kitchen with island and pantry, and a 17’4" x 15’0" morning room that opens to the screened porch. The primary suite (14’0" x 15’0") has its own bath and walk-in closet, separated from bedrooms 2 and 3 by the kitchen and laundry.
Bedroom 4 sits upstairs alone, 14’0" x 15’4", with its own bath, a walk-in closet, and attic storage beside it. That room works as a guest suite, a teenager’s room, or a second office.
What large-lot buyers must check
Acre-plus lots outside town limits almost always mean a private well and a septic system. A public lot listing in the Cannady Mill Farms area states that water and sewage are private and that owners pay an annual road-maintenance fee. Confirm the following for 3710 Noah Mill Trace specifically:
- the septic permit, the number of bedrooms it is approved for, and the location of the repair area;
- the well report, including flow rate and water-quality test results;
- the road-maintenance agreement, annual fee, and who maintains the road;
- any restrictive covenants that limit fences, outbuildings, or pools.
A four-bedroom house on a three-bedroom septic permit is a resale problem you do not want to inherit.
How to Evaluate Blackwell Builders Before You Sign
A builder with a long record and no website gets evaluated through documents, references, and inspections. Our guides to finding a Triangle builder and understanding whose interests the builder’s agent represents walk through the full comparison.
Verify the license and the entity
BuildZoom reports two active building licenses. Confirm them yourself with the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors, and match the licensed entity to the name on your contract. Ask who the license qualifier is.
Ask for recent buyers, not old ones
Thirty years of work means a long list of past clients. Ask for references from homes closed in the last two years, built by the same superintendent who would run yours. Ask those owners:
- Did the final price match the contract?
- How close to the promised date did they close?
- How were punch-list and first-year warranty items handled?
- Would they build with Blackwell again?
Inspect before drywall
The most useful inspection on new construction happens before drywall, while framing, wiring, plumbing, and ductwork are still visible. Put a pre-drywall inspection and a final inspection in the contract. Then compare the written warranty against our home-builder warranty guide.
How Does Blackwell Compare With Other Building Options?
Blackwell’s documented work spans finished homes on large rural lots, additions, and outdoor-living projects. That range is typical of a long-established local builder and different from a production company.
| Building model | Lot type | Price certainty | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Production builder | Subdivision lots, usually under half an acre | High, early | Buyers who want a fixed plan menu and a set schedule |
| Local builder, acreage home (Blackwell’s Parade model) | One acre or more, often well and septic | High once the house is built | Buyers who want land, privacy, and a finished house |
| Full custom on your own land | Your lot | Develops with plans and site work | Buyers who already own land and want to design from scratch |
Who Is a Strong Fit for Blackwell Builders?
Blackwell Builders fits a buyer who wants an acre or more north of the Triangle, a ranch-style main floor, and a builder with a long local record.
The strongest candidates usually:
- want land and privacy more than a short commute;
- are comfortable with well water and septic, and will pay to inspect both;
- need four bedrooms, or three plus an office and a guest suite;
- will bring their own agent, inspector, and attorney.
If you want sidewalks, a neighborhood pool, and city utilities, look at subdivision product instead.
Final Thoughts About Blackwell Builders From Tim Clarke
Blackwell Builders has something many small builders cannot show: a business record that starts in 1995, active licenses, and permit history across Franklinton, Rolesville, and Raleigh. The Rylee puts that experience into a practical four-bedroom ranch on more than an acre.
None of that replaces your own due diligence. On an acreage home, the septic permit, the well, and the road agreement can matter as much as the kitchen. Get those documents, inspect before drywall, and read the warranty before your deposit goes hard.
We have spent 17+ years in Triangle real estate, and our team builds as well as sells. We know what to look for in a framing walk, a septic permit, and a builder’s purchase agreement, and we represent the buyer, not the builder.
If The Rylee or Cannady Mill is on your list, call us at (919) 355-8462. We will pull land and home comparables, review the contract, line up the inspections, and tell you plainly whether the price fits.
Sources
- Franklin County Home Builders Association, 2026 Parade of Homes page: https://franklincountyhba.com/parade-of-homes/
- 2026 Franklin County Parade of Homes guide (Entry #5, page 20): https://issuu.com/circamagazine/docs/2026_franklin_county_parade_of_homes_guide
- 2026 Franklin County Parade of Homes entries map: https://growthzonecmsprodeastus.azureedge.net/sites/2621/2026/09/2026-Parade-Map-compressed.jpg
- Franklin County HBA member directory, Blackwell Builders: https://members.franklincountyhba.com/member-directory/Details/blackwell-builders-4688597
- Better Business Bureau, Blackwell Builders Inc: https://www.bbb.org/us/nc/wake-forest/profile/home-builders/blackwell-builders-inc-0593-90158119
- BuildZoom, Blackwell Builders Inc (secondary): https://www.buildzoom.com/contractor/blackwell-builders-inc
- Cannady Mill Farms lot listing, 3848 Furrow Lane (secondary, for area well/septic/road terms): https://www.jimallen.com/homes/3848-Furrow-Lane-Franklinton-NC-27525/2820d29ec03920a8c1950b01506f894c
- Tim M. Clarke Team field knowledge, October 2026 (community list confirmed by Tim M. Clarke)
