You found the street. Mature oaks, sidewalks, a ten-minute walk to coffee. The house on the lot is a 1950s ranch with a tired roof, and the land under it is worth more than the house.
That is the situation Boardwalk Building Company was built for. The Raleigh company has focused on infill construction near downtown since 2002: tearing down or building on existing lots in established neighborhoods and putting a new, high-performance house where an old one stood. It designs with outside home designers, runs construction through its own construction manager, and leans hard into wellness features most builders never mention, like hot and cold tub setups and whole-home air purification.
Its public record has real gaps, though. No prices, no warranty terms, and a website that has not been fully refreshed in years. This guide covers what Boardwalk publishes and what you should confirm before you sign.
Who Is Boardwalk Building Company?
Boardwalk Building Company is the trade name of Boardwalk Enterprises Inc., a Raleigh luxury custom home builder established in 2002. Its homepage says it is “Celebrating 20+ years of Luxury Custom Home Building.” The company is listed as a builder member in the 2025 Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County directory.
The documented history
The company’s website describes Michele as a designer-builder who thinks about how color interacts with light, flow, and materials. Client testimonials on the site name Michele and Eric Kling, and one client credits “the Klings” with a commitment to revitalizing downtown Raleigh. The company does not publish formal titles or ownership details.
Boardwalk lists a mailing address of PO Box 32038, Raleigh, NC 27622, and the phone number (919) 235-2063. It publishes office hours of Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday mornings. There is no street address on the site.
One naming note: the company markets itself as Boardwalk Building Company, and the older domain boardwalkbuildingcompany.com now redirects to boardwalkenterprisesinc.com. The legal entity is Boardwalk Enterprises Inc. That is the name you should see on your contract.
Beyond new homes
Boardwalk’s site also has commercial and rentals sections. Its residential work is the focus of this page.
Where Does Boardwalk Build?
Boardwalk builds in raleigh, and specifically in the walkable neighborhoods around downtown. Its residential page lists the areas where the company says its “passion lies”:
- Longview
- Oxford Park
- Battery Heights
- Olde Raleigh
- East Raleigh
- Country Club Hills
- Quarry Hills
- South Park
- Hunter Park
Read that list as a statement of focus. The site does not attach addresses to its projects, so it is not a verified list of completed homes in each neighborhood. One testimonial mentions a newly built home on Dunhill Drive and a project on Anderson Drive. Another comes from a client living in a Boardwalk home near downtown.
What Does Boardwalk Build?
Boardwalk builds custom infill homes designed for a specific lot and the character of the street around it. Its gallery runs from modern to traditional.
| Buyer question | What the public record shows |
|---|---|
| State contractor license | L.52297 (Boardwalk Enterprises, Inc.): Building classification, unlimited license limit, active through Dec. 31, 2026 per the NC Licensing Board for General Contractors, checked Oct. 14, 2026 |
| Home type | Luxury custom homes, mostly infill on existing lots |
| Location focus | Established neighborhoods near downtown Raleigh |
| Styles in the gallery | Modern dwelling with poolhouse, modern urban, modern farmhouse, coastal, multi-generational traditional |
| Design | Works with outside “award-winning home designers” (not named) |
| Construction | Company acts as general contractor; in-house construction manager oversees every project |
| Wellness features | Spa baths, deep soaking tubs, hot and cold tub setups, oversized spa showers, whole-home air purification |
| Energy | Describes its homes as high-performance and energy-efficient |
| Pricing | Not published |
| Warranty | Not published |
| Awards | Gallery lists a “Parade of Homes - Gold Winner” home; year not stated |
The gallery
The photo gallery labels its projects rather than addressing them: a “Futureview house” marked available now, an “architectural gem: modern dwelling & poolhouse,” “Modern Urban Luxury,” a “Modern farmhouse plus income unit over garage,” the “Evergreen Fog Farmhouse,” a modern farmhouse infill, a “Coastal Getaway in the city,” a “Multi-Generational Traditional,” and the Parade of Homes Gold winner. Every project except the Futureview house is marked sold.
The income unit over the garage is worth noticing. Near downtown, a rentable apartment can change the math on an expensive lot, and Boardwalk has built at least one.
The wellness angle
Boardwalk’s homepage spends more words on how a house feels than on square footage. Calming, nature-inspired colors. Water therapy elements. Air purification and materials chosen for indoor air quality. Its recent design notes push color in kitchens over all-white cabinets, with Sherwin-Williams Breezy, a soft blue-green, as a signature shade.
How Does Building With Boardwalk Work?
Boardwalk describes three parts to its approach:
- Tailored design. Each home is designed for its specific site and the neighborhood’s character, working with outside home designers.
- Construction under its own management. The company acts as general contractor, and an in-house construction manager oversees every project.
- Detail and performance. The company says it builds high-performance, energy-efficient homes.
Testimonials add color. One client says he worked with Boardwalk for about a year before breaking ground, and that the company kept the project near budget by bidding work out to multiple subcontractors. He also says the company followed through on his one-year punch list.
A year of preconstruction is normal for infill. Plan your current housing around it.
What Should You Verify Before Signing With Boardwalk?
Before signing with Boardwalk, verify the entity, the lot, the price, and the warranty. Infill rewards good builders and punishes surprises. Our guides to finding a Triangle builder and why the builder’s agent works for the builder explain how to keep someone on your side.
Confirm the license and the entity
Match Boardwalk Enterprises Inc. and the license number on the contract to the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. The website does not publish a license number.
Ask for recent, addressed work
The gallery has no addresses or dates, and the site’s footer still carries a 2018 copyright. Ask for addresses of homes completed in the last two or three years, and for the year of the Parade of Homes Gold award. Drive the streets. Call the owners.
Price the lot before you price the house
Infill lots carry costs a subdivision lot does not: demolition, tree protection, stormwater rules, utility upgrades, and neighbors watching every truck. Ask what the contract includes for demolition and site work, and what it leaves out.
Pin down the allowances
Wellness features like hot and cold tubs and whole-home purification are easy to sketch and expensive to install. Get them itemized, with allowances in writing.
Get the warranty in writing
Boardwalk does not publish warranty terms, though a client describes its one-year punch-list follow-up. Ask for the written warranty and compare it with our home-builder warranty guide.
How Does Boardwalk Compare With Other Building Options?
Boardwalk is a small, design-led infill builder focused on one part of one city.
| Option | Lot | Design | Builder access | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boardwalk custom infill | Existing lot near downtown | Outside designer, built for the site | Direct to principals | Buyers who want new construction on an established street |
| Boardwalk available home | Builder’s lot | Already designed | Direct | Buyers who want a finished Boardwalk home now |
| Production builder | Subdivision lot | Standard plans | Sales office | Buyers who want amenities and a fixed process |
| Resale near downtown | Existing | Existing | None | Buyers who accept an older house for location |
Who Is a Strong Fit for Boardwalk?
Boardwalk fits a buyer who wants to live close to downtown Raleigh in a new house and cares how that house feels day to day.
The strongest candidates usually:
- own a lot, or are ready to buy one, in an established neighborhood near downtown;
- want a design that respects the street around it;
- value wellness features like spa baths and air purification;
- have time for a long preconstruction period;
- will ask for references and recent addresses before signing.
It is a weaker fit for buyers who want published pricing, a large plan library, or a home in the suburbs.
Final Thoughts About Boardwalk Building Company From Tim Clarke
Boardwalk has spent more than twenty years building one kind of house in one kind of place: new homes on old streets near downtown Raleigh. Its clients describe honest budgeting and follow-through after closing. Its gallery shows range, from a modern poolhouse to a farmhouse with a rental unit over the garage.
The website, though, leaves a lot unsaid. No prices, no warranty, no addresses. Get those in writing before you commit to anything.
I have spent 17+ years in Triangle real estate. Our team builds as well as sells, so we know what infill really costs once the old house comes down. The builder’s salesperson represents the builder. We represent you, and we read the lot, the contract, and the allowances with your money in mind.
If you are weighing a Boardwalk home or a Boardwalk build on your own lot, call us at (919) 355-8462.
Sources
- https://boardwalkenterprisesinc.com/
- https://boardwalkenterprisesinc.com/residential-1
- https://boardwalkenterprisesinc.com/photos
- https://boardwalkenterprisesinc.com/testimonials
- https://boardwalkenterprisesinc.com/contact-us
- 2025 HBA Raleigh-Wake County builder-member directory (print)
- https://portal.nclbgc.org/Public/Search (NC Licensing Board for General Contractors, license L.52297)
