A small custom builder gives you the owner’s cell number. It also gives you fewer people standing between your budget and a bad decision.
CAC Custom Homes, Inc. is a Wake Forest builder owned by Andy Cady. The company says it takes on “a limited number of homes each year,” works with clients whether or not they already own land, and offers both “flexible, highly customizable plans” and fully custom design-build. Its 2026 Franklin County Parade of Homes entry, The Sycamore, is a 2,995-square-foot, four-bedroom farmhouse at 3718 Hinton Mill Court in Franklinton, listed at $890,000.
That is the documented picture. This guide separates what CAC publishes from what a buyer still has to pin down in writing.
Who Is CAC Custom Homes?
CAC Custom Homes is a small, owner-led custom builder based at 213 N Main Street in wake-forest, according to its Franklin County Home Builders Association membership listing. Its website describes the company as a “Custom Home Builder in Wake Forest and Franklin County North Carolina.”
The people behind the company
The CAC website names two people:
- Andy Cady, owner and builder. CAC says Andy started on job sites working alongside his father, began as a carpenter framing homes, and then moved into project management for residential construction. The company says he has experience with both custom builds and larger developments. The site lists him as a board member of the Franklin County HBA and describes CAC as an “award winning Parade home builder.” It does not name the year or category of that award.
- Lisa Branch, real estate partner. CAC says Lisa helps clients with lot selection, planning, construction, financing, and closing, and that her residential real estate career dates to 2003. The 2026 Parade guide lists her with Julie Wright Realty Group as the agent on The Sycamore.
CAC also says its team includes a dedicated design professional who works with clients from early concepts through selections. The site does not name that person.
The company does not publish a founding year, a count of completed homes, or a general contractor license number. Confirm the license holder and status with the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors before you sign anything.
Where CAC builds
CAC positions itself in Wake Forest and Franklin County. Its 2026 Parade home carries a Franklinton mailing address, but the Parade guide’s own description places the homesite in Granville County, and the Parade map tags the Cannady Mill Road cluster as a Granville County location.
That detail matters. A Franklinton address does not tell you which county inspects the house, which school district serves it, or which tax rate applies. Ask for the parcel’s county before you compare it with anything in wake-forest.
Communities where CAC Custom Homes builds
CAC Custom Homes 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.
- Cedar Knolls, Youngsville
What Does CAC Custom Homes Build?
CAC builds single-family custom homes in the roughly 3,000-square-foot range, based on every home it currently publishes. Its portfolio leans toward modern farmhouse and craftsman exteriors with main-level owner’s suites.
| Buyer question | What the public record shows |
|---|---|
| Product type | Highly customizable plans plus fully custom design-build. |
| Volume | A “limited number of homes each year,” by the company’s own description. |
| Land | Owning land is not required; CAC says it helps with lot selection. |
| 2026 Parade price | $890,000 for The Sycamore, 2,995 sq ft, in Franklinton. |
| Published plan sizes | 2,972 to 3,393 sq ft across four portfolio homes. |
| Design firm on the Parade home | South Designs Inc. |
| Published price list | None. |
The four portfolio homes
CAC’s portfolio page shows four homes “we have built or currently have under construction”:
| Home | Size | Beds / baths | Notable features CAC lists |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Knolls | 3,393 sq ft | 4 / 3.5 | Main-level primary with dual walk-in closets, guest suite, pocket office, scullery, white oak floors, three-season porch, 3-car garage |
| Mill House | 3,093 sq ft | 3 / 4 | Main-level living, study, 18’ x 14’ screened porch, 3-car garage |
| Barndominium | 2,990 sq ft | 3–4 / 3.5–4.5 | Owner’s suite and second en suite on the main level, bonus room, drive-through garage |
| The Cedar | 2,972 sq ft | 4 / 3.5 | Main-level owner’s suite, upper-level bedrooms and storage |
Three of the four put the primary suite on the main floor. So does the Parade home. If you want one-level living with room upstairs for kids or guests, CAC’s published work is aimed squarely at you.
The 2026 Parade home: The Sycamore
The Sycamore is entry 4 in the 2026 Franklin County Parade of Homes. The guide lists:
- 3718 Hinton Mill Court, Franklinton
- $890,000
- 2,995 square feet, four bedrooms, four baths
- A vaulted family room with hardwood beams and a wood-burning fireplace
- Quartz kitchen counters and white oak floors throughout
- First-floor owner’s suite and first-floor guest suite
- Three covered porches, including an Eze-Breeze screened porch
- A three-car drive-through garage
- An unfinished second-floor playroom and unfinished storage
Read that last line twice. The upstairs playroom (28’2" x 15’8" on the plan) and storage are drawn as unfinished. Before you compare $890,000 against another builder’s price per square foot, confirm whether 2,995 is heated, finished space and what finishing the upper level would cost.
How Does the CAC Building Process Work?
CAC publishes a six-step process on its website that runs from the first conversation to move-in.
- Discovery: CAC learns your vision, lifestyle, and priorities.
- Design and planning: The team builds a customized plan around your goals.
- Permitting and approvals: CAC prepares and coordinates permits so plans are approved before construction begins.
- Site prep: Clearing, grading, and pouring the foundation.
- Construction: CAC manages the build.
- Final walkthrough: You review every detail with the builder before move-in.
The sequence is clean. The contract is what makes it enforceable.
Turn each step into a document
Discovery should end with a written scope and a budget range. Design should end with approved plans and a specification sheet. Permitting should end with a permit number you can look up. Site prep should come with a site-work allowance and a stated plan for rock, unsuitable soil, and tree removal. Construction needs a draw schedule and an update cadence. The walkthrough needs a punch-list deadline and a written warranty start date.
On rural Franklin and Granville County land, site prep is where budgets move. Ask whether the lot needs a well and septic, what the perc test allows, how long the driveway runs, and who pays if the system design changes. Our guides to buying land to build a house and North Carolina septic systems walk through those questions.
What Should You Verify Before Signing With CAC?
Before signing with CAC Custom Homes, verify the license, the allowances, the warranty, and who represents you. A small builder’s strength is access to the owner. Your protection is still the paper.
Confirm the license and the contracting entity
CAC’s HBA listing uses the name CAC Custom Homes, Inc. Make sure that is the entity on your contract, then confirm its general contractor license and limitation with the NC Licensing Board for General Contractors. Ask for certificates of general liability and workers’ compensation insurance.
Get the warranty in writing
CAC’s website does not describe a warranty. That does not mean there isn’t one. It means you need the document itself: what is covered, for how long, how claims are submitted, and how fast the builder responds. Compare it against our home builder warranty guide before your deposit goes hard.
Ask who represents whom
CAC’s real estate partner, Lisa Branch, is the listing agent on the Parade home. That is a normal arrangement for a builder. It also means the agent introduced by the builder works with the builder. Read why the builder’s agent is not your agent before you decide whether you want separate representation on the lot purchase and the construction contract.
Pressure-test the allowances
Ask CAC for an allowance schedule on cabinets, countertops, flooring, lighting, plumbing fixtures, appliances, and landscaping. Then price the products you actually want against those numbers. The Sycamore’s white oak floors and quartz counters are a useful benchmark: ask whether those finishes are standard at $890,000 or upgrades.
Talk to past clients
CAC’s website does not publish testimonials. Ask for three recent clients whose homes match yours in size and lot type, and ask them how close the final cost landed to the contract, how change orders were priced, and how quickly punch-list items were fixed.
How Does CAC Compare With Other Building Options?
CAC sits between a production builder and a full luxury custom firm. It offers customizable plans, but it does not publish a fixed plan catalog with base prices.
| Building model | Plan flexibility | Price certainty | Owner access | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production builder | Low | Higher, earlier | Low | Buyers who want a known plan and a fixed lot |
| CAC-style small custom | High | Develops with the plan | High | Buyers who want to work directly with the builder on land outside the subdivisions |
| Full luxury custom | Highest | Develops slowly | Varies | $1.5M+ projects with an architect leading design |
If you want to see how pre-sale and spec homes differ from a ground-up custom contract, read our spec vs. pre-sale guide.
Who Is a Strong Fit for CAC Custom Homes?
CAC fits a buyer who wants a custom farmhouse-style home around 3,000 square feet, likes main-level living, and wants to deal directly with the owner.
The strongest candidates usually have:
- a budget in the range of CAC’s $890,000 Parade home, or a clear reason to build smaller;
- land in Franklin, Granville, or northern Wake County, or flexibility to let the builder help find it;
- time to make design and selection decisions on CAC’s schedule;
- an independent agent and attorney reviewing the land and construction contracts.
CAC is a weaker fit for buyers who want a published price sheet, a large design center, or a guaranteed move-in date before plans are drawn.
Final Thoughts About CAC Custom Homes From Tim Clarke
CAC Custom Homes has the profile small-builder buyers say they want: an owner who came up through carpentry and framing, a real estate partner who helps with land, a dedicated designer, and a stated cap on how many homes it builds in a year. The Sycamore puts a number on the work. $890,000 for 2,995 square feet with an unfinished upper level, three porches, and a drive-through garage on land in Granville County.
That number is a starting point for questions, not an answer.
I have spent 17+ years in Triangle real estate, and the rural custom builds that go well share one habit. The buyer settles the land questions first. County, perc, well, driveway, and site-work allowance come before the kitchen. Then the allowances get matched to the finishes the buyer actually wants, and the warranty and change-order terms go into the contract.
Our team builds and sells. We read site plans, allowance schedules, and builder contracts for a living, and we represent the buyer, not the builder. If CAC is on your list, bring us the lot, the plan, and the proposal. We will tell you what the number includes, what it leaves out, and how it compares. Call us at (919) 355-8462 to set up a review or a tour.
Sources
- https://www.caccustomhomesnc.com/
- https://www.caccustomhomesnc.com/about-1
- https://www.caccustomhomesnc.com/faq
- https://www.caccustomhomesnc.com/portfolio
- https://www.caccustomhomesnc.com/portfolio/project-one-f5w4d-z9nem-s3jda-eyssk-a6prr-ggfjp-85yp7-5a9ya-dxxkr-aec6y-rlh59-87wng-ztzx9 (The Knolls)
- https://www.caccustomhomesnc.com/portfolio/project-one-f5w4d-z9nem-s3jda-eyssk-a6prr-ggfjp-85yp7-5a9ya-dxxkr-9atr5-d4ljb-yejpa-hws3p-ys925 (Mill House)
- https://www.caccustomhomesnc.com/portfolio/project-one-f5w4d-z9nem-s3jda-eyssk-a6prr-ggfjp-85yp7-5a9ya-637d4-e4xfc-w2rk5-zc9fm (Barndominium)
- https://www.caccustomhomesnc.com/portfolio/project-one-f5w4d-z9nem-s3jda-eyssk-a6prr-ggfjp-85yp7-6rxy5-s5le7-a5s4s-eg9jg (The Cedar)
- https://members.franklincountyhba.com/member-directory/Details/cac-custom-homes-inc-4688734
- https://franklincountyhba.com/parade-of-homes/
- https://growthzonecmsprodeastus.azureedge.net/sites/2621/2026/09/2026-Parade-Map-compressed.jpg (2026 Franklin County Parade map and entry list)
- https://issuu.com/circamagazine/docs/2026_franklin_county_parade_of_homes_guide (2026 Franklin County Parade of Homes guide, page 18)
- Tim M. Clarke Team field knowledge, October 2026 (community list confirmed by Tim M. Clarke)
