Some buyers walk into a model home and feel nothing. Same staircase, same white kitchen, same gray LVP as the last six. They want a house with a point of view.
Deep South Building Company is built for that buyer. Its founder, Mike Madariaga, says the company’s goal since 2010 has been “genuine, distinctly different homes,” and that “art is the goal.” He cites classic Georgian houses and the modernist house as equal influences.
The public record behind that pitch is thin. The website is short, the portfolio has no captions, and no prices, towns, or communities are published. This guide covers what Deep South does publish and what you should get in writing before you sign.
Who Is Deep South Building Company?
Deep South Building Company, which also calls itself DSBCo., says it was founded in 2010 and is led by its founder, Mike Madariaga. The tagline on the home page is “Building. Remodeling. Updating.”
The founder’s background
The “Meet Us” page gives a detailed résumé:
- summers framing houses while earning a business management degree from North Carolina State University;
- early work in commercial construction on multifamily, pharmaceutical, office, and educational projects;
- a master’s degree from the University of Florida’s Rinker School of Building Construction;
- project management for national companies including Bovis Lend Lease (projects at Merck, Cisco Systems, and Duke University) and Pulte Homes, on projects the company says exceeded $50 million and 225,000 square feet;
- work on what the page calls Raleigh’s first luxury million-dollar-and-up condo project on Glenwood, followed by custom single-family homes at a similar level.
That is a commercial-construction training most custom builders do not have. It shows up in how the company describes itself: process first, then design.
Membership and contact
Deep South Building Company is listed as a builder member in the 2025 Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County directory, with a Wake Forest address. The phone on its website is (919) 600-4780.
Where Does Deep South Build?
The website does not name a town, a neighborhood, or a single project address. The office address in the HBA directory is in wake-forest. Ask the company where its last five homes were built and drive past them.
What Does Deep South Build?
Deep South builds custom homes and also takes on remodeling and updating work.
| Buyer question | What the public record shows |
|---|---|
| State contractor license | L.69371 (Deep South Building Company Inc.): Building classification, unlimited license limit, active through Dec. 31, 2026 per the NC Licensing Board for General Contractors, checked Oct. 14, 2026 |
| Founded | 2010, per the company |
| Principal | Mike Madariaga, founder |
| Services | Building, remodeling, updating |
| Design influences | Georgian and modernist, per the founder’s page |
| Price range | Not published |
| Towns and communities | Not published |
| Portfolio | Photo gallery with no project names, locations, or sizes |
| Process and warranty | Not published |
What the portfolio shows
The portfolio page is a gallery of photos: front elevations, aerials, a long pool, a koi pond, a garage court, and several kitchen views. There is no text. You cannot tell from the site whether these photos show one home or several, where they are, or when they were finished.
How Does Building With Deep South Work?
Deep South does not publish a process. The “Meet Us” page describes the company as a guide “from pencil-and-paper ideas” to move-in day, which suggests it works with clients from the design stage. Ask directly:
- Who draws the plans: an outside architect, an in-house designer, or the client’s own?
- Is the contract cost-plus or fixed price?
- How are allowances set, and who approves changes?
- Who is on site day to day?
Get the answers in writing.
What Should You Verify Before Signing With Deep South?
With a firm this quiet online, most of your diligence happens in person. Our guides to finding the right Triangle builder and why a builder’s agent works for the builder cover the basics. On any new build, the builder’s side represents the builder. We represent you.
Confirm the license and the entity
Match Deep South Building Company, the Wake Forest address, and the license number on your contract to the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors.
See recent finished homes
The site publishes no addresses. Ask for three homes finished in the last three years, with the owners’ permission to call them. Walk at least one.
Get pricing in a form you can compare
No price range is published. Ask for the cost per square foot on recent homes and a sample budget with allowances, so you can compare Deep South against other custom builders.
Get the warranty in writing
No warranty terms appear on the site. Ask for the written warranty and the service process, and compare them with our home-builder warranty guide.
How Does Deep South Compare With Other Building Options?
Deep South sells itself on design and the founder’s personal involvement. Many competitors publish named projects you can drive past.
| Option | Price transparency | Design freedom | Public portfolio | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deep South custom | Ask for a quote | High | Photos only | Buyers who want an unusual design and a hands-on founder |
| Custom builder with published projects | Varies | High | Named projects | Buyers who want to tour addresses first |
| Semi-custom builder | Published base prices | Moderate | Model homes | Buyers who want a known plan with changes |
| Production builder | Published | Low | Model homes | Buyers who want speed and a standard process |
Who Is a Strong Fit for Deep South Building Company?
Deep South fits a buyer who wants a house with character and is ready to vet the builder face to face.
The strongest candidates usually:
- want a custom design with Georgian or modernist influence;
- value a founder with commercial project-management training;
- already have a lot, or a clear idea of where they want to build;
- will check references, walk finished homes, and read the contract closely.
It is a weaker fit for buyers who want published prices, a model to tour, or a builder with a deep online record.
Final Thoughts About Deep South Building Company From Tim Clarke
Mike Madariaga’s background is unusual for a custom builder: NC State, a construction master’s from Florida, and years running large commercial projects before starting Deep South in 2010. That training matters on a complicated house.
The website does not show you enough to decide. No prices, no addresses, no warranty. The work may be excellent. You will only know after you ask, tour, and call references, so do all three before you sign.
I have spent 17+ years in Triangle real estate. Our team builds as well as sells, so we know which questions to ask a small custom builder and how to read the contract that comes back.
If Deep South Building Company is on your list, call us at (919) 355-8462. We’ll represent you from the first conversation to the final walkthrough.
Sources
- https://www.deepsouthbuilding.com/
- https://www.deepsouthbuilding.com/meet-us
- https://www.deepsouthbuilding.com/portfolio
- https://www.deepsouthbuilding.com/contact
- 2025 HBA Raleigh-Wake County builder-member directory (print)
- https://portal.nclbgc.org/Public/Search (NC Licensing Board for General Contractors, license L.69371)
