Some builders market. Others just build. H.J. Morris Construction is the second kind: no website we could find, and two new five-bedroom houses on Canterbury Road in Raleigh’s Forest Hills neighborhood that listed at $1,875,000 and $2,175,000 in July 2025.
This guide covers what the state license board, the Better Business Bureau, listing records and city permits say about the company, and what they leave out. It is a short page because the public record is short, not because the builder is.
Who Is H.J. Morris Construction?
H.J. Morris Construction is a raleigh home builder. The North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors lists H.J. Morris Construction, Inc. under license L.23688, first issued April 13, 1988, with an unlimited license limit and a Building classification. The license is active through December 31, 2026 (checked October 15, 2026). The board lists the company at 8310 Bandford Way, Suite 101, in North Raleigh, with phone (919) 345-0514.
The Better Business Bureau profile names Henry “Hank” Morris as owner, gives a 1988 start date, and shows zero complaints filed in the last three years. The company is not BBB accredited and has no BBB rating, which is normal for a small builder that never applied.
H.J. Morris Construction is listed as a builder member in the 2025 Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County directory.
Where the company builds
Listing records put the company’s newest work inside the Beltline. BuildZoom’s permit index adds a second footprint in wake-forest, with new-home permits on Ailesbury Road, Cairnesford Way, Trifle Lane and Reserve Falls Lane, plus Raleigh addresses on Currituck Drive, French Drive, Ponderosa Road and Kyle Abbey Lane. BuildZoom counts 440 permitted projects in all, with 7 in 2024, 5 in 2025 and 2 so far in 2026, and says the company mostly works on new construction and demolition.
One caution on BuildZoom: it lists the company at 1708 Trawick Road and says it was unable to verify a license. The state board is the authority, and the board shows the license active. Use the board, not the aggregator.
What Does the Record Show?
The two Canterbury Road houses are the clearest picture of what H.J. Morris builds today.
| Buyer question | What the public record shows |
|---|---|
| State contractor license | L.23688, H.J. Morris Construction, Inc.: Building classification, unlimited limit, first issued 1988, active through Dec. 31, 2026 per the NC Licensing Board for General Contractors |
| Owner | Henry “Hank” Morris, per the BBB profile |
| In business since | 1988, per the license board and BBB |
| 1000 Canterbury Rd., Raleigh | New construction, 5 bedrooms, 5 full baths, 5,171 sq ft on 0.2 acres, listed July 17, 2025 at $2,175,000, active at $2,125,000 (MLS 10109996) |
| 1003 Canterbury Rd., Raleigh | New construction, 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, 4,420 sq ft on 0.19 acres, listed July 17, 2025 at $1,875,000, closed Aug. 11, 2026 at $1,800,000 (MLS 10110033) |
| Permit activity | 440 permits indexed by BuildZoom; 7 in 2024, 5 in 2025, 2 in 2026; Raleigh and Wake Forest addresses |
| Website | None found |
| Pricing | Not published |
| Warranty | Not published |
| BBB complaints | 0 in the last three years |
Both Canterbury Road houses sat on lots under a quarter acre and came in over 4,400 square feet. That is infill spec work: buy the lot, build big, sell at the top of the neighborhood. The listing for 1003 Canterbury described the house as “custom-built by HJ Morris Construction,” so the company also presents its spec houses as custom-grade.
What Should You Verify Before Signing With H.J. Morris Construction?
With no website, you will do the diligence by phone and in person. Our guides to finding the right Triangle builder and why the builder’s agent works for the builder cover how to keep someone on your side.
Match the license to the contract
The license belongs to H.J. Morris Construction, Inc. That name, and license L.23688, should appear on your contract. Look the license up on the state board’s site yourself; it takes two minutes.
Ask whether the company builds on your lot
The public record shows spec houses on the company’s own lots. If you own a lot, ask whether the company takes build-to-suit contracts, and on what terms.
Walk a finished house
Ask to see a completed home and talk to its owner. The Canterbury Road houses are recent enough that the owners can speak to how the build went.
Get the contract type and the warranty in writing
Nothing is published on pricing, allowances or warranty. Ask whether the price is fixed or cost-plus, how change orders are handled, and for the written warranty. Compare it with our home-builder warranty guide.
Final Thoughts About H.J. Morris Construction From Tim Clarke
A builder with a 1988 license, an unlimited limit and a clean BBB record has been through more than one downturn in this market. That counts. The Canterbury Road houses show the company is still building at the $1.8 million to $2.1 million level inside the Beltline in 2025.
What you will not get is a brochure. You will get a phone number. If that suits you, make the call, then make the other calls: the license board, a past owner, your attorney on the contract.
I have spent 18 years in Triangle real estate. Our team builds as well as sells, so we know what a sound custom-build contract looks like from both sides of the table. The builder’s salesperson represents the builder. We represent you.
If H.J. Morris Construction is on your list, call us at (919) 355-8462.
Sources
- https://portal.nclbgc.org/Public/Search (North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors, license L.23688)
- https://www.bbb.org/us/nc/raleigh/profile/home-builders/hj-morris-construction-0593-18412
- https://raleighrealty.com/home/1000-canterbury-rd-raleigh-nc-27607-10109996
- https://raleighrealty.com/home/1003-canterbury-rd-raleigh-nc-27607-10a824c1
- https://www.buildzoom.com/contractor/h-j-morris-construction-inc
- 2025 HBA Raleigh-Wake County builder-member directory (print)
