Plenty of buyers already have the house drawn. They bought a plan online, or an architect finished it years ago, and now they need someone to build it on land east of Raleigh. Plenty of others have a lot and an idea, and nothing on paper.
White Oak Custom Builders takes both. The Kenly company says you can bring your own plans or work with its design team, which produces detailed plans and 3D renderings before construction. Its president and founder, Justin Hartman, is a licensed general contractor with an unlimited building license. The best-documented new home on its site is a roughly 3,900-square-foot custom ranch, described by the client who built it.
Most of the published project detail is remodeling work. This guide covers what the record shows and what to confirm before you sign.
Who Is White Oak Custom Builders?
White Oak Custom Builders is a custom home builder and remodeler based at 7164 Old Beulah Road in Kenly, in Johnston County. The company phone is 984-274-8010, and the website lists office hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
White Oak Custom Builders is listed as a builder member in the 2025 Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County directory.
The founder
The website describes Justin Hartman as President and founder, a licensed general contractor with an unlimited building license, and says he brings “over three decades of leadership in luxury construction.” It says he partners closely with clients, architects and designers.
The bio is personal, too. Justin and his wife, Kristy, have been married more than 23 years and live in Kenly, where he keeps animals on his homestead and runs a John Deere 5075. When a builder lives on land in the county where he builds, he tends to understand rural lots.
The website does not publish a founding year for the company.
One naming note: the 2025 HBA directory also lists White Oak Construction Corp., a separate company based in New Hill. If you hire the Kenly builder, the contract should name White Oak Custom Builders.
Where Does White Oak Custom Builders Work?
White Oak’s base is Kenly, on the eastern edge of Johnston County along I-95. Its featured projects name two other towns:
- Cary: a whole-home remodel of a traditional house into a modern interior;
- Garner: a gourmet kitchen remodel and a luxury bathroom remodel.
The website does not list service towns or name neighborhoods for its new homes. Johnston County towns closer to Raleigh, such as Clayton, fall between those points, but ask White Oak where its recent new homes were built before assuming it covers your area.
What Does White Oak Custom Builders Build?
White Oak builds custom homes, remodels existing homes, and builds outdoor living spaces.
| Buyer question | What the public record shows |
|---|---|
| State contractor license | L.74274 (White Oak Custom Builders LLC): Building classification, unlimited license limit, active through Dec. 31, 2027 per the NC Licensing Board for General Contractors, checked Oct. 14, 2026 |
| Services | Custom home building, home remodeling, outdoor living spaces |
| Plans | Bring your own, or work with the in-house design team |
| Design deliverables | Detailed plans and 3D renderings during design development |
| Documented new home | An approximately 3,900 sq ft custom ranch, per a client testimonial |
| Documented remodels | Whole-home remodel in Cary; kitchen and bath remodels in Garner |
| License | Unlimited building license, per the founder’s bio |
| Published pricing | None |
| Warranty | Not published on the website |
The custom ranch
The homepage quotes client Glenn Martin: “Justin Hartman of White Oak Custom Builders provided a first class experience in every aspect of our project. My wife and I built an approximate, 3,900 Sq. Ft. ranch floorplan and absolutely LOVE the final result!” The site does not say where the house is or when it was finished. Ask for the address, the year, and permission to call the owners.
The remodels
The Cary project is described as a classic residence reimagined for modern living. The Garner kitchen was redesigned with high-end appliances, custom cabinetry, modern lighting and a contemporary backsplash. A Garner bathroom features custom vanities and stonework. These projects show finish work, which carries over to a new build.
Outdoor living
White Oak also builds patios, decks, outdoor kitchens and fire pits, designed to blend with the landscape.
How Does Building With White Oak Work?
White Oak publishes a four-step process on its homepage:
- Initial consultation. Your ideas, preferences, budget and timeline.
- Design development. The design team creates detailed plans and realistic 3D renderings and refines them with you.
- Construction phase. The company’s craftsmen and builders execute the plan, with open communication throughout.
- Final walkthrough. You walk the finished project with the team, and it addresses any questions or concerns.
If you bring your own plans, ask whether White Oak will still produce renderings, and whether it will have the plans reviewed for code and site fit before pricing.
What Should You Verify Before Signing With White Oak?
Before signing with White Oak, verify the license and entity, see completed new homes, price the rural lot, and get the warranty in writing. 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 White Oak Custom Builders, its legal entity name, and the license number on your contract to the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. The website does not publish a license number.
Tour completed new homes
Most of the published projects are remodels. Ask for addresses of two or three new custom homes completed in the last few years, including the 3,900-square-foot ranch.
Get the pricing method in writing
Ask whether the contract is fixed-price or cost-plus, how allowances are set, and how change orders are priced. Ask what design and renderings cost if you use White Oak’s design team.
Price the rural lot
Land in Johnston County and the eastern Triangle often means a private well and septic. Ask for the septic permit, soil report, survey and flood map. Our guide to buying land to build covers what to check.
Get the warranty in writing
The website does not describe a warranty. Ask for the written terms on structure, systems and finishes, and compare them with our home-builder warranty guide.
How Does White Oak Compare With Other Building Options?
White Oak is an owner-led builder and remodeler that works from your plans or its own design team.
| Option | Plans | Lot | Builder access | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Oak with your plans | Yours | Yours | Direct to founder | Buyers with a finished plan and land |
| White Oak with its design team | Designed with renderings | Yours | Direct to founder | Buyers with land and an idea |
| Production builder | Builder menu | Subdivision lot | Sales office | Buyers who want amenities and a fixed menu |
| Resale on acreage | Existing | Existing | None | Buyers who accept an older house for the land |
Who Is a Strong Fit for White Oak Custom Builders?
White Oak fits a buyer who owns or is buying land in Johnston County or the eastern Triangle and wants a custom home, especially a large ranch, built by an owner-led company.
The strongest candidates usually:
- already have plans, or want design help with 3D renderings;
- are building on rural land with well and septic;
- want outdoor living built into the project;
- prefer working directly with the founder;
- will tour completed homes and read the warranty before signing.
It is a weaker fit for buyers who want a spec home ready now, a subdivision with amenities, or published pricing.
Final Thoughts About White Oak Custom Builders From Tim Clarke
White Oak offers a flexible starting point: bring your own plans or use its design team, then build with a founder who holds an unlimited license and lives on land himself. A client who built a 3,900-square-foot ranch and recommends the company “strongly, highly” is a good sign.
The website shows more remodels than new homes, so do the homework. Tour finished new houses, confirm the license, and get the warranty in writing.
I have spent 17+ years in Triangle real estate. Our team builds as well as sells, so we can review your plans, price the site work on a rural lot, and tell you what a finished house like yours will appraise for.
If White Oak is on your list, call us at (919) 355-8462. We’ll represent you from the first consultation to the final walkthrough.
Sources
- https://www.whiteoakcustombuilders.com/
- https://www.whiteoakcustombuilders.com/custom-home-building
- https://www.whiteoakcustombuilders.com/home-remodeling
- https://www.whiteoakcustombuilders.com/outdoor-living-spaces
- https://www.whiteoakcustombuilders.com/gallery
- 2025 HBA Raleigh-Wake County builder-member directory (print)
- https://portal.nclbgc.org/Public/Search (NC Licensing Board for General Contractors, license L.74274)
