We build dreams, one home at a time. 

Get to know the team that makes it all possible.

OUR TEAM

  • Terry Stewart

    PRESIDENT

    Terry Stewart earned a BS degree in Civil Engineering from North Carolina State University in 1976 and five years later obtained his North Carolina Builder’s License. Prior to forming TL Stewart Builders in 1984, Terry gained valuable experience working in the City of Sanford’s Engineering Department for several years. The experience gained from working in the engineering department assisted in the development of some exceptional neighborhoods such as Carters Grove, Brighton Park, and Hampton Ponds all located in the Westlake Valley area of Sanford. TL Stewart Builders has partnered with Arthur A. James III and David James, AIA to develop Sanford’s newest neighborhood Carbonton Cove, consisting of 48 lots. Rosemont has 20 total lots with 8 available to build on and 2 for sale.

  • Sandra Stewart

    VICE PRESIDENT & SECRETARY

    Sandra Stewart attended the University of North Carolina and received a BA degree in Education in 1977. After graduating from college, Sandra taught school for three years. Then in 1980 began a ladies and men’s retail-clothing boutique. After starting a family and having two businesses in one family, Sandra decided to sell the retail business and joined TL Stewart Builders in 1990. Sandra comes from a family of business people, her grandfather, WM Holt, Sr. started Holt Truck and Tractor in 1921. Sandra’s father WM Holt Jr. oversaw the business until it eventually closed in 2000, due to the diminishing of the agricultural business, in the Lee County area. Holt Truck and Tractor was located on Horner Boulevard where Walgreens is currently.

  • Tommy Haymore

    CONSTRUCTION MANAGER

    Tommy enjoys building relationships with clients as their “go to guy” during and after construction. Tommy has been involved with TL Stewart Builders since he was ten years old working summers with his dad Billy Haymore, a very well know (old timey) framing contractor. Billy, Tommy’s dad, worked with T L Stewart Builders from the beginning, and now Tommy is following in his dad’s footsteps. Tommy’s passion for construction came naturally from the years of watching his father’s own career. Tommy still conveys and explores ideas the old fashioned way. At the end of the day, it is the personal relationships built over the course of a project that fuel Tommy’s day to day drive to meet and exceed our client’s expectations in design.

  • Patrick Stewart

    DIRECTOR OF SALES

    Patrick Stewart is a lifelong resident of Sanford, N.C. His major goal in the real estate market is to provide professional advice based on your needs, the current trends, and the recent housing market analysis. In 1995, Patrick became owner of Stewart’s Convenient Store and continued to run a successful business until selling in 2008. The transaction, which Patrick handled personally, led him into the real estate market. In 2014. He established Stewart Real Estate, LLC located at 613 Carthage Street, Sanford N.C. where he shares an office facility with TL Stewart Builders.

  • River Stewart

    DIRECTOR OF HAPPINESS

    First coming to work in July 2015 as an eight week old Boykin Spaniel, River enjoys coming to the uptown office every day. She meets and greets all the subcontractors, potential clients, and friends just stopping in to say hello. Thus she has been appointed as TL Stewart Builders Director of Happiness. River enjoys training for upcoming hunting trips and field trial events.

The T.L. Stewart Builders Team is not a one-person shop and no one person is expected to do it all.

Located in Sanford, NC, our team of experts surrounds you with support throughout every step of the construction process, whether you’re building a custom home or enhancing the unique qualities of your current residence. With our comprehensive design-build process, clients experience seamless collaboration and guidance tailored to their vision.

Our Jobsite Supervisor oversees daily construction tasks to keep the project on track, while our Selections Coordinator and Project Manager work alongside you on each finish detail, ensuring a personalized touch. We’re dedicated to finding the ideal home plan for you and your family, from new custom builds to extensive renovations and additions to your existing home.

Whether you bring your own plans or select from our designs, our Sanford-based team takes pride in delivering quality, attention to detail, and an exceptional client experience.

Awards & Recognitions

  • 2022 Moore County Home Builders Association

    GOLD in Residence Category 1,800,000-1,900,000

    109 Chester Way, Pinehurst, NC

  • 2022 Moore County Home Builders Association Awards

    All Categories

  • 1994 MAME Awards

    Single Family Detached Home Over 4000 Sq Ft Residence of Ray and Helga Jolley

  • 1995 Governors Club Awards

    Single Family Detached Home

  • 1995 Governors Club Awards

    Single Family Detached Home

Dive into our unique approach to building

STEP 1

  • We visit the home site with you to analyze property features, direction of the sunset, views, topography, drainage and gather any other information regarding the placement of the house. All this information we gather at the home site can be helpful to a landscape architect.

STEP 2

  • Now, we start the planning process. We have a meeting to discuss your plans. If a design-build arrangement is not selected at this phase and depending on the size of the project, a fee maybe required for TL Stewart Builders to prepare budgets and consult with you further on your house plans. This fee would be credited to the contract price only if we enter into a future construction contract. As the plan develops from conceptual drawings, then we can start the process of an initial estimate for a preliminary budget.

STEP 3

  • Once the right plan and changes are understood, it’s time to begin customizing the interior details. During the selections process you are not alone. Experienced in decorating and project management, Sandra Stewart, lends selections advice to ensure that the home of your dreams is the one that you build.

STEP 4

  • Schedule: Included on your timeline is our customized decision schedule. This consists of a list of all the decisions you will need to make throughout the entire project. Our team will provide assistance in any area during your decision making.

STEP 5

  • We will meet with you to finalize the plans, specifications, allowance, schedule, cost, and the signing of construction contracts.

    Construction: Construction begins with an onsite meeting with you to discuss the house layout on the lot, clearing, grading, and any special features to protect, along with discussions of the schedule with job-site supervisor and project managers. You will always deal with the same person, someone who is onsite daily and is familiar with your house, during the construction of your “home to believe in.”

    Timeline of construction: Our computerized timeline is always up-to-date. You will know what phase of construction your house is in at any given time.

    Job site visits: We will schedule regular progress meetings for you and will have all the people involved with the current status of your home in attendance.

STEP 6

  • We will join you in a walk-through of your home prior to your moving in. We will note any problems and assist you in understanding the components of your house.

    We don’t just build your house, wish you well and walk away. Our team will be available during your move in period. We will supply you with our “Homes to Believe In” book with the information specific to your home and a list of the vendors and subcontractors employed in building your home and their contact information.

    We encourage you to compile a punch list of repairs or adjustments needed. After approximately 45 days we will meet with you to review your list and schedule the appropriate trade to make the repairs as soon as possible.

    Warranty: We provide a one-year warranty, which commences upon receipt of a Certificate of Occupancy from the local Building Inspection office. We adhere to the nationally accepted standards as published in “Residential Construction Performance Guidelines” – Consumer Reference (third edition).

Designing the home you’ve been dreaming of, down to every last detail…

  • Our Architects are dedicated to thoughtful architecture through the blending of excellence in design, environmentally sustainable building practices, site sensitivity, and a commitment to exceptional craftsmanship. By putting aside preconceptions, we derive inspiration from the unique ambitions of our clients and the challenges presented in each site. When merged with the beauty of materials, the expression of light and the poetics of space, an authentic design solution can emerge.

  • We strive to create timeless, yet expressive interiors which are warm, inviting, and comfortable. Our approach is not of a single style, but rather an edited vision which responds to both the architecture and our client’s vision and personality. Each project is unique and receives custom tailoring to ensure a proper fit. Whether the home is modern, historic, or somewhere in between, it is important that the solution, not only be beautiful but it must be suited for modern day life and gracious living. Our designs enlist vast resources from vendors, to talented craftsman and artisans who craft our designs into wonderful realities. At T L Stewart Builders, we believe in offering our clients premium service in the creation of exceptional designs. Do you want to restructure, re-invent or just update your home? Get ideas and inspiration by scheduling an appointment over the phone or contact us online for a consultation.

  • Our work reflects a passionate pursuit of creating beautiful, inspiring, and timeless places for our clients to relax and muse. Our approach is rooted in the belief that the landscape and garden design should strike a harmonious relationship with the architecture, each becoming the perfect complement to the other, and where the transition from indoors and outdoors become blurred. We seek solutions where the natural beauty and character of the site are enhanced to support the architecture in every way. The designs reveal careful study of site conditions, environmental factors, and the programmatic requirements of our clients. Through our process, we engage our clients in a collaborative dialogue which allows us to interpret and explore their vision for each unique project. In execution of the design, we continue with thoughtful attention to detail, scale, material, color and texture. We then team ourselves with the best craftsmen, installers, and professional resources to ensure the success of an exceptional design.

More about TL Stewart Builders.

Terry Stewart established the business in 1984 building “Homes to Believe In.” The company’s goal is to make it as easy as possible for their customers to build their dream home. Years of experience allows T. L. Stewart Builders to properly guide their clients to produce the home that they desire. Attention to and accommodating all the details are foremost. Whether people are in the midst of their careers, starting a family, or retiring, they should expect the building process to proceed as smoothly as possible.

Terry Stewart states:

We use the very best, both in materials and in people. I think it’s a requirement. We hire subs that have worked with us for years and I know that they will be reliable and responsive to meeting my customer’s needs. In this spirit, we have found this to be a good business practice, in efficiently producing “Homes to Believe In” for our customers.

After 38 years in business, we have developed an extensive group of vendors, subcontractors, designers, architects, site engineers, structural engineers, landscape architects, and interior designers who provide us with a superior level of service for our clients, just as if they were in-house.

Contact Us

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • We’re so excited to hear more about your home plans. You can fill out our inquiry form here and a member of our team will be in touch with you.

  • The first initial consultation is complementary to learn more about your custom home plans. Schedule here.

  • Project timelines vary depending on the size and complexity of your home build. During your consultation, we’ll be able to provide you with an estimated timeframe once we learn more about your home design.

  • Yes, our team can take care of obtaining the necessary permits for construction in the city where your build is located.

  • We are based in Sanford, North Carolina and focus most of our construction around the Lee, Moore, Chatham and Wake County areas. We are happy to work anywhere within a 30 mile radius.

  • The base price is between $175 - $225 per square foot. Our pricing includes everything under the roof, which includes garages, patios, carports, etc.

  • Yes, we are happy to refer you Fo our list of preferred lenders. See below for contact information:

    • Linda Berrymann & Amber Cameron at Fidelity

      • 919-897-1912

    • Sherry Riano

      • 919-219-3887

      • sherry@thesherryrianoteam.com

    • Chet Mann at Guild Mortgage Financial

      • (919) 777-0114

    • Amanda Stephens

      • 919-721-4336

  • We have been crafting luxury custom homes since 1984 and have worked with clients with a variety of design preferences. You can view our gallery here to see a few of our past projects.

  • We offer a one-year structural warranty on our custom homes.

  • At this time, we have the necessary trade partners that are needed for our construction process. We appreciate your inquiry; however, our company continues to use trade partners that we've done business with for many years.

  • Our focus is on residential new custom buildings. However we occasionally work on renovations/additions and would be happy to discuss your project. You can submit an inquiry here.

  • Home Build for John and Elizabeth Schrull

    John and I were thrilled to have our home built by TL Stewart Builders. They were extremely mindful of what we wanted and offered many options we had not thought of. They literally brainstormed with us and then made it happen. Their expertise and years of experience made the process easy for people with a busy lifestyle. Terry, Sandra and their entire team worked tirelessly to make the building process FUN, not stressful or one bit overwhelming. Six years later, we still love our home and are very happy that TL Stewart built it!”

  • Retirement Home for Randy and Anne Faulk

    “Born and raised in Sanford, we decided that after almost 30 years being gone we would go back home to Sanford. After due diligence, we chose T.L. Stewart Builders to build our new retirement home. It turned out to be an excellent choice. After having several new homes built over the years, this one proved to be not only the best, but by far the easiest. Believe me, those folks know what they are doing. They are true professionals. Everyone in the organization proved to be very knowledgeable, skilled at their craft, polite and with great attitudes, and punctual in every way. They went above and beyond their duty to provide us timely input from their past experiences that helped us avoid several possible pitfalls. Even their subcontractors were exceptional. From our past experiences, we knew that building a new home could be extremely stress, and especially at our age. This one was fun! If you want outstanding workmanship and quality construction, we highly recommend T. L. Stewart Builders. I can promise, you will not be disappointed.”

  • New Build for Bob and Pat Clark

    “We contracted with TL Stewart Builders because of their reputation for professionalism and quality. They completed our project on time, within budget, and with a quality of service that exceeded our expectations. They guided us through the architectural design stages with ease and clarity. They chose a team of quality sub contractors who had worked together on prior TLS projects and managed them through a seamless schedule to avoid delays. We were kept fully informed throughout the project with timely and accurate reports on spending and progress. They also provided a unique blend of construction (Terry), and interior design (Sandra) advice that allowed us to evaluate and choose options that greatly improved the original plan. We were totally satisfied with TL Stewart Builders’ performance and are pleased to give them our unequivocal recommendation.”

  • Kitchen Remodel for Jonathan and Ellen Silverman

    “When we Purchased our 1980’s built home almost eight years ago, we knew our kitchen needed a major remodel. It was made well but still had the 1980’s tiled counter; but there were other issues that needed our attention first. So we lived in and loved our home AND cooked in the kitchen for seven years. My point is that I had been imagining and dreaming and watching HGTV and looking at magazines and visiting the HOUZZ website for many years. Lots of dreaming! AND lots of expectations!

    When we decide to proceed with the renovation, we did exactly what the experts advise against we went with one contractor, Sandra Stewart at T.L. Stewart Builders. Sandra and her husband Terry had built out previous home which we lived in and loved for 15 years. They had also put on and addition to my husbands office. Additionally, they built the home we currently reside in and love. So you see, we have a history with the Stewarts, and we wished to continue it on our kitchen remodel.

    Sandra, visiting with her cabinetry sub-contractor, Steve Bristow, helped me visualize and finalize my renovation plans which were tricky to me. We were keeping some existing cabinetry, removing other cabinetry, and creating new beautiful cabinetry, all of which were changing the size and dimensions of our appliances. So there was a great deal of coordination with sub-contractors and suppliers, all of which went flawlessly due to Sandra’s expertise!

    Interestingly, Sandra is still using subs that she used twenty-three years ago when she and Terry built our home. Though some of the subs are now managed by their children, the point is these people are reliable, trustworthy, and have formed a long standing relationship. They were all a pleasure to invite into my home. Always pleasant, always prompt, always neat, always accommodating , and always with great solutions, and quality workmanship! The suppliers were equally accommodating in their product knowledge and delivery.

    Sandra impeccably coordinated this project! Additionally, I had a time constraint, needing the job completed in one month, which Sandra delivered. My Elderly mother lives with us, so I needed the noise, dust, and fumes kept to a minimum and again, Sandra and her subs accomplished it all. The project was completed within the budget.

    When the kitchen was completed, I wanted to cordon it off with a velvet rope as if it was a museum because it IS so beautiful. I ave gotten over that. Now, a year after the kitchen completion, we live, love, cook, and bake in our kitchen daily and marvel over all the wonderful details! We wouldn’t change a single detail!!! We love our kitchen!!!”

  • Custom Design for Mildred Pretty

    “Best business relationship I ever had. TL Stewart Builders cared that I got a product that met my expectations, established a relationship that allowed the free flow of ideas, and provided the support needed for me to make decisions on all the custom design options that TL Stewart Builders provided.”

  • David L. Betts, Licensed N.C. Home Inspector

    “I have inspected many T. L. Stewart Builder’s homes for private clients. Although my focus as a home inspector is on function, not appearance, I have come to realize that homes built by Terry Stewart and his wife, Sandra, with her attention to detail, will always excel in both form and function.

    They have mastered the art of home construction in one of the most competitive markets in our state. They are consistently among the best-built homes. I unhesitatingly recommend T. L. Stewart Builders for customers in any price range.”

  • New Construction for Susan Feindel

    With Terry and Sandra’s help, we customized my new home exactly as I envisioned it. I could not be happier with the finished product. Through the process, I had plenty of lead time to make my selections which simplified it all. I only made one change from the initial drawing. The final construction is top notch! I truly love my beautiful and comfortable new home and neighborhood!