Mark Huber of Huber’s Custom Building has been building homes in the City of Seattle for over 35 years. His is a family business, employing his wife and daughter full-time, and a hand-picked team of sub-contractors who he has specially vetted to meet his high standards of excellence and workmanship.

Huber’s focus is on Four-Star Built Green™ homes that reflect each of his clients’ individual styles and budgets. In addition to custom homes, Huber has also found a niche building custom, in-fill developments, such as townhouses and additional homes on lots to make better use of limited, in-city land.

Huber’s Custom Building Company Founded: 1980 Employees: 3 full-time + 1 part time + sub-contractors Development Type(s): Custom homes with a specialty is 4 Star Built Green and In-fill developments Number of Projects per Year: 8 townhome units

But Mark Huber isn’t your typical business-owner; in fact, you could say he lives a double life. Most know him as a good family man and successful contractor. But Huber also raises funds and recruits people to help build homes for families in need in Honduras—and he started doing this in the midst of the Great Recession.

Since 2011, Huber, and his daughter alongside him, has been partnering with a local, Ferndale-based organization called Dwellings which connect people to Central American families who are homeless and living in extreme poverty. He and his daughter fly to Honduras several times a year, and to date, have helped build over 20 homes for these families who have no place of their own to call home.

Huber’s passion for giving back taps into a need we as humans have that makes giving such a rewarding experience. He has recruited family members and sub-contractors to join him, but his passion for his project knows no bounds. After building four townhomes in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, Huber recruited three of the four homeowners to join him in building five homes in Honduras. These three homeowners (who call themselves “Team Eclectic”) have returned three times to continue helping out—and they’ve used their companies’ matching funds to donate toward the projects they’ve worked on.

As far as Huber is concerned, it’s a win-win situation. The Honduran families finally get a place to call home, and his friends, family and clients have the opportunity to learn how to swing a hammer and build a house, while also learning the bigger lesson of the importance of giving to others who are less fortunate than themselves.

“If I find a group of people who are interested in working with me to learn to build a house for a needy family anywhere in the world, I will go.” ~ Mark Huber