People sometimes assume I began my career as a builder
Because I loved blueprints or architecture. The truth is, I started working in construction because life pushed me into it early. After my father left when I was five, my brothers and I had to grow up fast.
We worked for what we needed
And work meant learning every trade we could get our hands on—framing, drywall, roofing, trim, kitchens, footings, and paint. The kind of hands-on education that doesn’t come from a textbook.
Those years carried me to Indiana State
where I studied construction management. Eventually, that degree took me into building production homes, where I ended up overseeing close to three hundred homes a year. That experience taught me speed, efficiency, and discipline. But it was also my first honest look at what happens when a company grows at the expense of craftsmanship. I realized quickly that I needed something different.
Later, when I moved to a complete custom outfit on the south side of Indianapolis, I found the kind of challenge that made me feel alive. No two homes looked the same. New materials. New ideas. More creativity. More artistry. I saw good work. I saw bad business practices. And I remember thinking one day, very clearly, that I could do this better. Not bigger. Just better.
In 2001, with four kids at home and no real reason to take a risk
I did it anyway. I started the company under a different name, doing every trade myself until I could afford to hire help. Within a couple of years, I was running six to ten builds at once. It was chaotic and exhausting, and exactly what I was meant to do.
Today, the name has changed
Our team includes people like Evan, who has been with us for nearly twenty years, and Nick, who brings a level of care and consistency that is hard to find anymore. Our subcontractors are more like extended family. Many have been with us for decades. Relationships matter here.
If there’s one thing I want people to know, it’s that Viewegh Crafted Homes
was built on integrity, honesty, and transparency. Those aren’t marketing words. They’re the standards I had to live by to survive in this industry. They’re the same rules that still guide every decision today.
– Joe