About Fairhope Building Company
Just like the homes we build, Fairhope Building Company is the result of hard work, creative collaboration, and a strong commitment to quality. Founded in 2017 by Nick Klarman, we have grown to become a full-service custom home builder serving clients across Baldwin County and the Gulf Coast. We do more than build custom homes – we plan, design, construct, and deliver quality homes that reflect your dreams in every detail. And we do it all through a personalized building experience designed to make you feel at home from our very first meeting.
Design-Build is our specialty, and we’re proud to have designed over 60% of the homes we have built. If you already have a design, no problem, send us your drawings for pricing. We can even help you revitalize your existing home with professional remodels and additions. If you have a dream, we can deliver it!
We are a local family-owned business who believes in treating others as we’d like to be treated – with honesty and integrity. If you’ve been dreaming of a new custom home, let us bring your vision to life.
Nick Klarman, Managing Partner
Fairhope has always been home for Nick Klarman. He attended Fairhope High School before heading off to Auburn University, where he earned a B.S. in Building Construction. After graduating, Nick worked as a Project Manager for Sauer Construction and managed several military projects along the Gulf Coast. He spent the next years of his career in commercial construction, serving as Senior Project Manager for Hoar Program Management (HPM). After ending his career there by completing the Airbus A220 project in Mobile, he turned his attention to homebuilding and founded Fairhope Building Company in his hometown.
Today, Nick enjoys an active role as owner and founder of Fairhope Building Company. He loves helping clients design and build their dream home, especially those with different styles and tastes for finishes. When asked, he’ll tell you that his favorite part of his job is watching the building process through his clients’ eyes and creating custom interiors that put smiles on their faces.
Dustin Day, Partner
Dustin Day is a Birmingham native with a true heart for home building. He attended Auburn University and earned a B.S. in Building Science in 2012. After graduation, Dustin went on to build a varied career that earned him over 15 years of experience in commercial, multifamily and residential construction as he worked with 3 ENR Top 50 General Contractors. His notable roles include serving as a Project Engineer with Balfour Beatty in Atlanta and building multifamily projects across the country while working with Doster Construction in his hometown of Birmingham.
Eventually, Dustin and his family followed their heart to Fairhope, Alabama, where he joined Fairhope Building Company to continue his passion for home building. As Project Director, he works to ensure every client has a smooth and pleasant building experience from start to finish. It’s a role that sees him wear many different hats, but Dustin finds every step exciting as he works closely with our clients to transform their ideas and visions of home into a tangible reality that exceeds their expectations.
Jeremy Knight, Vice President of Finance
After graduating from Fairhope High School, Jeremy attended Auburn University, where he earned a B.S. in Finance. Over the next 15 years, Jeremy worked in Corporate Accounting Manager, Project Accounting & Sr. Financial Analyst roles for both private and public companies. Each company that Jeremy worked for, more than tripled their revenue, over the 5 year period he was with the company. In 2023 Jeremy brought his vast knowledge of Accounting & Finance to Fairhope Building Company, as the VP of Finance. He resides in Fairhope with his wife, Kristan, two boys, Baker & William, & Labradoodle named Gus. He is also a Realtor with Waters Edge Realty & enjoys helping families find their dream property. When he is not working, he enjoys coaching his boys baseball teams, & playing golf.
Jordan Littlepage, Field Operations Manager
Jordan spent most of his childhood in Butler, Alabama, before moving to Newnan, Georgia, where he graduated from Sandy Creek High School. He comes from a family keen on building and used that same passion to earn a B.S. in Building Science from Auburn University in 2013. After graduating, he was dedicated to building a diverse professional resume in both commercial and multifamily construction. Some of his significant roles have included serving as a superintendent for Batson-Cook Construction and Capstone Building Corporation, where he presided over several multi-million dollar projects.
In 2024, Jordan embarked on residential construction by joining Fairhope Building Company as a Field Operations Manager. In this position, he coordinates with trades on various projects to ensure quality, efficiency, and organization during the building process. He enjoys seeing how this collaborative process gives life to clients’ creative and innovative plans.
Ryan Klarman, Interior Coordinator
Born and raised in Fairhope, Alabama, Ryan has deep roots in the community. She attended McGill-Toolen Catholic High School before heading to Auburn University, where she earned a B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies. After graduating, she spent 14 years as a lead Pre-K teacher.
While teaching, Ryan and Nick built three homes for themselves, sparking her interest in homebuilding and design. This hands-on experience inspired her to join Fairhope Building Company as the interior coordinator.
Today, Ryan enjoys her role as the interior coordinator, helping clients bring their vision to life by scheduling meetings, coordinating with vendors, and assisting with selections. Her favorite part of the job is reflecting on the journey from initial drawings to the final beautiful, custom home.
Living in Magnolia Springs, Ryan continues to find joy in both her professional and personal life, combining her love for design with building family memories.
Melanie Staub, Executive Administrative Assistant
Melanie was born and raised in Summerdale, AL and graduated from Foley High School. She received her Associate of Applied Science, Communications and Computer Graphics Technology degree at Faulkner State College. She also received an Art Appreciation Award, for designing a poster that was entered in the “Annual WC Handy Music Festival Poster Contest” by the Art Department. It was the first poster to win 1st Place, in the 11 years Faulkner College had been entering the contest.
Melanie’s passion for helping people led her to become a Certified Medical Assistant. This field is a perfect combination of medical and administrative skills. She hired on with South Baldwin Hospital in Foley, and was positioned at the Gulf Shores Urgent Care Center in 2010. She was then promoted to Clinic Coordinator, and assisted in opening a new clinic in Robertsdale, AL. In 2012 she became South Baldwin Hospital’s Supervisor of Outlying Clinics, over five medical facilities. It was during these years that she not only advanced in her administrative skills, but she realized; the administrative field was what she loved most.
In 2021, she sat down with Nick and Dustin, and they invited her to join them at Fairhope Building Company. She met the challenge and brought her administrative skills to the table. She loves being a part of this team and enjoys helping the company and the team grow.
Melanie and her husband Glenn, live in Silverhill, AL on 20 beautiful acres. They have four grown sons, several grandchildren, many chickens, three fat cats and a high-strung Jack Russell. Living the dream!
Latest Press
The Plumbline
Check out the latest issue! The Plumbline
Home Featured in The Cottage Journal
Touches of warmth and a few functional details make this Alabama cottage feel like home.
“Fairhope Building Company was wonderful to work with in building our fully custom home. They understood the type of home we wanted to create and worked closely with us to make it a reality. Nick was in constant communication with us from design to completion, always letting us know the next decisions or selections we would need to make, and keeping us updated on where we stand in relation to our budget. His attention to detail kept our building process moving efficiently, and our project was completed right on time. We have been in our home for two years now, and love it more every day!”
“I have had a great experience working with FBC. Whenever you have a construction project going on, it can be very stressful at times. However, Nick does a great job in helping to alleviate that stress by communicating any changes or updates as they occur. His team is very professional, and they take great pride in their work. I look forward to working with them again in the near future. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for an experienced, professional contractor with a quality team.”
“Having never built a house, it was overwhelming to say the least when we started this process. But I must say working with Nick and each and every one of his team members from painters, to masonry, etc. was just an incredible and very enjoyable journey. We all made it a FUN process and shared so many laughs. They walked us through every step of the way, explaining what was going on and what to expect next. We are still in awe that we truly got exactly the house we set out to build. The craftsmanship and attention to details Nick’s team puts into their work is incredible. I remember the quote by John Maxwell, “teamwork makes the dream work”. Well it truly was the collaboration and teamwork under Nicks guidance that made our dream home come to fruition. We couldn’t be more pleased with our new home we now dub “La Maison Gaston” (The Gaston House) and tip our hats, and thank Fairhope Building Company for making our dream a reality.”
“Fairhope Building Company guided us through every step of the process with patience and expertise, ensuring that our vision was brought to life beyond our expectations. Fairhope Building’s team displayed a level of skill and precision that is unmatched, and the end result is a home that we are proud to call our own. Thank you, Dustin Day and Fairhope Building Company, for making our dream home a reality!”
“Nick and Dustin are two of the very best! Building a house is a deeply personal process. They are with you from the very beginning of conceptualizing your dream and guiding you along every step of the way, Their guidance, years of experience and excellent taste level were essential to making our dream a reality!!”
“Nick Klarman helped me every step of the way in making my dream home become a reality. He has been reliable, courteous, dependable, and a pleasure to work with.”
“We moved here from the Midwest and fell in love with Nick’s coastal yet traditional style. He builds gorgeous homes that are as solid as a rock. It truly is a timepiece!”