Westlake Development Group

What Westlake Development Group does

Westlake Development Group is a privately held custom luxury home builder operating in the Portland metropolitan area and broader Pacific Northwest. Founded by Gerald Rowlett (operating since 1989 per company history), the firm specializes in design-build services for affluent individual clients, with particular technical differentiation in steep-slope site construction and earthquake-resistant building methods, alongside optional green construction practices such as energy-efficient insulation, tankless water heaters, and rooftop gardens. Its product portfolio comprises Custom Homes (core service), New Properties/Homesites (premium lot sales under the Homesites by Westlake sub-brand), and two specialized construction modules — Steep Slope Construction and Earthquake-Resistant Construction — that address challenging terrain and seismic risk typical of the Pacific Northwest.

The business model is project-based and quote-driven, with each engagement scoped individually by home size, design complexity, materials, and lot characteristics; no standard pricing tiers are published. Revenue is generated from one-time construction contracts, supplemented by lot sales through the Homesites sub-brand. Go-to-market is direct enterprise-style field sales targeting high-net-worth individuals, supported by a multi-channel digital presence (Houzz, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Yelp, blog) and sustained industry recognition including seven consecutive Best of Houzz Design awards (2015-2024), five 2013 Street of Dreams People's Choice Awards including Best in Show, and 2020 Home Builder Digest recognition as a top US contemporary builder.

Operationally the firm is small (1-10 employees) and tightly coupled to its founder, Gerald Rowlett, who also leads the Building A Better America Council, a nonprofit promoting the use of American-made products in residential construction. The company is registered as Westlake Development LLC in Oregon, has no subsidiaries, has not raised institutional funding, and operates without public revenue disclosure. Geographic scope is regional, with active marketing across approximately 19 communities spanning Oregon (Portland metro, West Linn, Lake Oswego, Hillsboro, Sherwood, Hood River, White Salmon) and Southwest Washington (Vancouver, Camas, Longview, Washougal).

Name

Westlake Development Group

Legal name

Westlake Development LLC

Website

https://westlakedevelopmentllc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Westlake Development Group is a privately held boutique custom luxury home builder serving high-net-worth individuals across the Portland metro and Pacific Northwest, with specialized expertise in steep-slope and earthquake-resistant construction and an adjacent lot-sales sub-brand, Homesites by Westlake.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Luxury Home Construction

NAICS

New Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (236115)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Luxury / High-End Home Construction (IMAFABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Custom Home Building (IMAFABAC), Residential Design-Build & Renovation-Integrated Builders (IMAFABAE)

Keywords

• Custom home building
• Luxury home construction
• Steep slope construction
• Earthquake-resistant construction
• Design-build services

Headquarters

HQ city

Happy Valley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Custom Home Construction: Project-based revenue from designing and building custom luxury homes. Clients engage Westlake for full design-build services from lot selection through home completion. Pricing is quote-based, negotiated per project based on scope, materials, and specifications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Westlake Development Group designs and builds custom luxury homes in the Portland metro area and broader Pacific Northwest. The company provides end-to-end design-build services, including lot/homesite selection, architectural design, and construction, with specialized expertise in steep slope sites and earthquake-resistant building methods. It also sells premium homesites through its Homesites by Westlake division.

Product overview

Westlake Development Group offers a portfolio of custom luxury home building services centered around its core Custom Homes product. The company provides end-to-end custom home design and construction, from lot selection and site preparation through final build, with specialized expertise in steep slope construction and earthquake-resistant building techniques. The product line includes New Properties/Homesites for clients purchasing lots, Custom Homes as the primary service offering, and specialized construction modules for challenging terrain (Steep Slope Construction) and seismic safety (Earthquake-Resistant Construction). The company serves the Portland metro area and broader Pacific Northwest region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Homesites by Westlake: A division offering new property listings and homesites for sale in the Portland metro area.

Products and services

• Custom Homes

Quantifiable outcome

• Voted Portland's Best Custom Home Builder two years in a row
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tiffany Home DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Interior design collaboration for custom home projects including Fairway Manor (2018 Street of Dreams). Designers Joelle Jarvis and Brittainy Tiffany provided design services for English farmhouse style homes with European flavor elements.
• Garrison Hullinger Interior DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterior design partnership for Made in America home projects including The American Dream (2013 Street of Dreams) and subsequent builds. Design team included Nicole Copko, Alison Van Delden, Garrison Hullinger, Lisa Luchaco, Kristine Williams, and Grant Scholbrock.
• Building A Better America CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit organization co-founded/led by owner Gerald Rowlett. Promotes buying local and building local through SEE (Social, Economic, Environmental) impact strategy. Commits to using at least 90% American-made products in homes.
• Energy Trust of OregonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnergy efficiency partnerships for Street of Dreams homes. Average utility bills estimated at $160/month through energy-efficient design and products.
• Reserve Vineyard and Golf CourseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocation partner for 2018 Street of Dreams Fairway Manor home along the 12th hole at The Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club in Hillsboro, Oregon.
• KOIN Channel 6 NewsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTelevision news coverage of Made in America project and Street of Dreams homes. Media partner for project announcements.
• KGW Channel 8 NewsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTelevision news coverage including segment on 2013 Street of Dreams American Dream home. Media partner for project visibility.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• David Weekley Homes: Large national homebuilder with limited Pacific Northwest operations; competes in the broader luxury and move-up custom segment with greater capital and standardized processes.
• Toll Brothers: National luxury homebuilder with an active presence in the Pacific Northwest; overlaps with Westlake at the high end of the for-sale luxury segment but operates at vastly greater scale and with production-builder economics.

Direct peers

• Harnish Custom Homes: Pacific Northwest custom luxury home builder delivering bespoke residences in the Portland region; directly comparable custom-luxury positioning.
• Renaissance Homes: Portland-area custom and luxury home builder offering design-build services for high-end single-family homes in the Pacific Northwest — directly comparable market, customer segment, and product to Westlake.
• Tyler Howe Construction: Portland-metro custom home builder focused on high-end new construction and remodels; comparable in size, target segment, and design-build service model.
• Neil Kelly Company: Pacific Northwest design-build remodeler and custom home builder with a long history serving Portland-area homeowners; broader service portfolio than Westlake but overlapping custom-building customer base.
• Greg Heschke Construction: Boutique Portland custom home builder serving luxury clients with design-build and remodel services; comparable in scale, geography, and high-net-worth customer base.
• Cascade Custom Homes & Design: Pacific Northwest luxury custom home builder serving the Portland and surrounding markets with bespoke design-build — comparable product offering and customer profile.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WestlakeDevelop
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCy8mu8vw3BwRpKZ98DFdTXg
• Facebookfacebook.com/westlakedevelopment
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/westlake-development-group-llc
• Instagraminstagram.com/westlakedev

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Westlake Development Group