Discover the quality craftsmanship, thoughtful design, and attention to detail that make a Luke Brothers custom home so unique
Luke Brothers Custom Homes, LLC (Luke Brothers) is a Florida State certified, family owned and operated new home builder in Charlotte County, Florida, operating since 1968.
“We are located on the Cape Haze Peninsula of Florida’s Gulf Coast where we specialize in building custom single-family homes,” begins Rodney Luke, President. “My grandfather entered the building business in Northwest Indiana in 1920, and my father started his building career in 1968. In 1980 I joined the family construction business, Luke and Son’s Construction, learning all the different trades involved. In 1984, dad moved the business to Florida’s Gulf Coast where we have been building ever since. 
“After my father retired, I developed a new product line and a new brand, Luke Brothers Custom Homes, continuing our long family history in the home building business. Our goal has been to provide products of exceptional quality and craftsmanship while maintaining the one-on-one service between the customer and builder that our family has been known for. I still personally supervise every build myself rather than relying solely on supervisors or project managers. I truly enjoy the actual building process, so I spend the first part of my day in the field making myself directly accessible to the men and women doing the hard work of taking our ideas and turning them into reality.
“We offer 18 copyrighted floor plans and cabanas that can be modified to suit our clients’ needs or I will work with our clients to design their own unique floor plan. I personally assist our customers with their cabinetry design, room layouts based on their furnishings, and elevations. I also offer unique ideas to better influence the feel of the home to reflect their own style and personality.
True craftsmanship
“As so much of the Florida lifestyle revolves around being outside, we pay purposeful attention to the outdoor living spaces of our homes. Depending on how our clients plan to use their outdoor space, it may be as simple as dressing up the exterior trim package or as complex as a place to relax next to an elaborate pool design with fire and water features. We truly want the home to reflect the personality of our client so that coming home feels like a retreat away from the outside world,” Rodney shares.
In a competitive landscape, skilled craftmanship and attention to detail ensure Luke Brothers stands out from the crowd. “Besides working one-on-one with the client throughout the build process, our craftsmen and tradesmen are simply the best in their respective fields,” he continues. “We combine old-world craftsmanship with new technologies and materials that have proven to be very successful and desired by our clientele. Most of our crews have been with us for more than 20 years, and our finish craftsmen have been with us since 1984. We also limit the number of homes we build each year to what our crews can comfortably handle. This ensures that the craftsmen who built our model homes are the ones who will build our clients’ homes. We also use only premium and luxury grade materials.
“While our goals have remained the same, our products continue to evolve to keep up with current trends, material improvements and the ever-changing Florida Building Code. New safer and more durable building materials hit the market almost daily. We pride ourselves on staying up to date with new and innovative products, separating hype from reality and incorporating these quality new products into our homes. Most recently we have teamed up with HB Elements in Pompano Beach to produce our custom exterior trim packages. Their products are made of high-grade cellular PVC and hold up in the harsh Florida environment. They produce custom-detailed, durable products that our customers truly love.
Continuous improvement
“After Hurricane Ian devastated much of the Cape Haze Peninsula in 2022, we took a hard look around our community at homes built after the most recent code change. Our goal was to pinpoint any weak links within the current structural building code. For the most part, the newer homes built to current building codes held up well, but we were able to find a few areas that seemed to be susceptible to water damage.
“The number one cause of wind-driven water damage on newly constructed homes was soffit failure, allowing water to breach into the home through the roof overhangs. We addressed this by adding a structural detail around the perimeter of the block walls level to the sub fascia and adding a solid surface from the sub fascia to the block, allowing the finished soffit material to be nailed and glued to a solid, structural component. We insulate with spray foam, so there is no need to vent our roofs from the soffits.
“Another area of water intrusion into newer homes was through the inswing fiberglass front doors. During Hurricane Ian, wind-driven rainwater was pushed right past the door seals creating damage. To address this, we no longer offer fiberglass doors that are inswing but instead offer a handcrafted steel door complete with top and bottom hurricane bolts that can be deployed prior to a major storm. We encourage outswing doors, but this isn’t very practical for a front entry door, so this has been a stronger and safer alternative,” Rodney asserts.
Resort style living
All Luke Brothers’ floor plans are sought after, with the Grand Cayman and Calypso models proving particularly popular. “Both floor plans are a West Indies design,” Rodney elaborates. “The Grand Cayman is a single-story home that offers a very comfortable and casual floor plan that, while smaller than many of our homes, features the same luxury finishes and open concept as found in our larger floor plans. The master suite is very spacious and features a huge walk-in shower, free standing slipper tub with his and her vanities and ample cabinet storage. The master closet features custom-built shelving and dressers, all individually designed for each customer. Most of our clients will add our Tortuga cabana that features a dedicated outdoor kitchen and bar area as well as a covered outdoor living space off the pool for entertaining rain or shine.
“We designed the Calypso for our coastline properties that require an elevated home. The Calypso can be built with or without a front staircase as it has a first-floor front entry door option that opens to a foyer with interior stairs and an elevator for those clients or guests that prefer to avoid stairs. It features four bedrooms plus an office, three full baths, extensive millwork throughout the home and a second-floor pool to take in those spectacular water views. Alongside the pool is a covered outdoor kitchen and dining area that caters to the Florida lifestyle. The Calypso truly is resort style living at its finest.”
Significant awards
Over the years, Luke Brothers has received 31 Southwest Florida Parade of Homes awards since 2018. “We were awarded the Builder of the Year in 2018 by the Charlotte DeSoto Building Industry Association. The Southeast Builders Conference awarded us a Silver Aurora Award in 2023 for our Grand Bahama Build and we just received the 2024 Presidents Club Award from the Gulf Eagle Company for our contributions and dedication to the construction industry. These accolades are a direct reflection of the team we have assembled. Like any winning team, all players must perform above the competition. Our team, from ground clearing to final cleaning and all members in between, believe that mediocrity is just not acceptable. I just happen to have the pleasure of being their coach and biggest cheerleader.
Bright future
“This year is a very special year for me personally,” adds Rodney, “as my son Logan has joined the company and will be learning the business side of operations. Logan has worked in the field for the last seven years learning the trades from structural aspects to trim and finishing work. He will be testing for his Florida Contractors License in the coming years, making him the fourth generation of our family to make the building business his occupation.
“We get excited about every project we take on and this year is no exception. Two of our new projects this year were designed by my customers with just a little help from us. They are nicely designed, and the clients are having fun with the entire process. In the last quarter of 2024, we will be introducing and breaking ground on a new floor plan we’ve named the Barbados model. Styled after the beachfront properties that adorn the Leeward Islands, this floor plan will be a two-story design with the option of adding a third-floor observation deck. It will feature four bedrooms, a den or home office, ample outdoor living overlooking a beautiful pool on the intercoastal waterway and near Boca Grande.”
Looking to the future, Rodney shares that in five years he will be 66 and hoping that Logan will be starting to take over the day-to-day operations. “I want to dedicate more time to serving our local builders association and give back to the industry I enjoy so much. Active in the local community with my wife and business partner, Joyce, I can’t see myself ever retiring completely from this business as it brings me a great deal of pleasure and allows me the opportunity to be creative. I get to meet some of the most amazing clients that during the building process become friends,” he concludes. “I wake up every day and work alongside some amazing craftsmen who set high expectations for themselves and the Luke Brothers brand. As long as I’m still enjoying the business, I’ll stay involved in some capacity for as long as I can.”
www.lukebrotherscustomhomes.com
All images © Cheyenne Alford Photography