From recession recovery to modern masterpieces, explore Lee Wetherington Homes’s inspiring story
For over four decades, Lee Wetherington Homes (LWH) has been dedicated to providing a singular and innovative homebuilding experience for discerning customers along the Suncoast. As a locally owned and operated firm based in Sarasota, the company has consistently excelled at the forefront of the industry and exceeded client expectations throughout the design and construction of over 4000 homes. This commitment has allowed LWH to establish a lasting legacy of remarkable durability, dedicated community service, and a customer experience that sets it apart from other builders. David Hunihan, Chief Executive Officer, provides an overview of the business’ operations and capabilities.
“Celebrating our 45th anniversary in business next year, we are a luxury custom home builder specializing in crafting homes with an average price of roughly $2.5 million, which includes the home, home site, and custom options. For us, ‘custom’ means that clients can come in with an idea, and we will draw and build it to their specifications. In addition to custom builds, we also create model homes, as many customers are inspired by our designs and choose to select variations of what we offer. Nonetheless, we are equally capable of starting from scratch. We operate exclusively in Sarasota and Manatee counties on the West Coast of Florida,” he introduces.
Business evolution
Going further back in time, David reflects on the early days of Lee Wetherington Homes. “Our company was founded by company namesake Lee Wetherington, who, although he is no longer actively involved in the day-to-day business, remains a shareholder and provides input during meetings. Lee grew up in Jacksonville, Florida and originally was a successful drywall contractor. After enjoying vacations in Sarasota, he decided to settle here. Inspired by the work of the home builders in the area, he realized that he could enter the industry himself and started a business. After building his first house in the 1970s, Lee launched a successful venture with a business partner, though they eventually parted ways, leading him to establish Lee Wetherington Homes in 1981.
“Throughout our history, we have undergone many transformations. We began as a semi-custom builder, completing ten-to-15 homes a year, and evolved over time. When I joined the company in 1995, we were building about 30-to-35 homes annually as a semi-custom builder. By 2005, we had grown significantly and were constructing over 400 homes a year, making us the largest local builder in Sarasota and Manatee County. At that time, we operated more as a semi-custom or custom-production builder, allowing clients to choose from our plans with predetermined options. However, when the Great Recession hit, we had to scale back significantly, returning to ten-to-20 homes a year. When we emerged from that challenging period, we refocused on custom home building, which is where we are today, currently completing about 30-to-36 fully custom homes each year,” he enlightens.
Exemplary projects
The Sand Dollar, one of Lee Wetherington’s latest projects, is a source of pride for the company as it is different from its usual builds. “We have noticed a growing trend toward modern architecture, characterized by simpler, cleaner lines that our customers are increasingly requesting. This inspired us to incorporate some innovative elements into the Sand Dollar, which has been very well received. Spanning approximately 3300 square feet, we custom-designed the Sand Dollar in-house, drawing inspiration from the Turnberry, a larger home we built in the Founders Club community in Sarasota. The Turnberry was only on the market for a short time and was quickly purchased, so we were disappointed that we could not showcase that beautiful home for longer. To address this, we took many features that made the Turnberry exceptional and adapted them for the Sand Dollar on a smaller scale. One of Lee’s notable strengths has always been his ability to translate ideas from larger, more expensive homes into smaller homes on compact sites while maintaining a high level of detail and quality.
“It is worth noting that the Sand Dollar is slightly narrower and longer than some of the other homes we have built, which presented design challenges. Still, it was executed exceptionally well. When you walk in, the home feels wide, open and spacious. You can immediately see through the entire home to the lake view and the outdoor living area, which is wonderful. There are also several details that enhance the home, such as a wine locker on the right-hand side upon entry, along with beautiful custom wood detailing and lighting on the wall and ceiling of the dining room. Additionally, we have incorporated three innovative features called ‘cloud ceilings,’ which are staggered, overlapping details suspended from the ceiling. Cloud ceilings are made from drywall with integrated lighting below. We take pride in this detail, as it is something I don’t believe anyone else has done in our market. Like most of our homes, the Sand Dollar boasts a high level of fit and finish, including tile, marble, wood, and stone details, along with exquisite bathroom finishes and tile work. We opted for modern cabinetry in this particular home, featuring a spacious pantry, and we made sure to take full advantage of the spectacular lake view,” David elaborates. 
Smart home technology
Across each project, Lee Wetherington offers a high level of personalization, even in terms of technological features, which are designed to make the house smarter and safer. “I believe that builders as a whole are lagging behind in technology compared to nearly every other industry. Still, many different technologies are gradually making their way into homes. The biggest challenge with integrating technology into homes is selecting the right kind, as it evolves so rapidly and when you install something in a home, it becomes part of its structure. The technological features we incorporate are primarily smart home systems, which vary based on each client’s preferences. For example, clients can choose to install a tablet or a centralized keypad to control all systems in the home, including lighting, thermostats, garage doors, fireplaces, TVs, and appliances. Many of these functionalities can also be managed through smartphone apps. This is particularly interesting, as some customers opt to install smart locks that allow delivery personnel to unlock the door temporarily. They can monitor the process via a Ring camera and ensure that the delivery is made safely before locking the door again.
Committed to customers
“Similarly, if a technician needs access to the garage, homeowners can view them through the Ring camera, verify their identity, and then open the garage door to grant access to the electrical panel, for instance. From a technology standpoint, these are the kinds of innovations we are currently implementing. Recently, we added a water shut-off valve, a safety measure inspired by an incident where a homeowner accidentally left the water on and flooded the house. Now, the system monitors water usage patterns, and if it detects any unusual activity, it automatically shuts off the water at the source. We include this feature in every house, demonstrating our commitment to leveraging the latest technologies to provide the best possible home and experience for our customers, in line with our mission statement,” David concludes.
Thanks to its commitment to personalization, client satisfaction, and innovation, Lee Wetherington is continuing to solidify its reputation as a premium home builder along the Suncoast.