Rittenhouse Builders: Custom Homes, Remodeling

The Rittenhouse Builders Story

When Dean Rittenhouse and I founded this company in 1995, we wanted to provide our customers quality craftsmanship and excellent customer service. In the early years we worked for high-end custom contractors where we refined our craft. During this experience we learned the importance of starting the job correctly, staying focused on the details, and immediately dealing with those items which were not “right”.

We saw contractors with the best standards and work practices exasperate their clients by not listening to their clients’ wishes. We saw contractors promote flash over substance. We also saw up close that the best communication skills and best construction practices don’t guarantee happy clients if the systems and processes of the company do not deliver value.

As our company grew, we added key employees Ryan Rittenhouse and Gary Mohler, two highly skilled individuals who are still with us today. We worked in some of the finest homes on the Main Line alongside other contractors. And as we gradually took on more of our own projects, we adopted the best practices we had observed and wove them into the fabric of Rittenhouse Builders.

When Rittenhouse Builders began, we were committed to three overriding values: treating our employees and our customers with respect, providing the highest quality materials and craftsmanship, and always being honest with our customers. This commitment is still alive today and as our reputation grows, we believe that this commitment is the cornerstone of what makes Rittenhouse Builders special.

Rittenhouse Builders continues to work hard to do our absolute best and nothing less. With these values and a strong work ethic, Rittenhouse Builders has been serving the region for over 10 years. I invite you to build on our reputation.

Sincerely,
George Metzler

Dean Rittenhouse
Dean has always been interested in construction. He was raised in a family that fostered a strong work ethic and he grew up helping his father build houses from start to finish. He spent much of his early years learning the trades from the ground up, specifically carpentry.

He went on to school at Penn State University and graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree. His love of construction and his desire to convert that into a business led him to start Rittenhouse Builders with George Metzler in 1995.

Dean has been a competitive cycling participant for the past 12 years. He has competed in two Olympic trials and is a repeating state champion. Dean has also sought to better his business acumen, as a four-year member of Philadelphia's Young Entrepreneurs Organization (YEO). Dean lives in Chester County with his wife and sons.

George Metzler
George founded Rittenhouse Builders with one thing in mind; always work hard to do his absolute best. This approach has done well for both him and the company. George has a passion and field construction expertise in framing. Creating cathedral spaces with live valleys and structural ridges can dramatically enhance a living space. Working out these structural details and managing complicated structural issues can make a complex project go smooth.

He also believes that we have a responsibility to help those in need. He volunteers his time in local building projects and recently has become involved in an orphanage in the Dominican Republic. Along with other volunteers from his church he has built concrete block walls around the compound, added additional classroom space, and helped with day-to-day chores, like cleaning and painting. This February he will be returning to the Dominican Republic for the third time.

George grew up on a dairy farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. His parents worked hard on the farm, George learned early on what hard work meant, and that it took a team to make the farm work. When he borrowed his father’s truck to start the business back in 1995, it was apparent to customers that Rittenhouse Builders were about honesty, hard work, and strong ethics. These values are visible today in Rittenhouse Builders. George currently lives in Lancaster County with his wife and two children.

The Craftsmen