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Who We Are

We want to be your builder! Mills Custom Homes is a home builder in Iowa City and surrounding areas. We specialize in custom new home construction. Our goal is to build the home of your dreams at a fair price.

Ryan

Ryan Mills is the owner of Mills Custom Homes. Ryan began his construction journey in high school as an assistant to a reputable trim carpenter in the Iowa City area. During college, he started a small siding business which quickly grew, as did his interest in general contracting. Over the years Ryan has refined his skills, fine-tuned his quality expectations, and solidified his niche in handcrafting custom features. Ryan utilizes his over 22 years in the construction industry and his passion of creating unique spaces to build homes that truly reflect the individual needs of each client.

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Who-We-Are

We’re more than

just a builder

Our process is what sets us apart. We create a 3D rendering of your house, allowing you to “walk” through and see all your finishes and explore your floorpan to make sure everything looks perfect!

Ourprocess

Individual Construction Timelines May Vary
  • 01

    Explore | 1-2 weeks

    The first step to building your new home is finding a lot and a plan that works for you and your family. If you don’t have a lot we will work with you to find the perfect one. We have plans available that you can look through, or you can bring your own. You even have the ability to modify floor plans to best fit your family and lifestyle. Ryan will walk you through the process and answer any questions you have about building a home with Mills Custom Homes.

  • 02

    Customize | 2-4 weeks

    It’s time to design your new home! What sets Mills Custom Homes apart is we create a 3D rendering of your home, so you can “walk” through it before we start building. As selections are being made, we will update the 3D model so you know what your home will look like, and can make informed decisions about your choices. Ryan will also work with you and your budget to find alternative fixtures and elements you like, so you don’t need to break your vision or the bank.

  • 03

    Finalize | 2-4 weeks

    Now that you have your house plan it’s time to sign the paperwork. You will receive a detailed budget at the time of signing, so you are aware of what the budget is for each item. At your pre-construction meeting, we will go over every detail of your home with you. Here we can make any additional changes to the floor plan. The last step before starting construction is the closing of your loan.

  • 04

    Build | 20-28 weeks

    Your job of designing and finalizing is done, and we get to work! We will keep you informed throughout the entire construction process. If at any point you have questions or need to make changes, Ryan will work with you to ensure that changes, if possible, get made. Our craftsmanship shines through in the details. Unlike most home builders, we are actually custom builders. Ryan will hand craft elements for you, ensuring that it is unique and no one else has it.

  • 05

    Move In | Complete

    Now for the moment you’ve been waiting for—move-in day! Moving into a home built just for you is pretty exciting. After closing, we will take you on a thorough walkthrough to ensure you know how to utilize all of the features of your new home.

  • 06

    POST BUILD | 6 & 11 MONTH CHECK IN

    Ryan knows that he is building more than just a house. He is building a home for your family and he wants you to enjoy it for years to come. To ensure your satisfaction Ryan will conduct follow-up walkthroughs at 6 months and 11 months post build to ensure your new home continues to exceed your expectations. Whether you’re a first-time homeowner or a seasoned one, you’ll be glad that you chose Mills Custom Homes. Now that you know our process, let’s get started on building the home of YOUR dreams today!

Other Projects

Custom Decks

Building out? Trust Mills Custom Homes with deck design and installation. Build a brand new deck, patio, or screen porch. Choose from traditional wood or composite materials, with aluminum railings also available.

Home Additions

Increase your living space by adding an extra room or two. Build a home office in the basement, add a second story playroom, or create a luxurious master suite.

Kitchen Remodels

Update your kitchen with clever new designs, beautiful finishes, or custom cabinetry. Choose anything from a basic refresh to a full renovation project, and let us turn your dream kitchen into reality.

Custom bars

Looking to add a basement bar to your home? Wet or dry, we can custom-build it to your exact specification. Flooring to lighting, counters to refrigeration to plumbing installation, no detail goes unaddressed.

Gallery

Lone Tree Farm House

West Liberty

1873 Dickenson Lane, Iowa City, IA 52240

2400 sqft | 4 bed | 3 bath | 3 car garage

1701 Croell Ave, Tiffin, IA 52340

2700 sqft | 5 bed | 3 bath | 3 car garage

25844 Golden Oak Lane

508 Dogwood Lane

25842 Golden Oak Lane

The 1861 Dickenson Lane (SOLD)

2600 sqft | 5 bed | 3 bath | 3 car heated garage

Testimonials

Cheryl Doehrmann

Ryan was our general contractor when we built our house in 2010. It was really important to us to be very involved in the process which meant a lot of communication with our contractor. Ryan was great about getting back to us quickly and handling any issue that came up. He really is building his neighbor’s homes. From the initial design to the finishing touches, he cares about his craftsmanship and the type of home he is building. We wanted and received a custom built home thanks to Ryan. I would highly recommend Mills Custom Homes.

Stef Morarie

We hired Mills Custom Homes as the contractor for our kitchen remodel last year, we couldn’t be happier with the outcome! Ryan did absolutely everything he could to make our vision come to life, and he succeeded! He was able to make our new kitchen feel like it fit in our old home! We were not sure what kind of things he would run into while remodeling on an old house, but there was nothing he couldn’t handle. Our entire family was so impressed at the beautiful job he did! We would hire Mills Custom Homes again in an instant!

Britt Wilson

Ryan at Mills Custom Homes is the general contractor for our home and is overall excellent to work with throughout the entire process. He is involved every step of the way in the initial planning, custom design, selection of sub-contractors, and the huge variety of other tasks that come up while building a custom house. He is extremely responsive to communications, very organized (which makes our lives much easier), very aware of what is in style and the big picture of the home, and very attentive to the technical details ensuring the home was built properly. I couldn’t ask for a better home building experience.

Joel O’Polka

We had a great experience with Mills Custom Homes. Ryan was easy to work with and super flexible with all the things that we were looking for. He keeps a close eye on the details and communicates the whole process throughout the project. Having a home built isn’t the easiest thing to do, but working with a contractor who knows what he’s doing makes a world of difference. I would recommend him to anyone building or updating a home, he’ll get the job done right for you.

Jessica Warden Walmsley

Ryan was our general contractor for getting our house in one piece. He went above and beyond with communication and keeping things on track. He can pretty much tackle whatever gets thrown at him, including concrete blankets being froze down in the middle of winter. He is very precise about his work and a very clean contractor. (picks up after himself) I would highly recommend Mills Custom Homes for new construction, updating, or any contractor services you need.

Contact

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