The Craftsman Series

The Craftsman Series is a finish-it-yourself post-frame home program from Sherman Buildings. We build your home up to the mechanical rough-in — a weather-tight, fully framed structure with electrical, plumbing, and HVAC rough-ins in place — and then hand it off so you can complete the interior finishing yourself. It is a flexible, cost-smart path to a custom home for hands-on owners across Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin.

By default, Sherman builds the foundation, the engineered post-frame shell (posts, trusses, roof, exterior, windows), and the mechanical rough-ins for electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. From there, you handle the finishing work: insulation, drywall, paint, flooring, interior trim, cabinetry, fixtures, and furniture, fixtures & equipment (FF&E). The split between what we build and what you finish is fully customizable.

Yes. The mechanical rough-in is our standard finish line, but it is not fixed. We can custom-pick the stopping point to match your skills, budget, and timeline. If you want us to stop earlier or carry the build further — even all the way to a turnkey finished home — we can accommodate that.

Yes. A Craftsman Series home is a permanent, code-built post-frame home designed for full-time living. Because the finishing work happens after Sherman completes the shell and rough-ins, you move in once your interior finishing is complete and the home passes its final inspections — the same standard as any new home.

Financing a partially finished home works differently than a turnkey build, since lenders evaluate the completed structure and your finishing plan. Sherman can walk you through the options and connect the conversation to our financing resources so you understand how a Craftsman Series project fits your budget. Start with our financing page or talk to our team early in the design phase.

It is ideal for hands-on owners, DIYers, tradespeople, and anyone who wants to control finishing costs by doing the interior work themselves. You get Sherman’s 50 years of post-frame structural expertise on the part that matters most — the shell and rough-ins — while keeping the flexibility to finish on your own terms.

Sherman’s portion — site prep, foundation, shell, and mechanical rough-in — typically moves faster than a full turnkey home because we hand off before interior finishing. Your overall move-in timeline then depends on how quickly you complete the finishing work. We coordinate our schedule with your finishing plan during design.

Sherman Buildings serves Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin from our headquarters in Mora, MN. That includes the Twin Cities metro and east-central Minnesota, the Brainerd Lakes and Duluth regions, and the Wisconsin St. Croix Valley and Northwoods — Polk, Burnett, Barron, St. Croix, and surrounding counties. If you are searching for a finish-it-yourself or shell home builder near you in this region, the Craftsman Series is built for you.

For most owners, yes — because you supply the labor and source the materials for the finishing work, you control a large share of the project cost directly. Sherman focuses on the engineered shell and rough-ins, and you decide how much of the finishing you take on. Because every home, site, and finish level is different, we do not publish per-square-foot prices or cost ranges; instead, we scope each project individually with a free quote.

Yes. The Craftsman Series works equally well for cabins, lake homes, and weekend retreats across Minnesota and the Wisconsin Northwoods. We build the weather-tight post-frame shell and rough-ins, and you finish the interior on your own timeline — a popular approach for seasonal and recreational properties.