Premium lakefront decking, whole-home renovations, additions, custom barndominiums, and historic restorations like St. Joseph's Library Historic Hotel. Captain's Choice has been the family-owned general contractor SW Michigan and NW Indiana homeowners trust since 2015 — bringing the same precision to a kitchen remodel in Bridgman that we bring to a 1903 Carnegie restoration. One licensed, insured crew. One point of contact. Decks to dunes to downtowns.
When this Lake Michigan homeowner wanted to bring their tired pressure-treated deck up to modern standards, they came to Captain's Choice. We tore out the old wood railing, reframed the structure to support a covered second-story extension with bay windows, wrapped the lower level in a cantilevered window-wall to capture every angle of the lake, and topped the whole thing with composite decking and stainless cable-rail.
This is the same composite-and-cable system we install on lakefront homes from St. Joseph and Bridgman to New Buffalo and South Haven — engineered to survive Michigan winters without warping, splintering, or fading. Built for hosting in July. Built for the next thirty Julys.
In 2024, Shannon Kutchek and John Kenna acquired the original 1903 Andrew Carnegie library on Main Street with one ambition: bring it back to life as a boutique hotel. They needed a general contractor who could honor 120 years of history while meeting modern hospitality standards. They chose Captain's Choice.
Across the project, our team has handled structural carpentry, custom millwork, period-appropriate finish work, and the build-out of the basement Archive Lounge speakeasy — the kind of meticulous detail you only see when the same crew sees a build through from foundation to final walk-through.
The Library Historic Hotel is now one of Southwest Michigan's most acclaimed boutique stays — and we're proud to be the contractor on it.
Barndominiums have become one of the most-requested new builds across Southwest Michigan — wide open floor plans, dramatic timber-frame entries, and the durability of metal exteriors. Captain's Choice handles them ground up: site prep, foundation, steel framing, timber-frame architectural details, electrical, mechanical rough-ins, and full interior buildout.
This Berrien County build features a black standing-seam metal exterior, an exposed timber-frame covered entry, and a flexible interior plan ready for residential, workshop, or hospitality use. We can do it for you across Berrien, Cass, Van Buren, and St. Joseph counties — and into Northwest Indiana.
From a 1970s lake cottage refresh in South Haven to a custom barndominium build in Sister Lakes to historic restoration on Main Street St. Joseph — Captain's Choice handles every kind of construction work across Berrien, Cass, Van Buren, and St. Joseph counties, plus Northwest Indiana. Marine-grade precision on every single build.
Concept-to-completion remodels that elevate every square foot — kitchens, baths, basements, exteriors.
Add square footage that feels like it was always part of the house. Master suites, sunrooms, second stories.
Custom homes built from the ground up — designed for lakefront living, engineered for Michigan winters.
Period-appropriate renovations that honor the past while meeting modern code. Trusted with landmarks like the Library Hotel.
Composite cable-rail decks built for Lake Michigan lakefront homes from St. Joseph through New Buffalo — engineered for Michigan winters, designed for hosting in July.
Tenant build-outs, hospitality builds, and small-commercial construction across Berrien County.
From shoreline cottages to commercial restorations — here's a sample of what we've been building lately.
