Wood & Clay Inc. is a custom home builder based in Gilford, New Hampshire, known for high-end residential construction and renovations across the Lakes Region, including projects on or near Lake Winnipesaukee. Established in 1979 as a family-run firm, the company’s work is closely tied to a regional architectural condition where homes must respond to steep sites, wooded shorelines, and shoreline regulatory requirements. In this context, lake houses are not simply vacation properties, they are complex site-driven buildings where land use, view corridors, seasonal performance, and long-term durability are central design and construction priorities.
These residences are typically defined by their relationship to water, with planning strategies that orient primary interior spaces toward the lake and structure outdoor living around terraces, decks, and shoreline-facing gathering areas. Building at the lakefront also requires careful navigation of shoreland permitting and site management, which shapes everything from footprint placement to drainage and landscape integration. Wood & Clay’s emphasis on building science and long-term sustainability aligns with the demands of New England climate conditions, where thermal performance, moisture control, and structural detailing significantly impact how custom homes age over decades.
