Perrone discusses Nautilus Homes’ evolution as a custom homebuilder
Builder and Developer: Nautilus Homes originally built its reputation through smaller projects, with a focus on craftsmanship over scale. How did this approach influence your building philosophy in your current large-scale projects?
Ryan Perrone: In our early years, I was on every site, every day. That level of involvement allowed me to put my care into every aspect of the home, bringing slight improvements to small and big elements alike, which, when viewed as a completed project, created a better product.
That philosophy hasn’t changed as our projects have grown. What has changed is how we bring that same level of care into bigger projects and more of them. Larger, more complex homes require stronger systems, deeper planning and a team that understands and champions the standard just as clearly as I do. We’ve built that through better hiring, dedicated project leadership, rigorous pre-construction and consistent quality-control practices.
My role has evolved along with the company. Today, much of my focus is on the pre-construction phase, setting the standards, developing our team and continuing to push how we build through better processes, new technology and more innovative ways of solving complex construction challenges.
The scale of the work may be different, but the philosophy is the same: treat each home, each decision as if it was our home, and care deeply about even the smallest details regardless of who is watching or not, and the results will speak for themselves.
B&D: As a second-generation luxury homebuilder, in what ways have you seen luxury homebuilding evolve?
RP: The level of sophistication has changed tremendously. Homes are more architecturally ambitious, the systems behind them are more complex and clients are coming into the process with a much higher level of knowledge and expectation than they did even 10 or 15 years ago.
That has changed the role of the builder. We’re getting involved earlier, working alongside architects and designers during preconstruction to think through constructability, cost, performance and execution before those decisions reach the field. There is much less room for the builder to simply receive a set of drawings and figure it out during construction.
Technology has accelerated that evolution. While applications like Instagram are bringing a higher awareness of good design to clients and designers alike, we have also implemented 3D modeling to resolve issues digitally early. We model every project in BIM before construction, use robotic layout
and lidar scanning in the field and have far greater ability to identify conflicts and verify conditions before they become problems.
At the same time, resiliency and building performance have become increasingly important, particularly here in Florida. Understanding how to resolve these concerns through basic, logical, tested approaches is equally as valuable. That really comes with experience of seeing how different properties perform over the years and staying on top of the latest materials.
What hasn’t changed is the expectation of craftsmanship. The tools are better and the homes are more complex, but ultimately the responsibility is still the same: take an extraordinary design, understand the intent and execute it at the highest possible level.
B&D: How has Nautilus Homes tailored its approach for today’s modern homebuyer?
RP: Today’s luxury client expects a highly personalized experience, but they also want clarity. They want to understand where the project stands, what decisions are coming, what those decisions mean for cost and schedule and who is accountable at every step.
We’ve built our process around creating that confidence early. Every Nautilus project is modeled in BIM before construction begins and a significant amount of work happens during pre-construction to define scope, develop pricing, coordinate with the design team and identify major decisions before they reach the field.
That discipline produces measurable results. To date, every project has been completed within its approved control estimate and every home has been delivered on time or ahead of schedule. For a custom home, where there are thousands of individual decisions and an enormous amount of complexity, I think that kind of predictability matters.
Once construction begins, every home has dedicated project leadership and our clients have real time visibility into progress, budget, schedule and site documentation. The goal isn’t to make a custom process feel standardized but to put enough structure behind it so that the client can focus on the experience of creating something extraordinary rather than worrying about what comes next, or if they have enough budget remaining to splurge on their master closet.
B&D: Nautilus Homes’ Watersound received several awards from the National Association of Home Builders’ Best in American Living Awards. What does this recognition mean to you?
RP: We don’t do what we do for awards or recognition. Our standard is the same whether anyone outside the project ever sees it or not.
That said, recognition like this is meaningful because every project is brought to life by a team based on a client’s vision and in many cases we bring the team, from architect to interior designer and beyond. Many times these are different team members to better suit a client’s character, style, location, etc., but they always turn out to be amazing.
By the time a home is complete, countless decisions, details and moments of collaboration have shaped the final result. An award reflects the collective effort of the client, architect, design team, our team and the craftspeople who brought it to life.
I think of referrals and repeat clients the same way. More than 45% of our work comes from people who have either worked with us before or were introduced to us by someone who has. That isn’t why we hold ourselves to the standard we do, but it is proof that the standard is being felt beyond the finished product.
I’m proud of the recognition, but I’m even more proud of what had to happen to earn it. The decisions, the collaboration, the craftsmanship and the trust from the client. That’s the part that matters most. The awards are proof that the work stands up, but they’ll never be the reason we do it.
B&D: Where do you see premier custom homebuilding headed in the future?
RP: I think the biggest shift will be toward much deeper collaboration before construction ever begins. These homes are becoming more complex, architecturally, structurally and technologically. The old model of handing a completed set of drawings to a builder and figuring out the rest in the field is already a thing of the past.
One piece of advice I give anyone considering a custom home, whether they ultimately build with Nautilus or someone else, is to bring the builder in early. Almost everything that shapes a home is decided before the plans are completed. The earlier the builder is at the table with the client, architect and design team, the more opportunity there is to think through constructibility, cost, schedule and execution while there is still flexibility to make good decisions. Whether a builder has a system, is capable of performing to your project scale and whether they understand how to achieve the quality level is a fundamental gate; then, whether you can trust your builder becomes the most important gate to selecting the builder.
We’ve seen the value of that firsthand. Every client who has completed our full pre-construction process has moved forward into construction with us. To me, that says the work we do early creates confidence. It gives everyone a clearer understanding of what we’re building, what it will take to build it and how we’re going to get there, and it makes the experience of the build far more enjoyable.
I also think resiliency and long-term performance will continue to become more important, especially in Florida. Clients are thinking beyond aesthetics and asking how their homes will perform, endure and adapt over time.
At the highest level, I don’t think the future is about choosing between craftsmanship and process. The best builders will have to be exceptional at both: protecting the artistry and individuality of a custom home while bringing greater discipline, foresight and collaboration to how it gets built.
B&D: Is there anything else you would like to add that we haven’t touched on already?
RP: We’re constantly looking for ways to improve, whether that’s through technology, construction methods, stronger processes or simply finding a better way to communicate and serve our clients.
Innovation for us isn’t about chasing what’s new. It’s about asking whether there is a smarter, more precise or more thoughtful way to do the work.
Sarasota will always be home for Nautilus. It’s where we started, where we’ve built our reputation and where so much of our identity comes from. But we’re now taking that same standard into Tampa Bay and, over time, into other places where we believe our approach can make an impact.
I want Nautilus to help push this industry forward. If we can continue raising expectations for craftsmanship, construction and the client experience, and encourage others to raise theirs along with us, then I think we’re doing something that matters well beyond any one home.
Nautilus Homes’ Watersound is featured in our October issue of Builder and Developer. Read the print version here.
