Keith M. Webster Construction, Inc. in Napa is ownedby Keith Webster. He is often referred to as a renaissance man. Over the years he has been a professional

equestrian, raising and training Arabian horses, a competitivesailor, a competitive sporting clays shooter, a chef trained atthe Culinary Institute of America, and an artist whose workwas shown in New York in SOHO. Keith’s father graduated West Point with engineering degreesand had a career as a military intelligence officer. Growing upin the military, Keith lived all over the world, from Europe toJapan, and across the United States.

As a consummate entrepreneur, Keith started his firstbusiness at just ten years old, selling greeting cards door todoor while living in Los Angeles. By age 15, he was buying,selling, and training horses in the St. Louis area, eventuallymoving the horse business to Texas. The horse business led him to begin studying pre-veterinarianmedicine at Texas A&M University. After a motorcycle accidentand a long recovery from a broken neck, he became interestedin healing people, leading him to apply to medical school atBaylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. “Then I had an epiphany,” says Keith. “I didn’t want tospend the next ten years in school.” He left school and beganearning a living remodeling homes in the South Hampton andRiver Oaks areas of Houston, Texas.

H O M E

Imagine it Done RightKeith and Chelli Webster, owners of Keith M. Webster Construction, Inc.,

are making dreams come true with their stunning, contemporary creations.

His time in the horse business, designing andbuilding “show” barns for his Arabian horseswas a huge benefit in the construction business.He and his brother had built large, elegantstructures for their horses with engineeringinput from his father, an engineer by degree.He had overseen the construction of hisparents county estate as an Owner ’sRepresentative, watching the builder for any“shortcuts” that might have slipped by. Hedeveloped an eye for detail. Using this hands-on experience and construction expertise, hebegan working with architects and discerningowners for the restoration of historic homes.His background and experience allowed himto deliver of expertly restored and superiorquality projects demanded by his clients andtheir architects. Howard Barnstone, FAIA, one of Houston’s

most notable architects of the time observed his work and recruited Keith to be his designated contractor for several of his more demanding clients. He became “Howard’s contractor.” Howard Barnstone may be best remembered as the architect commissioned by Dominque deMenil for the Rothko Chapel in Houston.

Late in 1979, Keith was commissioned to oversee the construction of several projects on Grand Cayman. This was an interesting challenge for both economic and logistical reasons. It was necessary to purchase the entire project’s material in the United States, containerize it, transport it via ship, deliver them to the site and constructed the project without having the benefit of “going around the corner” to the lumber yard. These structures were designed and engineered to withstand 180 mph wind loads, resisting Caribbean hurricanes. The first test was hurricane Allen which swept the island just as construction was beginning.

Upon his return to the States, Keith was commissioned to construct the first house on the Gulf Coast to be built to the then new, 140 mph Federal hurricane standard.

In 1998, Keith moved to Aspen, Colorado, and began building homes for clients there. He furthered his reputation as a high-quality contractor and his business prospered.

Keith moved to the Napa Valley in 2008. In 2011, he met Chelli , a Napa Valley local. The two shared a myriad of interests, including,

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food, travel, wine and winemaking. Chelli is not only his wife, but also his business partner at Keith M. Webster Construction.

With over 45 years of experience, Keith is known for his attention to detail. “We don’t just slap things together,” says Keith. “I learned how to build from the ground up. I have gotten my hands dirty working in the trades—carpentry, concrete, plumbing, steel, roofing, drywall, cabinet building and painting—I learned how to do everything “hands on.” We specialize in very high-quality construction and strive for perfection. I love anything that requires incredible precision. We’re there

to make sure every joint, screw, tile, andshingle is exactly the way it should be.There are no unattended subcontractors“just doing what the plans say.” Thereare no endless layers of back officebureaucracy wasting your hard-earnedmoney that should go into your home.

Keith M. Webster Construction canhandle everything from a kitchen remodelto a custom-built home or small winery,all done with an eye for detail andperfection. He and his crews have builtstunning, contemporary homes,completed historic restorations,constructed mountain retreats andtraditional period homes.

“Keith knows if somebody is doing thejob right, and if not, he steps in andcorrects it,” says Chelli. “He was a fine-art painter and to him, building is likeanother art medium. His creativity isbuilt into everything he does. Beforestarting a project, he can see the endproduct, and think backwards, like agood chess player who plans eachmove in advance, and that creates acohesive workflow that heads off a lotof problems along the way.” Keith and Chelli offer clientsguidance throughout the design andpermit process before staring anyconstruction. Their process beginswith their client’s vision, then shifts todetermining the monetary feasibility ofthe construction. They encourage theirclients to bring photos of homes theyadmire, so they will have a better ideaof their dream. They work with thedesign to determine the economicfeasibility of the project. “We offer a variety of services inaddition to just construction. One beingpre-construction services,” saysChelli. “We’ll price everything outahead of time, from the roof to thebathroom fixtures, so you don’t endup with a design that is out of yourbudget. According to Keith, this isextremely important, as often havinga good grasp of the costs involved iselusive. “We walk with our clients thougheach step,” adds Keith. “We work witharchitects and designers to make sureour clients’ ideas are possible, andwithin their budgets. If the plan isbeyond their budget, we’ll help scaleit back. One of our main tasks is

expectation management. We can alsohandle all the permit paperwork, so theycan be sure everything needed is includedin the submittal for permit.” Once construction begins, Keith andChelli pride themselves on theircontinuous, transparent communicationwith their clients. “We have cloud-based projectmanagement software that allows ourclients to log in to their own portal andsee the status of their project in real time,”says Chelli. “They can see photos, videos,and comments about their project, andthey can message us directly through theirportal and upload photos. We also have

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“I love to create something fromnothing, and watch it grow from anidea to reality. I build everythinglike it’s mine.” - Keith Webster

Keith M. WebsterConstruction, Inc.

1100 Lincoln Avenue, Suite 100Napa, CA 94558707-963-1705

info@kmwconstruction.comwww.kmwconstruction.com

Contractor’s License # 956039

regular project meetings with them tokeep them abreast of everything that’shappening, and answer any questions theymay have.” “Another valuable service that we offeris that of an “Owner’s Representative”Chelli adds. They act as an agent of theOwner, managing the day-to-dayoperations of a project. As an owner’srep they advise and represent the Ownerfrom the earliest stage, beginning withpreliminary design, permitting, pre-construction, bidding construction,commissioning, move-in and occupancy.They are watching the design andconstruction with the Owners position as

their goal. The Owner maintains alldecision-making authority and contractualrelationship flows back to the owner.They enforce and are responsible formaking sure there is clear and concisecommunication with the entire projectteam, along with accurate records andthorough documentation throughout allphases of the project. “With this service we only representthe interest of the Owner, not the designteam or contractors,” says Chelli. Keith and Chelli are truly a dynamicduo. Partners in business and life, theyanswer each other’s questions, and finisheach other’s sentences. They areconsummate professionals, but they arealso very funny, and a meeting with thetwo of them is filled with banter andlaughter. Planning a construction projectcan be daunting, but Keith and Chellicreate a safe space, where questions areanswered, possibilities explored, andconcerns allayed. Knowledge is power,and Keith and Chelli make sure their clientshave all the facts necessary to moveforward with confidence and peace ofmind. Keith’s eyes light up when he speaksabout building. “I love to create somethingfrom nothing, and watch it grow froman idea to reality. I build everything likeit’s mine. I would say that we tend toover-deliver.” (Chelli nods at this.)

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“Sometimes our clients don’t realize it,because the extra work is invisible, but Iknow “what lurks below.” And when Isee the smiles on our customer’s face,when they light up and say, ‘thank you,’then we know we’ve helped make theirdream come true, and that makeseverything worth it.” Keith M. Webster Construction, Inc.uses personnel that have been with themfor many years, they have a dedicatedproject manager and on-site supervisor.All employees are given a thoroughbackground checks, a physical, and adrug screening before being allowed tojoin their team, this assures their clientswill always be comfortable with thepeople working in and around their home. “We’re fully insured and bonded,” saysChelli. “And all of our sub-contractors arelicensed and insured. We only work withthe best; it’s our name and reputation onthe line, and we do everything possible toprotect our clients and their property.” “We love to describe our projects withwhat we call ‘Webster’s Word of theMonth,’ says Chelli. “New fun words thatdescribe what we do, who we are or whatwe can do. Our latest Webster’s Word ofthe Month is ‘Nidification’: Noun: the act,process or technique of building a nest.Our goal is to make sure our clients’ “nest”is just the way they had envisioned it whenthe project is finished.” Keith and Chelli love to travel, fly fish,sail, and visit museums and view historicarchitectural treasures. They are both“foodies,” and love art. They havesponsored youth sport teams andprograms and are deeply part of the NapaValley Community. Choosing the right contractor for yourproject is vital to its success. With theirreputation for the highest quality work,and nearly half a century of experience,Keith M. Webster Construction, Inc. isan easy choice. “You need to feelcomfortable with your contractor,” saysKeith. “You need to trust them becausethis is a relationship revolving aroundsignificant funds. You need to be sure theywill communicate honestly and clearlythroughout the project. We work hard tobuild that trust, and we alwayscommunicate with integrity andtransparency. Our pricing is fair, and ourwork is the highest quality possible. Ifwe accept your job, you will have our

full attention until it’s finished andperfect.” He pauses and adds, “We acceptthe projects where we feel we can do thebest job, not the ones that will make usthe most profit.” At Keith M. Webster Construction,Inc., every project is considered a workof art. They ask their clients to “Imaginegetting it done right, the way youwanted.” With Keith and Chelli on yourteam, you won’t need to imagine. They’lltake your dream and make it come true.