Josh Murphey of Magnolia Builders has been in a contractor for more than 12 years. He started with odd jobs around his and his parents' houses but soons discovered he had a knack for it and moved on to bigger jobs and projects.

"From as far back as i can remember I had a 20 oz. Estwing in my hand," he said. I decided to get serious about construction when I purchased my first house. It was a nice single shotgun house in Old Algiers. It was in good shape at the time, but I knew it wouldn't be long before it would need a little TLC. Not soon after my wife and I moved in, I decided to work with a neighborhood carpenter."

Murphey earned his chops on numerous carpentry projects around Algiers and after a few years learning the ins-and-outs of renovating homes, he took on a more challenging role with a general contractor overseeing new construction projects from foundation to roof.

"I took a job with a home builder as their project manager," he said. "The new job was an incredible learning experience. I had worked for so long on renovations that new constuction was a brave new world to me. It was also an oppotunity to focus more on the business side of construction."

Throughout his time in new home construction, Murphey was able to apply many of the skills he had aquired over the years with smaller projects and use them to create a larger, more thourough plan for a home. This greatly improved his ability to envision and execute an entire construction project from plans to completion.

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the massive rebuilding effort taking place in Murphey's hometown of New Orleans, he felt it was only logical to pursue the business and civic opportunities that presented themselves after the storm crippled the city.

Murphey formed Magnolia Builders LLC in Spring 2006 and is currently working on several business and home renovations in the greater New Orleans area.

Please read the FAQ below for more information on Magnolia Builders.

F A Q

What is the most satisfying part of your job?
Creating or repairing something that is structuraly sound and also aestetically pleasing.

What seperates you and the work you do from other contractors working in the greater New Orleans area?
Quality over quanity. I despise anyone who does not or will not take pride in their work. I will not sacrifice quality for expediancy.

What is the range of work that you can do?
I am capable of doing most all trades. Actually I have done work in all trades.

What are your specialties?
I can do alot but I excel at finish carpentry and ceramic tile.

What are your core values in your approach to clients?
I will not compromise quality for any reason.

What do you consider the most important aspect of any job?
Planning. Quality time should be spent with clients inorder to make decisions on specific aspects of the job. Deciding on the details beforehand lessen the chances for major oversights which waste time and money.

Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. I am a licensed general contractor in Louisiana and carry both liability and worker's compensation.