Higher Purpose Homes
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About Us

Building high-quality, attainable framing that accelerates homebuilding and strengthens communities across the Southwest.
Prefabricated wall panel being installed at a Higher Purpose Homes build
  • Our Story
A Purpose-Driven Company
Higher Purpose Homes was founded to make it faster, safer, and more affordable to build in the Four Corners. Co-founders Nick Lemmer and Ethan Deffenbaugh saw a clear way to help families and General Contractors: deliver precise, indoor stick-built framing panels while site work happens in parallel. Nick is an Automation Engineer with residential GC experience. He focuses on manufacturing excellence, repeatable quality, and continuous improvement so your project runs smoothly. Ethan brings a proven sales and operations background, plus hands-on field experience, to guide you through decisions and remove friction at every step. Together, our team pairs integrity and innovation with a simple promise to you: a straighter, tighter, faster frame that helps you reach dry-in in weeks, control costs, and move forward with confidence.
Higher Purpose Homes at the 2026 EDIE Awards.

Recognition

In September 2026, the Economic Development Council of Colorado named Higher Purpose Homes its 2026 Company of the Year at the EDIE Awards. The award recognized our off-site framing model for helping address the housing shortage while creating manufacturing jobs in Southwest Colorado.

“Higher Purpose Homes is tackling a real barrier to economic growth: the shortage of attainable housing. Its model brings together local entrepreneurship, manufacturing jobs and a faster way to build homes.”

Kim Woodworth, Executive Director, Economic Development Council of Colorado

Read EDCC's announcement
  • Meet the Team

The Faces Behind Higher Purpose Homes

Nick Lemmer and Ethan Deffenbaugh lead the team with expertise in automation, construction, and sales, driving the company’s commitment to quality and community impact.
Portrait of Nick Lemmer, Co-Founder of Higher Purpose Homes
Nick Lemmer

Co-Founder, Automation Engineer
nick@hphsw.com

Nick has led automation projects for multi-million-dollar manufacturers and worked in residential contracting. He applies manufacturing discipline to home framing, improving output, reducing cost, and ensuring consistent quality for every project.

Portrait of Ethan Deffenbaugh, Co-Founder of Higher Purpose Homes
Ethan Deffenbaugh

Co-Founder, Growth & Partnerships ethan@hphsw.com

Ethan blends startup grit from starting several companies of his own and helping others with their start-ups. He has held executive positions in multiple companies with an emphasis on nurturing relationships through empathy. 

  • Why Choose Us

Why Families Trust Us

We focus on long-term value, eco-friendly practices, and clear guidance so you feel confident from estimate to handoff.

Expert Guidance

From plan review to set day, our team shares practical advice and keeps the path clear so you can make smart decisions and stay on track.

Result-Focused

Modern indoor panel fabrication and parallel scheduling help cut overall build time and reduce delays.

Eco-Friendly Living

Tighter envelopes and reduced weather exposure support better efficiency and lower lifetime operating costs.

  • Our Process

How We Build Better Homes

Our proven process blends smart design, sustainable materials, and efficient building practices to deliver homes faster without compromising quality.
01
Thoughtful Planning
We start with your goals, site conditions, and plans. Then we review for constructability, clarify scope, and align schedule and budget so you know what comes next.
02
Efficient Construction
While excavation and foundation happen on site, we fabricate labeled floor, wall, and roof panels indoors. Once the foundation is ready, our crew and a crane set the frame quickly so you reach dry-in sooner.
03
Quality Assurance
Every stage is checked for accuracy and durability. The result is a straight, square shell that helps inspectors, speeds up the next trades, and supports long-term energy performance.
  • Client Reviews

What People are Saying

Hear from the families and communities we’ve served about their experience working with Higher Purpose Homes.
 
 
 
 
  EXCELLENT  
 Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5 
 Based on 4 reviews 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 Posted on Google Google 
 
 Cvetomir Cankov profile picture 
 
 
 Cvetomir Cankov 
 
 
 
 Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
My wife and I worked with Higher Purpose Homes in 2026 to get our forever home built and we couldn't be happier. Ethan and Nick are knowledgeable, professional, and willing to help with anything related to home building. I particularly appreciated their willingness to share their knowledge as we navigated designing our home and being our own general contractor. In addition, they paired us with absolute master craftsmen who cared deeply about the quality of their work and it shows in every detail of the home.
  
 
  
 
 
 
 Posted on Google Google 
 
 Cyrus Lewis profile picture 
 
 
 Cyrus Lewis 
 
 
 
 Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Higher Purpose Homes pre-framed the entire first floor of our new home build in Durango.  As our permitting process delayed our build, we didn't pour our foundation until October.  We went with Higher Purpose home to expedite the framing process ahead of winter.  After the foundation was poured, they arrived the next day with the entire first floor pre-framed and a crane to set it in place.  They erected it within two days and the carpenters were able to finish the framing and get a roof on before the snow fell.   A huge win.  Everything aligned perfectly from our architectural drawings to the finished product through their detail pre-fabrication process.  Awesome results.  Super happy.  Thanks Higher Purpose Homes!!!
  
 
  
 
 
 
 Posted on Google Google 
 
 Mary Beth Miles profile picture 
 
 
 Mary Beth Miles 
 
 
 
 Google star 1Google star 2Google star 3Google star 4Google star 5Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. 
Nick and Ethan with Higher Purpose Homes — and their entire team — were amazing to work with. They helped turn our dream project into a reality, delivering the work on time and under budget. The speed and efficiency with which they got us off the ground and completed the framing allowed us to take full advantage of the summer building season and get dried in quickly, which was a total game changer!

Higher Purpose Homes was truly a pleasure to work with. We’d gladly recommend them to anyone looking for high-quality, reliable service, and we’d absolutely work with them again.

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