Elevating WNC Standards. Built by a Local Team.
Highlander is family-owned and locally run by a team of people who call Western North Carolina home. The owners set the standard, and every team member, from leadership and consultants to inspectors, project managers, repair specialists, and crews, plays a role in delivering the craft, care, and local accountability your home deserves.
Every Team Member Makes a Difference
Highlander is family-owned, but the experience customers receive is shaped by the entire team. From ownership and customer relations to inspections, repairs, scheduling, project management, and crews, every person plays a role in helping Western North Carolina homeowners protect and improve their properties.
As featured in The Laurel Magazine (October 2024)
Luke Smith
Owner & Founder
Luke's roots in roofing and construction go back to the 1980s, when he first started learning the trades hands-on. That decades-long foundation shaped the standards, craftsmanship, and work ethic that define Highlander Building Services today.
Community: Franklin Daybreak Rotary — past president
Kristy Smith
Owner & Financial Manager
Kristy plays a vital role in the daily operations of Highlander Building Services, overseeing the company's bookkeeping, accounting, and financial management. Her attention to detail and organizational skills help ensure the company operates efficiently while maintaining the high standards customers have come to expect.
Community: Franklin Daybreak Rotary — past president
Your Project Specialists
From first consultation to final inspection, these are the professionals leading our crews and coordinating your build.
David Bourque
Sales Manager
David leads Highlander Building Services' sales team and works directly with homeowners to help them navigate roofing projects with confidence. His focus is on understanding each customer's needs, providing clear recommendations, and ensuring every client receives the information necessary to make informed decisions about their property.
Robert Harrison
Commercial Roofing Specialist & Inspector
With more than 40 years of experience in the roofing industry, Robert brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Highlander Building Services. Before relocating to the mountains of Western North Carolina, he successfully owned and operated his own roofing company in Florida, gaining extensive experience across a wide range of residential and commercial roofing systems.
Kyle Poindexter
Senior Roofing Project Manager
Kyle serves as Highlander Building Services' Senior Roofing Project Manager and Scheduling Coordinator. With five years of industry experience, he plays a key role in coordinating projects, managing schedules, and ensuring roofing installations are completed efficiently and to Highlander's quality standards.
Alex Hurst
Roofing Repairs Project Manager
Alex specializes in managing roofing repair projects, helping homeowners address everything from leaks and storm damage to general roofing concerns. With three years of industry experience, he works diligently to ensure repair projects are completed efficiently while maintaining Highlander's commitment to quality and customer service.
The Name Means
Something Here.
The name Highlander wasn't chosen from a branding playbook. It comes from a quieter place. A respect for highland values that shaped the way this company was built. Resilience. Loyalty. The idea that your work should speak louder than your marketing.
We started this company because we saw too many WNC homeowners getting poor service from out-of-state crews who didn't understand mountain roofing. Storm chasers would roll in after every weather event, do questionable work, and disappear before the first leak showed up.
We're different. We live here. Our kids go to school here. When we put a roof on your home, we drive past it every day. That accountability isn't a policy. It's a way of life.
Family Roots.
Mountain Standards.
Highlander is family-owned and locally operated, with two locations in Franklin and Sylva, NC, and a team of local professionals who have completed hundreds of roofing, construction, and design projects across Macon, Jackson, Swain, Haywood, and surrounding counties.
Ownership sets the standard. A licensed NC General Contractor and CertainTeed Master Shingle Applicator approves every scope, and the local team carries that standard through every estimate, install, inspection, and final walkthrough.
We don't subcontract critical work. Our in-house crews are trained, vetted, and held to a standard that most contractors don't even set. When your project is done, we want it to reflect who we are, not just what we do.
The Road So Far
Not a linear climb. A series of commitments that built something worth standing behind.
Founded in Franklin, NC
Started with a truck, a ladder, and a commitment to doing roofing right in these mountains.
CertainTeed ShingleMaster Credentialed Contractor
Earned the industry's highest installer certification, awarded to the top 1% nationally.
Second Office in Sylva
Expanded into Jackson County to better serve the western reaches of our service area.
Construction Division Launched
Client demand drove expansion into additions, renovations, and outdoor living builds.
Values That Shape Every Decision
These aren't slogans on a wall. They're the principles that guide how we hire, how we plan, and how we build. If we can't do it this way, we don't do it.
Transparency Over Tactics
We give honest assessments. If your roof doesn't need replacing, we'll tell you. No pressure, no upselling, no manufactured urgency.
Craftsmanship as Standard
Every project reflects our personal standard, not the minimum required. We build like we're building for our own family.
Relationships Over Transactions
We don't chase projects. We earn trust. Most of our work comes from referrals and repeat clients who've seen what we deliver.
Mountain-Built Knowledge
We understand what elevation, weather exposure, and WNC terrain demand from a roof and a structure. That knowledge is earned, not taught.
Accountability You Can See
The owner walks your property. Your crew lead is on-site daily. When you call, a real person answers. That's how it should work.
Licensed, Insured, Certified
Licensed NC General Contractor. CertainTeed ShingleMaster Credentialed Contractor. Fully insured. We carry the credentials because we've earned them.
Military Friendly Company
We are proud to be a military-friendly company, offering dedicated support and special considerations to those who have served. Honor and integrity guide every project we undertake.
Craftsmanship Isn't a
Marketing Word Here.
In an industry where "quality craftsmanship" is printed on every business card, we've learned to let our work do the talking. Every Highlander project follows the same discipline: careful material selection, manufacturer-exact installation, detailed inspection, and personal accountability from start to finish.
The result isn't a promise. It's a pattern you can see in every project we've ever completed across the ridgelines of Western North Carolina.
Material Selection
We spec materials based on your property's exposure, not the lowest bid. Every component is rated for WNC conditions.
Installation Precision
Our crews follow manufacturer-exact installation protocols. Shortcuts aren't tolerated, period.
Finish Quality
We inspect every detail before final walkthrough. Flashing, trim, cleanup. Nothing is left incomplete.
Long-Term Accountability
We're here after the project ends. Warranty support, maintenance guidance, and a team you can actually reach.
Build a Career
on Higher Ground.
We're always looking for skilled craftsmen and dedicated professionals who share our values. If you're local, honest, and take pride in your work, we want to hear from you.
This Is Our Home. Not Our Territory.
We don't "serve" Western North Carolina like it's a market on a map. We live in these mountains. We understand the elevation changes, the weather patterns, the way a north-facing slope ages a roof differently than a south-facing one.
Franklin & Sylva Based
Two local offices. Deep roots in Macon and Jackson counties. We're your neighbors.
Elevation-Aware Building
From 2,000 to 5,000+ feet, we spec materials and methods for your property's specific exposure.
Mountain Design
We understand WNC home styles, proportions, and materials. Our work enhances. It never clashes.
From Roofing Specialists to
Full-Service Builders.
We didn't wake up one morning and decide to add "& Construction" to our name. It happened because our clients kept asking. After years of seeing our roofing quality, planning discipline, and communication standards, homeowners began asking: "Can you handle our addition too? What about our outdoor living space?"
The answer was yes, because the same values that make a great roofing company make a great construction partner. Precision. Accountability. Respect for the home. Communication that doesn't disappear after the contract is signed.
Today, Highlander's Construction Division handles home additions, renovations, outdoor living builds, and custom projects, all with the same crew quality, project oversight, and finish standards that built our roofing reputation.
Roofing Division
- Residential & Commercial Roofing
- Roof Replacement & Repair
- Storm Damage & Insurance
- Specialty Roofing Systems
Construction Division
- Home Additions & Expansions
- Renovations & Exterior Improvements
- Outdoor Living & Exterior Builds
- Custom Construction Projects
Trust Is Built. Not Claimed.
We don't ask you to trust us because we say we're trustworthy. We ask you to look at our work, talk to our clients, and see how we operate.
4.8★
Google Rating
4.8★
Average across Google & Facebook
Rapid
Response time on every inquiry
In-House
Highlander employee crews
Now That You Know Us.
Let's Talk About Your Project.
Browse our projects, read what homeowners say, or start a conversation. We'll earn your trust the same way we've earned everyone else's.
A Family Business That
Grew with WNC.
Highlander started as a local response to a regional problem: homeowners in Western North Carolina weren't getting the specialized roofing care their mountain homes demanded.
Since 2017, we've remained team-led and family-driven. We don't have board members or out-of-state headquarters. Our decisions are made on front porches and ridgelines, with the long-term reputation of our family name at stake.
"When we put our name on a project, we're making a promise to a neighbor."
Macon & Jackson County Specialists