About Bruce Olson
Bruce Olson is revered and sought as a builder of timeless homes of the highest quality. He has earned this reputation over the lifetime he has developed his craft.
Bruce was born to be the builder he has become. His great-great-grandfather was a home builder in Sweden. He was first exposed to home construction by his father and uncle, who were also builders, while growing up in Saratoga, California, being taken to the jobsites when he was four proudly carrying his own hammer and toolbox. Eventually, he worked alongside them becoming a talented carpenter. He also realized the importance of education, pursuing a two-year dual associates program at West Valley College after working for Lockheed Missiles and Space in the engineering department. Meanwhile, he married his high school sweetheart, Molly, moved to the mountains after graduating, fathered four daughters including a set of twins, and constructed their first home in Alpine Meadows and later their lakefront in Carnelian Bay, while slowly building clientele of his small construction company.
He developed an eye for style and proportion and was drawn to features of the Arts and Crafts Movement, Craftsman architectural elements, old Park Service buildings and summer lodges of Europe, the Adirondacks and the mountains of the West. His own style emerged from this background that emphasizes the use of natural materials installed with the highest degree of craftsmanship.
Bruce’s passion for building continues to grow. He embraces the skills developed over time and is keenly aware of new developments in materials and building methods. He engages his crews in exploring the uses of these and adapting them to use on their projects. This passion for the process has lead Bruce to take on all aspects of a home’s construction. He and his crews perform almost every aspect of a home’s construction, from the layout and excavation of the site, most of the trades in building the home, the landscaping of the surroundings and the fabrication of furniture and fixtures for the home.
Bruce endeavors to produce the finest projects in the most efficient manner. His finished homes are a tribute to this ambition.
The Company
Bruce Olson Construction was formed in 1974 with Bruce working alongside his crew, building simple homes of quality for discerning clients. His reputation grew, as did the scope and scale of work that he and his crew took on. His crew is led by professionals that have been with Bruce since those early days. The crews are selected for their dedication to their craft, ability to work in a collective, team environment and their integrity.
He is a strong presence among the crews that work on his homes. The standards he sets and expects are the benchmarks that most other builders only aspire to achieve. Like any great craftsman, Bruce learns from past experiences and passes that on to his crew. As they learn new skills they share that information amongst themselves. Bruce and his crews utilize tools and machinery of the highest quality and latest technologies to enhance their skills as craftsmen.
Nearly every trade on a Bruce Olson project is performed by members of his crew. Often crew members work in several trades. This level of shared experience allows the Bruce Olson crew to work together to solve challenges ahead of time. This shared responsibility for the project also lends itself to a higher level of quality, as each crew member has a stake in the finished home. Bruce Olson is also able to guide the progress of a project without the outside influence of scheduling conflicts inherent to the use of subcontractors.
Bruce Olson Construction has been fortunate, working both in and outside of the mountains of the Sierra Nevada and Lake Tahoe, developing new skills from those experiences. He has built projects on the coast of California and the Hawaiian Islands. His passion for building continues to draw him to new places and a variety of projects.