- Sutton Construction has been around 60 years doing new builds, remodeling and light commercial work. It was started by Tom and Sharon Sutton and is ran now by their son, John.
- John said new builds are on the upswing with single story structures and open floor plans the most popular right now.
- For interior elements, carpet, Formica countertops and shingle roofs are largely out. People want simple and easy.
- John also said the internet has helped to educate consumers and give them a clear idea of what they want with websites like Pinterest or efficient ways to buy items like from Amazon.
COSHOCTON − John Sutton of Sutton Construction has seen a lot of changes over the years where it comes to new builds and remodeling with the current trends seemingly being dictated by what people are finding on the internet.
Sutton said the construction industry is very cyclical. When remodeling goes down, new builds go up and the commercial work has filled in the gaps for them here and there.
“There are peaks and valleys in everything and that’s the dynamics of our business. Tapping into the three markets of new construction, remodels and light commercial, we always stay busy,” Sutton said.
New build trends
Currently, new builds are on the upswing, although John couldn’t really say why. He said he hasn’t had any jobs yet from people who might be moving into the area to work at the new Intel chip plant in Licking County, something locals are expecting. It’s also not all older couples looking to downsize.
“We have a customer now in his early 70s and he wants to build. We have a younger couple in their 30s who bought some land and want to build. It’s all over the place,” Sutton said. “Even the middle-aged people and younger people, when they build a home they think of retiring in that home, so they set it up as if they’re going to live there a long time.”
While he still gets requests for modern farmhouses that were popular for years, he’s finding more customers want one-story structures and open floor plans. He believes it’s just because such structures are easier to take care of and allow for a lot of flexibility with interior design.
“I think people just want to have everything on one floor,” he said.
Customers know what they want
As for building elements, he said metal roofs are popular, most likely due to it being cheaper than shingles. Granite and quartz countertops are all the rage; John hasn’t done a laminate countertop in a long time. Hard floor, tile and laminate flooring trumps carpet.
“I don’t know if I have a good answer as to why other than simplicity,” Sutton said of such trends.
Another big trend he’s noticed is people bringing him ideas from Pinterest and other websites. In years past, someone would describe what they wanted and John would sketch it out. Now, he has a clear image to work from. He said people are also buying a lot of their items, like sinks, from Amazon and other retail websites and then hiring him to install them
“It’s been a good tool to be able to communicate with me what the consumer wants,” he said of the internet. “The consumers have gotten pretty intelligent over the years and it’s certainly helped.”
Sutton Construction is celebrating its 60th anniversary. It was founded by the Sharon and the late Tom Sutton. Sharon still works in the office. Their son, John, is now in charge and his son, Luke, is also in the family business. They have five employees.
Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with more than 15 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or [email protected]. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @llhayhurst.