Marnie Oursler named NAHB Custom Builder of the Year

Marnie Oursler, president of Marnie Custom Homes, was the recipient of the 2022 Custom Builder of the Year Award, presented by the National Association of Home Builders.

Each year, NAHB recognizes outstanding individual achievements within the custom home building industry at an annual event known as the Nationals. Oursler was honored during the International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas.

Recognizing custom builders for their innovative achievements, professional leadership and creativity in crafting one-of-a-kind custom homes, NAHB’s Custom Builder of the Year Award is the highest honor to be earned within the custom home building industry. Oursler is the first female recipient, as well as the first Delaware-based builder to receive this esteemed award. Winners also must demonstrate leadership at work and in the community, exemplify expertise in converting a client’s wish list into a unique home, and contribute to the overall strength of the home building industry.

“My dad [a builder and developer] would drop my brother and me off at the beginning of a new neighborhood,” said Oursler. “And with a broom and a drywall bucket, we would sweep out houses; that’s how I started. I did not grow up thinking I was any different because I was a female. I was out in the field picking up trash, building decks and forming up concrete.”

Oursler started using energy-efficient practices before they were cutting edge, building the first LEED-certified home in Delaware. She then began using reclaimed and recycled materials to add character and make her clients’ homes unique, later building one of the first American-made homes in the country, using 95% of products made in the U.S.

As of 2022, Marnie Custom Homes has 14 employees and builds on average 10 custom homes per year, with 130 built to date throughout the Delaware beach region. Oursler and her team design and build each custom home with the goal of fulfilling their client’s vision to create the ultimate dream house. Marnie Custom Homes is known for building distinctive beach homes, as well as including one-of-a-kind features such as built-in bunk beds, children’s playhouses, under-the-stair nooks, and handicap-accessible pools and bathrooms.

“I love building homes. But my best build is my team at Marnie Custom Homes – building this has been the most gratifying. We have a lot of talent, and together we can do amazing things,” said Oursler.

For more information, go to marniehomes.com.