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Samuel Scott

Licensed Builder & Carpenter

Serving clients in Northport, Michigan and surrounding Leelanau County

Prioritizing high quality craftsmanship, dependability, and thoroughness, I adhere to a thoughtful approach for each project. With a decade of experience specializing in Northern Michigan waterfront homes, I can provide contracting services, bathroom and kitchen remodeling, fine custom carpentry, and more, with an outstanding level of care and respect.

I live in Northport with my wife, two children, and two dogs in a home we've built together. When not working on a project for my family or clients, I enjoy playing guitar, listening to comedy specials, and spending time in one of the many beautiful natural areas Leelanau County provides.

The best way to get started on your project is by completing my Project Inquiry Form below. I look forward to working with you.

Services

Scott Carpentry is dedicated to delivering high-quality carpentry and residential construction services. With a focus on professionalism and excellence, we strive to exceed our clients' expectations and bring their vision to life, ensuring lasting improvements to your home.

Finish Carpentry

Trim & Moulding

Windows & Doors

Custom Wall & Ceiling Paneling

New Construction

Renovations

Kitchens

Bathrooms

Living Spaces

Sub-Contracting

Custom Cabinetry

Closets

Built-Ins

Mudroom & Pantry Storage

Design Consultation

Portfolio

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

"Samuel is very professional, easy to work with, cleans up after himself & is extremely talented. His quality of work is top notch & I would highly recommend him."

Darwin G.

Project Inquiry Form

Thank you for your interest in our services. To ensure we understand your project needs and can provide the best possible assistance, please complete the project inquiry form below.

From concept to reality.

I had the privilege of leading the installation of four flights of closed-stringer, open-riser stairs in this new home.

A huge thank you to @thesmithyworks for the opportunity and for supplying the beautiful white oak stair parts. Also, a big shoutout to Ben for all the help throughout the installation.

Each flight was prefabricated on the ground so we could ratchet strap everything together and let the glue fully cure before lifting it into place. We used a hand winch anchored to the assembled stair flight to safely raise each one into position.

The final flight was by far the most challenging. Scroll to the end to see how we got it into place.

Next up: the balustrade.

Progress walk-through at the S West St spec.

Interior is about 90% complete, finishing touches always take longer than expected.

Decks start next week, siding is complete, and @pinkypaintpros is wrapping up the interior before moving to the exterior.

Nearly a year in the making, excited to see it all come together and share the final result of this home.

Details are starting to come together at the S West St spec house.

From the start, we knew we wanted a more traditional casing detail. With a double stud wall, that meant extra planning during framing to make sure the window trim would work.

The 10½” cavity depth was intentional. We worked backward from the window specs, factoring in the stool projection and apron detail, while making the wall assembly as deep as possible and still being able to use readily available millwork from our local suppliers @northportbuildingsupply and @tmmillwork.

The result is 9.5” deep window jambs, a full 1x12 stool, and a traditionally cased window that looks good and adds everyday function. As Fine Homebuilding puts it: “The deep reveals at window and door openings provide an opportunity to highlight interior finish details at these locations [and] provide great places for plants, pets, and humans.”

Restoration is always a balancing act, respecting the original work without recreating the same problems.

The framing on this stairway was still solid, but the cedar baseboard and the tongue-and-groove siding behind it were completely rotted. The boards were tight to the concrete, not back-primed, and had no way to dry once moisture got in.

I replaced the siding with pre-primed cedar, sealed the end grain, and kept it well off the concrete porch. The baseboard is PVC, held about 1/16” off the porch to allow air circulation and a drainage channel to prevent future rot.

@pinkypaintpros wrapped up the project with fresh coats of paint for a clean finish.

Also… I wish I could actually work this fast.

Recently wrapped up a custom closet installation in Northport using cabinet systems designed/supplied by Molly Gallagher at @prestonfeatherbuildingcenter

All beadboard end panels, crown, and base were carefully scribed for a clean, seamless fit. Installing cabinetry in an older home requires extra attention, as walls and floors are rarely perfectly plumb or level.

To enhance the finished look, I added the baseboard below the end panels, giving the cabinets a more furniture-style, built-in feel.

This was my first time using this method of insulation and I wanted to share a couple tips that helped make the install go smoother. This was a learning experience for both myself and the insulation crew, since dense-pack cellulose in double-stud walls isn’t a common application in our area.

The team at @koalainsulation_tc was great to work with. They were open to the process, attentive to detail, and delivered excellent results. Big thanks to Dom for his thoroughness and getting consistent density throughout the cavities.

If you’re interested in seeing a new home under construction and learning a little about what goes into building an energy-efficient home, stop by 160 S West St this Sunday and meet the builder (me), interior designer @taylorlopiccoloscott, and realtor @sanderscotttraversecityrealtor

I’ve been working with my brother @pinkypaintpros doing some siding/trim restoration while he paints the exterior of this home. Took advantage of the beautiful fall weather to replace some rotted cedar on these column bases with Azek PVC. I’m not the biggest fan of working with PVC trim, but it definitely has its place, especially in areas with ground or masonry contact. I took some extra time to scribe the base to the stone masonry. Looks like I was never even there.

When setting these windows solo I use a window holder block made from a couple scrap pieces of 3/4” material set with one screw just loose enough to allow the top piece to swivel over the head of the window frame and hold it in place. Then I’m able to fasten the bottom corners and plumb, level, square.

I’m really impressed with the quality of these fiberglass windows from @enerluxwindows

For these floating shelves, I installed a wood bracket at the unsupported end. The bracket extends into the stud cavity and is lagged into the side of a stud for added support. I set a slight upward pitch on the bracket so that when the shelf slides over the ledger and bracket assembly, the combined weight of the shelf and any load helps bring it to level under normal conditions.

A few more details on the double stud wall framing at the S West St spec house:

Having the exterior wall panels prefabricated made the process quicker and eliminated the redundancy of framing exterior walls twice. The floor system and walls were built in one week with three craftsman on site.

We did lose a bit of square footage with this approach, but felt it was a worthwhile tradeoff to achieve “Pretty Good House” level performance:
• R-10 slab • R-20 foundation walls • R-40 walls • R-60 ceiling

We also considered exterior insulation for a high R-value wall system, but that comes with its own set of unique challenges and costs.

The end result will be a quieter, more comfortable, healthy, and energy efficient home.

Would you trade square footage for better overall performance?

Final push to get the trusses up and the house dried in. I’m installing the sheathing, housewrap, and framing the overhangs on all the gable trusses ahead of the crane arriving next week. Doing this on the ground means less ladder work and a safer, more efficient install.

First time doing this solo, made a couple mistakes on the first one, but I got my systems dialed in on the rest. Learning and moving forward.

The floor system is in at our South West St. new build! The prefabricated exterior wall panels from CSI Components are ready to go up next week. It’s finally starting to look like a home. #lplegacy #wallpanels

Whenever I do stair work, I like to leave a little ‘Built By’ note for whoever removes them in the future. These white oak treads are built to last a lifetime, and I don’t envy the person who tries to remove them someday. They’re glued down tight for a squeak-free finish.

Here’s a closer look at the main level and basement floor plans for the new build home in the Village of Northport.

I came up with the house plans and layout and my wife @taylorlopiccoloscott is the interior designer. Huge thanks to @rjb.designs_ for providing a clean, professional set of blueprints and 3D renderings.

Key features of this home: ✔️ Energy-efficient construction ✔️ Practical, functional flow ✔️ Aging-in-place design ✔️ Traditional details
✔️ Healthy building materials

Custom mud room built in shelving
 The client wanted a lot of shoe storage, so I built these two big shelving units out of alder plywood in my shop and brought them to the site for install. The face frames were preassembled and scribed tight to the walls and ceiling. The final step was making an alder wood top, I oversized it so I could template and cut it to fit perfectly on site. Super happy with how this one turned out!

Coming soon to Northport! After nearly a year of planning and permitting we finally broke ground on this new build. It will be a single-family bungalow with some traditional-style details and a few interesting design elements.

Stay tuned for updates as this home comes to life! Would you be interested in seeing the floor plans?

Several years ago, an ash tree at my parents’ house died due to the emerald ash borer. I had the logs milled into boards by a local sawmill, and they air-dried for about two years. When it came time to build our house, I knew I wanted to incorporate that wood somehow.

I ended up using it for the stair newel post, guardrail, and window casing. I had @tmmillwork mill the rough-sawn boards, and they also used their CNC to make a template for mortising the red oak handrail into the newel post. Later, after our daughter was born, I wrapped the 4x4 newel post with additional ash boards to mount temporary baby gate brackets, so I wouldn’t have to screw directly into the finished post.

It was about a 4-year process from the tree coming down to its final installation, and I love knowing that part of that tree lives on in our home. I’m looking forward to doing more staircase projects in the future, and I always enjoy working with wood that carries a personal story.

Installed these custom alder box beams solo. The tops of the beams were scribed tight to the ceiling for a seamless finish. I pre-finished all the boards on the ground, so after installation, all I had to do was fill the nail holes with color-matched wood putty.

One of the best tips I’ve learned from other carpenters online is preassembling cabinet crown moulding. It increases efficiency and gives better results—fewer trips to the saw, easier assembly, tighter joints, and a cleaner finish.

Simple handrail I did last summer for my grandparents. I visited them this weekend to celebrate my Pappy’s 80th birthday, and I was happy to see the miters are still tight even after a year of exposure to the elements. #tightmiters

This bookshelf in our bedroom is well used and is an important part of our home. I believe every house should have a space for books: ones that have been read, one’s being read, and one’s still waiting. I only wish I made this one a little bigger… because it’s now full.

Built with red oak plywood for the shelves and white oak for the face frames, stained to match our flooring.

I completed this small bathroom addition in an above-garage apartment last winter. The client wanted a full bath without sacrificing too much floor space, so I designed a 7’ x 5.5’ layout that met all their needs.

To make the most of the small footprint, I installed a pocket door, chose a 3’x3’ shower surround, and specified a small vanity. I also optimized storage by adding a built-in cabinet on the living room side of the bathroom and a recessed niche on the laundry side for storing laundry supplies.

A key challenge was building a soffit above the pine-wrapped collar ties (visible in the last photo). I used MDF to enclose the area above the bath, concealing ductwork and wiring while also creating space for a can light over the washer and dryer.

The pine trim matches the existing woodwork, and @pinkypaintpros finished it off with a fresh coat of paint to help the addition blend seamlessly with the rest of the space.

My favorite finishing touches include the bullnose baseboard tile, reclaimed Douglas fir shelves by the toilet, and an antique wood medicine cabinet—both salvaged by the homeowner and finally put to a new use. I love how the old wood adds warmth and character to the new space.

Hi, I’m Samuel Scott — welcome to Scott Carpentry.

I’m a carpenter and licensed builder with a decade of experience in homebuilding and renovations. With a lifelong eye for detail and a growing reverence for trees and the materials they provide, I’ve come to see carpentry as a way to honor that connection — capturing the spirit of wood through thoughtful, lasting craftsmanship.

Scott Carpentry is my way of offering high-quality, thoughtful craftsmanship to homeowners in my community. While my roots are in carpentry, my skill set extends across a wide range of building and renovation needs. I take pride in delivering work that’s not only functional and durable, but also carefully considered and well-crafted.

My approach is meticulous, communicative, and grounded in building science principles. I’m committed to continuous improvement, and I prefer to use healthier, more sustainable materials whenever possible. Above all, I aim to exceed expectations and ensure every client feels confident and satisfied with the results.

I’m passionate about my craft and I aspire to become a master craftsman in my field. Through Scott Carpentry, I hope to share not only the finished projects, but also the process, challenges, and lessons along the way — much like the builders and craftspeople who inspire me.

I came across the quote by John Ruskin from a tradesperson I follow and my ethos as a craftsman are embodied in his words.

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“Therefore, when we build, let us think that we build for ever.
Let it not be for present delight, nor for present use alone;
let it be such work as our descendants will thank us for, and let us think, as we lay stone on stone, that a time is to come when those stones will be held sacred because our hands have touched them . . . For, indeed, the greatest glory of a building is not in its stones, or in its gold. Its glory is in its Age.”

― John Ruskin, The Seven Lamps of Architecture