Vacation Home Construction
A place on the lake, built for the long winter off Superior.
Owner-led vacation and lake home construction along the North Shore — sited on slope and shoreline, insulated past code for the months it sits empty, and run start to finish by the man holding the hammer, so you can trust it from a distance.
The build
A second home
you can leave alone.
A seasonal or lake place has a harder job than a primary house. It sits empty through the deepest part of a North Shore winter, often on a remote or steeply sloped lot, and you're trusting the whole thing to a builder you may be hiring from hours away. Get the site work or the envelope wrong and you find out the hard way in April.
Dan Bruckelmyer walks the lot with you, quotes it, plans it, and is on the site while it goes up — so the person you talked to on the shore is the person building it. Here's what a ProCon vacation home includes:
- Site work for sloped or lake lots. Access, grading, and the earthwork a steep or shoreline site demands before anything gets built.
- A foundation that fits the ground. Set to the slope and the soil you actually have, not a flat-lot assumption — level and right the first time.
- Framing & a weather-tight shell. The structure and envelope that take the wind and freeze-thaw rolling in off Lake Superior.
- Insulation past code for shoulder-season use. Built beyond the Minnesota minimum, so the place is comfortable in May and October and protected when it's closed in January.
- Interior finish — the part you came for. Trim, cabinetry, and the details that make a getaway feel like one.
- Owner on site & a workmanship guarantee. Dan on the job, updates you can follow from out of town, and a guarantee that outlasts the final walkthrough.
How a ProCon vacation home gets built
From the shoreline to the keys.
Walkthrough & estimate
We meet you at the lot — lakeside, sloped, or remote — and get you a written estimate within 24 hours.
Plans & scope lock
Plans, selections, and budget locked — the number you sign is the number you build to, even from out of town.
Permits & site prep
We pull permits and prep the site — managing access and slope before the foundation goes in.
Build
Shell, then systems, then finish — Dan on site, with updates you can follow from a distance.
Walkthrough & guarantee
We walk it together, show you how to close it for winter, and stand behind the workmanship.
Every vacation home is priced to its own lot and plans — slope, access, and finishes drive the number. We give you a written estimate within 24 hours of seeing the site, no charge.
Typical for a vacation home, footings to final walkthrough. A remote or steep site adds time up front for access and prep — and you get a real schedule before the first shovel.
Ready to talk through your project?
Free written estimate · response within 24 hours · MN license #QB807406
Vacation home questions
Answered.
Can you build a vacation home on a steep or shoreline lot near Two Harbors?
Yes. Sloped and lakeside lots on the North Shore are most of what vacation home buyers bring us. We handle the site work — access, grading, and a foundation that fits the slope — before framing starts, so the build sits right on the ground you bought near Two Harbors or anywhere along the shore.
How do you build a place that survives being closed all winter?
We insulate past Minnesota code minimums, not just to them, and build a weather-tight shell that handles the freeze-thaw and wind off Lake Superior. A vacation home sits empty through the coldest months, so the envelope has to protect itself — and at the final walkthrough we show you exactly how to close it down for the season.
How can I trust the build if I live out of town?
You deal with Dan Bruckelmyer directly, not a rotating crew. He's on site through the whole build and sends updates you can follow from the Cities or out of state — so you're not driving up to Duluth every week to check on a job you can't see.
How long does a vacation home take to build?
Most vacation homes run eight to twelve months from footings to final walkthrough. A remote or steep site adds time at the front for access and site prep, but you get a real schedule before the first shovel — not a guess.
What does it cost to build a vacation home on the North Shore?
Every vacation home is priced to its own lot and plans — slope, access, and finishes drive the number, so there's no honest flat rate. ProCon is licensed in Minnesota under #QB807406, and we give you a free written estimate within 24 hours of seeing the site.
A recent ProCon project
“Professional from the first consultation all the way through the entire project. Outstanding workmanship and craftsmanship.”
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Build your place on the shore.
Bring us your lakeside lot, your plans, or just the spot you've been eyeing. Free estimates, response within 24 hours.