A Real Winner — Cassie Sharpmack proves a woman’s place is in homebuilding

 

There are not too many women in Arkansas who have carved their own space in the heavily male-dominated residential construction industry, let alone shot to the top of their field in three short years. Chassie Sharpmack, founder of CS Custom Homes in Cabot, is one of them.

 

Sharpmack’s eye for design, passion for building and all-around grit has shaken up the central Arkansas builder community. In addition to growing into one of the most in-demand builders in central Arkansas, she also landed “AY’s Best Of ” nod for Best Repair-Remodel.

 

Photo by Jane Colclasure

 

The accolades are the latest in a string of accomplishments for the young businesswoman. She started in spec houses and then quickly graduated to custom homes off referrals, a testament to the quality and style of her builds.

 

“The first one I built for someone in my church,” she told AY About You in January. “After that, I met a guy who had developed a neighborhood in Heber Springs. He’d walked through one of my specs in Sherwood and wanted me to build it for his neighborhood, so I built that up there for him, and we were off and running.”

 

Sharpmack’s overnight success is all the more amazing considering the very different career path she started down. The Pine Bluff native graduated from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway and began her professional life as a registered dietician at Arkansas Children’s.

 

After nearly a decade in that field, she hired a company to create a new home from the ground up.

 

Photo by Jane Colclasure

 

“I really got into it,” she said.

 

Later, when the family decided to build another house, Sharpmack realized her interest was not just a passing fancy, and she convinced the builder to give her a job.

 

“I think he hired me thinking I’d be more like a secretary, and he found out really quick that wasn’t what I wanted to do,” she said. “I became a project manager for about three years before getting my general contractor license and starting on my own.”

 

The casual way in which Sharpmack tells the CS Custom Homes story belies the hurdles that stood in her way. With zero background in building and an industry that was none too keen on helping a woman learn, she had to stand her ground more than once to do her job and advance her knowledge of the business.

 

“I had to put up with a lot from people who didn’t think I was worth having around,” she said. “The company I was with had two male project managers, and I would just literally get in the truck with them and follow them around. They couldn’t get rid of me.”

 

Photo courtesy of CS Custom Homes

 

That kind of gumption combined with a drive to learn on her own got the company off the ground. That, paired with her natural customer service skills, easygoing communication style and no-quit attitude, made Sharpmack a formidable competitor in the market right away, especially among female clients.

 

“I had a client, an older lady, who I think my gender made her more comfortable,” she said. “I’ve had women as clients who really had no idea what they wanted or what to do or what to pick. After I met with them, they were like, ‘We trust you.’ That’s a great feeling.”

 

As for male clients, some of whom do a double take upon meeting her for the first time, she has one additional ace up her sleeve.

 

“Some of the husbands are like, ‘Are we really hiring this little blond girl to build our house?’” she said. “I’m an only child, and I was in my dad’s shop a lot. He built cars, which is how I got my name, Chassie. I can relate to men on that level, you know?  I’ve just always wanted to do the things that nobody else thought that I could do.”

 

Photos by Jane Colclasure

 

SEE THE STORY IN THE JUNE 2026 ISSUE OF AY MAGAZINE BELOW