What began as a part-time venture for Generations Timber Frames has grown into a full-time business. We are a small company which prides itself in quality craftsmanship. We strive to create beautiful, long lasting timber frame buildings in which to live, work, play, and enjoy!

Generations creates our frames the traditional way by hand crafting every piece of the timber frame. Framer Mark Watkins makes sure each piece is planed, chamfered, mortised and chiseled by hand and then trial fit in our shop before moving to your location for raising.

When moved to your location for the raising, the timber frame will be assembled and then raised with the assistance of our own Generations Timber Frames, LLC crane* (if within 100 miles from our MI location)*. This can literally save you hundreds of dollars on your installation.

As the raising takes place, each piece of the timber frame is secured in the time honored tradition of oak pegs.

Generations Timber Frames offers you the option of enclosing your frame with a foam-core structural insulating panel (SIP). The panels will give your home the comfort & energy efficiency that a home built to last for generations deserves. Not only will the panels save on heating & cooling costs but create the most energy efficient and comfortable home we feel you can build.

We look forward to working with you to take your new construction or remodeling project beyond your expectations. Call us at 231-652-4035 in Michigan or our New York office at 518-955-9047.

Meet Owners, Mark & Deb Watkins

Mark was born and raised in Western PA and Deb in the Adirondack Mountain Region of Upstate New York. They moved to Michigan 19 years ago. While Deb went back to college to earn her degree in Accounting/CIS, Mark began a career with IBEW 876 as an Electrical Lineman/General Foreman. It was during this time that Mark became aware of the cedar utility poles that were going into the landfills. He had brought some home and after having someone else cut the poles the Watkins purchased their own woodmizer sawmill to cut the poles themselves.

In November 2001 the Watkins spent a week at Goshen Timber Frames in Franklin, North Carolina for a one week class in timber framing. They did this for the purpose of learning how to build their own horse barn.

After building the 5,600 square foot barn, people began asking the Watkins to build Timber Frames for them. In 2004 Generations Timber Frames constructed a house to enable the Watkins to show their work. Their workload began to increase as they worked with a custom home builder doing porches, trusses and matching fireplace mantles. That year two of their projects were featured in the Parade of Homes.

From there, work again started to grow. In April 2009 the decision was made for Mark to give up his utilities job because it was becoming too difficult to try to juggle the two. Their project barn now houses the Generations Timber Frames workshop and operation.