About Us

Our History

Becoming the better builder

Schell Brothers was conceived and started by twin brothers, Chris and Preston Schell. While Preston was making a name for himself as an up–and–coming developer, Chris was re–thinking his goals. Chris realized that his successful career in finance wasn’t fulfilling his true desire to build homes. Together, they decided to start a general contractor firm that would be known throughout the region as the ‘better builder.’

Together, Chris and Preston have made a great impact on the housing market in southern Delaware."

The Paynter’s Mill Community Center bell tower

Preston, co-founder and President of Ocean Atlantic Associates, and Chris, president of Schell Brothers, strongly believed that it was imperative to take a more active role in the construction of OAA’s many projects. Instead of contracting out all phases of the construction cycle, they teamed together to make Schell Brothers LLC the solution. Not only did they capture some of the value lost on outsourcing to general contractors, but more importantly, they gained a greater degree of control over both the construction schedule and quality of production.

Together, Chris and Preston have made a great impact on the housing market in southern Delaware. Not only are they motivated by the excitement of building attractive communities, but have made great strides in setting the standards for responsible land use and historical preservation.