SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Affordable Construction Services Tahoe, owned by Beth Lee, has proudly served the Lake Tahoe community for over 25 years, and while she has no plans of leaving any time soon, two of her children have been learning the ins and outs of the business to keep her legacy going.
Prior to the construction business, Lee was a teacher working in Broderick, California. After a student pulled a knife on her, she decided it was time for a change.
“I walked out of the classroom and never went back,” said Lee, who soon after the incident, took a job in the homeowner’s department of AAA. “I liked what I did. I saw how we could improve people’s lives.”
She and her husband decided to open their first construction business in 1985 which ran for 16 years in the Bay Area. They relocated to the basin in 2000 and opened Affordable Construction Services Tahoe. Over the last two and a half decades, Lee has built a reputation of reliability and professionalism in the community.
Her instinct to look after others is what her daughter, Katie, describes as one of the best things about her, saying it’s part of the reason why their business has been going strong for so long.
“She has that motherly touch. She throws company parties, she gives out bonuses all the time,” said Katie. “We have employees who have been here for decades. It extends beyond the business, and I don’t think you would have that same touch if a man was running it.”
Lee noted that despite her success, being a woman in the construction industry, especially in the late 80’s and 90’s, brought its share of challenges.
“It was extremely difficult. Men didn’t think a woman should be doing this job,” Lee recalled, and although men would often talk down to her, she never let it get in the way of her goals. Now, she sometimes gets jobs specifically because she’s a woman, saying men believe she’ll pay closer attention to detail.
Katie took an interest in many things, earning several degrees and licenses in both cosmetology and personal training. Yet growing up in a construction household, she found herself reflecting on the foundation built for her by her parents shortly after her father’s passing.
“I realized that it’s the roots I want to go back to. I was searching and searching, and it was right in front of me the whole time,” Katie said. “It brings me so much joy to work with my mom, to see her every day. With anything, it takes a village – whether it’s with a family or a business, and together, we’re thriving.”
Her brother, Matthew, takes after his father, often seen out in the field. Over the years, the siblings have gained first-hand experience to operate the business as co-owners when Lee is ready to pass it on.
With 24 employees in the field and five people in the office, Affordable Construction Services Tahoe does it all, including new home construction, remodels, water damage restoration, electrical, plumbing and frozen pipe reconstruction, bear break-ins, mold remediation, and fire damage overhauls.
In support of other local businesses in the Tahoe community, Lee gives back by heading straight to Meeks Lumber and Hardware first before going anywhere else, with Katie joking that Lee is their No.1 customer.
“Being a contractor is about so much more than building homes – it’s about building communities,” Lee said. “Every project is an opportunity to improve not only a property, but the lives of the people who call it home.”
To learn more about Affordable Construction Services Tahoe INC., visit https://www.affordableconstructionservices.com/Services.
