Our Story
Slaughter Contracting was built on a simple belief:
Building a custom home should be just as rewarding as living in it.
Meet Jantzen & Danielle
We're Jantzen and Danielle Slaughter, founders of Slaughter Contracting.
We didn't start Slaughter Contracting because we wanted to own a construction company — We started it because we believed homeowners deserved a better building experience.
Combining Jantzen's years of construction experience with Danielle's background in project management, we built a company centered on trust, communication, and doing what we say we're going to do. Today, every project we take on reflects the same commitment: build exceptional homes while creating an experience our clients are proud to tell their friends about.
My Journey
Hard Work Started Early
I don't think anyone becomes a builder overnight. Mine started long before I ever stepped onto a jobsite.
Growing up, I spent every summer working for my dad in his irrigation business. If I wanted money for the upcoming school year, I earned it. Those summers taught me the value of hard work, showing up when I said I would, and taking pride in doing things the right way—even when no one was watching.
Why I Build
Becoming A Builder
Like most of my family, I always knew I wanted to attend Texas A&M University. I graduated in 2013 with a degree in Construction Science, but I didn't start there. I began in engineering before realizing what I loved most wasn't just solving technical problems—it was building something tangible while working directly with people. I wanted to understand construction, but I also wanted to help guide families through one of the biggest investments they'll ever make.
At the end of the day, I love building homes I'm proud to put my name on.
But even more than that, I love helping families create the place where they'll celebrate birthdays, gather for holidays, raise their children, and make memories for years to come.
That's why I became a builder.
Learning the Craft
After graduation, I moved to Colorado and got my first job in construction, helping homeowners recover from hail damage. I worked directly with homeowners and their insurance companies, managing everything from sales to project management. Looking back, that experience taught me just as much about customer service as it did about construction. When someone trusts you with their home, communication matters just as much as craftsmanship.
A few years later, life brought me to Austin after I fell in love with my wife, Danielle. She grew up in Austin, and her family has deep roots in this community. When I interviewed with Shawn Patterson at CalAtlantic Homes, my experience helped—but maybe flashing my Aggie ring didn't hurt either. Whoop.
Shawn took a chance on me, and I'll always be grateful for that. He taught me what it really meant to lead a project, and even today he's someone I still call when I want another perspective.
Early in my career, I thought a builder's job was keeping trades on schedule.
It didn't take long to realize that wasn't enough.
The builder is responsible for everything.
That lesson completely changed the way I approached construction. I began spending as much time as I could learning from the trades I worked alongside. I asked questions. I watched how they solved problems. Sometimes we'd stand together trying to figure out a detail that neither of us had ever built before because it was exactly what the homeowner envisioned.
Those experiences taught me something I'll never forget: great homes aren't built by one expert. They're built by a team that communicates well, pays attention to the details, and refuses to cut corners.
Finding My Calling
As my experience grew, so did the complexity of the projects I was trusted to lead. I eventually transitioned into high-end custom homes, where my passion for craftsmanship and my commitment to the client experience finally came together. That's when I knew I had found the work I was meant to do.
In 2023, Danielle and I started Slaughter Contracting.
One of the projects I'll always be proud of was a full interior finish-out of a luxury penthouse on Rainey Street in downtown Austin. The logistics alone were incredibly challenging, but what made the project memorable wasn't the finishes or the views. By the time the owners hired us, we were their third contractor. They had every reason to be skeptical. Day by day, conversation by conversation, we rebuilt that trust. Seeing them enjoy the finished home reminded me why I started this company in the first place. It also proved to me that our greatest work isn't just building beautiful homes—it's giving people confidence throughout the process.
The Slaughter Family
Today, Danielle and I are raising our three boys—Rory, Jaeger, and Valor—here in the Austin area. When I'm not on a jobsite, you'll usually find me coaching one of their teams, hunting, fishing, spending time on the lake, cheering on the Aggies, or enjoying time with family and friends. Our faith and our church community at Austin Ridge Bible Church are an important part of our lives, and giving back to our community, including sponsoring local youth sports, is something we genuinely enjoy.
Every experience in my life taught me how to build.
Building this company taught me why.
The Slaughter Standard
“If we give our work, we’ll keep it — even when it’s difficult”
People often ask what makes Slaughter Contracting different.
The answer isn't a particular building method or product. It's a set of principles that have been shaped by every chapter of my journey—from working alongside my dad as a kid, to learning from great mentors, to leading complex custom home projects.
Over the years, those experiences taught me that exceptional homes aren't built by chance. They're built by people who keep their word, communicate honestly, take ownership, and never stop paying attention to the details.
Those principles became the foundation of our company.
We call it The Slaughter Standard.
It's more than a promise we make to our clients. It's the standard we hold ourselves to every single day.
Because at the end of every project, we don't just want you to love your home.
We want you to be proud of the experience that got you there.