diff --git a/.changeset/squad-home-presets.md b/.changeset/squad-home-presets.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5ee44fea8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/squad-home-presets.md
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+---
+"@bradygaster/squad-sdk": minor
+"@bradygaster/squad-cli": minor
+---
+
+feat: add SQUAD_HOME env var and preset system
+
+- Add `SQUAD_HOME` environment variable support for a roaming squad root directory
+- Add preset system for reusable agent configurations (list, show, apply, init)
+- Ship a default built-in preset with 5 agents (lead, reviewer, devrel, security, docs)
+- Add `squad preset` CLI command with list, show, apply, and init subcommands
+- Resolves #1038
diff --git a/packages/squad-cli/src/cli-entry.ts b/packages/squad-cli/src/cli-entry.ts
index c30760f8a..af2f6ce31 100644
--- a/packages/squad-cli/src/cli-entry.ts
+++ b/packages/squad-cli/src/cli-entry.ts
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ async function main(): Promise<void> {
     console.log(`                    --roles (use base roles)`);
     console.log(`                    --global (personal squad dir)`);
     console.log(`                    --no-workflows (skip CI setup)`);
+    console.log(`                    --preset <name> (apply a preset after init)`);
     console.log(`             Usage: init --mode remote <team-repo-path>`);
     console.log(`             Creates .squad/config.json pointing to an external team root`);
     console.log(`  ${BOLD}upgrade${RESET}    Update Squad-owned files to latest version`);
@@ -238,6 +239,10 @@ async function main(): Promise<void> {
     console.log(`  ${BOLD}personal${RESET}   Manage your personal squad (ambient agents)`);
     console.log(`             Usage: personal init | list | add <name>`);
     console.log(`                    --role <role> | remove <name>`);
+    console.log(`  ${BOLD}preset${RESET}     Manage squad presets (curated agent collections)`);
+    console.log(`             Usage: preset list | show <name>`);
+    console.log(`                    apply <name> [--force] | save <name>`);
+    console.log(`                    init [--remote]`);
     console.log(`  ${BOLD}cast${RESET}       Show current session cast (project + personal agents)`);
     console.log(`  ${BOLD}rc${RESET}         Start Remote Control bridge (phone/browser → Copilot)`);
     console.log(`             Usage: rc [--tunnel] [--port <n>] [--path <dir>]`);
@@ -309,8 +314,42 @@ async function main(): Promise<void> {
     const noWorkflows = args.includes('--no-workflows');
     const sdk = args.includes('--sdk');
     const roles = args.includes('--roles');
+    const presetIdx = args.indexOf('--preset');
+    const presetName = (presetIdx !== -1 && args[presetIdx + 1]) ? args[presetIdx + 1] : undefined;
     // Global init: suppress workflows (no GitHub CI in ~/.config/squad/) and bootstrap personal squad
-    runInit(dest, { includeWorkflows: !noWorkflows && !hasGlobal, sdk, roles, isGlobal: hasGlobal }).catch(err => {
+    runInit(dest, { includeWorkflows: !noWorkflows && !hasGlobal, sdk, roles, isGlobal: hasGlobal }).then(async () => {
+      if (presetName) {
+        const { seedBuiltinPresets, applyPreset } = await import('@bradygaster/squad-sdk/presets');
+        const { resolvePresetsDir, ensureSquadHome } = await import('@bradygaster/squad-sdk/resolution');
+        const nodePath = await import('node:path');
+
+        // Auto-initialize squad home + presets if they don't exist yet
+        if (!resolvePresetsDir()) {
+          console.log(`\n⚙️  No presets found — setting up squad home...`);
+          ensureSquadHome();
+          seedBuiltinPresets();
+          console.log(`✅ Squad home initialized at ${ensureSquadHome()}`);
+          console.log(`   Built-in presets ready. Run 'squad preset init --remote' to back with a GitHub repo.\n`);
+        } else {
+          seedBuiltinPresets();
+        }
+
+        const targetAgentsDir = nodePath.join(dest, '.squad', 'agents');
+        const results = applyPreset(presetName, targetAgentsDir);
+        const installed = results.filter(r => r.status === 'installed');
+        const skipped = results.filter(r => r.status === 'skipped');
+        const errors = results.filter(r => r.status === 'error');
+        if (installed.length > 0) {
+          console.log(`✅ Applied preset '${presetName}': ${installed.length} agents installed`);
+        }
+        if (skipped.length > 0) {
+          console.log(`   ${skipped.length} agents skipped (already exist)`);
+        }
+        if (errors.length > 0 && installed.length === 0) {
+          console.error(`❌ Preset '${presetName}' not found. Run 'squad preset list' to see available presets.`);
+        }
+      }
+    }).catch(err => {
       fatal(err.message);
     });
     return;
@@ -895,6 +934,13 @@ async function main(): Promise<void> {
     return;
   }
 
+  if (cmd === 'preset') {
+    const { runPreset } = await import('./cli/commands/preset.js');
+    const subcommand = args[1] || 'list';
+    await runPreset(getSquadStartDir(), subcommand, args.slice(2));
+    return;
+  }
+
   if (cmd === 'cast') {
     const { runCast } = await import('./cli/commands/cast.js');
     await runCast(getSquadStartDir());
diff --git a/packages/squad-cli/src/cli/commands/preset.ts b/packages/squad-cli/src/cli/commands/preset.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a498ad2f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/squad-cli/src/cli/commands/preset.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,389 @@
+/**
+ * squad preset — manage squad presets (curated agent collections)
+ *
+ * Presets are saved to SQUAD_HOME/presets/ (default: ~/.squad/presets/).
+ * Each preset is a directory with a preset.json manifest + agents/ charters.
+ *
+ * Subcommands:
+ *   squad preset list           — list available presets
+ *   squad preset show <name>    — show preset details
+ *   squad preset apply <name>   — install preset agents into current squad
+ *   squad preset save <name>    — save current project agents as a preset
+ *   squad preset init           — initialize presets directory in squad home
+ *
+ * Note: Presets capture agents only (charters). For full squad snapshots
+ * including casting state, skills, and routing rules — e.g. to share a
+ * configured squad or publish to an agent toolbox — use `squad export`.
+ *
+ * @module cli/commands/preset
+ */
+
+import path from 'node:path';
+import { execSync } from 'node:child_process';
+import fs from 'node:fs';
+import { resolveSquadHome, ensureSquadHome, resolvePresetsDir } from '@bradygaster/squad-sdk/resolution';
+import { listPresets, loadPreset, applyPreset, savePreset, seedBuiltinPresets } from '@bradygaster/squad-sdk/presets';
+import { resolveSquad } from '@bradygaster/squad-sdk/resolution';
+import { success, warn, info, BOLD, RESET, DIM } from '../core/output.js';
+import { fatal } from '../core/errors.js';
+
+/**
+ * Entry point for `squad preset` subcommands.
+ */
+export async function runPreset(cwd: string, subcommand: string, args: string[]): Promise<void> {
+  switch (subcommand) {
+    case 'list':
+      await presetList();
+      break;
+    case 'show': {
+      const name = args[0];
+      if (!name) {
+        fatal('Usage: squad preset show <name>');
+      }
+      await presetShow(name!);
+      break;
+    }
+    case 'apply': {
+      const name = args[0];
+      if (!name) {
+        fatal('Usage: squad preset apply <name> [--force]');
+      }
+      const force = args.includes('--force');
+      await presetApply(cwd, name!, force);
+      break;
+    }
+    case 'init': {
+      const remote = args.includes('--remote');
+      await presetInit(remote);
+      break;
+    }
+    case 'save': {
+      const name = args[0];
+      if (!name) {
+        fatal('Usage: squad preset save <name> [--force] [--description "..."]');
+      }
+      const force = args.includes('--force');
+      const descIdx = args.indexOf('--description');
+      const description = descIdx >= 0 ? args[descIdx + 1] : undefined;
+      await presetSave(cwd, name!, force, description);
+      break;
+    }
+    default:
+      fatal(
+        `Unknown preset subcommand: ${subcommand}\n` +
+        `Usage:\n` +
+        `  squad preset list\n` +
+        `  squad preset show <name>\n` +
+        `  squad preset apply <name> [--force]\n` +
+        `  squad preset save <name>\n` +
+        `  squad preset init [--remote]`,
+      );
+  }
+}
+
+// ============================================================================
+// Subcommand: init
+// ============================================================================
+
+async function presetInit(remote: boolean): Promise<void> {
+  if (remote) {
+    await presetInitRemote();
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const homeDir = ensureSquadHome();
+  const presetsDir = path.join(homeDir, 'presets');
+
+  const seeded = seedBuiltinPresets();
+
+  success('Presets directory initialized');
+  info(`  Path: ${presetsDir}`);
+  if (seeded.length > 0) {
+    info(`  Built-in presets installed: ${seeded.join(', ')}`);
+  }
+  info(`  Run 'squad preset list' to see available presets.`);
+  console.log();
+  info(`${DIM}Tip: Run 'squad preset init --remote' to back your squad home`);
+  info(`with a private GitHub repo so presets roam across machines.${RESET}`);
+}
+
+async function presetInitRemote(): Promise<void> {
+  // Check gh CLI is available
+  try {
+    execSync('gh --version', { stdio: 'pipe' });
+  } catch {
+    fatal('GitHub CLI (gh) is required for --remote. Install it: https://cli.github.com');
+  }
+
+  // Check gh auth
+  try {
+    execSync('gh auth status', { stdio: 'pipe' });
+  } catch {
+    fatal('Not logged in to GitHub CLI. Run: gh auth login');
+  }
+
+  const os = await import('node:os');
+  const envHome = process.env['SQUAD_HOME'];
+  const homeDir = envHome ? path.resolve(envHome) : path.join(os.homedir(), '.squad');
+  const repoName = 'squad-home';
+
+  // Get GitHub username
+  let ghUser: string;
+  try {
+    ghUser = execSync('gh api user --jq .login', { encoding: 'utf-8', stdio: ['pipe', 'pipe', 'pipe'] }).trim();
+  } catch {
+    fatal('Could not determine GitHub username. Run: gh auth login');
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const repoFullName = `${ghUser}/${repoName}`;
+
+  // Check if SQUAD_HOME is already a git repo
+  if (fs.existsSync(path.join(homeDir, '.git'))) {
+    info(`Squad home is already a git repo: ${homeDir}`);
+    const seeded = seedBuiltinPresets();
+    if (seeded.length > 0) {
+      info(`  Built-in presets installed: ${seeded.join(', ')}`);
+    }
+    success('Squad home ready — presets roam via git push/pull.');
+    return;
+  }
+
+  // If ~/.squad/ doesn't exist yet, try to clone existing remote repo
+  if (!fs.existsSync(homeDir)) {
+    let repoExists = false;
+    try {
+      execSync(`gh repo view ${repoFullName} --json name`, { stdio: 'pipe' });
+      repoExists = true;
+    } catch {
+      repoExists = false;
+    }
+
+    if (repoExists) {
+      // Second machine — clone existing squad home
+      info(`Found existing repo ${repoFullName} — cloning...`);
+      try {
+        execSync(`gh repo clone ${repoFullName} "${homeDir}"`, { stdio: 'inherit' });
+        const seeded = seedBuiltinPresets();
+        if (seeded.length > 0) {
+          info(`  New built-in presets added: ${seeded.join(', ')}`);
+          try {
+            execSync(`git -C "${homeDir}" add -A && git -C "${homeDir}" commit -m "seed built-in presets" --allow-empty`, { stdio: 'pipe' });
+          } catch { /* nothing new to commit */ }
+        }
+        success(`Squad home cloned from ${repoFullName}`);
+        info(`  Path: ${homeDir}`);
+        success('Presets synced — you\'re ready to go.');
+        return;
+      } catch {
+        fatal(`Failed to clone ${repoFullName}. Check permissions.`);
+      }
+    }
+
+    // Repo doesn't exist — create fresh
+    info(`Creating private repo ${repoFullName}...`);
+    try {
+      fs.mkdirSync(homeDir, { recursive: true });
+      execSync(`git init`, { cwd: homeDir, stdio: 'pipe' });
+      execSync(`gh repo create ${repoName} --private --source "${homeDir}" --push --description "Squad home — presets and config"`, {
+        stdio: 'inherit',
+      });
+    } catch {
+      fatal(`Failed to create repo. Try manually: gh repo create ${repoName} --private`);
+    }
+  } else {
+    // ~/.squad/ exists but isn't a git repo — init and connect
+    info(`Initializing git in existing squad home: ${homeDir}`);
+    execSync(`git init`, { cwd: homeDir, stdio: 'pipe' });
+
+    let repoExists = false;
+    try {
+      execSync(`gh repo view ${repoFullName} --json name`, { stdio: 'pipe' });
+      repoExists = true;
+    } catch {
+      repoExists = false;
+    }
+
+    if (!repoExists) {
+      info(`Creating private repo ${repoFullName}...`);
+      try {
+        execSync(`gh repo create ${repoName} --private --source "${homeDir}" --push --description "Squad home — presets and config"`, {
+          stdio: 'inherit',
+        });
+      } catch {
+        fatal(`Failed to create repo ${repoFullName}.`);
+      }
+    } else {
+      info(`Connecting to existing repo ${repoFullName}...`);
+      try {
+        execSync(`git remote add origin https://github.com/${repoFullName}.git`, { cwd: homeDir, stdio: 'pipe' });
+        execSync(`git pull origin main --allow-unrelated-histories`, { cwd: homeDir, stdio: 'pipe' });
+      } catch {
+        warn('Could not pull from remote. You may need to resolve manually.');
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  // Seed built-in presets and push
+  const seeded = seedBuiltinPresets();
+
+  try {
+    execSync(`git -C "${homeDir}" add -A`, { stdio: 'pipe' });
+    execSync(`git -C "${homeDir}" commit -m "Initialize squad home with presets"`, { stdio: 'pipe' });
+    execSync(`git -C "${homeDir}" push -u origin main`, { stdio: 'pipe' });
+  } catch {
+    // May fail if nothing to commit or push
+  }
+
+  success(`Squad home initialized with private repo: ${repoFullName}`);
+  info(`  Path: ${homeDir}`);
+  if (seeded.length > 0) {
+    info(`  Built-in presets installed: ${seeded.join(', ')}`);
+  }
+  console.log();
+  info(`On another machine, run the same command to sync your presets:`);
+  info(`  ${BOLD}squad preset init --remote${RESET}`);
+}
+
+// ============================================================================
+// Subcommand: list
+// ============================================================================
+
+async function presetList(): Promise<void> {
+  const presetsDir = resolvePresetsDir();
+
+  if (!presetsDir) {
+    info('No presets directory found.');
+    info('  Run `squad preset init --remote` to set up with a GitHub repo (recommended).');
+    info('  Or `squad preset init` for local-only setup.');
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const presets = listPresets();
+
+  if (presets.length === 0) {
+    info(`Presets directory exists at ${presetsDir} but contains no presets.`);
+    info('  Create a preset directory with a preset.json manifest.');
+    return;
+  }
+
+  console.log(`\n${BOLD}Available Presets${RESET} (${presets.length}):\n`);
+
+  const maxNameLen = Math.max(...presets.map(p => p.name.length), 4);
+
+  console.log(
+    `  ${'Name'.padEnd(maxNameLen)}  ` +
+    `${'Agents'}  ` +
+    `Description`
+  );
+  console.log(
+    `  ${'─'.repeat(maxNameLen)}  ` +
+    `${'─'.repeat(6)}  ` +
+    `${'─'.repeat(40)}`
+  );
+
+  for (const preset of presets) {
+    console.log(
+      `  ${preset.name.padEnd(maxNameLen)}  ` +
+      `${String(preset.agents.length).padEnd(6)}  ` +
+      `${DIM}${preset.description}${RESET}`
+    );
+  }
+
+  console.log();
+}
+
+// ============================================================================
+// Subcommand: show
+// ============================================================================
+
+async function presetShow(name: string): Promise<void> {
+  const preset = loadPreset(name);
+
+  if (!preset) {
+    fatal(`Preset '${name}' not found. Run 'squad preset list' to see available presets.`);
+  }
+
+  console.log(`\n${BOLD}${preset.name}${RESET} v${preset.version}`);
+  console.log(`  ${preset.description}`);
+  if (preset.author) console.log(`  Author: ${preset.author}`);
+  if (preset.tags?.length) console.log(`  Tags: ${preset.tags.join(', ')}`);
+
+  console.log(`\n  ${BOLD}Agents${RESET} (${preset.agents.length}):`);
+
+  for (const agent of preset.agents) {
+    console.log(`    • ${BOLD}${agent.name}${RESET} (${agent.role})${agent.description ? ` — ${DIM}${agent.description}${RESET}` : ''}`);
+  }
+
+  console.log();
+}
+
+// ============================================================================
+// Subcommand: apply
+// ============================================================================
+
+async function presetApply(cwd: string, name: string, force: boolean): Promise<void> {
+  // Find target squad directory
+  const squadDir = resolveSquad(cwd);
+  if (!squadDir) {
+    fatal('No .squad/ directory found. Run `squad init` first, or use from a repo with a squad.');
+  }
+
+  const targetAgentsDir = path.join(squadDir, 'agents');
+
+  const results = applyPreset(name, targetAgentsDir, { force });
+
+  if (results.length === 1 && results[0]!.status === 'error' && results[0]!.agent === name) {
+    fatal(results[0]!.reason ?? `Failed to apply preset '${name}'`);
+  }
+
+  let installed = 0;
+  let skipped = 0;
+  let errors = 0;
+
+  for (const result of results) {
+    switch (result.status) {
+      case 'installed':
+        success(`  ${result.agent}`);
+        installed++;
+        break;
+      case 'skipped':
+        warn(`  ${result.agent} — ${result.reason}`);
+        skipped++;
+        break;
+      case 'error':
+        console.error(`  ✗ ${result.agent} — ${result.reason}`);
+        errors++;
+        break;
+    }
+  }
+
+  console.log();
+  if (installed > 0) success(`Applied preset '${name}': ${installed} agents installed`);
+  if (skipped > 0) info(`  ${skipped} agents skipped (already exist)`);
+  if (errors > 0) warn(`  ${errors} agents had errors`);
+}
+
+// ============================================================================
+// Subcommand: save
+// ============================================================================
+
+async function presetSave(cwd: string, name: string, force: boolean, description?: string): Promise<void> {
+  const squadDir = resolveSquad(cwd);
+  if (!squadDir) {
+    fatal('No .squad/ directory found. Initialize a squad first with `squad init`.');
+  }
+
+  try {
+    const destDir = savePreset(name, squadDir, { force, description });
+    success(`Preset '${name}' saved`);
+    info(`  Location: ${destDir}`);
+    info(`  Use it in any project: squad preset apply ${name}`);
+    console.log();
+    info(`${DIM}Tip: Presets save agents only (charters). For a full squad snapshot`);
+    info(`including casting state, skills, and routing rules — e.g. to share`);
+    info(`a configured squad or publish to an agent toolbox — use 'squad export'.${RESET}`);
+  } catch (err) {
+    fatal(String(err));
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/squad-sdk/package.json b/packages/squad-sdk/package.json
index 3e9e3e184..cb7757b11 100644
--- a/packages/squad-sdk/package.json
+++ b/packages/squad-sdk/package.json
@@ -102,6 +102,10 @@
       "types": "./dist/resolution.d.ts",
       "import": "./dist/resolution.js"
     },
+    "./presets": {
+      "types": "./dist/presets/index.d.ts",
+      "import": "./dist/presets/index.js"
+    },
     "./adapter/errors": {
       "types": "./dist/adapter/errors.d.ts",
       "import": "./dist/adapter/errors.js"
@@ -222,7 +226,7 @@
   ],
   "scripts": {
     "prepublishOnly": "npm run build",
-    "build": "tsc -p tsconfig.json"
+    "build": "tsc -p tsconfig.json && node -e \"const{rmSync,cpSync}=require('fs');rmSync('dist/presets/builtin',{recursive:true,force:true});cpSync('src/presets/builtin','dist/presets/builtin',{recursive:true,filter:(s)=>!s.endsWith('.ts')})\""
   },
   "engines": {
     "node": ">=22.5.0"
diff --git a/packages/squad-sdk/src/index.ts b/packages/squad-sdk/src/index.ts
index 945b99dea..72e5b88b8 100644
--- a/packages/squad-sdk/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/squad-sdk/src/index.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ const pkg = require('../package.json');
 export const VERSION: string = pkg.version;
 
 // Export public API
-export { resolveSquad, resolveGlobalSquadPath, resolvePersonalSquadDir, ensurePersonalSquadDir, ensureSquadPath, ensureSquadPathTriple, loadDirConfig, isConsultMode, scratchDir, scratchFile, deriveProjectKey, resolveExternalStateDir } from './resolution.js';
+export { resolveSquad, resolveGlobalSquadPath, resolvePersonalSquadDir, ensurePersonalSquadDir, ensureSquadPath, ensureSquadPathTriple, loadDirConfig, isConsultMode, scratchDir, scratchFile, deriveProjectKey, resolveExternalStateDir, resolveSquadHome, ensureSquadHome, resolvePresetsDir } from './resolution.js';
 export type { SquadDirConfig, ResolvedSquadPaths } from './resolution.js';
 export * from './config/index.js';
 export * from './agents/onboarding.js';
diff --git a/packages/squad-sdk/src/presets/builtin/default/agents/devrel/charter.md b/packages/squad-sdk/src/presets/builtin/default/agents/devrel/charter.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3fdad38a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/squad-sdk/src/presets/builtin/default/agents/devrel/charter.md
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+# devrel — Developer Relations
+
+> I make your project approachable — if a developer can't get started in 5 minutes, that's on me.
+
+## Identity
+
+- **Name:** devrel
+- **Role:** devrel
+- **Expertise:** Developer experience, onboarding flows, README/quickstart writing
+- **Style:** Friendly and practical — I write for the developer who just wants it to work
+
+## What I Own
+
+- README and quickstart guides
+- Developer onboarding experience
+- Sample code and tutorials
+- Changelog and release notes
+
+## How I Work
+
+- Test every quickstart by following my own instructions
+- Lead with "what can you build?" not "how does it work?"
+- Keep examples copy-pasteable and self-contained
+- Write for the 80% use case first, document edge cases separately
+
+## Boundaries
+
+**I handle:** READMEs, quickstarts, tutorials, developer-facing content, release notes
+
+**I don't handle:** Internal architecture docs (docs agent), code reviews, security
diff --git a/packages/squad-sdk/src/presets/builtin/default/agents/docs/charter.md b/packages/squad-sdk/src/presets/builtin/default/agents/docs/charter.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..33682fdd9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/squad-sdk/src/presets/builtin/default/agents/docs/charter.md
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+# docs — Documentation Specialist
+
+> Good docs aren't written — they're maintained. I keep technical documentation accurate and discoverable.
+
+## Identity
+
+- **Name:** docs
+- **Role:** docs
+- **Expertise:** Technical writing, API documentation, information architecture
+- **Style:** Clear and structured — every doc has a purpose and an audience
+
+## What I Own
+
+- Technical documentation and API references
+- Architecture documentation and diagrams
+- Internal knowledge base and runbooks
+- Documentation site structure and navigation
+
+## How I Work
+
+- Every doc answers: who is this for? what will they learn? what should they do next?
+- Keep docs close to code — update docs in the same PR as code changes
+- Use consistent terminology — maintain a glossary if needed
+- Prefer examples over explanations
+
+## Boundaries
+
+**I handle:** Technical docs, API references, architecture docs, runbooks, doc site structure
+
+**I don't handle:** Developer-facing quickstarts (devrel agent), code reviews, security assessments
diff --git a/packages/squad-sdk/src/presets/builtin/default/agents/lead/charter.md b/packages/squad-sdk/src/presets/builtin/default/agents/lead/charter.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a9749f109
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/squad-sdk/src/presets/builtin/default/agents/lead/charter.md
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+# lead — Technical Lead
+
+> The calm hand on the tiller — I turn ambiguity into architecture and keep the team moving.
+
+## Identity
+
+- **Name:** lead
+- **Role:** lead
+- **Expertise:** System design, architectural trade-offs, cross-cutting concerns
+- **Style:** Decisive but collaborative — I explain the "why" behind every decision
+
+## What I Own
+
+- Architecture decisions and technical direction
+- Cross-agent coordination and conflict resolution
+- Sprint planning and scope management
+
+## How I Work
+
+- Start with constraints: what are the hard requirements?
+- Prefer simple solutions over clever ones
+- Document decisions as ADRs (Architecture Decision Records)
+- Break big problems into parallelizable work
+
+## Boundaries
+
+**I handle:** Architecture, design reviews, technical planning, blocker resolution
+
+**I don't handle:** Writing production code (that's the team's job), security audits (security agent), documentation (docs agent)
diff --git a/packages/squad-sdk/src/presets/builtin/default/agents/reviewer/charter.md b/packages/squad-sdk/src/presets/builtin/default/agents/reviewer/charter.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2c8a69d62
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/squad-sdk/src/presets/builtin/default/agents/reviewer/charter.md
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+# reviewer — Code Reviewer
+
+> I catch what you missed — bugs, edge cases, and code that future-you will regret.
+
+## Identity
+
+- **Name:** reviewer
+- **Role:** reviewer
+- **Expertise:** Code quality, testing patterns, performance pitfalls
+- **Style:** Direct and constructive — I flag real issues, not style nits
+
+## What I Own
+
+- Pull request reviews and code quality standards
+- Test coverage assessment
+- Performance and maintainability review
+
+## How I Work
+
+- Focus on correctness first, then clarity, then performance
+- Always explain *why* something is a problem, not just *what*
+- Suggest fixes, don't just point out problems
+- Skip style/formatting — that's what linters are for
+
+## Boundaries
+
+**I handle:** Code reviews, test assessment, refactoring suggestions, bug detection
+
+**I don't handle:** Writing the initial implementation, security-specific audits, documentation
diff --git a/packages/squad-sdk/src/presets/builtin/default/agents/security/charter.md b/packages/squad-sdk/src/presets/builtin/default/agents/security/charter.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..383f9a9f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/squad-sdk/src/presets/builtin/default/agents/security/charter.md
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+# security — Security Engineer
+
+> I assume everything is vulnerable until proven otherwise — and I verify the proof.
+
+## Identity
+
+- **Name:** security
+- **Role:** security
+- **Expertise:** Application security, dependency auditing, threat modeling
+- **Style:** Thorough and skeptical — I ask "what could go wrong?" before "does it work?"
+
+## What I Own
+
+- Security review of code changes
+- Dependency vulnerability scanning
+- Authentication and authorization patterns
+- Secrets management practices
+
+## How I Work
+
+- Review every PR for common vulnerability patterns (injection, auth bypass, data exposure)
+- Flag hardcoded secrets, missing input validation, unsafe deserialization
+- Recommend least-privilege access patterns
+- Keep a running threat model for the project
+
+## Boundaries
+
+**I handle:** Security reviews, vulnerability assessment, auth patterns, secrets hygiene
+
+**I don't handle:** General code quality (reviewer agent), performance optimization, feature implementation
diff --git a/packages/squad-sdk/src/presets/builtin/default/preset.json b/packages/squad-sdk/src/presets/builtin/default/preset.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9c0ce65d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/squad-sdk/src/presets/builtin/default/preset.json
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+{
+  "name": "default",
+  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "description": "Starter squad — a well-rounded team for any software project",
+  "author": "Squad Contributors",
+  "tags": ["starter", "general", "software"],
+  "agents": [
+    {
+      "name": "lead",
+      "role": "lead",
+      "description": "Technical lead — owns architecture decisions and coordinates the team"
+    },
+    {
+      "name": "reviewer",
+      "role": "reviewer",
+      "description": "Code reviewer — catches bugs, enforces standards, and improves quality"
+    },
+    {
+      "name": "devrel",
+      "role": "devrel",
+      "description": "Developer relations — writes docs, READMEs, and developer-facing content"
+    },
+    {
+      "name": "security",
+      "role": "security",
+      "description": "Security engineer — reviews for vulnerabilities and enforces security practices"
+    },
+    {
+      "name": "docs",
+      "role": "docs",
+      "description": "Documentation specialist — maintains technical docs and API references"
+    }
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/packages/squad-sdk/src/presets/index.ts b/packages/squad-sdk/src/presets/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ed4be59d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/squad-sdk/src/presets/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,323 @@
+/**
+ * Preset loading and application logic.
+ *
+ * Presets are curated agent collections stored in `<squad-home>/presets/<name>/`.
+ * Each preset directory contains:
+ * - `preset.json` — manifest with metadata and agent list
+ * - `agents/<name>/charter.md` — agent charter files
+ *
+ * @module presets
+ */
+
+import path from 'node:path';
+import { readdirSync, statSync, lstatSync, rmSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
+import { FSStorageProvider } from '../storage/fs-storage-provider.js';
+import { resolvePresetsDir, ensureSquadHome } from '../resolution.js';
+import type { PresetManifest, PresetApplyResult } from './types.js';
+
+export type { PresetManifest, PresetAgent, PresetApplyResult } from './types.js';
+
+const storage = new FSStorageProvider();
+
+function isDirSync(p: string): boolean {
+  try { return lstatSync(p).isDirectory(); } catch { return false; }
+}
+
+/** Validate a preset or agent name — must be a safe basename (no path separators, no ..) */
+function validateName(name: string, label: string): void {
+  if (!name || name !== path.basename(name) || name === '..' || name === '.') {
+    throw new Error(`Invalid ${label} name: '${name}'. Must be a simple directory name.`);
+  }
+}
+
+
+/**
+ * List all available presets from the squad home presets directory.
+ *
+ * @returns Array of preset manifests, or empty array if no presets found.
+ */
+export function listPresets(): PresetManifest[] {
+  const presetsDir = resolvePresetsDir();
+  if (!presetsDir) return [];
+
+  const entries = readdirSync(presetsDir, { encoding: 'utf-8' });
+  const presets: PresetManifest[] = [];
+
+  for (const entry of entries) {
+    const presetDir = path.join(presetsDir, entry);
+    if (!isDirSync(presetDir)) continue;
+
+    const manifest = loadPresetManifest(presetDir);
+    if (manifest) presets.push(manifest);
+  }
+
+  return presets;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Load a specific preset by name.
+ *
+ * @param name - Preset name (directory name under presets/).
+ * @returns The preset manifest, or null if not found.
+ */
+export function loadPreset(name: string): PresetManifest | null {
+  const presetsDir = resolvePresetsDir();
+  if (!presetsDir) return null;
+
+  const presetDir = path.join(presetsDir, name);
+  if (!storage.existsSync(presetDir) || !isDirSync(presetDir)) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  return loadPresetManifest(presetDir);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Apply a preset — copy its agents into a target squad directory.
+ *
+ * By default, existing agents are skipped (not overwritten).
+ * Pass `force: true` to overwrite existing agents.
+ *
+ * @param presetName - Name of the preset to apply.
+ * @param targetDir  - Target directory to install agents into (e.g. `.squad/agents/`).
+ * @param options    - Options for applying the preset.
+ * @returns Array of results for each agent in the preset.
+ */
+export function applyPreset(
+  presetName: string,
+  targetDir: string,
+  options: { force?: boolean } = {},
+): PresetApplyResult[] {
+  try { validateName(presetName, 'preset'); } catch (err) {
+    return [{ agent: presetName, status: 'error', reason: String(err) }];
+  }
+
+  const presetsDir = resolvePresetsDir();
+  if (!presetsDir) {
+    return [{ agent: presetName, status: 'error', reason: 'No presets directory found. Run `squad preset init --remote` to set up, or `squad preset init` for local-only.' }];
+  }
+
+  const presetDir = path.join(presetsDir, presetName);
+  const manifest = loadPresetManifest(presetDir);
+  if (!manifest) {
+    return [{ agent: presetName, status: 'error', reason: `Preset '${presetName}' not found` }];
+  }
+
+  const presetAgentsDir = path.join(presetDir, 'agents');
+  const results: PresetApplyResult[] = [];
+
+  for (const agent of manifest.agents) {
+    try { validateName(agent.name, 'agent'); } catch {
+      results.push({ agent: agent.name, status: 'error', reason: `Invalid agent name: '${agent.name}'` });
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    const sourceDir = path.join(presetAgentsDir, agent.name);
+    const destDir = path.join(targetDir, agent.name);
+
+    if (!storage.existsSync(sourceDir)) {
+      results.push({ agent: agent.name, status: 'error', reason: 'Source agent directory missing in preset' });
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    if (storage.existsSync(destDir) && !options.force) {
+      results.push({ agent: agent.name, status: 'skipped', reason: 'Already exists (use --force to overwrite)' });
+      continue;
+    }
+
+    try {
+      // When forcing, remove dest first so renamed/deleted files don't linger
+      if (options.force && storage.existsSync(destDir)) {
+        rmSync(destDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+      }
+      copyDirRecursive(sourceDir, destDir);
+      results.push({ agent: agent.name, status: 'installed' });
+    } catch (err) {
+      results.push({ agent: agent.name, status: 'error', reason: String(err) });
+    }
+  }
+
+  return results;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Install a preset into squad home from an external source directory.
+ * Copies the preset directory into `<squad-home>/presets/<name>/`.
+ *
+ * @param sourceDir - Source directory containing preset.json and agents/.
+ * @param name      - Preset name (used as destination directory name).
+ * @returns Path to the installed preset.
+ */
+export function installPreset(sourceDir: string, name: string): string {
+  const homeDir = ensureSquadHome();
+  const destDir = path.join(homeDir, 'presets', name);
+
+  copyDirRecursive(sourceDir, destDir);
+  return destDir;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Save the current project's squad agents as a reusable preset.
+ *
+ * Reads agents from the given squad directory (e.g. `.squad/agents/`),
+ * generates a `preset.json` manifest, and copies everything into
+ * `<squad-home>/presets/<name>/`.
+ *
+ * @param name      - Name for the new preset.
+ * @param squadDir  - Path to the project's .squad/ directory containing agents/.
+ * @param options   - force: overwrite existing preset; description: preset description.
+ * @returns Path to the saved preset directory.
+ */
+export function savePreset(
+  name: string,
+  squadDir: string,
+  options: { force?: boolean; description?: string } = {},
+): string {
+  validateName(name, 'preset');
+
+  const agentsDir = path.join(squadDir, 'agents');
+  if (!storage.existsSync(agentsDir) || !isDirSync(agentsDir)) {
+    throw new Error(`No agents/ directory found in ${squadDir}`);
+  }
+
+  const homeDir = ensureSquadHome();
+  const destDir = path.join(homeDir, 'presets', name);
+
+  if (storage.existsSync(destDir) && !options.force) {
+    throw new Error(`Preset '${name}' already exists. Use --force to overwrite.`);
+  }
+
+  // Discover agents
+  const agentEntries = readdirSync(agentsDir, { encoding: 'utf-8' });
+  const agents: { name: string; role: string; description: string }[] = [];
+
+  for (const entry of agentEntries) {
+    const agentDir = path.join(agentsDir, entry);
+    if (!isDirSync(agentDir)) continue;
+
+    // Try to extract role from charter.md front matter
+    let role = entry;
+    let description = '';
+    const charterPath = path.join(agentDir, 'charter.md');
+    if (storage.existsSync(charterPath)) {
+      const content = storage.readSync(charterPath);
+      if (content) {
+        const roleMatch = content.match(/^##?\s+.*?[-–—]\s*(.+)/m);
+        if (roleMatch) role = roleMatch[1]!.trim();
+        // First non-empty, non-heading line as description
+        const lines = content.split('\n');
+        for (const line of lines) {
+          const trimmed = line.trim();
+          if (trimmed && !trimmed.startsWith('#') && !trimmed.startsWith('---')) {
+            description = trimmed.slice(0, 120);
+            break;
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+    agents.push({ name: entry, role, description });
+  }
+
+  if (agents.length === 0) {
+    throw new Error(`No agents found in ${agentsDir}`);
+  }
+
+  // Build manifest
+  const manifest: PresetManifest = {
+    name,
+    version: '1.0.0',
+    description: options.description ?? `Custom preset '${name}'`,
+    agents: agents.map(a => ({ name: a.name, role: a.role, description: a.description })),
+  };
+
+  // Write preset directory
+  storage.mkdirSync(destDir, { recursive: true });
+  storage.writeSync(path.join(destDir, 'preset.json'), JSON.stringify(manifest, null, 2));
+  copyDirRecursive(agentsDir, path.join(destDir, 'agents'));
+
+  return destDir;
+}
+
+// ============================================================================
+// Internal helpers
+// ============================================================================
+
+function loadPresetManifest(presetDir: string): PresetManifest | null {
+  const manifestPath = path.join(presetDir, 'preset.json');
+  if (!storage.existsSync(manifestPath)) return null;
+
+  try {
+    const content = storage.readSync(manifestPath);
+    if (!content) return null;
+    const manifest = JSON.parse(content) as PresetManifest;
+    if (!manifest.name || !manifest.agents || !Array.isArray(manifest.agents)) {
+      return null;
+    }
+    return manifest;
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
+function copyDirRecursive(src: string, dest: string): void {
+  storage.mkdirSync(dest, { recursive: true });
+  const entries = readdirSync(src, { encoding: 'utf-8' });
+
+  for (const entry of entries) {
+    const srcPath = path.join(src, entry);
+    const destPath = path.join(dest, entry);
+    const stat = lstatSync(srcPath);
+
+    // Skip symlinks — don't follow them into unintended locations
+    if (stat.isSymbolicLink()) continue;
+
+    if (stat.isDirectory()) {
+      copyDirRecursive(srcPath, destPath);
+    } else {
+      const content = storage.readSync(srcPath);
+      if (content !== undefined) {
+        storage.writeSync(destPath, content);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Get the path to the built-in presets that ship with the SDK.
+ * These are bundled in the package under `presets/builtin/`.
+ */
+export function getBuiltinPresetsDir(): string {
+  const thisFile = fileURLToPath(import.meta.url);
+  return path.join(path.dirname(thisFile), 'builtin');
+}
+
+/**
+ * Seed squad home with built-in presets if they don't already exist.
+ * Only copies presets that are missing — never overwrites user presets.
+ *
+ * @returns Names of presets that were seeded.
+ */
+export function seedBuiltinPresets(): string[] {
+  const homeDir = ensureSquadHome();
+  const builtinDir = getBuiltinPresetsDir();
+  const targetPresetsDir = path.join(homeDir, 'presets');
+  const seeded: string[] = [];
+
+  if (!storage.existsSync(builtinDir)) return seeded;
+
+  const entries = readdirSync(builtinDir, { encoding: 'utf-8' });
+  for (const entry of entries) {
+    const srcDir = path.join(builtinDir, entry);
+    const destDir = path.join(targetPresetsDir, entry);
+
+    if (!isDirSync(srcDir)) continue;
+    if (storage.existsSync(destDir)) continue;
+
+    copyDirRecursive(srcDir, destDir);
+    seeded.push(entry);
+  }
+
+  return seeded;
+}
diff --git a/packages/squad-sdk/src/presets/types.ts b/packages/squad-sdk/src/presets/types.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0b1eb0539
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/squad-sdk/src/presets/types.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+/**
+ * Preset type definitions for Squad presets system.
+ *
+ * A preset is a curated collection of agents that can be applied to any
+ * squad project. Presets live in `<squad-home>/presets/<name>/`.
+ *
+ * @module presets/types
+ */
+
+/**
+ * Agent definition within a preset manifest.
+ */
+export interface PresetAgent {
+  /** Agent name (used as directory name) */
+  name: string;
+  /** Agent role (e.g. 'lead', 'reviewer', 'devrel') */
+  role: string;
+  /** Short description of this agent's purpose */
+  description?: string;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Preset manifest — describes a preset and its agents.
+ * Stored as `preset.json` in the preset directory.
+ */
+export interface PresetManifest {
+  /** Preset display name */
+  name: string;
+  /** Version identifier */
+  version: string;
+  /** Short description of what this preset is for */
+  description: string;
+  /** Agents included in this preset */
+  agents: PresetAgent[];
+  /** Optional author attribution */
+  author?: string;
+  /** Optional tags for discovery */
+  tags?: string[];
+}
+
+/**
+ * Result of applying a single agent from a preset.
+ */
+export interface PresetApplyResult {
+  agent: string;
+  status: 'installed' | 'skipped' | 'error';
+  reason?: string;
+}
diff --git a/packages/squad-sdk/src/resolution.ts b/packages/squad-sdk/src/resolution.ts
index fa4bf8324..a35245f82 100644
--- a/packages/squad-sdk/src/resolution.ts
+++ b/packages/squad-sdk/src/resolution.ts
@@ -599,3 +599,83 @@ export function resolveExternalStateDir(projectKey: string, create: boolean = tr
 
   return projectsDir;
 }
+
+// ============================================================================
+// SQUAD_HOME — roaming squad root (Issue #1038)
+// ============================================================================
+
+/**
+ * Resolve the squad home directory — a roaming squad root for personal agents
+ * and presets that follows the user across machines.
+ *
+ * Resolution order:
+ * 1. `SQUAD_HOME` env var (explicit override, e.g. a synced folder)
+ * 2. `~/.squad/` (conventional default — user's home dir)
+ *
+ * Unlike `resolveGlobalSquadPath()` (which returns platform-specific app config),
+ * squad home is a **squad root** — it can contain `agents/`, `presets/`, etc.
+ *
+ * @param create - Whether to create the directory if missing (default: false).
+ * @returns Absolute path to the squad home directory, or null if it doesn't
+ *          exist and `create` is false.
+ */
+export function resolveSquadHome(create: boolean = false): string | null {
+  const envHome = process.env['SQUAD_HOME'];
+  const homeDir = envHome
+    ? path.resolve(envHome)
+    : path.join(os.homedir(), '.squad');
+
+  if (storage.existsSync(homeDir)) {
+    if (!storage.isDirectorySync(homeDir)) {
+      throw new Error(`SQUAD_HOME path exists but is not a directory: ${homeDir}`);
+    }
+    return homeDir;
+  }
+
+  if (create) {
+    storage.mkdirSync(homeDir, { recursive: true });
+    return homeDir;
+  }
+
+  return null;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Ensure the squad home directory exists with standard structure.
+ * Creates `agents/` and `presets/` subdirectories.
+ *
+ * Idempotent — safe to call multiple times.
+ *
+ * @returns Absolute path to the squad home directory.
+ */
+export function ensureSquadHome(): string {
+  const homeDir = resolveSquadHome(true)!;
+
+  const agentsDir = path.join(homeDir, 'agents');
+  if (!storage.existsSync(agentsDir)) {
+    storage.mkdirSync(agentsDir, { recursive: true });
+  }
+
+  const presetsDir = path.join(homeDir, 'presets');
+  if (!storage.existsSync(presetsDir)) {
+    storage.mkdirSync(presetsDir, { recursive: true });
+  }
+
+  return homeDir;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Resolve the presets directory within squad home.
+ *
+ * @returns Absolute path to `<squad-home>/presets/`, or null if squad home
+ *          doesn't exist.
+ */
+export function resolvePresetsDir(): string | null {
+  const homeDir = resolveSquadHome();
+  if (!homeDir) return null;
+
+  const presetsDir = path.join(homeDir, 'presets');
+  if (!storage.existsSync(presetsDir) || !storage.isDirectorySync(presetsDir)) return null;
+
+  return presetsDir;
+}
diff --git a/test/presets.test.ts b/test/presets.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9d6b705ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/presets.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,522 @@
+/**
+ * Tests for SQUAD_HOME resolution and preset system.
+ */
+
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach, vi } from 'vitest';
+import { mkdirSync, rmSync, existsSync, writeFileSync, readFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { join } from 'node:path';
+import { randomBytes } from 'node:crypto';
+import { resolveSquadHome, ensureSquadHome, resolvePresetsDir } from '@bradygaster/squad-sdk/resolution';
+import { listPresets, loadPreset, applyPreset, savePreset, seedBuiltinPresets } from '@bradygaster/squad-sdk/presets';
+
+const TMP = join(process.cwd(), `.test-presets-${randomBytes(4).toString('hex')}`);
+
+function scaffold(...dirs: string[]): void {
+  for (const d of dirs) {
+    mkdirSync(join(TMP, d), { recursive: true });
+  }
+}
+
+function writeFile(relativePath: string, content: string): void {
+  const fullPath = join(TMP, relativePath);
+  mkdirSync(join(fullPath, '..'), { recursive: true });
+  writeFileSync(fullPath, content);
+}
+
+// ============================================================================
+// resolveSquadHome()
+// ============================================================================
+
+describe('resolveSquadHome()', () => {
+  const originalEnv = process.env['SQUAD_HOME'];
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    if (existsSync(TMP)) rmSync(TMP, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    mkdirSync(TMP, { recursive: true });
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    if (existsSync(TMP)) rmSync(TMP, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    if (originalEnv !== undefined) {
+      process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = originalEnv;
+    } else {
+      delete process.env['SQUAD_HOME'];
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('returns null when SQUAD_HOME points to a nonexistent path', () => {
+    // Point SQUAD_HOME to a nonexistent path
+    process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = join(TMP, 'nonexistent');
+    expect(resolveSquadHome()).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('returns the directory when SQUAD_HOME points to an existing dir', () => {
+    const homeDir = join(TMP, 'my-squad-home');
+    mkdirSync(homeDir, { recursive: true });
+    process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = homeDir;
+
+    expect(resolveSquadHome()).toBe(homeDir);
+  });
+
+  it('creates directory when create=true and SQUAD_HOME is set', () => {
+    const homeDir = join(TMP, 'new-squad-home');
+    process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = homeDir;
+
+    expect(existsSync(homeDir)).toBe(false);
+    const result = resolveSquadHome(true);
+    expect(result).toBe(homeDir);
+    expect(existsSync(homeDir)).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
+
+// ============================================================================
+// ensureSquadHome()
+// ============================================================================
+
+describe('ensureSquadHome()', () => {
+  const originalEnv = process.env['SQUAD_HOME'];
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    if (existsSync(TMP)) rmSync(TMP, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    mkdirSync(TMP, { recursive: true });
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    if (existsSync(TMP)) rmSync(TMP, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    if (originalEnv !== undefined) {
+      process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = originalEnv;
+    } else {
+      delete process.env['SQUAD_HOME'];
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('creates agents/ and presets/ subdirectories', () => {
+    const homeDir = join(TMP, 'ensure-home');
+    process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = homeDir;
+
+    const result = ensureSquadHome();
+    expect(result).toBe(homeDir);
+    expect(existsSync(join(homeDir, 'agents'))).toBe(true);
+    expect(existsSync(join(homeDir, 'presets'))).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('is idempotent', () => {
+    const homeDir = join(TMP, 'idempotent-home');
+    process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = homeDir;
+
+    ensureSquadHome();
+    ensureSquadHome(); // should not throw
+    expect(existsSync(join(homeDir, 'agents'))).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
+
+// ============================================================================
+// Preset loading
+// ============================================================================
+
+describe('listPresets()', () => {
+  const originalEnv = process.env['SQUAD_HOME'];
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    if (existsSync(TMP)) rmSync(TMP, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    mkdirSync(TMP, { recursive: true });
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    if (existsSync(TMP)) rmSync(TMP, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    if (originalEnv !== undefined) {
+      process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = originalEnv;
+    } else {
+      delete process.env['SQUAD_HOME'];
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('returns empty array when no presets directory exists', () => {
+    process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = join(TMP, 'no-presets');
+    expect(listPresets()).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it('returns empty array when presets directory is empty', () => {
+    const homeDir = join(TMP, 'empty-presets');
+    mkdirSync(join(homeDir, 'presets'), { recursive: true });
+    process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = homeDir;
+
+    expect(listPresets()).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it('lists presets with valid manifest', () => {
+    const homeDir = join(TMP, 'has-presets');
+    process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = homeDir;
+
+    scaffold('has-presets/presets/my-team/agents/dev');
+    writeFile('has-presets/presets/my-team/preset.json', JSON.stringify({
+      name: 'my-team',
+      version: '1.0.0',
+      description: 'Test preset',
+      agents: [{ name: 'dev', role: 'developer' }],
+    }));
+
+    const presets = listPresets();
+    expect(presets).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(presets[0]!.name).toBe('my-team');
+    expect(presets[0]!.agents).toHaveLength(1);
+  });
+
+  it('skips directories without valid preset.json', () => {
+    const homeDir = join(TMP, 'mixed-presets');
+    process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = homeDir;
+
+    scaffold('mixed-presets/presets/valid/agents/dev');
+    scaffold('mixed-presets/presets/invalid');
+    writeFile('mixed-presets/presets/valid/preset.json', JSON.stringify({
+      name: 'valid',
+      version: '1.0.0',
+      description: 'Valid preset',
+      agents: [{ name: 'dev', role: 'developer' }],
+    }));
+    writeFile('mixed-presets/presets/invalid/preset.json', '{ broken json');
+
+    const presets = listPresets();
+    expect(presets).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(presets[0]!.name).toBe('valid');
+  });
+});
+
+// ============================================================================
+// loadPreset()
+// ============================================================================
+
+describe('loadPreset()', () => {
+  const originalEnv = process.env['SQUAD_HOME'];
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    if (existsSync(TMP)) rmSync(TMP, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    mkdirSync(TMP, { recursive: true });
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    if (existsSync(TMP)) rmSync(TMP, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    if (originalEnv !== undefined) {
+      process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = originalEnv;
+    } else {
+      delete process.env['SQUAD_HOME'];
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('returns null for nonexistent preset', () => {
+    const homeDir = join(TMP, 'load-preset');
+    mkdirSync(join(homeDir, 'presets'), { recursive: true });
+    process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = homeDir;
+
+    expect(loadPreset('nope')).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('loads a valid preset', () => {
+    const homeDir = join(TMP, 'load-valid');
+    process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = homeDir;
+
+    scaffold('load-valid/presets/test-preset/agents/alpha');
+    writeFile('load-valid/presets/test-preset/preset.json', JSON.stringify({
+      name: 'test-preset',
+      version: '2.0.0',
+      description: 'A test',
+      agents: [
+        { name: 'alpha', role: 'lead', description: 'The lead' },
+      ],
+    }));
+
+    const preset = loadPreset('test-preset');
+    expect(preset).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(preset!.version).toBe('2.0.0');
+    expect(preset!.agents[0]!.name).toBe('alpha');
+  });
+});
+
+// ============================================================================
+// applyPreset()
+// ============================================================================
+
+describe('applyPreset()', () => {
+  const originalEnv = process.env['SQUAD_HOME'];
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    if (existsSync(TMP)) rmSync(TMP, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    mkdirSync(TMP, { recursive: true });
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    if (existsSync(TMP)) rmSync(TMP, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    if (originalEnv !== undefined) {
+      process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = originalEnv;
+    } else {
+      delete process.env['SQUAD_HOME'];
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('installs preset agents into target directory', () => {
+    const homeDir = join(TMP, 'apply-home');
+    process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = homeDir;
+
+    // Create preset
+    scaffold('apply-home/presets/starter/agents/dev');
+    writeFile('apply-home/presets/starter/preset.json', JSON.stringify({
+      name: 'starter',
+      version: '1.0.0',
+      description: 'Starter preset',
+      agents: [{ name: 'dev', role: 'developer' }],
+    }));
+    writeFile('apply-home/presets/starter/agents/dev/charter.md', '# Dev Agent');
+
+    // Create target
+    const targetDir = join(TMP, 'target-squad', 'agents');
+    mkdirSync(targetDir, { recursive: true });
+
+    const results = applyPreset('starter', targetDir);
+    expect(results).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(results[0]!.status).toBe('installed');
+    expect(existsSync(join(targetDir, 'dev', 'charter.md'))).toBe(true);
+    expect(readFileSync(join(targetDir, 'dev', 'charter.md'), 'utf-8')).toBe('# Dev Agent');
+  });
+
+  it('skips existing agents by default', () => {
+    const homeDir = join(TMP, 'apply-skip');
+    process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = homeDir;
+
+    scaffold('apply-skip/presets/starter/agents/dev');
+    writeFile('apply-skip/presets/starter/preset.json', JSON.stringify({
+      name: 'starter',
+      version: '1.0.0',
+      description: 'Starter preset',
+      agents: [{ name: 'dev', role: 'developer' }],
+    }));
+    writeFile('apply-skip/presets/starter/agents/dev/charter.md', '# New Charter');
+
+    // Pre-existing agent
+    const targetDir = join(TMP, 'target-skip', 'agents');
+    mkdirSync(join(targetDir, 'dev'), { recursive: true });
+    writeFileSync(join(targetDir, 'dev', 'charter.md'), '# Old Charter');
+
+    const results = applyPreset('starter', targetDir);
+    expect(results[0]!.status).toBe('skipped');
+    expect(readFileSync(join(targetDir, 'dev', 'charter.md'), 'utf-8')).toBe('# Old Charter');
+  });
+
+  it('overwrites existing agents with --force', () => {
+    const homeDir = join(TMP, 'apply-force');
+    process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = homeDir;
+
+    scaffold('apply-force/presets/starter/agents/dev');
+    writeFile('apply-force/presets/starter/preset.json', JSON.stringify({
+      name: 'starter',
+      version: '1.0.0',
+      description: 'Starter preset',
+      agents: [{ name: 'dev', role: 'developer' }],
+    }));
+    writeFile('apply-force/presets/starter/agents/dev/charter.md', '# New Charter');
+
+    const targetDir = join(TMP, 'target-force', 'agents');
+    mkdirSync(join(targetDir, 'dev'), { recursive: true });
+    writeFileSync(join(targetDir, 'dev', 'charter.md'), '# Old Charter');
+
+    const results = applyPreset('starter', targetDir, { force: true });
+    expect(results[0]!.status).toBe('installed');
+    expect(readFileSync(join(targetDir, 'dev', 'charter.md'), 'utf-8')).toBe('# New Charter');
+  });
+
+  it('returns error for nonexistent preset', () => {
+    const homeDir = join(TMP, 'apply-missing');
+    mkdirSync(join(homeDir, 'presets'), { recursive: true });
+    process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = homeDir;
+
+    const results = applyPreset('nope', '/tmp/anywhere');
+    expect(results[0]!.status).toBe('error');
+  });
+});
+
+// ============================================================================
+// seedBuiltinPresets()
+// ============================================================================
+
+describe('seedBuiltinPresets()', () => {
+  const originalEnv = process.env['SQUAD_HOME'];
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    if (existsSync(TMP)) rmSync(TMP, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    mkdirSync(TMP, { recursive: true });
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    if (existsSync(TMP)) rmSync(TMP, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    if (originalEnv !== undefined) {
+      process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = originalEnv;
+    } else {
+      delete process.env['SQUAD_HOME'];
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('seeds the default preset into squad home', () => {
+    const homeDir = join(TMP, 'seed-home');
+    process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = homeDir;
+
+    const seeded = seedBuiltinPresets();
+    expect(seeded).toContain('default');
+
+    // Verify preset was copied
+    expect(existsSync(join(homeDir, 'presets', 'default', 'preset.json'))).toBe(true);
+    expect(existsSync(join(homeDir, 'presets', 'default', 'agents', 'lead', 'charter.md'))).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('does not overwrite existing presets', () => {
+    const homeDir = join(TMP, 'seed-existing');
+    process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = homeDir;
+
+    // Create a custom default preset
+    mkdirSync(join(homeDir, 'presets', 'default'), { recursive: true });
+    writeFileSync(join(homeDir, 'presets', 'default', 'custom-marker.txt'), 'mine');
+
+    const seeded = seedBuiltinPresets();
+    expect(seeded).not.toContain('default');
+    expect(existsSync(join(homeDir, 'presets', 'default', 'custom-marker.txt'))).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
+
+// ============================================================================
+// resolvePresetsDir()
+// ============================================================================
+
+describe('resolvePresetsDir()', () => {
+  const originalEnv = process.env['SQUAD_HOME'];
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    if (existsSync(TMP)) rmSync(TMP, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    mkdirSync(TMP, { recursive: true });
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    if (existsSync(TMP)) rmSync(TMP, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    if (originalEnv !== undefined) {
+      process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = originalEnv;
+    } else {
+      delete process.env['SQUAD_HOME'];
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('returns null when squad home does not exist', () => {
+    process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = join(TMP, 'nonexistent');
+    expect(resolvePresetsDir()).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('returns null when presets/ does not exist', () => {
+    const homeDir = join(TMP, 'no-presets-dir');
+    mkdirSync(homeDir, { recursive: true });
+    process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = homeDir;
+
+    expect(resolvePresetsDir()).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('returns presets/ path when it exists', () => {
+    const homeDir = join(TMP, 'with-presets');
+    mkdirSync(join(homeDir, 'presets'), { recursive: true });
+    process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = homeDir;
+
+    expect(resolvePresetsDir()).toBe(join(homeDir, 'presets'));
+  });
+});
+
+// ============================================================================
+// savePreset()
+// ============================================================================
+
+describe('savePreset()', () => {
+  const originalEnv = process.env['SQUAD_HOME'];
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    if (existsSync(TMP)) rmSync(TMP, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    mkdirSync(TMP, { recursive: true });
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    if (existsSync(TMP)) rmSync(TMP, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    if (originalEnv !== undefined) {
+      process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = originalEnv;
+    } else {
+      delete process.env['SQUAD_HOME'];
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('saves current project agents as a named preset', () => {
+    const homeDir = join(TMP, 'save-home');
+    mkdirSync(homeDir, { recursive: true });
+    process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = homeDir;
+
+    // Create a fake project squad with agents
+    const squadDir = join(TMP, 'project', '.squad');
+    const agentsDir = join(squadDir, 'agents');
+    mkdirSync(join(agentsDir, 'helper'), { recursive: true });
+    writeFileSync(join(agentsDir, 'helper', 'charter.md'), '## Helper — Utility Agent\nHelps with misc tasks.');
+
+    const destDir = savePreset('my-team', squadDir);
+
+    expect(existsSync(destDir)).toBe(true);
+    expect(existsSync(join(destDir, 'preset.json'))).toBe(true);
+    expect(existsSync(join(destDir, 'agents', 'helper', 'charter.md'))).toBe(true);
+
+    // Verify manifest
+    const manifest = JSON.parse(readFileSync(join(destDir, 'preset.json'), 'utf-8'));
+    expect(manifest.name).toBe('my-team');
+    expect(manifest.agents).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(manifest.agents[0].name).toBe('helper');
+  });
+
+  it('throws if preset already exists without --force', () => {
+    const homeDir = join(TMP, 'save-dup');
+    mkdirSync(join(homeDir, 'presets', 'existing'), { recursive: true });
+    writeFileSync(join(homeDir, 'presets', 'existing', 'preset.json'), '{}');
+    process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = homeDir;
+
+    const squadDir = join(TMP, 'proj', '.squad');
+    mkdirSync(join(squadDir, 'agents', 'a1'), { recursive: true });
+    writeFileSync(join(squadDir, 'agents', 'a1', 'charter.md'), '# Agent');
+
+    expect(() => savePreset('existing', squadDir)).toThrow(/already exists/);
+  });
+
+  it('overwrites existing preset with force', () => {
+    const homeDir = join(TMP, 'save-force');
+    mkdirSync(join(homeDir, 'presets', 'team'), { recursive: true });
+    writeFileSync(join(homeDir, 'presets', 'team', 'preset.json'), '{}');
+    process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = homeDir;
+
+    const squadDir = join(TMP, 'proj2', '.squad');
+    mkdirSync(join(squadDir, 'agents', 'bot'), { recursive: true });
+    writeFileSync(join(squadDir, 'agents', 'bot', 'charter.md'), '# Bot');
+
+    const destDir = savePreset('team', squadDir, { force: true });
+    expect(existsSync(join(destDir, 'agents', 'bot', 'charter.md'))).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('round-trips: save then apply to a new project', () => {
+    const homeDir = join(TMP, 'roundtrip');
+    mkdirSync(homeDir, { recursive: true });
+    process.env['SQUAD_HOME'] = homeDir;
+
+    // Create source project with 2 agents
+    const srcSquad = join(TMP, 'src-proj', '.squad');
+    mkdirSync(join(srcSquad, 'agents', 'alpha'), { recursive: true });
+    mkdirSync(join(srcSquad, 'agents', 'beta'), { recursive: true });
+    writeFileSync(join(srcSquad, 'agents', 'alpha', 'charter.md'), '## Alpha — Lead\nLeads the team.');
+    writeFileSync(join(srcSquad, 'agents', 'beta', 'charter.md'), '## Beta — Reviewer\nReviews code.');
+
+    // Save as preset
+    savePreset('my-squad', srcSquad, { description: 'My custom squad' });
+
+    // Apply to new project
+    const destAgents = join(TMP, 'dest-proj', '.squad', 'agents');
+    mkdirSync(destAgents, { recursive: true });
+
+    const results = applyPreset('my-squad', destAgents);
+    expect(results.filter(r => r.status === 'installed')).toHaveLength(2);
+    expect(readFileSync(join(destAgents, 'alpha', 'charter.md'), 'utf-8')).toContain('Alpha');
+    expect(readFileSync(join(destAgents, 'beta', 'charter.md'), 'utf-8')).toContain('Beta');
+  });
+});