When it comes to building a custom home, the challenge lies in tailoring a house to the specific needs and desires of a client. It can often be tricky to find the right contractor who can meet the requirements of a project.
This list compiles 15 of the best custom home builders in San Marcos, California. They were chosen based on their project and style versatility, background, and ability to build custom homes for different and discerning clients.
Berg Construction
803 Santa Rosita, Solana Beach, CA 92075
Since 1985, Berg Construction has completed a variety of projects ranging from strip shopping centers, church additions, mountain cabins, remodels of all types, and custom homes throughout Southern California. Although the firm employs extensive project versatility, its work on custom home building is particularly consistent in terms of quality and style.
Berg Construction typically makes use of the traditional and craftsman styles, with simple shingled roofs and wood exteriors. The homes are symmetrical, blend well with their surrounding environments, and exemplify simplicity and beauty.
Charco Design & Build
11585 Sorrento Valley Road, Suite 104, San Diego, CA 92121
Armando Flores, principal of Charco Design & Build, is no stranger to success. His prolific practice began at a top-notch design firm in Los Angeles and continued at his father-in-law’s reputable remodeling company. Eventually— after 15 years as Vice President and COO at Charco Construction—Armando decided to start his own company, Charco Design & Build. Today the firm is a master builder of high-quality remodels and custom build projects.
The firm is proficient in every style of architecture but often works in the Modern style. A great example of its work is this sleek custom home pictured below. From the get-go, the boxed, concrete exterior dictates the home’s functional appearance, creating its appeal. The two-story home is laid out with an open floor plan creating easy movement from one space to another. The use of floor-to-ceiling windows and glass balcony railings complements the home’s boxed skeleton, while at the same time making the residence feel bigger.
Daley Custom Homes
2683 Via De La Valle, Del Mar, CA 92014
Named one of San Diego’s “Most Influential” in the construction industry, Jeff Daley, principal of Daley Custom Homes, is a fifth-generation San Diegan raised in the construction industry. The company, founded in 1928, is the oldest firm on the list, and it has successfully completed projects for custom home building, large renovations, and celebrity estates.
In the firm’s portfolio, clients can find homes of varying styles, including Traditional, Modern, and Mediterranean Revival. The team’s expertise lies in its versatility when it comes to design. Despite the range, Daley Custom Homes sees to it that no matter what style it employs for a home, its work consistently meets high standards of quality and craftsmanship.
Hill Construction Company
4626 Albuquerque St. 2nd Floor, San Diego, CA 92109
Early in his life, Ryan Hill, principal of Hill Construction Company, developed a passion for construction that was nurtured by frequent visits to his father’s job sites. That same passion led him to earn a degree in Construction Management, and, after a number of years working for a national commercial contractor, Ryan decided it was time to pursue his desire to work on residential construction.
Today, the firm is one of the foremost builders of extraordinary high-end projects in Southern California and even nationwide. Its architectural style ranges anywhere from Modern to Coastal. The firm works with site-specificity in mind, building homes that are not only appropriate for their environments but also aesthetically pleasing, including this Seaside home, pictured below.
House to Home Remodeling and Design
374 Encinitas Blvd. Ste. B, Encinitas, CA 92024
When John Hayes got his start in the industry with a tile and stone business, his passion soon flourished into a desire to work on home design-build, remodeling, and space reconfiguration, thanks to his innate design talent. John founded House to Home Remodeling and Design in 2001, and the firm has since become one of the leading general contracting firms in North County San Diego.
More than a general design-build contracting provider, House to Home is a masterful custom home builder. An excellent example of its work is the La Jolla Farms residence, pictured below. The front of the home features an outdoor porch; the rest of the house is laid out in a two-story rectangular floor plan for maximum use of space and the easy movement of light and air. The back of the house opens up to a vibrant green lawn, which adds a touch of openness to balance the otherwise structured house.
Hulton Development, Inc.
5263 Shore Dr, Carlsbad, CA 92008
For Thomas Hulton Erickson, president and founder of Hulton Development Inc., being raised in a family of carpenters was pivotal to the formation of his personal passion for building. Thomas continued the family tradition of home building, building, and renovating homes that provide high-end comfort. Recently, his firm completed multiple, personal use residences across the country for an international billionaire.
Because luxury is a hallmark of the firm’s practice, it is no wonder that the homes Hulton Development builds are of notable size and grandeur. While typical styles range from Contemporary to Coastal, the firm is versatile enough to work with any preferences that clients may express.
Marrokal Design & Remodeling
9474 Kearny Villa Rd. #205 San Diego, CA 92126
Marrokal Design and Remodeling has been providing San Diego homeowners with premier remodeling services for more than 40 years. Gary Marrokal founded the firm in 1981; in 2015, he was joined by Tom Capizzi. Under their leadership, Marrokal Design & Remodeling has become an award-winning design-build team that offers whole-house remodeling, kitchen remodeling, master bedroom and bathroom remodeling, room additions, outdoor living, aging in place, and extended family-living upgrades, all using current green building practices.
Pictured below is an example of the firm’s work. With a low-pitched tile roof and a white exterior, this home channels the beauty and simplicity of the coastal Mediterranean style. The splash of color—afforded by the blue movable door— adds just the right amount of liveliness to the exterior, while the vibrancy of the flora gives the home’s face an atmosphere of warmth, and of life.
McCullough Design Development
10531 4S Commons Drive Suite No. 700 San Diego, CA 92127
Monty McCullough, principal of McCullough Design Development (MDD), has achieved the feat of designing over 300 custom estate homes in the San Diego area over the last 35 years.
The firm’s architectural styles range from Modern Farmhouse to Mediterranean. Known for its open floor plan layouts and seamless indoor-outdoor living, MDD homes radiate quality and attention to detail with the MDD team expertly executing each custom client’s style and translates it into a living self-portrait
MMD Construction
2780 La Mirada Dr, Suite A, Vista, CA 92081
Milan Djokich, principal of MMD Construction, has almost 15 years of experience specializing in custom home building and remodels. Clients will find that the firm has mastered the Ranch and Coastal styles of architecture. It’s also adept at open concept living, a style characterized as sleek and stylish, bright and airy. Pictured below is an example of the firm’s work on a Ranch-style custom home.
At first glance, the two-story structure, with its balcony and low roofline, immediately calls back to the “no-frills” Ranch homes of the past. The home’s horizontal structure brings an openness to the floor plan, allowing free-flowing movement to occur within the space of the home. The exterior, combined with its fronting flora lends the home a relaxed atmosphere. All these elements come together to make the home appear rustic during the day and luminous at night.
Mulvey Custom Builders
2120 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar, CA 92014
Mulvey Custom Builders has been building in Rancho Santa Fe and its surrounding communities for almost four decades. The firm has collaborated with architects and designers and brings a high level of detail and custom craftsmanship to clients’ new homes and remodeling projects. When it comes to custom homes, the firm employs a broad range of architectural styles, from Contemporary to Spanish Rustic.
Pictured below is an example of the firm’s work on a Ranch-style estate. The sheer size of the estate enabled Mulvey Custom Builders to maximize the Ranch style in every aspect of the home, from its grand, elongated structure, to its wide and open floor plan, and even all the way to its outdoor fixtures. The result was an expansive home with a rustic appearance and an open and lively atmosphere.
Pacific Edge Builders
1360 Rosecrans St., Ste I, San Diego, CA 92106
Pacific Edge Builders has been building custom homes throughout Southern California since 2015. Through Pacific Edge’s native Californian principal, Cody Johnson, the firm is able to produce adaptive solutions in an affordable manner for each of its projects. Cody and his team are committed to collaborating and cultivating long-term relationships with their clients and do so by conducting themselves with the utmost professionalism in the process of building the homes of clients’ dreams.
Pictured below is an example of the firm’s work on a modern-style home. The three-story structure features overhanging roofs and a solid, sleek exterior that gives off the impression of unity and order. The presence of wide windows and a balcony provides the home with a continuous flow of light and air; the varying sizes of the three stories offer passersby a peek into the home’s clean symmetry.
Select Builders
9853 Pacific Heights Blvd, Ste M, San Diego, CA 92121
Mike Mastrobattista, owner and principal of Select Builders, operates his firm with a focus on new home building, remodeling, and luxury home cinema building. As a well-known builder in the remodeling and new home construction industry, Mike has been recognized for his creative designs and attention to detail, as well as his firm’s unmatched integrity and level of service.
Select Builders’ portfolio showcases homes in various architectural styles, including Traditional and Modern. The firm’s custom homes feature cantilevered structures from contemporary design, as well as low-pitched tile roofs from the Mediterranean style. That design versatility is the firm’s strength: it is able to exercise its design muscle on any custom home project a client may desire.
Steigerwald-Dougherty, Inc.
427 South Cedros, Suite 202, Solana Beach, CA 92075
Since 1984, Steigerwald-Dougherty, Inc. has been building and remodeling superb custom homes in the San Diego area. Over its 36 years of experience, the firm has perfected its use of various architectural styles, including Contemporary, Craftsman, Traditional, Tuscan, Mediterranean, Mission, and the French Normandy style.
Pictured below is an example of the firm’s work on a French Normandy-style home. At first, the structure gives off a rustic vibe, with its soft-lined brown roof and frontage of greenery. But then the pops of blue lining the windows and doors of the home—as well as the small balcony fronting the house—exude an air of the French countryside. In the end, the home gives off the same feel and impression as a well-worn, but well-loved chateau.
Wardell Builders, Inc.
649 Valley Avenue, Suite A, Solana Beach, CA 92075
In its more than four decades of operation, Wardell Builders, Inc. has built some of the finest homes in San Diego. Led by founder Terry Wardell, the firm and its dedicated team bring a vast knowledge base and decades of collective experience to every project it takes on.
Pictured below is an example of the firm’s work. This residence, located in Dana Point, was built in the Prairie style, a style developed by the celebrated American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The hallmark of this style is a home’s harmony with its environment, a quality that is very much present in this Dana Point home. Its stucco exterior envelops the low horizontal structure of the home in a smooth finish, and the low-pitched roof lines cap off the home’s picture of order. The fronting flora of climate-specific plants also adds to the atmosphere of harmony and warmth.
