Rancho Palos Verdes’s real estate prices consistently rank among the most expensive in America. The community has a high rate of owner-occupied single-family homes, which tends to reflect stability in the local community. 93.26% of the Rancho Palos Verdes workforce is employed in white-collar jobs, well above the national average.
It’s a medium-sized nautical city, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and meet the ocean or tidal bodies of water. These areas attract visitors and locals who come to enjoy the view and various waterfront activities. You’ll also notice that it’s an extremely ethnically-diverse city, where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families. Rancho Palos Verdes is a great place for families to consider.
The challenge for custom home builders around the area is to take into consideration the diverse ethnicity of the residents and the climate that comes with the city being near to bodies of water. Our team handpicked the top ten custom home builders in town based on how they approach the unique nature of this beautiful town. We looked at the backgrounds of the firm’s principals, the work processes of each firm, their professional associations, and the publications their work has generated.
Buchholz Construction
59 Rollingwood Drive Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274
Buchholz Construction specializes in new custom homes, additions, commercial buildings, and residential remodeling services. The firm’s work has been awarded a Professional Remodeler Design Award and featured in Remodeling Magazine in 2013. For over three decades, the philosophy of the company has always been to meet the goals of its clients while providing a quality construction process and custom homes. The firm’s philosophy stems from an owner-centric perspective that serves as the foundation of the company.
The owner of the company, David Buchholz, is a licensed builder with 35 years of experience in the construction industry. More than being a “builder” as understood today, he is a true craftsman, trained in “old school ways.” He understands every aspect of a home and brings innovative solutions to problems that inevitably surface in the course of a project. His love for the art of construction and knowledge about all the various soil, structural, and mechanical issues shows in all of the projects he has completed.
Buchholz Construction primarily serves the areas of Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, and other neighboring communities. One of their projects is this two-story Spanish-style home. Custom elements and details were incorporated, including a room where you can enjoy a picturesque view of the sea, specifically made to suit the preference of the homeowner.
C&C Partners Design-Build
508 N Pacific Coast Hwy, Redondo Beach, CA 90277
South Bay HOME was captured by the 4,523-square-foot Spanish revival home designed and built by C&C Partners and had it featured in their pages. Upon entering the door, this home greets you with an open-plan that features Spanish-style tile work, hardwood floors, beam ceilings, and crafted wrought iron railing.
Since its establishment in 1987, C&C Partners works on award-winning homes and integrates them with innovative designs. Patrick Cunningham, Architect (AIA), heads the design phase, ensuring that every detail reflects the client’s preferences. Michael Cunningham, General Contractor (GC), leads a group of building professionals, resulting in a seamless transition from design to construction. Patrick and Michael make sure that clients become essential members of the design/build team. Doing so allows clients to make decisions that consider their style, select personal features, and observe first-hand the work of the design/build process of the firm. This process has helped C&C Partners be recognized by Custom Home magazine as one of the top custom home builders in the country.
C&C Partners offers diversity in design styles that include traditional, modern, Spanish/Mediterranean, Tuscan, and French château. The firm maintains professional affiliations with the American Custom Builders Council (ACBC), the Building Industry Association (BIA), and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
Denton Developments
562 Meyer Ln, Redondo Beach, CA 90278
Denton Developments, a member of the US Green Building Council (USGBC), is a full-service construction management and development company specializing in high-performance structures and innovative design consulting. Denton believes that as an extension of the mind, our home should provide a healthier, ergonomic environment. They were able to develop a formula to engineer any project by keeping in constant communication with the client, meeting deadlines, and managing budgets.
As head of the construction, Kevin Lang developed an appreciation and love for the region. A significant amount of his building experience has come from working on some of Palos Verdes’s unique and exclusive homes. He is an alumnus of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s Industrial Technology program and he has always had a fascination for invention and formation. Parlaying that fascination with construction and development has given his projects an identity of their own.
In one of their custom-built homes in Redondo Beach, Denton Developments chose light colors combined with a large open floor plan to achieve an ample yet cozy atmosphere. The firm made sure that the attention to details and comfort found inside the space extends to how the exterior works well with the features of the neighboring structures.
Gaelic Construction & Design
30339 Rhone Dr, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275
During Charles Clarke’s time as a tile and marble subcontractor in the early ’90s, he met a lot of people inquiring about a reliable, trustworthy, and efficient general contractor. Hearing about the unfortunate experiences homeowners were having with builders encouraged him to become a licensed builder. His number one priority is to have a happy and satisfied client at the end of each project.
In 1990, he built Gaelic Construction & Design, Inc. (GCD), which now serves as a full-service local contractor in the South Bay, Greater Los Angeles, and Orange County. The firm specializes in new residential and commercial construction, additions, remodels, pools, and hardscape, partnering with homeowners as well as architect firms and interior designers. It also believes that to succeed, a construction firm must implement a great employee support system. GCD’s top priorities are quality materials and durable craftsmanship at competitive prices. Their prompt execution of projects allowed them to have many repeat clients and referrals.
One of its successes is the completion of this Spanish-style home in 2800 Palm. The interior of the home was given a sleek and modern touch, and the entire area was used to its full potential, without making the space look cramped.
Hawkes Custom Home
539 Loma Dr, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
Tom Hawkes started his career over 30 years ago, serving clients in the entertainment and sports industries under the guidance of LA’s top architects and designers. He came to South Bay in 2005 as a superintendent for Moloney Development. During this time, he has created several award-winning homes on The Strand and Hill Section of Manhattan Beach. His partnerships, extensive construction, and business background are what he credits as the factors that helped him in managing a successful building company.
For Hawkes Custom Homes, he established a vision of a family-operated business based on trust, integrity, respect, and commitment. Its integrity is based on teamwork between a team of artisans that enables efficient time management and high-quality results. These variables ensure attention to detail during the building process, including a superintendent and project manager who sustains a daily communication channel with its clients. This well-thought process guarantees constant communication to support an atmosphere of mutual respect.
Hawkes Custom Home’s specialty is combining its values with world-class architects, designers, engineers, and artisans to build custom homes and home renovations. These partnerships are what provide a high level of quality on every project they complete in the communities of Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Palos Verdes Estates.
LaMonica Custom Builders
811 N Catalina Ave Ste 3304, Redondo Beach, CA 90277
LaMonica Custom Builders is a premier builder of high-end, custom homes. Precision, focus on detail, and personal attention has been the firm’s calling card when it started as a custom mill workshop, and that continues to the present day as general contractors. The long list of its custom-designed homes has been acknowledged by the Best of 2019 and 2018 Awards from the City of Redondo Beach.
Starting his construction career in New England, Joe LaMonica moved to California’s South Bay in the late ‘70s and began specializing in luxury homes when he established LaMonica Custom Builders in 1986. Today, Joe and his team concentrate on new home construction, remodeling, project consulting, and small commercial construction services in the South Bay. Over the years, the firm has built everything from lake view and mountainside homes in Lake Tahoe to contemporary oceanfront homes and remodels in Southern California.
This 8,000-square-feet award-winning custom-built home at the side of the mountain features a fantastic view of Lake Tahoe. The retaining walls are approximately 16 feet high and run the whole length of the building. They had to shore up the road, use plenty of granite stone, and finish it with the gorgeous glass frames that completed this perfect Lake Tahoe home.
Marmol Radziner
12210 Nebraska Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90025
Leo Marmol, Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA), has extensive experience in managing a variety of residential and commercial projects, including modern prefabricated homes, historic restorations, and public and community-based urban projects. Partner Ron Radziner, FAIA, speaks nationwide at universities and conferences as a leader in innovative architecture, interiors, and landscape design. Ron is on the board of directors of the Mojave Desert Land Trust and was honored as an inductee of the Interior Design Hall of Fame in 2009.
Leo and Ron founded Marmol Radziner in 1989. The firm has since developed a reputation for innovative design and precision when it comes to applying construction standards. The entire team possesses an impressive depth of knowledge and vast experience. Their professional collaboration has brought them multiple awards and publication features, including one from Architectural Digest (AD).
Architectural Digest named this home in Palos Verdes a private patch of paradise. The Southern California home provides a captivating series of views from its 20-acre site overlooking the Pacific. The home appears to emerge from the earth, a concept that was inspired by the topography and the client’s interest in geology.
ras-a Studio
2507 W 190th Street, Redondo Beach, CA 90278
Walk-Street House, a single-family residence built by ras-a Studio, is located in one of the most sought-after cities in LA. The hurdle of this site is tied to its biggest draw: the home is located near the beach but is situated in a tight lot. The home the firm built makes use of the availability of the ocean breezes and the abundance of operable doors and windows to eliminate the need for an air-conditioning system. For warmth, in-floor hydronic radiant heating is installed throughout the home. The exterior consists entirely of western red cedar that has been milled in various profiles to create contrast and texture. The interior first floor is polished concrete, which blurs into the side-yard patio. This custom-built house was given the AIA Honor Award in AIA California Design Awards, the AIA Merit Award in AIA Los Angeles Design Awards, and the AIA Merit Award in AIA Los Angeles Residential Design Awards in 2020.
ras-a Studio serves Greater Los Angeles and beyond. They are a team of architects, designers, and builders whose objective is to create built environments that enhance the quality of living while leaving a positive impact on the community and nature.
RedSetter Homes
P.O Box 773, Palos Verdes Estates, CA 90274
Established in 2001, RedSetter Homes is a boutique residential building and development firm that creates beautiful one-off homes. RedSetter’s focus is a mix of client-driven builds and speculative custom home development. Projects have ranged from challenging ocean-front builds to complex hillside developments, from complete remodels to ground-up new construction.
One of their projects is this ranch-style home located at 4612 Van Noord Ave. Wooden flooring, minimalist hues, signature pieces, and a backyard garden with a pool are the highlights that made this home stand out. Todd Wilmot leads the firm in building beautiful homes like this one.
Todd has been involved in the home building industry for over twenty-five years. He works diligently to achieve the perfect balance between the economic restrictions of daily life and the critical need for long-term, quality-building to meet unique needs, financial considerations, and clients’ schedules.
Todd’s work experience includes every aspect of the residential building process. He began working construction during summers while still in high school. As a result, he has years of hands-on work experience in building and remodeling custom homes. Through hard work, collaboration, and a love for what he does, Todd has grown RedSetter to a portfolio of beautiful custom homes and remodels.
SAI Construction
2512 Artesia Blvd. Suite 305 G, Redondo Beach, CA 90278
This newly constructed 5,100-square-feet, Mediterranean-style home in Manhattan Beach was built in a contemporary style with feng shui elements for a cost of $2 million. The single-family home has six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, and an open floor plan. In addition to its architectural details, the home is equipped with a fully integrated audio, video, security, and data system that is accessible remotely.
SAI Construction (SAIC) believes that there is a big difference between being alive and living. They bring this philosophy over the years with quality workmanship and integrity, which all together helped them earn a reputation as a premier contractor and builder. SAIC encourages the client to be involved in the process as they understand that the client is the most critical part of the team. Whether the homeowner wants a turnkey operation or they wish to be part of making decisions, SAIC is flexible, understanding, and accommodating.
With offices in Idaho and California, SAIC specializes in custom residential projects. Since 2009, they have provided full project and construction management services from project conception and design through construction, final close-out, and turning over the house keys. SAIC turns the dream homes of its clients into reality.
