Building a new home can be a stressful and complex process. Many things have to be considered, including budget, design, and materials: it’s difficult to keep track of it all throughout the process. Firms that keep their process clean and straightforward avoid unnecessary hiccups and provide well-built homes on time. In Solana Beach, the housing scene varies from coastal residences to more rustic designed houses.
Having a diverse and flexible firm work with you allows you to explore more options in designing your house and complement the area. This list compiles the best custom home builders in Solana Beach, California. Our editorial team considered each firm’s process and style. Finally, we considered the awards and press features of each. The result is this carefully considered list of the best of the best.
Cross Construction, Inc
P.O. BOX 231077. Encinitas, CA 92023
Cross Construction, Inc. tackles custom homes with the understanding that the process takes time. The firm likes to practice the “measure twice, cut once” philosophy to ensure the best results no matter the project’s design. It follows a 5-step process that starts with consultations and ends with a final walkthrough of the entire site and a final discussion with the client.
In 2020, the firm completed the exterior hardscape and landscape of this La Jolla beach house. As a large beach house, the firm maximized the views and showcases quality workmanship with contemporary furniture and attention to detail. Features include custom concrete planters and masonry work by the courtyard and a custom fountain and lap pool offering views of the sea. The firm mainly focused on floor space and views that incorporate a modern and coastal environment.
Daley Custom Homes
285 Melba Rd., Encinitas, CA 92024
The Via Del Charro project in 2015 incorporated classic designs using Victorian and European furniture offering a traditional aesthetic. It starts with a classic exterior design that uses a European-style gate at the entrance with colored glass windows. To provide an authentic experience, the firm furnished the house with a dark wood that covers much of the home from the floor to the ceiling. Other features include a swimming pool and patio with a desert-style landscape.
Since 1928, Daley Custom Homes has provided luxury residential estates and worked for numerous celebrities using the latest technology. Despite creating large estates, the firm explores innumerable options to ensure a cost-efficient process and provide quality work. The firm is capable of working with a range of design styles, including modern, Mediterranean, and Victorian residences.
Dvele
5523 La Jolla Blvd. San Diego, CA 92037
The project featured below is the Trinity residence. It’s a two-story home with four bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms in a futuristic style. The home features contemporary designed areas in a simple layout; notable features include the expansive windows and doors with dual panels for maximum noise and thermal insulation. Other details include improved lighting from the tongue and groove sliding glass doors and ample floor space that caters to comfortable living.
In a continually changing industry, there are always newer methods, technology, and materials that affect building processes. The firm immerses itself in these changes, looks to build sustainable, Passive House Certified residences that are both efficient and beautiful. The firm’s projects focus on contemporary-style homes that include two-story houses, bungalows, and cottages. The firm occasionally builds mini houses that cater to a single person or small family, as well as Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) for those seeking to utilize the extra space on their properties for guest homes, workspaces, or fitness training facilities.
Elevation 92 Building Services
285 Melba Rd., Encinitas, CA 92024
Elevation 92 Building Services keeps things simple: it listens to the client before executing the project. Listening makes the building process as hassle-free as possible for all parties, focusing the firm firmly on realizing the client’s vision. Collaboration and timeliness are the key factors that allow a firm to produce quality homes without compromising other aspects of the project. It’s a straightforward method that takes away the stress and complexity of building a new home.
The firm has an array of styles it can work with including coastal, Spanish, and Italian. The photo below features a project with a price of over two million dollars. The firm completed this Spanish custom home with a size of 8,044 square feet. Despite being a traditionally structured home, it features some modern details and furniture from white couches, bar, stools, and dining sets. A prominent aspect of the house that gives off the Spanish style is the use of carpet flooring and rugs. These beautiful floor coverings are seen in almost every home area including the kitchen, living room, and bedroom. A detail that accentuates the aesthetic is the warm light thrown by the candle lamps and chandeliers.
Hulton Development, Inc.
PO BOX 675368, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067
Via thorough methods and efficient processes, Hulton Development provides personalized service to create luxury residences using quality materials and equipment. While handling large projects, the firm uses green building and sustainable materials that help keep costs down and reduce the impact the building has on the environment and community.
The firm has the ability to execute various styles, everything from coastal homes to your typical modern home. At a price of nearly 10 million dollars, the firm completed the Laguna Beach residence, replacing key features. While working on the home, the firm had the plumbing, mechanical, and electrical systems replaced to update the house. It now features classic coastal furniture paired with modern furnishing. The firm took advantage of the home’s location by including an outdoor deck that includes an outdoor dining area, a kitchen, and a pool. The overall result is a grand, yet relaxed atmosphere.
MMD Construction
2780 La Mirada Dr. Suite A. Vista, CA 92081
The Del Mar coastal residence is a 2019 project that includes modern clean furnishings. The house’s layout follows a white-colored theme from the exterior to the interior and includes white couches, kitchen cabinetry, and patio furniture. A notable feature of the residence is the backyard that offers views of the beach and the city. And the backyard provides improved lighting that helps brighten the atmosphere and create a livelier home.
MMD Construction follows a five-step process that caters to the client deciding the direction of the projects. The firm discusses the style, taste, and design that the client approves, and it all starts with the building process. Aspects that the firm takes into consideration are the budget, time, and quality. The firm emphasizes these details to avoid unnecessary risks that will affect the project; instead of a constant headache, you can look forward to an on-schedule project you’ll be able to enjoy for decades to come.
Mulvey Custom Builders
2120 Jimmy Durant, Suite 122 Del Mar, CA 92014
A straightforward process makes for clear communication and smooth collaboration between the firm and the client. Mulvey Custom Builders’ primary goal is to produce quality projects, executing the client’s vision and requests perfectly and on time. The firm takes your preferences into account and uses them to create a home that reflects your style and personality.
Many of the firm’s projects vary in style and design. The firm produces everything from simple contemporary homes to Spanish rustic houses that offer a more exotic environment. In the featured project below, the firm executed both styles into one project as you can see in this classic modern residence. The home features contemporary interior design and furnishings present in the kitchen and living room. The patio and swimming pool area feature brick walls, cement flooring, and a fireplace. Another notable detail of the house is the large windows that provide soothing light, brightening the atmosphere.
Pacific Edge Builders
1360 Rosecrans St., Ste I San Diego, CA 92106
In terms of styles, Pacific Edge Builders focuses on producing contemporary homes that frame minimalist furniture. The project our editorial team decided to feature is the Coronado residence. The furniture includes wooden tables, wooden dressers, and a mahogany piano that are perfectly complemented by the layout of the house. As the home is a bungalow, the firm maximized every area of the house to provide a homey experience that allows for entertaining guests and family members.
Pacific Edge Builders caters its process to the client’s vision. Depending on the client’s needs, the firm adapts to build a quality home through a design-build approach. The firm simplifies the building process as much as possible to minimize complexities and unnecessary budget constraints. As a result, both the firm and the client are free to create via a seamless process that is stress-free.
Pfaff Custom Homes Inc.
825 Leah Lane. Escondido, CA 92029
Pfaff Custom Homes Inc. has completed more than 50 custom homes in Southern California—everything from Tuscan villas to ranch homes to contemporary coastal residences. The firm is meticulous in selecting the materials and products while always paying the utmost attention to detail. The firm aims to create long-lasting relationships with its clients and establish and maintain a good reputation with the community.
Featured below is a coastal residence project the firm completed that features luxury amenities with ocean views. The firm had plenty of floor space to work with, starting with the great room that includes the dining area, kitchen, and living room. White cabinetry, wooden tables, and black dining seats complement the aesthetic and create a relaxing atmosphere. The main features of the home are the swimming pool, jacuzzi, and patio. The home offers views of the ocean at sunset. It’s a charming, intimate setting.
Steigerwald-Dougherty, Inc.
427 South Cedros, Suite 202 Solana Beach, CA 92075
Steigerwald-Dougherty, Inc. has been crafting Contemporary, Traditional, Spanish Revival, and Tuscan for nearly 40 years. With its client-first approach, the firm emphasizes the client’s vision and desires when building their home. Pictured below is a home they recently built along the coast in Solana Beach California; a mix of contemporary and mid-century modern, the home hugs the terrain on the east while creatively exploiting the natural topography as the lot slopes toward the ocean to give the ‘back’ of the house an enveloping and open feeling. The interior is airy, clean-lined and inviting, utilizing a balanced blend of wood and stone to create a feel of warmth and security almost palpable.
For nearly four decades, Steigerwald-Dougherty, Inc. has established its reputation through transparent communication and excellent craftsmanship. The team’s client-centered process focuses on the client’s requests that aid them to render accurate renditions of the project, leading to quality finishes. The firm employs several green building methods to protect the environment all while working to help keep the cost of the process under control and transparent.
Tourmaline Builders, Inc.
1010 Turquoise St, Suite 10, San Diego, CA 92109
Tourmaline Builders’ portfolio showcases a bevy of contemporary houses. The photo below is a modern residence in San Diego offering panoramic ocean views complemented by contemporary design and gorgeous furniture. The interior follows a clean aesthetic using the usual colored furniture from gray couches to wooden tables. It also includes beach-style furniture, specifically in the balcony area, that creates a relaxing atmosphere. A notable detail of the house is the landscaping: the residence is built on an elevated lot, giving the home a taller look and providing the home with its striking ocean views.
Keeping everything in one place allows the firm to maintain a building process that is seamless and straightforward. Instead of having numerous emails and texts to contact the firm, the firm uses its own software platform that stores all the data about updates, timelines, and progress. Doing allows the clients to have easy, instant access to everything about the project, whether through a computer or cellphone. That emphasis on communication helps make life easier and stress-free for clients and generates a smooth process for every project the firm takes on.
Wardell Builders, Inc.
649 Valley Ave, Suite A Solana Beach, CA 92075
For the past two decades, Wardell Builders has focused on quality and efficiency in all its projects. This mindset helped the firm win the National Custom Home Builder of the Year Award and has since continued to produce an array of projects that include contemporary, rustic, coastal, and traditional homes. The firm aims to create houses that will create long-lasting memories and exceed client expectations while producing a healthy home environment.
One of the aspects the firm employs in its projects is the landscape and location. Below you’ll find the La Jolla residence featuring a contemporary house with a luxury aesthetic. It has a massive floor space that includes a great room by the patio and courtyard. The stone flooring has been paired with beige couches, wooden cabinetry, and glass tables, catering to the residence’s luxury aesthetic. A notable feature of the home is the patio area that includes a pond and views of the city and ocean.
