Home to the wealthiest neighborhoods where many of Pennsylvania’s most powerful families live, Fox Chapel’s impressive residential landscape includes plenty of old-world architecture and craftsmanship. Responsible for maintaining, transforming, and building residences in this affluent borough are the best custom home builders in Fox Chapel. These firms have decades of experience and have won the trust of the area’s sophisticated clients.
Multi-awarded, multi-affiliated, and featured in prestigious publications, the companies here are the region’s most preferred home builders.
Costa Homebuilders
600 Hayden Boulevard, Rt. 51, Elizabeth, PA 15037
Costa Homebuilders built the Mallard Estate, a custom home inspired by the humble, traditional materials of farmhouse architecture as well as the functional forms and layout of contemporary design. Gracing a green landscape, the home featured here is set in a white-dominated. The contrasting natural stone brick of warm tones is at the center of the façade. Its cross-gabled, steep, dark-shingle roofing completes the overall traditional look of the home’s exterior. The expansive and light palette of the home extends to the interiors that highlight high ceilings, exposed beams and braces, and floor-to-ceiling wood. Enhancing this atmosphere of expanse is the natural daylight that goes in through the home’s tall, large windows.
Projects of the same architectural finesse can be found in the firm’s project portfolio. Publications, including HouseTrend, have featured some of the best. In 2020, the firm’s work earned the Best of the Best Allegheny South Community’s Home Builder category. Leading the company’s award-winning practice is Jeff Costa, its founder and operating manager. Costa is a fourth-generation builder that has an extensive background in luxury home building and luxury real estate buying and selling.
Barrington Homes
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
Barrington Homes delivered the 37 Langdon Farms in recent years. The three-story home derived its inspiration from the formality and symmetry as well as the traditional materials and palettes of Colonial architecture. True to its style origins, the home features double-hung windows. Jutted from the pitched shingle roofing are pedimented dormers that add character to the home. A decorative entryway framed by a columned porch acts as the home’s focal point. The overall neutral palette for the home’s interiors and exteriors allow it to seamlessly blend with the landscape.
Many other residential projects modeled after the most stunning residential styles in the region can be found in the firm’s 30-year-old portfolio. Specializing in custom home construction, the firm relies on principal Mark Heinauer and his teams of design, management, and building professionals to complete high-end homes across the region. These homes are regular features in HouseTrends and Pittsburgh Magazine. Award-winning, many of these projects have been recognized by the Builders Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh in various building and remodeling categories.
John Hobart Miller, Inc.
1344 Freeport Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15238
John Hobart Miller led his building team to complete a traditional custom home in Fox Chapel. One of the most interesting aspects of the two-story residence’s design is its mixed siding exterior of Rose Range Tudor brick and its natural beige stone façade. The pitched, gabled roofing in dark shingles directs the home’s asymmetry. The home’s decorative entryway is introduced by a central porch with light-brown Romanesque stone columns. The arched tile design elegantly frames the home’s ocean blue main door.
This featured project is just one of the firm’s long list of custom homes completed for the area’s luxury sector. Its 94 years of practice have helped it establish its presence as one of the leading companies in the region. Builders Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh, in recent years, named the company for its Builder of the Year award. John H. Miller, III, the firm’s current principal, continues the family-owned business’s award-winning legacy.
Shula General Contractors
2193 Harrison City, Export Road, Jeannette, PA 15644
Luxury residential building projects, such as additions, general repairs, renovations, new home construction, and consultation services represent Shula General Contractor’s contribution to the residential sector. One example of the firm’s work is a custom home that leans on the grand and timeless appeal of colonial architecture. The home’s façade features terracotta siding of brick tile tapestry that complements its pitched roofing’s dark shingles. Double-hung windows with dark shutters and arched entryways are set in the same palette and geometries. Dormers jutting from the roof redefine the style origin’s symmetrical elements.
The work is just one of the firm’s thousands of projects for the market. For over four decades, the firm has been delivering residential construction services throughout Pittsburgh and Southwestern Pennsylvania. Clients from these communities have celebrated the firm’s efficiency and craftsmanship, as well as its focus on customer satisfaction. These qualities have been recognized by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and the company has maintained its A-plus accreditation for decades.
The Office of Horace Trumbauer Construction
121 Larchwood Drive, Butler, PA 16002
The Office of Horace Trumbauer is one of the oldest design/build companies in the United States. Named after a prominent American architect of the Gilded Age, the company pays homage to the work and art of the renowned architect Horace Trumbauer. He was a Philadelphia native famous for building mansions for the wealthy in the early 1900s. In 1908, William Ott Frank joined the Horace Trumbauer team as their chief engineer and draftsman. William Edward Frank joined the firm after WWII and became a partner in 1938. Four generations of the Frank family have continued the legacy of creating masterpieces, now building most of their projects on the east coast.
The firm’s design-build nature also allows it to take on complex projects, especially historic restoration projects for some of the most beloved and architecturally significant homes in the region. For over 100 years, the firm has designed, built, and restored hundreds of homes across the United States. Its multifaceted expertise has made them a recognized leader in Pennsylvania representing the highest standards of excellence in building and restoring luxury homes and mansions. The company specializes in home renovations, historic home restorations, and new home construction. Chris Frank now leads the team since his promotion as president in the 1980s. Brendan Frank (VP Operations) is the fourth generation Frank to lead this nationally respected firm.
