Chesapeake is the tenth largest city in the U.S. and the second largest in Virginia in terms of land area. It belongs to the Hampton Roads region that is located adjacent to landmarks: the world’s largest natural harbor, and the world’s largest naval base. The city enjoys an active, progressive economy and its rapid growth has driven an increase in its population: Chesapeake grew by 40 percent between 1990 and 2010.
Across the city’s rural and urban neighborhoods alike, recent figures indicate that there are more owner-occupied dwellings than renter-occupied residences. Furthermore, the city’s topography offers diverse opportunities for homeowners to live in different environments and land sites. Walking around the city’s traditional communities and open countrysides will reveal a wealth of styles that range from mid-century-modern to traditional, including a farmhouse, Craftsman, ranch, and French residences.
Below are the custom home builders that helped Chesapeake’s homeowners to transform their idea of a dream house into a reality. The firms are ranked based on their years of experience, the size, and scope of their projects, industry affiliations, and certifications, and most importantly, the awards and recognition they have earned over the years.
If you are thinking about building a custom home, we recommend checking each builder’s license with the local licensing board, speaking to past clients, and using our bidding system to get competitive quotes from at least 3 contractors. Getting multiple bids is the best way to ensure you get a fair price and that bids include the complete scope of work. On the other hand, if you want to learn more about the cost of building a custom home in Chesapeake, check out our cost guide article.
10) Custom Homes of Virginia
3345 Bridge Rd. Suite #912, Suffolk, VA 23435
Custom Homes of Virginia believes that every homeowner deserves a residential space that allows them to “experience the lifestyle.” This concept has guided the firm in building the most ideal homes for its clients, creating residences that embody their tastes and creatively represent their way of life.
The firm’s founder, Kenton McClung, is a Hampton Roads native and a hands-on home builder. From start to finish, Kenton is the kind of principal who meticulously crafts the tiniest details that transform a house into a home. With his Class A Contractor and Real Estate Agent licenses, he continues to lead the company to success in both residential construction and real estate.
During the firm’s first year in business, it successfully completed homes across Virginia, some of which have been featured on HGTV and in other local publications. The firm’s portfolio presents a range of traditional and modern styles, including craftsman, ranch, and farmhouse residences.
9) America’s Home Place
717 Eden Way N Suite #606, Chesapeake, VA 23320
America’s Home Place follows an ethical philosophy of “principle over profit,” a practice that served as the company’s foundation for over 40 years of success in the industry. From a single-location firm that started in Georgia, it is now a multi-location organization, operating over 30 custom home building centers across the Eastern United States.
One of the factors that helped the firm manage a wide scope of projects and a wide coverage area is its systematic approach to construction. Its process includes a detailed initial consultation with its client, followed by the selections and planning stages at its Building and Model Centers. These procedures, details, and codes work together to generate the most cost-efficient and timely-delivered custom homes.
America’s Home Place specializes in constructing one to two-story residences. Its most common home styles are combinations of traditional and modern varieties of Craftsman, ranch, colonial, and farmhouse architectures.
8) Preston Homes, Inc.
365 Warrick Rd., Chesapeake, VA 23322
Preston Homes is a product of Tara Preston’s lifelong dream to become one of Chesapeake’s recognized custom home builders. Her first project involved acquiring old homes and completely transforming the structure into a brand new residential space, thanks to her knowledge of full-scale restoration. Today, she heads the firm’s custom home building projects, helping homeowners turn their vision into reality.
Preston’s experience in real estate and business has allowed her to manage a company with stellar business ethics, securing its membership in the industry’s distinguished Better Business Bureau (BBB). Additionally, the firm is an active member of leading organizations such as the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the Tidewater Builders Association (TBA).
A quick tour of the firm’s extensive portfolio reveals a stunning parade of custom residences with design inspirations that come from elegant combinations of French, Tuscan, Craftsman, ranch, and farmhouse architectures.
7) J.M. Froehler Construction
2251 W Great Neck Rd., Virginia Beach, VA 23451
J.M. Froehler Construction is an active member of the Earth Craft Builders organization, membership is only given to builders that offer sound and energy-efficient home building alternatives. Additionally, the firm is an Aging in Place Specialist, a certification that recognizes the builder’s expertise in constructing structurally safe and accessible homes that cater to the aging-in-place market.
Matt and Mike Froehler head the firm’s team of designers and builders, all working together as a complete custom home building and remodeling team for clients across Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and Chesapeake. Many of its projects draw inspiration from modern and traditional designs alike.
A majority of the firm’s custom residences are inspired by the classical charms of Craftsman and farmhouse architectures: large front porches and broad leaves, low-pitched gabled roofs, and wood sidings. Many of the home’s exteriors are dominated by wooden structural elements such as wood cladding, exposed beams, and triangular brackets.
6) Sadler Building Corporation
5131 River Club Dr. Suite #200, Suffolk, VA 23435
Sadler Building Corporation was established in 1986 and has been remodeling and building homes for the industry’s most sophisticated clients ever since. Ed Sadler founded the firm as a one-man operation, serving clients across the Hampton Roads. Today, Sadler has a solid team of licensed builders, designers, and workers, offering custom and semi-custom homes of all levels of complexity.
The firm’s rich portfolio of French, modern, and traditional-inspired architecture showcases what it can offer when it comes to building the finest residential spaces in the region. For the builders, these homes are not just structures; they are physical incarnations of their residents’ unique lifestyles, carefully customized to embody a client’s vision of the perfect “home.”
As one of the largest builders in the area, it’s business practices and cost-efficient methods have earned the firm its place as a recognized member of the NAHB. Additionally, the firm is a 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty member, offering its clients ten full years of structural home warranty.
5) Caruana Homes
2952 Summerhaven Rd., Virginia Beach, VA 23451
Caruana Homes has a keen understanding of the factors that can provide quality and value to its clients’ homes. Most of the firm’s residential projects can be seen along the most sought-after communities in the area, all of which are conveniently located on land sites that suit the specific needs of its homeowners.
Aside from specializing in custom home building and remodeling, the firm is one of the few licensed companies to custom design homes that offer accessible and functional features for handicapped homeowners. As remodelers, the firm’s team of designers and builders are trained to incorporate form and function, creating carefully designed plans that exceed expectations.
Gary Caruana established the firm in 1970 it has since become one of Virginia’s leading builders of custom construction and remodeling. A look at the firm’s portfolio reveals French, modern, and traditional architectures, and many of the projects have caught the eyes of award-giving bodies, such as the TBA for its Homearama Awards and The Virginian-Pilot’s Critics’ Choice and Readers’ Choice Awards.
4) Moffet Homes
1610 Stillwood St., Chesapeake, VA 23320
Brian Moffet learned the foundational basics of his construction experience from the Amish: their hands-on and detail-oriented craftsmanship still informs his work. His familiarity with both time-tested techniques and modern approaches has made him one of Chesapeake’s most balanced builders. Since Brian moved to Virginia more than 30 years ago, he has worked on over 500 homes across the Tidewater area.
At present, the firm is a part of the industry’s green building revolution, advocating sustainable construction and remodeling approaches that promise environmentally-responsible, cost and energy-efficient residential spaces. These green-building methods have been deployed in many of its most notable projects. In 2011, the firm became an associate builder on ABC’s Extreme Makeover Hampton Roads Season Finale for a family home project in Virginia Beach, Virginia
While the firm relies on using new-world materials and technology into every construction project, it makes sure to incorporate styles from traditional architecture. Included in its portfolio are examples of farmhouse, ranch, Craftsman, colonial, and Victorian-inspired homes.
3) Crumley Group, Inc.
1728-106 Virginia Beach Blvd., Virginia Beach, VA 23454
Since the company was founded in 1985, it has completed a rich portfolio of award-winning custom residences and full-scale remodel projects throughout the region. The firm’s familiarity with every level of construction and renovation allows it to take on simple to complex projects while making sure that each work follows the specific approach that will meet its client’s particular needs.
TBA recognized the firm’s quality of work and has awarded the company with numerous distinguished titles. In 2010, the firm earned the Critics’ Choice Gold and Silver Awards for The Best Outdoor Living Area and for the Favorite House, respectively. The firm has earned previous commendations from the same organization, taking home quality awards for its works on residential interior and exterior designs.
Scott Crumley leads the company’s hand-picked team of designers and builders. Together, they have delivered a long list of unique and high-end residential spaces, each one representing the individual taste of its owner. Aside from meeting the client’s needs in term of design and functionality, the firm’s projects represent a wide range of styles that celebrate the traditional elegance of French, Colonial, English, and modern influences.
2) Schneider Custom Builders
350 W 22nd St. Suite #101A, Norfolk, VA 23517
Schneider Custom Builders is a complete design, build and remodel service. Schneider owes its success to quality in every detail, a client process that provides for clear and continuous communication and a deep knowledge of building in the various environments of SE Virginia.
Schneider Custom Builders is owned by Jim Schneider, a master builder who has been building custom homes all his life. Jim brings a superior level of design and construction knowledge for those seeking a one-of-a-kind primary residence, retirement or vacation home or total home remodel. Jim is a Graduate Master Builder (GMB), the industry’s highest designation for experienced builders. Jim is also recognized by the National Association of Home Builders as a Certified Graduate Builder (CGB), a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) and a Certified Green Professional (CGP). Schneider Custom Builders earned Houzz’s “Best in Customer Service” award for 2017, setting the company apart in terms of business processes.
Schneider Custom Builders specializes in the coastal lifestyle of the SE Virginia area. Whether it’s modern or traditional in an oceanfront, urban or rural setting, homeowners come to Schneider Custom Builders for a distinctive lifestyle and quality for the generations.
1) McLaughlin Construction Company
807 Washington Dr., Chesapeake, VA 23322
For McLaughlin Construction, building a custom home is more than just selecting colors and choosing the best exterior; it is about starting from scratch, constructing a unique residential space from the ground up. And it is more than just a structure, it’s a space that embodies its homeowner’s unique taste and lifestyles.
Dave McLaughlin founded the company over 30 years ago, and he has steadily built his reputation by constructing multi-award winning custom residences across Chesapeake and South Hampton Roads. The firm’s approach ensures a smooth process for its clients: they quickly and continually respond to client queries, providing new homeowners with the most accurate, up-to-date information.
The firm is an award-winning builder, earning multiple Gold and Silver Homearama Awards for Best Family Room, Favorite House, Best Landscaping, Favorite Fireplace, Best in Show, and Best Interior awards, among others. Many of the firm’s projects showcase a harmonious combination of different elements that include Tudor, French, Italianate and colonial architectures. Most of these residences feature common characteristics such as brick or stone wall cladding and a hipped roof with gables.
How can I find a contractor or home builder near me?
Read our latest articles on the best residential contractors and home builders in and near Chesapeake. If you don’t see your city or project type below, just let us know – we are happy to create a tailored recommendation list just for you.
Custom home builders in Richmond
Custom home builders in Norfolk
The Best Custom Home Builders in Virginia
About Our Rankings
This list takes a range of ranking criteria into consideration, including but not limited to: work history, customer satisfaction, awards and recognition, geographic area of work, cost, building permits, and clientele. We spent over 40 hours researching local contractors before calculating the final ranking for this post. If there is additional information about your business that could affect these rankings, please fill out this form and we will take it into consideration
Get Bids For Your Build
If you are thinking about building a custom home, we recommend checking each builder’s license with the local licensing board, speaking to past clients, and using our bidding system to get competitive quotes from at least 3 contractors. Getting multiple bids is the best way to ensure you get a fair price and that bids include the complete scope of work.
