Best Custom Home Builders in Maryland

Building a custom home can be an exciting undertaking but also a decision that leaves you with questions like, “Who are the best custom home builders in Maryland” or “Are there custom home builders in the Chesapeake Bay area?” To help you move forward in the custom home building process, we have put together a guide of some of Maryland’s best custom home builders. Additionally, we have included questions you can ask to determine project-builder fit and resources for finding contractors and builders in Maryland.

For a deeper breakdown of what the process of building a custom home is like, we have created a guide. Or, if you need more help understanding how to choose a custom home builder, we have also broken that process down into detail.

Continue reading below to see our list of resources for custom home builders in MD. This includes some of the leading architects, designers, and builders of custom homes in the Old Line State. Additionally, we have included resources to local home builder associations in Maryland, and information on residential building in areas like Baltimore, Ocean City, Frederik, and Silver Spring.

Custom Prefab Home Builders That Serve Maryland

When compared to site-built homes, prefab homes come with added luxuries that are often not available with traditional construction. On top of benefits like reduced construction times and more tightly controlled project budgets, prefab construction affords individuals the opportunity to work with a wider range of companies and home builders.

With site-built homes, it typically makes sense to work with a builder or company that is at least semi-local to the project site. With prefab construction, a majority of the work is completed off-site (and in most cases, off-site work and on-site finishes can be completed by two different parties). For example, this allows an individual in Houston or Dallas to work with a Colorado-based custom home builder. As such, we have included custom home builders that work on custom homes in Maryland, even though they might not actually be based in Maryland.

KieranTimberlake - Philadelphia, PA

KieranTimberlake is a custom architecture firm that specializes in designing high-end, custom homes. They offer both pre-designed homes which can serve as inspiration for a custom design or they can design a new home from scratch. As an architecture firm, KieranTimberlake does not handle any of the manufacturing or other steps in the building process themselves.

For fully custom plans, there is often a design fee of 20% of construction costs. Several of their designs are featured and built by well-known prefab home companies such as Living Homes’ Kieran Timberlake Series.

Example of Work: Pound Ridge House

evoDomus - Cleveland Heights, OH

Much like Kieran Timberlake, evoDomus is a designer and architect for custom houses. Their work often features high-end materials and finishes and includes energy-efficient designs. Aesthetically, their work is heavily influenced by contemporary architecture and often features mixed materials including glass, metal, stone, and wood.

To learn more about evoDomus or the process of working with a custom home builder, listen to our interview with evoDomus co-founder and designer, Alexander Kolbe.

Example of Work: Family Home

Custom Modular Direct

Custom Modular Direct is an online platform that allows individuals to browse and purchase floor plans and coordinate their own home build. For individuals who are willing to take on the responsibility of acting as a project manager, purchasing a custom floor plan via Custom Modular Direct’s platform offers a potential cost savings opportunity in the sometimes expensive custom home building process.

Site Built Custom Home Builders in Maryland

In the event that you would like to work with a local, Maryland custom home builder, we have also included a list of matching companies. We have chosen them based on their history of custom construction in Maryland and their positive reviews from past clients.

Mitchell & Best - Rockville, MD

Mitchell & Best is a custom home designer and builder based in Rockville, Maryland. When working with Mitchell & Best, individuals can either start the process with a custom home idea in mind or work with their team of in-house designers to create custom plans. Alternatively, they also offer a series of pre-designed homes which can be used as a starting point for developing a custom design.

Aesthetically, Mitchell & Best have built homes that feature designs like modern farm houses and varying types of Colonials. From a cost perspective, many of their pre-designed homes have a starting price in the range of $600,000 - $800,000. It is worth remembering though, that with custom homes, individual choices and preferences can cause the final cost to vary greatly from project to project.

Example of Work: Eagle’s Nest

Timberlake Design - Build - Annapolis, MD

Timberlake Design and Build is a home builder based in Annapolis, Maryland. When working with Timberlake Design and Build, there are two main options - purchasing a home on a piece of land that is owned and developed by Timberlake or use them as an independent builder for a custom home on your own land. In the first situation, they own homesites where they plan to build a set of pre-designed or semi-custom home plans. This includes sites in Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Howard, Montgomery Counties, and more. In the second case, they act like a more traditional design-build firm.

Logistically, buyers can choose to modify a pre-designed plan or work with an architect in Timberlake Design and Build’s network. While they can build homes to meet your exact needs and wants, past projects largely feature traditional architecture such as Colonial and Ranch homes.

Example of Work: Crownsville Waterfront

Builders & General Contractors in Maryland

In the event that you choose to work with an architectural design firm for your custom home, you will likely need to find a local general contractor to build (or at the very least, supervise the build) of your house.

If you choose to work with more than one company to build your custom home (ex. An architect and a local builder or an architect, manufacturer, and local builder), you may be wondering how to find a local contractor with a background as a custom home builder in Maryland. Criteria you will want to consider in your search may include:

Operational History - How long have they been in business? Do they have positive reviews? Can you speak to past clients?
Cost - How much do they estimate your project will cost? Do they have a history of staying on time and under budget?
Location - Are they located nearby to your project site? Are they familiar with local regulations?

Should you need to search for general contractors in Maryland or for more custom home builders in MD, additional resources for your search include:

Local Home Builder Associations
- HBA of Western Maryland (Cumberland)
- Frederik County Building Industry Association (Frederik)
- Maryland Building Industry Association (Fulton)
Google Maps - Searches for “Custom Home Builders Near Me” or “Custom Home Builders in Maryland” can help identify potential candidates for your home-build
Friends & Family - although this might not be as high-tech as other methods for finding home builders, residential construction still relies heavily on word of mouth for identifying good candidates