The Best Custom Home Builders in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Last updated on May 27th, 2024 at 06:58 am

As the economic and cultural center of West Michigan, Grand Rapids is among the fastest-growing cities in the Midwest. It is also nationally known for its contributions to the furniture industry, thanks to the presence of historic manufacturing hubs across the city. Surely, the area is nothing short of builders and artisans, and the same quality of craftsmanship and creativity can also be observed in its residential landscape. Uniquely-designed custom residences dot the city’s communities. These homes are built by craftspeople, tradesmen, master carpenters, and seasoned builders who hold decades of multi-awarded and highly commended practice.

Below are the best custom home builders in Grand Rapids. The firms included here are either based in the city or have done multiple custom home construction projects in the area. The article considered the quality and number of projects completed for the niche, as well as the firm’s years of experience as a builder. It also looked at the quality of the firm’s principal builders, their years of construction practice, as well as their affiliations with the industry’s most respected entities. The firms were also qualified based on the awards, publication features, and client testimonials that they acquired through 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 Grand Rapids, check out our cost guide article.

BDR Custom Homes

5510 Cascade Rd. SE, Suite #200, Grand Rapids, MI 49546

For over 30 years, BDR Custom Homes has been constantly evolving to set the standards in constructing some of the most stunning homes in Michigan. Under the leadership of Kevin Einfeld, its continuous growth as a builder and as a professional has produced award-winning, innovative, and timeless residential spaces that combine the elegance of the old and the functionalities of new architectures. Many of its renovation and new construction projects can be found in major cities throughout Northern Michigan, West Michigan, and Lakeshore.

In recent years, the firm has caught the attention of the design and construction community and regularly brings home recognition from institutions such as ProBuilder, NAHB, AIA Michigan, and Masonry Institute of Michigan, among others. Accolades such as the PB Design Awards, AIA Masonry Award, as well as the Best in American Living Gold Award for Single-Family Custom Home category, are a testament to the company’s influence, excellence, and consistency as a premier builder of custom-designed residences.

One example of its work is a custom residence found in East Grand Rapids. The home features a combination of Tudor and ranch-style architecture and represents the age-old practice of masonry and timber work. The steeply-pitched gabled roof adds an imposing character to the home. The home’s facade introduces the contrasting warm, light-palette siding against the dominant red brick. Its decorative exposed timber framework incorporated into its brick wall tapestry introduces a warm and nostalgic sense of home. Added by its unique, lattice-paneled windows, the residence represents its homeowner’s nod to old-world charm and traditional craftsmanship.

Berghuis Construction

3485 Daffodil Dr. SW Grand Rapids, MI 49534

With a building practice that centers on honesty and integrity, Berghuis Construction builds homes that not only answer to the lifestyle needs of its clients but also represent their individualities through unique, tailor-made homes. Servicing West Michigan and Lakeshore’s residential market, the firm represents over ten years of experience in the construction industry. Its principal, Josh Berghuis, has extensive general contracting experience which allows the firm to expand to more specific and detail-oriented works, such as remodeling, additions, home extensions, and renovations, among others.

As a member of the Home Builders Association (HBA) of Michigan, it takes pride in its innovative and thoughtful process that starts with listening, planning, and producing that prioritize the client’s timeline, budget, and personal preferences. The company’s transparent and customer-centric approach is one of the reasons why a big part of its portfolio comes from repeat businesses and referrals. Aside from its ideal business practices, the firm’s excellence as a builder of residential spaces is also often highlighted by industry publications. In recent years, for instance, some of its works were published in Cosmopolitan Home.

One of its most unforgettable projects in Grand Rapids is a Mid-century Modern residence. The work was an in-fill lot construction set in an old residential neighborhood. The home was designed to stand out and at the same time, blend in with its surrounding architectural context—with homes that have been there for the last five decades. The firm was able to produce a residential feat that combines the minimalist straightforwardness of modern architecture while embracing the refreshing appeal of natural materials, specifically wooden, cedar facades.

Christin Homes

6852 Old Village Ct. SE Grand Rapids, MI 49546

Christin Homes offers a one-stop approach to custom home construction with its comprehensive design, build, and remodeling services. Since its founding in 1997, the company has delivered projects in custom carpentry, remodeling and renovations, design and home architecture, and residential construction. These works are not only admired for their structural integrity and unique design perspective. The firm’s portfolio is also celebrated for its superior craftsmanship, represented by homes that embody the most personal taste, character, design inspiration, and specific lifestyles of their homeowners. Most importantly, the firm is an advocate of green and sustainable design and construction practices. It uses non-toxic and eco-friendly materials for every build.

The firm’s creative and technical excellence in the home building process can be attributed to the extensive experience of its principal, Chad Christin. Under his leadership, the firm is an active member of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the Home Builders Association (HBA). Every year, the firm takes part in NAHB’s Parade of Homes where it constantly takes home well-deserved recognition from the organization. In recent years, it earned several NAHB Awards for the categories of Best Interior Elements, Best Kitchen Design, Best Exterior Design, Best Site Harmony, among many others.

Copper Ridge Custom Homes

Grand Rapids, MI 49546

Copper Ridge Custom Homes is one of the leading building companies in Grand Rapids. Since its inception in 2002, the firm has helped shape the local architectural landscape through its expertise in custom home construction and home renovations. It is also an active member of the industry. Aside from being a member of the NAHB, the company is an affiliate of the HBA and boasts a Certified Green Professional (CGP) leadership. Principals Eric Larson and Brian Dahlquist head the firm’s everyday practice.

The company’s role in the building community and its almost two decades in the industry has helped it develop a client-focused approach to building. Aside from guiding project owners in making informed decisions about financing, materials selection, planning, and sustainability, the firm also guides clients in selecting an ideal lot for their home. As a custom home builder, the firm is also commended for its craftsmanship and people-scale designs. Stunning and organic architectures dominate the firm’s residential portfolio. These homes are designed to blend in with the surrounding environmental and geographic context as well as respond to the modern functional needs of their homeowners.

Cutting Edge Builders

6804 Old 28th St. Grand Rapids, MI 49546

Cutting Edge Builders is one of the most innovative firms in the region. The company is equipped with the latest in construction technologies and makes use of modern techniques to efficiently deliver on-time and competitively-priced custom home construction and remodeling projects. At the same time, the firm has a profound understanding of traditional craftsmanship and how the time-tested methods of classic building practices can be combined with the modern trends of construction to produce sustainable, functional, enduring, and stunning residences that enhance the lives of their occupants and cater to their present and future needs.

The firm’s comprehensive construction practice can be attributed to its team’s impressive background. Nate Norris is a Master Carpenter and a Licensed Builder. He is also a certified Residential CAD Designer and leads the firm’s in-house design team. Tom Norris, the firm’s lead project manager, also holds a master carpenter and a building license. To complete the firm’s turnkey approach to custom home construction is Douglas Kleinheksel, realtor, a general contractor, licensed builder who holds certifications in CGB and is a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS).

Dave Dusendang Custom Homes

3265 Walker Ave. NW Suite D, Grand Rapids, MI 49544

Dave Dusendang Custom Homes is a multi-awarded company that has dominated the region’s residential sector for years. Awards from the HBA of Greater Grand Rapids highlight many of its residential works. Aside from significant home building awards from the organization’s annual Parade of Homes, the company’s stellar customer service practices have helped it secure several People’s Choice awards in recent years. Developer, carpenter, and general contractor Dave Dusendang leads the firm as its president. In his over 25 years of experience as a leader and as a building professional, Dusendang has completed hundreds of projects for a wide spectrum of clients that come from the multifamily, single-family, and commercial sectors.

The firm’s home building portfolio features traditional, modern, and contemporary residences that represent the firm’s ability to deliver buildings inspired by a long list of architectural styles. Regardless of their size, value, or complexity, these homes are characterized by the quality, functionality, and timeless designs that the firm has been known for. Aside from new construction and full custom home building, the firm also takes on remodeling and addition projects.

Dave Visser Builder

3919 Remembrance Rd. NW Walker, MI 49534

Dave Visser Builder has been completing custom homes since 1986. Its decade of experience makes it one of the most established companies in the region as well as one of the most preferred builders by its most sophisticated homeowners. The firm is an active member of the industry and participates in the annual Parade of Homes, a practice that has consistently recognized the firm’s ability to deliver outstanding residences since it first joined in 1992. Additionally, the firm’s membership with the Greater Grand Rapids Home Builders Association (HBA) allows it to take part in the industry’s growth through modern, innovative, and latest trends and practices in construction and construction technologies.

Farmhouse, traditional, ranch architectures can be seen in the firm’s extensive homebuilding portfolio. The company’s range as a builder and general contracting professional can be attributed to the solid background of its principal and founder Dave Visser. Beyond his skills and experience as a builder, Visser is acknowledged for his commitment to delivering residential spaces “exceptional and comfortable” for everyday living. Testimonials from its project owners and developers have constantly highlighted his customer-focused, transparent, and thoughtful approach to construction. Many of his works can be found across East Grand Rapids, Rockford, Sparta, Kentwood, and Hudsonville, among others.

Falcon Custom Homes

4025 Broadmoor Ave. SE Grand Rapids, MI 49512

Falcon Custom Homes is a highly recognized construction company that has been commended by the region’s largest award-giving bodies since its founding in 1987. In recent years, the company was recognized multiple times by the Sales & Marketing Council (SMC) of West Michigan for the categories in Best Interior Design and Best Exterior Design (over $500,000), Best Site Harmony for Homes (over $1 million), and Best Kitchen & Bath and Best Floor Plan ($500,000 or more), among others. It also gathered multiple awards from SW Michigan’s HBA. These include Best Interior Elements, Best Floor Plan, Best Curb Appeal, to name a few.

Looking at the firm’s portfolio reveals one thing: each custom home comes with unique architectural details and is designed to represent the most intimate and the most personal design preferences of its future homeowner. To do this, the company works closely with project owners and designers. Through an open discussion and thorough planning, all parties can address even the simplest and often unnoticed aesthetic and structural elements of the build. The result is a residential space like no other, designed to be functional and aesthetically timeless, and built to last for generations.

One perfect example of this project is a contemporary custom home celebrated for its magnificent and imposing presence. Set against a backdrop of picturesque landscape, this contemporary Mediterranean villa combines the elegance of French and Spanish architecture, while incorporating modern materials into the build. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows allow the interiors to connect to the outdoors. At the same time, this structural choice allows an abundance of daylight. Its bold masonry exudes a sense of endurance and rigidity, producing a presence that is both astounding and delightful.

Heartland Builders

2900 E Beltline Ave., NE Grand Rapids, MI 49525

Heartland Builders started out as a spec home construction company until demands from its new and repeat clients encouraged it to grow and take on custom residential projects. Now, the company’s over 20 years of services have produced a residential building portfolio of a wide spectrum of home designs, with varying levels of size, value, and complexities. Additionally, the firm is not just an average home builder. Its design-build nature allows it to cater to architectural design and interior design clients to offer a turn-key, in-house, and one-stop approach to construction.

The firm’s contribution to shaping the region’s residential sector has also made it a recognized company in the design and building industry. Under the leadership of Rich Kogelschatz, the firm is an active affiliate of the NAHB and HBA. Kogelschatz is also a leading figure in the industry, having served as the former president of the HBA Grand Rapids chapter and HBA Michigan. As a principal builder, his works have won the attention and recognition of industry leaders, as represented by its People’s Choice Builder of the Year awards in recent years. Aside from its excellence in architecture and quality homebuilding practice, the company is known for its nod to sustainable and energy-efficient practices. The firm is one of the few builders in Grand Rapids that offer smart home designs.

Huffman Homes

1617 Sage Ct. NE Grand Rapids, MI 49525

Huffman Homes’s over 25 years of designing and building homes have helped it develop a delivery method that puts emphasis on timeless architecture, efficient construction process, and client satisfaction. As a lifelong member of the NAHB and the local HBA chapter, the company stays updated with the latest in construction techniques and technologies. As an established builder, it is also fluent in the old styles and time-tested methods of old craftsmanship. The result is a portfolio that combines the best of modern functionalities and traditional forms can offer. The firm is also a strong industry advocate that supports its green building movement and applies methods of energy-efficient designs and sustainability practices in its works.

Aside from its custom home construction projects, the firm also offers remodeling services for clients who want to update, revitalize, and transform their interior and exterior spaces. Testimonials from its previous clients highlight the firm’s ability to modernize spaces that enhance the lives of their inhabitants. Others emphasize the firm’s thoughtful designs and detail-oriented construction process. Most importantly, these reviews point out how the company took the challenge in delivering some of the most technically challenging builds completed for the residential sector.

New Urban Home Builders

6883 Cascade Rd. SE, Suite B, Grand Rapids, MI 49546

Serving Grand Rapids and Lakeshore areas, New Urban Home Builders introduces a modern and innovative take on custom home building. The company was founded in 2003 and since then has delivered boutique residential building services that concentrate on design-centered custom home construction and renovations services. Over the years, it has garnered recognition from the industry’s most celebrated entities. In 2018, for instance, it won NAHB’s Best in American Living Awards. Cosmopolitan Home Magazine named the company’s Thornapple River Redux project its 2018 Renovation of the Year. Most importantly, leading online review platforms have recognized the firm’s knowledge, creativity, and commitment to deliver some of the most challenging and unique homes in the region.

Scott Branc, the firm’s principal, not only delivers quality homes but also builds residences with a nod to sustainability. Branc is a Certified Green Professional. Additionally, he is an NAHB certified graduate builder and served as HBA Greater Grand Rapids’s Board of Directors in recent years. The result is a portfolio that enjoys the best what innovation, modern design, sustainability, and architectural uniqueness can offer. Modern and mid-century homes dominate the firm’s stunning residential portfolio. The firm is also well-versed in other architectural styles, may it be traditional, transitional, eclectic, contemporary, among others.

Schultz Builders

1636 Lake Michigan Drive NW Grand Rapids, MI 49534

Schultz Builders’s more than two decades of construction practice has produced over 100 custom homes, renovation works, and home additions projects for the region’s most demanding clients. The success of these projects can be attributed to the company’s comprehensive and highly collaborative approach to construction. Aside from its free consultation services, the company makes sure that clients and builders work together from start to finish. Builders also guide the homeowner to make informed decisions about the build, without compromising the financial requirements and timeline of the project.

The results are fully-customized and thoughtfully designed luxury residential spaces that balance style and functionality. Led by principal builder Jim Schultz, the firm has completed contemporary, traditional, farmhouse, and classic homes across the region. These homes do not only embody the individuality and unique style choices of their homeowners but also enhance the lives of their inhabitants through enduring, functional, and structurally-sound architectures. Testimonials from its past clients highlight the firm’s ability to answer to the challenges of unique terrain, architecture, and strict local building requirements.

Scott Christopher Homes

620 3 Mile Rd. NW, Suite A, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49544

Considered as one of West Michigan’s multi-awarded builders, Scott Christopher Homes represents a construction practice that has constantly gained the attention of the building and design community. Many of its works have been featured by industry publications such as the Grand Rapids Magazine, Dwell, Blue Magazine, Great Lakes By Design Magazine, and Boston Magazine, among others. Led by its principal builder, Scott Christopher, the company works from its two locations, Pentwater and Grand Rapids.

Since its inception in 1983, it has developed lifelong relationships with the industry’s most respected institutions, including the HBA. It has also worked with renowned design firms to deliver custom homes that continue to redefine the region’s residential landscape. One of the firm’s biggest collaborative works is a custom home designed to be a countryside haven for a multi-generational family. The company partnered with leading Michigan design firm, Sears Architects. The home is located in an exclusive compound and measures almost 5,000 square feet.

One of the best features of the home is its wrap-around porch that overlooks an infinity pool. The area also provides an unobstructed view of its beautiful landscaping and surrounding treelines. The entire residential compound is modeled after traditional Farmhouse architecture. This design choice reflects the owners’ vision of creating a haven that can allow family interaction and growth, thanks to the architecture’s typically expansive and spacious characteristics.

Tim VerStrate Custom Homes Inc.

10515 Country Trail Dr. NW Grand Rapids, MI 49534

With over 30 years of experience in the home construction industry, Tim VerStrate Custom Homes is one of the most established firms in the region. From its West Michigan headquarters, the company has completed a wide array of custom home projects across the state, many of which are homes inspired by a long list of residential architectural styles. The firm’s extensive custom home building services can be attributed to the solid background of Tim VerStrate. During his early days in general construction, VerStrate learned the fundamentals of building as a subcontractor through hands-on, technical rough-in, and finish carpentry services.

Today, the firm is known for its attentive, detail-oriented, and transparent approach to construction. It is also an active member of respected institutions, including the Home and Building Association of Greater Grand Rapids (HBAGGR). Aside from their quality construction services, the firm is trained and capable to deliver energy-efficient and sustainable homes. Its team of builders stay up to date with the latest in construction technologies and apply these new methods in every project. Its knowledge in energy-efficient ventilation, insulation, and cooling systems is a plus and makes the firm stand out above all others.

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

Author

Adam Scharf

View all posts