The Best Custom Home Builders in Upstate New York

Last updated on June 20th, 2024 at 08:10 am

Building a custom home in Upstate New York is not only a significant personal investment but also a vital contributor to the local economy. Finding the right home builder is essential to ensure your vision becomes a reality smoothly and efficiently, without unnecessary stress or delays. With project costs ranging from $50,000 to $550,000 and potentially reaching up to $700,000, selecting a reliable and skilled builder is crucial. A well-constructed custom home can appreciate in value, making it a potential long-term investment. Moreover, custom home projects in this region typically take about 17 months to complete, necessitating a contractor who can adeptly manage the complexities of a long-term build and address any challenges that may arise, thereby supporting the local economy through job creation and using local materials and services.

Upstate New York, with a population of around 6 million and a median home value of $800,000, offers a diverse and vibrant setting for custom home building. The region’s unique landscapes and communities provide ample opportunities for creating a home that reflects your style and meets your specific needs. However, the abundance of options can overwhelm finding the right contractor, making it even more important to choose wisely.

This article will explore some of the Upstate NY home builders. These builders have been selected for their exceptional craftsmanship, reliability, and ability to bring your dream home to life. Whether you’re looking to build a rustic retreat in the mountains or a modern family home in a charming town, these contractors have the expertise and experience to deliver high-quality results. Choosing the right home builder ensures a smooth and successful construction process, resulting in a home that perfectly fits your vision and lifestyle.

Overview: The Best Custom Home Builders in Upstate New York

See Ranking Methodology at the bottom of this article to learn more.

Capital Construction, Inc.

81 South St., Ballston Spa, NY 12020

For 40 years, Capital Construction, Inc. has been building homes the right way from start to finish. To Capital Construction, Inc., this means building green right from the get-go. The company specializes in “healthy house” construction and is the only builder in the Northeast to have built a home that is certified healthy by the American Lung Association.

Capital Construction, Inc. is also a Certified Green Professional and accredited with the American Lung Association Health House Program, The Green Building Initiative, Capital Region Builders and Remodelers Association, and Energy Star. It is part of the National Association of Home Builders, New York State Builders and Remodelers Association, and the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce. One of the top Upstate New York home builders, it is also a Saratoga Builders Association member.

Beyond green construction, Capital Construction, Inc. is best acquainted with building homes in the ranch, contemporary, modern, and colonial styles. The Energy Efficient Retirement Home featured below is a great example of what the firm can do. Nestled in between uneven land is this gorgeous home, lined with large windows that provide 360 views of the woods beyond. Lining the house is classic wooden detailing mirroring the surrounding forest. The actual layout of the home does not fight against the natural, rolling landscape where it rests; it adapts to the landscape, tucking itself in corners and resting parts of it on the hills. The result is a gorgeous home that slots right into its green surroundings.

Buffalo Bungalow

549 Winspear, Elma, NY 14059

Buffalo Bungalow is a custom home builder best known for blending periods and styles to create a unique home for each client. Being a family-owned and operated business for nearly three decades, Buffalo Bungalow knows what’s best when building the right home, custom-made for each family’s lifestyle. The team meets with each client and works with them closely to meet their specific criteria with the help of planners, designers, and builders who operate under one roof. A preferred choice among the Upstate New York home builders, the company also offers families a wide array of options, making them a builder that gives people customizable choices.

Take, for instance, The Deville Project 5 featured below. It’s a stunning craftsman-style home with a calm, peaceful atmosphere and a cobalt blue color scheme. It’s an open-concept house with a large great room with a custom fireplace and bookcases. Its gourmet kitchen is finished with granite and stainless appliances, giving the family plenty of room to dine in. Accents of blue and grey contrasted by the dark wooden floors give this home its refreshing, contemporary look, with craftsman details lining the doors and trim of the house.

Beaver Mountain Log & Cedar Homes

1740 County Highway 48, Deposit, NY 13754

Beaver Mountain Log & Cedar Homes prides itself on making the finest custom log homes in the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic. Since its inception, the company has made luxury log homes or timber frame homes unique to each client’s needs and aspirations. With its work in this specialization, the company is affiliated with the National Home Builders Association Business Council of NYS, the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce, the Deposit Chamber of Commerce, the Hancock Chamber of Commerce, and the Wayne Pike Building Industry Association.

The Cubco Cedar home is featured below, a new red cedar home custom-built to accommodate large groups of skiers and snowmobilers looking to enjoy the Catskills in the winter. It boasts four bedrooms, a recreation area with additional bunks, a kitchen with a large prep area, and an adjoining dining area. These features provide the family ample elbow room to enjoy their new dream home.

Hanifin Home Builders, Inc.

420 Kenwood Avenue, Delmar, NY 12054

Hanifin Home Builders has over 30 years of experience building lovely houses in the Capital District. It is a trusted builder in the neighborhoods of Upstate New York, with many past clients calling upon it for their new additions. Clients are drawn to the company’s commitment to making their dream house into a home they can feel comfortable in. The team assists the clients in decision-making and offers several plans in all shapes and sizes to ensure every detail aligns with the client’s unique requirements.

When it comes to building, Hanifin Home Builders’ projects can typically be found in well-established neighborhoods, with the team going as far as to study the neighboring houses of the new homes to create a final product that slots right into its surroundings yet remains distinctly the client’s. This mark of craftsmanship and dedication can be seen in the team’s lovely work in building the gorgeous red brick colonial home featured below. This proud, stately home stands out with its classic façade, yet it still looks as if it had always been there, with the way it blends in with the rest of the property.

Timberbuilt

10821 Eagle Drive, North Collins, NY 14111

Living up to its unique name, Timberbuilt is best known for building award-winning timber frame homes in the sophisticated villages of Upstate New York. Its builders combine the timeless aesthetics of wood detailing with the industry’s most energy-efficient systems, creating functional yet visually stunning homes. Comfortable, architecturally distinct, and sustainable are the best ways to describe these gorgeous homes from Timberbuilt. 

Apart from its unique, earthy style, its portfolio is also filled with ranch, contemporary, modern, and colonial-style homes—some of which have even been featured in the pages of Timber Home Living, Style Guide, and Buffalo Spree.

The Side Entry Olive, pictured below, is a great example of its work. It was custom-made for a big family moving to the outskirts of Western New York. Being a bit farther from everything else, the growing family needed enough space to keep everyone comfortable. The result is a gorgeous 4,000-square-foot home built with an eastern white pine frame and reclaimed barn wood flooring. There’s also a lot of elbow room inside, with three spacious bedrooms and more spaces to grow and make additions if need be. To top it all off, the family has gorgeous views of the surroundings from each room.

Thomas Johnson Homes

6435 W Quaker, Orchard Park, NY 14127

Thomas Johnson Homes is one of Western New York’s premier custom home builders. For 35 years, the company, led by Thomas Johnson, has been encouraging client creativity and participation in creating custom homes that are truly tailored for them. A common pick among the many Upstate NY home builders, the company is well equipped to build custom homes. It creates approximately 10 to 15 custom homes each year in the Buffalo and Western New York areas, with projects ranging from $500,000 to $3 million in budget.

This home in Orchard Park is one example of the company’s expertise in creating comfortable and lovely custom houses. Elegant wood detailing lines the interior of this cozy custom home, giving it a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

Tesmer Builders, Inc.

8898 Transit Road, East Amherst, NY 14051

Tesmer Builders is one of Western New York’s premier custom home builders. For 70 years, it’s been handcrafting the area’s most distinctive luxury custom homes. These homes are built to be utterly unique and centered around the customers’ unique needs and design goals.

As a family-owned and operated business that’s been in the game for seven decades, Tesmer Builders guarantees that each home will be an extension of the client’s lifestyle, resulting in a home they will cherish with their family in the years to come. One example is the contemporary home pictured below, which offers just enough space for the entire family.

Regency Builders, LLC.

4899 Meyer Road, Pendleton, NY 14120

Named as one of the Top Ten Homebuilders in Western New York back in 2016 and 2017, Regency Builders, LLC is one of the area’s premier builders. With its commitment to building truly unique, high-quality, luxury custom homes throughout WNY,  the firm provides clients with their dream home with as little stress as possible. With 40 years of experience in the business and having positioned itself among the top Upstate NY home builders, the firm has developed a great eye for detail and adapted to the latest innovative tech, materials, and building practices. 

Regency’s portfolio is riddled with stunning European, ranch, contemporary, modern, and colonial custom homes. Its Hemingway project, which is pictured below, is a great example. It’s a breathtaking colonial-style home with expansive shared living space, perfect for entertaining guests. The interior mimics the façade’s light cream finish, giving the entire place a dreamy, relaxing atmosphere.

Morgan Homes of Western New York, Inc.

5520 Strickler Road, Clarence, NY 14031 

Morgan Homes of Western New York Inc. is an award-winning home builder renowned for crafting the most distinctive custom homes in the Greater Buffalo-Niagara region. It offers various premier custom home building services, all delivered with the expertise and flexibility needed to address any construction challenges.

The firm typically builds in the ranch, contemporary, modern, and colonial styles. One example is the breathtaking home featured below. From the lovely masonry to the very fine details like the shingle roof and the choice of accents, this home lives up to Morgan Homes’ promise of building a home of distinction. It has a regal structure, with the home blending in comfortably with the tree-lined neighborhood that surrounds it.

Galarneau Builders, Inc.

526 Maple Avenue, Saratoga Springs NY, 12866

For 41 years, Galarneau Builders, Inc. has been building reliable luxury custom homes in the area. From getting the location right to breaking ground, clients can trust that Galarneau Builders, Inc. will be there from start to finish. With the help of Maple Avenue Realty and its in-house broker, it can even assist clients in finding the perfect lot. It specializes in building energy-efficient homes, typically in the ranch, contemporary, modern, and colonial styles, and provides options for clients whether or not they want to work with their own pre-made architectural plans or have the team draw up a custom design just for them.

One example of the firm’s work on custom homes is this striking Saratoga Springs Home. Built with consideration to the landscape of the lot, this beautiful colonial-style home adapts to the sloping green hillside with its layout. Windows that peer out into the grassy and tree-lined neighborhood also line the home, giving it a healthy dose of natural lighting that makes the interiors shine.

Belmonte Builders

1743 Route 9, Clifton Park, NY 12065

For 44 years, Belmonte Builders has been building homes with the highest quality of excellence thanks to the team’s attention to even the finest detail and its innovative use of quality products. The Belmonte team collaborates closely with the customer to personalize the final product to their tastes. This hard work has earned them a great reputation for excellence, vouched for by the many positive reviews it has received from past clients. The firm’s reputation for excellence is reflected in its portfolio as well, as Belmonte Builders was the one that created the Albany region’s first LEED Gold Certified house.

Pictured here is another one of its excellent works on custom homes. Featured as part of the 2018 Parade of Homes, The Chesapeake in Alexandria is a 3,212-square-foot home packed with four stylish bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. This home boasts a modern open floor plan to entertain large family get-togethers comfortably.  A two-story great room opens up to the kitchen, including a spacious walk-in pantry that provides additional storage and a lovely dining room where the family can enjoy meals together. A bonus room on the second floor overlooks the great room and is shared by two additional bedrooms. Meanwhile, the cherry on top, the large master-on-the-main boasts an elegant transom window, a walk-in closet, and a large master bath.

Carina Construction Services of Ithaca, Inc.

730 Willow Avenue, Ithaca, NY 14850  

Carina Construction Services of Ithaca, Inc. has been building green homes for two decades. As an Energy Star partner, the team’s planet-friendly homes are tested by an NYSERDA-approved independent Energy Auditor, ensuring that everything is up to standard.

Carina Construction’s homes are certified to reduce energy consumption, have better insulation and air sealing, and maintain indoor air quality. Homes built with the team are made of renewable and sustainable products, and 90% of the construction waste generated during the building process gets recycled. The cherry on top of it all is that all of these greener options are available at an affordable price when working with Carina Construction. That price comes without sacrificing quality and design. The 2-story house featured below is a great example.

Caruso Builders

19 Railroad Place, Suite 201,  Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Caruso Builders is an award-winning company of custom home builders dedicated to making upstate living beautiful through its masterful blend of good design and function. Working with its team entails a collaborative process where the client is involved in achieving the vision they have for their dream home. Notoriety as one of the most preferred Upstate New York home builders, the studio was featured in a 2021 The Saratogian article.

Featured below is the award-winning 23 Jenna Jo – Saratoga Springs project. This luxury home is the Award Winner of the 2021 Showcase of Homes by the Saratoga Builders Association, Inc. It also raked in the awards, including Best Workmanship, Best Kitchen, Best Master Bathroom, and Best Interior Decorating. As evident from the picture featured below, it is also an Exterior Design Runner-Up.  This home is a testament to Caruso Builders’ knack for elegance in design; even the littlest details, like the choice of color or finish, all add up to a beautiful modern home that adds to its surroundings.

Natale Builders

9159 Main Street, Clarence NY 14031

Natale Builders is a well-established and trusted custom home builder with 52 years of experience in the business. It specializes in building luxury custom homes in varying styles, from ranch to contemporary, and they are all built in keeping with green standards. Natale Builders is known for creating charming homes and is also a leader in Energy Star and Green Build designs in the neighborhoods of Western NY.  Being 100% committed to Energy Star building, Natale Builders ensures that every home they build is comfortable, healthy, reliable, and cost-effective.

The firm was recognized with the 2014 NAHB Project of the Year Award for Green Site Development and featured on the pages of The Buffalo News and Niagra Frontier Publications. Among its beautiful work on custom homes is the residential project featured below. It’s a cozy home with beautiful masonry and detailing, giving it a remarkable and sturdy façade typical of Natale Builders’ residential projects. Known as one of the leading Upstate NY home builders, it was also featured in a 2022 Buffalo News article.

Bella Home Builders, Inc.

228 Church Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Bella Home Builders, Inc. is a family-owned custom home company designing and building homes in the Capital Region and surrounding communities for 33 years. Its practice is remarkable for its attention to detail and commitment to creating one-of-a-kind custom homes, typically in the ranch, contemporary, modern, and colonial styles, with unique characteristics to its client’s needs. For its dedication to the craft, Bella Home Builders was an Award Winner of the Showcase of Homes by The Saratoga Builders Association Inc. and was recognized with the 2018 Best in Building Award by Capital Region Builders & Remodelers Association. Dave DePaulo, his vice-president Tanner Duguid, and Soula Tsitos, the firm’s selection coordinator, manage the firm.

Moreover, its high-quality work is consistently recognized in the annual Showcase of Homes and the Parade of Homes. In these, Bella Home Builders is a consistent winner of the prestigious Quality Workmanship Award and has also been recognized with the People’s Choice Award and the Realtor Choice Award. In the 2020 Showcase of Homes, Bella Home Builders proudly showcased the Park Grove pictured below. It’s a unique contemporary home with some ranch detailing to give it a distinct look inside and out.

CMK Builders, Inc.

1663 County Line Road, Alden, NY 14004  

CMK Builders is an experienced custom home building company that has built hundreds of new homes in the Greater Buffalo and Western New York areas.  Clients can opt to build on their own lot or they could choose from the building lots that CMK Builders offer throughout WNY.

Throughout the construction process, CMK Builders focuses on the client’s needs during every stage of the home building process, ensuring that from initial consultation to designing the unique layout of the floor plan, each detail is up to standard. This keen attention to detail can be seen in this beautiful colonial home. Plenty of the firm’s projects show an affinity for classic details, which is evident in the construction of this stately stone New York home.

Golden Homes by Bahman, Inc.

8650 Golden Road Court, East Amherst, NY 14051

Founded in 1987,  Golden Home, Inc. has been constructing various homes in Western New York and Greater Buffalo, ranging from $199,000 to $600,000. Whether the client is looking to make a new, custom primary residence, a cozy vacation home, or a well-crafted investment property, Golden Homes, Inc. will be able to handle the project and do so at a competitive price. Its seasoned team is experienced in all manner of custom home building and has expertise in other areas, making Golden Homes an affordable one-stop-shop for custom home needs.

Apart from its rich expertise, Golden Homes, Inc. is also affiliated with the Niagara Frontier Builders’ Association and the National Home Builders’ Association, which allows the team to have a wider and deeper scope of the home building industry.  This expertise shines through in its red-brick residential project featured here.

Sunset Custom Homes, Inc.

3172 South Park Avenue, Lackawanna, NY 14218  

Sunset Custom Homes is a well-known and experienced custom home builder that has made homes fit clients’ budgets and needs for three decades. The company has designed several homes that serve as templates; clients can choose from those styles if they wish to. They also have the option to put their unique twist on the blueprints and adjust them to their needs. Alternatively, clients can collaborate with the builder to create an entirely new and unique custom home just for them.

As an experienced and reliable home building company, Sunset Custom Homes is accredited with the National Association of Home Builders, the Buffalo Niagara Builders Association, the Southtowns Builders Association Inc., and the NYS Builders Association. It is also a Better Business Bureau A+ business. Pictured below is an example of the company’s style in full display. The 1740 Ridge Lewiston is a lovely contemporary home with plenty of room for the whole family inside this one-story house.

Ranking Methodology

To evaluate the performance of builders, our methodology employs a systematic approach that considers various factors contributing to customer experience and satisfaction. We focused on assessing the custom home builders in the Upstate New York area. The methodology involves assigning weightings to specific categories based on their significance in determining customer service quality. Here’s the breakdown of the categories and their respective weightings:

• Average Customer Satisfaction (35%): This metric represents the average rating given by customers across the same review platforms as the Average Customer Satisfaction Score. A higher average rating indicates greater overall satisfaction with the service provided.
• Service Rating Score (25%): We analyze the ratio of high (4-5 stars) to low (1-2 stars) ratings for each business across multiple review platforms: Google, Houzz, and Yelp. A higher percentage of positive reviews contributes to a higher score, reflecting better customer satisfaction.
• Complaint Percentage (25%): We analyze the ratio of complaints to total reviews for each business. A lower complaints ratio indicates better service quality and results in a higher score.
• Business Hours and Availability (10%): The operating hours of each business are assessed to gauge accessibility. Companies with extended operating hours are awarded a higher score, as they offer greater convenience to customers.
• License Status (5%): We verify the licensing status of each contractor with their local licensing board to ensure legal compliance. Companies with valid licenses receive a higher score, reflecting professionalism and adherence to regulations.
• Total Score: We determined the overall rating for every contractor by calculating a weighted average, with the category weight determining the amount the subscore contributed to the total score 

Additional Note: Service Rating Score, Average Customer Satisfaction, and Complaint Percentage are calculated with a Bayesian estimate to account for if the contractor has a low number of total reviews. A Bayesian average is a statistical method used to calculate the average of a set of data points while taking into account prior information or beliefs about the distribution of the data. It combines the observed data with a prior distribution to generate a more accurate estimate of the true average.