Last updated on May 27th, 2024 at 10:54 am
Exemplary home builders are capable of fusing innovative design and efficient practices to construct practical and alluring houses. They make every effort to ensure the functionality and longevity of each space and structure. For your home to be built with the utmost care for your goals and visions as well as exacting industry standards, consider only the best custom home builders.
This list features the best custom home builders in Cambridge. We have selected and ranked the top-performing designers, builders, and general contracting firms that provide the city with comprehensive custom home building solutions. Each was assessed based on a number of criteria, including years of experience, mastery of the trade, and industry accreditations and certifications. Portfolio strength, as well as awards and press recognition, were also taken into account in the evaluation of these professionals. The final list features a variety of builders capable of constructing structurally-sound and visually-appealing homes in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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 Cambridge, check out our cost guide article.
Avatar Construction
558 Main St., Waltham, MA 02452
Recognized as one of the top builders in the Greater Boston area, Avatar Construction provides comprehensive design-build solutions that come with certain standards of quality, timeliness, professionalism, and client satisfaction. Among the firm’s impressive roster of services are residential, commercial, and retail construction, remodeling and renovations, and historical restorations. The firm also offers other services related to planning, design, finance, and construction management.
Avatar Construction builds structures based on the unique visions and goals of clients. Its team of seasoned project managers, supervisors, professional installers, and subcontractors works in partnership with each customer to align critical design elements and architectural requirements. This care is exemplified in the firm’s construction of the featured custom French chateau, which a 6,000-square-foot structure touting sophisticated and elaborate roofing and interiors.
Fallon Custom Homes & Renovations
171 Reservoir St., Needham, MA 02494
Building veteran Peter Fallon established his own firm to help homeowners throughout the Greater Boston area expertly address their various construction and renovation needs. For decades, Fallon Custom Homes and Renovations has worked on luxurious home building projects characterized by world-class designs and superior craftsmanship. The firm’s team of experienced staff, architects, and designers; proven approach in collaborative management; and millwork shop are hallmarks that have been recognized consistently by the community as best-in-class.
The firm and its work have been featured in noteworthy trade publications such as The Boston Globe, Remodeled Homes Magazine, Wellesley Weston Magazine, Builder/Architect, and Trends Magazine. This is primarily due to the firm’s ingenious designs and precise building processes. In one project, the team built a classic shingle-style home with a contemporary open floor plan. The house features plenty of woodwork, including a mahogany library, which gives the building an Old World charm. It also has an outdoor kitchen area and hot tub, as well as a custom wine cellar.
F.H. Perry Builder
90 Elm St., Hopkinton, MA 01748
Full-service general construction company F.H. Perry Builder has been providing design-build services across the region for over 40 years. The firm has since developed a reputation for exceptional custom homes, additions, remodels, and new home construction and for satisfying clients. On top of offering the utmost commitment to fairness, elegance, and craftsmanship, the firm makes a point to keep safety central in every project, ensuring that all building activities and materials are up to industry codes and standards.
The near-complete teardown and reconstruction of this traditional Cambridge home reflect the firm’s ability to meet its client’s unique needs. The homeowners wanted their house to have several distinctive elements. These include sound-proofing between floors, a central staircase that rises from the basement to the top-floor atrium, a two-car basement garage. In addition, the firm rebuilt exterior details so that new elements looked as if they had always been there; these include a living room cantilever, a kitchen addition, new windows, siding, and a slate roof, as well as a new master suite balcony and front entry.
J.W. Construction
12 Garfield Cir., Burlington, MA 01803
Preserving architectural treasures as well as constructing and remodeling distinctive structures have been the foremost priorities of J.W. Construction since its establishment in 1993. The general contracting firm employs high-caliber personnel to deliver bespoke services to various clientele throughout the New England area. These services encompass comprehensive custom new construction, additions, and historic renovations.
Clients and industry professionals alike commend J.W. Construction for delivering superior quality and unparalleled service in all aspects of its business. The firm has received several construction and remodeling excellence awards from the America Institute of Building Design (AIBD), the Builders and Remodelers Association of Greater Boston (BRAGB), the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, and Boston Magazine, among others.
Kistler & Knapp Builders, Inc.
916 Main St., Acton, MA 01720
Kistler and Knapp Builders is one of the top-performing construction firms in the Greater Boston area, with more than four decades of building experience. The firm’s portfolio features the most demanding architectural concepts and the finest craftsmanship. Meanwhile, its team of professionals practices effective communication and coordinates well with one another in all aspects of the building process. Accordingly, Kistler and Knapp has built a reputation for good management, transparent accounting, and fiscal prudence.
Over the years, the firm has built impressive custom homes for the most discerning clientele. Collaborating with the finest architectural firms in the region, the company has created numerous stunning residences and family estates. Whether the project entails a 5,000- or 20,000-square-foot design, Kistler and Knapp maintains the highest level of craft and ensures the best value in every home building project.
Merz Construction
168 Bingham Rd., Carlisle, MA 01741
With over three decades of high-end residential construction experience, Merz Construction is equipped with the necessary tools, equipment, and professional prowess to handle virtually any project with artisan-quality expertise. The firm’s areas of expertise are custom homes, additions and renovations, and maintenance services.
Partnering with accomplished architects, the firm builds some of the finest homes in the Greater Boston area. In each project, the team provides clients with invaluable information, ideas, and recommendations while simultaneously looking out for their interests. This collaborative and team-based approach has helped the firm cultivate a culture of open communication, which results in well-run construction projects and precise realizations of client goals.
An embodiment of the firm’s commitment to exceptional building solutions is this 7,000-square-foot custom home in Lincoln. Built on the site of a former Christmas tree farm and surrounded by towering pines and wildflower meadows, the structure features stunning gathering spaces and private quarters, as well as floating staircases, glass curtain walls, and Sapele woodwork. This project won the Boston Society of Architects Honor Award for Design Excellence and was featured in the Boston Globe Magazine.
Payne|Bouchier Fine Builders
173 Norfolk Ave., Boston, MA 02119
Many fine homes throughout New England and the Greater Boston area have been borne out of Payne|Bouchier Fine Builders’ passion for meticulous construction, restorations, and renovations. Since 1981, the firm has worked on numerous historic renovations and developed expertise in the forms, systems, and materials of new construction. This experience has enabled the team to effortlessly maneuver between traditional and modern builds. Whether a project involves an authentic and delicate restoration or a construction highlighting sleek modernity, Payne|Bouchier is able to bring its rigorous project management and skilled craftsmanship to successfully complete the project.
One of the firm’s most remarkable projects is this home in Wellesley Hills. Classic millwork details are the hallmarks of this grand structure; it features a flowing balustrade as well as intricate interior trim and custom cabinetwork with elegant details. Payne|Bouchier also incorporated green building materials and techniques in constructing the home, including a geothermal heating system and an exterior envelope that features structural insulated panel systems.
S + H Construction
26 New St., Cambridge, MA 02138
Made up of more than 60 veteran tradespeople, S + H Construction is a master in all phases of building. With years of experience working on complex, innovative, and exacting residential renovations and construction projects, the firm has developed significant expertise in a variety of trades and processes. One of the company’s most significant developments is the creation of its own basement waterproofing technique, which works from the inside out to prevent moisture from entering the walls. Additionally, S + H has a landscape and site work division focused on installing landscapes, plantings, stone walls, patios, pathways, outdoor kitchens, and water features.
The firm constructed this modern Belmont Hill home, which required the installation of a geothermal heating and cooling system. The team also encountered a number of challenges during construction, including the protection of the large, mature trees adjacent to the excavation site. During the deep excavation, the team encountered an underground stream that it had to divert. The stream was successfully rerouted to the pond as well as some underground concrete structures, which now serve as reservoirs for irrigation for the homeowner. Meanwhile, the home’s structure was made with a steel frame, which makes this project the firm’s first full steel building.
Silva Brothers Construction
704 Rogers St., Reading, MA 01852
Silva Brothers Construction brings extensive experience and unique perspectives to each building project it undertakes. The firm has served the Greater Boston suburbs and North Shore for more than 25 years, engaged in custom building projects that run the gamut from new home construction, additions, renovations, and historic restorations to the exterior and interior finish work and repairs.
The firm employs the same approach of time‐honored methods, respectful communications, and exacting attention to detail in building homes and relationships. Silva Brothers Construction also stays abreast of the latest industry techniques and technologies and ensures that projects adhere to the highest standards of competence, professionalism, and ethics.
The company was founded by building veterans Tom and Charlie Silva. Tom has proven to be a foremost authority on all facets of home repair and improvement, thanks to his extensive knowledge and reputation. Meanwhile, Charlie acts as a liaison to a project’s architects, local municipal boards, and permitting authorities, expertly coordinating people, costs, and schedules to ensure the success of each project.
Thoughtforms
525 Massachusetts Ave. Suite #204, Acton, MA 01720
Since 1972, Thoughtforms has collaborated with distinctive clients, architects, and designers and built more than 200 custom homes and community spaces in the New England area. The team has developed a reputation for its proficiency in constructing fine homes of diverse architectural styles. In addition, it has maintained a team of 65 skilled individuals engaged in various facets of construction work, service and maintenance, millwork, and business and accounting. This diverse expertise has helped the firm earn praise and recognition from clients and industry authorities such as Architectural Digest.
As a general contractor, a building contractor, a construction manager, and a custom home builder, the firm ensures highly-coordinated and clear systems for communication and construction. This approach allows the firm to precisely identify and effectively realize goals through a full range of service and maintenance plans tailored to the unique qualities of each home as well as the dynamic schedules of its clients.
How can I find a home builder near me?
Read our latest articles on the best custom home builders near Cambridge. If you don’t see your city below, just let us know – we are happy to create a tailored recommendation list just for you.
The Best Custom Home Builders in Boston
The Best Custom Home Builders in Massachusetts
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.
