Last updated on July 9th, 2024 at 11:11 am
For a small state, Delaware packs a big punch. The state is known for its beautiful beach resort communities in Sussex County, which offer comfortable seaside living for young professionals, families, and retirees. Delaware’s proximity to major cities and relatively low cost of living draw in many who aspire to build and own a home.
To build your own custom home in the First State, an excellent contractor can make the process so much easier. This list features the top custom home builders in Delaware. The firms were ranked based on their portfolios as well as their awards and press recognition. Principal profiles, accreditations, and years of experience were also considered.
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.
Canalfront Builders
17723 Coastal Hwy. Suite #3, Lewes, DE 19958
Lewes-based Canalfront Builders offers home packages for pre-planned communities, design-build on-your-lot services, and ground-up construction in coastal resort communities and the Rehoboth Beach Country Club. Its projects feature combinations of iconic Delaware architecture with high-end finishes paired with natural, luxurious materials like brick, marble, and reclaimed wood.
An example of one of the firm’s beautifully crafted homes is the Breezeway House, designed and built for a retired couple who often welcome their children and grandchildren to their home. The columned breezeway connecting the home to the garage completes the L-shaped layout of the home and facilitates movement. Vaulted ceilings, accordion windows, and well-appointed rooms make it a functional yet gorgeous home.
The company’s founder, Mark Fitzgerald, started Canalfront after accumulating several years of experience working for powerhouse builders. Aside from heading company operations, Fitzgerald has also served as Sussex County Vice President on the Executive Board of the Home Builders Association (HBA) of Delaware, which granted the firm Regal Awards in 2018.
Select Builders
102 Central Avenue, Ocean View, DE 19970
Select Builders is a home building company that embodies the true meaning of custom. It purely designs and builds custom homes and conducts custom home renovations along the eastern shore of Sussex County. Clients and professional associates alike praise the company for its honesty and fairness throughout the building process. The firm’s more than 25 years in the business has produced beloved coastal homes, such as this towering beauty in Bethany Beach. The home combines natural materials with a contemporary spin on a traditional coastal home.
The firm serves the areas of Bethany, Ocean View, Rehoboth, Fenwick Island, Frankford, Dagsboro, Dewey, and Lewes. It has built a strong reputation through referrals and word-of-mouth of satisfied past clients. Customers testify to the firm’s open suggestions, willingness to adjust and accommodate a client’s wishes, and high-quality homes.
Lane Builders
1009 Kings Highway, Lewes, DE 19958
Established by Gary McCrea in 1994, Lane Builders has successfully promoted customer-driven home building throughout Sussex County. The firm is led by Sussex County natives who are passionate about and committed to building homes for fellow residents. Jeff Burton, Keith Hastings, and Rick Blades bought the company and developed it into one of Delaware’s favorite home builders. Their collective three decades of experience produce strong and resilient coastal homes featuring Cape Cod, New England, and other coastal styles.
The firm’s forte is pre-planned homes in communities and housing developments as well as made-to-measure homes in Bethany Beach, Rehoboth Beach, and Lewes. It has built impressive custom homes ranging from $180,000 to $4.5 million. Its talent in building also extends to quality renovations, having been recognized by Coastal Style Magazine as its Best Home Renovation Company in 2019. Other publications such as the Cape Gazette and Delaware Today have also featured the company.
Excel Builders
1100 Coastal Hwy #5, Fenwick Island, DE 19944
Excel Builders was launched in 2011 by Stephen Doyle as a custom home building company specializing in energy-efficient homes. The company aims to build these sustainable homes as a progressive solution to building in the harsh weather and climate of the coast as well as to promote eco-friendly living. The company is a pioneer in using Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) in Delaware and also offers Structural Insulated Panels for building. As seen in the company’s portfolio, these materials can be used in any homestyle, such as Farmhouse, Ranch, and coastal.
Stephen is joined by his son, Matt Doyle, who serves as vice president. He grew up in the construction industry and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Entrepreneurship from the University of Alabama. The company has taken a step further as a green building leader by acting as a featured guest and speaker at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) International Builders’ Show.
Lessard Builders
261 E Camden Wyoming Ave., Camden, DE 19934
Lessard Builders is a custom home building and remodeling company that is proud of its heritage and generations of family experience in building and carpentry. The firm started in 1951 when Dan Lessard opened his construction business in New York. The Lessard patriarch created custom homes, pole barns, and buildings in Long Island. Soon, he passed the company onto his son Addie, who passed it on to his seven children. The family had moved its roots to Delaware by this time and Brian, one of Addie’s children, changed the company’s name to Lessard Builders.
The firm mostly builds in Sussex County neighborhoods. Clients can choose from many of the firm’s floor plans, which are fully customizable, or the company can design a truly unique home through collaboration with the client. While the firm is known for its high-quality custom homes, Lessard Builders also conducts smaller-scale renovations projects like bathroom and kitchen renovations, as well as larger projects like new additions and siding.
Resort Custom Homes
18355 Coastal Hwy. Suite #1, Lewes, DE 19958
Mark Grahne has established a sterling reputation as a leader in the Delaware home building industry. With more than 30 years of building experience and an extensive engineering background, he has built a presence both in the remodeling industry and custom home building market. The former Kent County Vice President of the HBA of Delaware established Resort Custom Homes in 1999 with his wife, Jodi. The custom home building company was launched more than a decade after the couple started and developed their premier remodeling firm, Atlantic Kitchen & Bath.
Resort Custom Homes aims to create the dream homes of Sussex County residents and at the same time support local businesses and promote sustainable living. By hiring skilled local craftsmen and utilizing superior materials, the company builds progressive eco-friendly homes that are built to last. Its handiwork has been recognized with the receipt of two HBA of Delaware Regal Awards in 2018 for Best Green Custom Home and Best Luxury Custom Home.
Boardwalk Builders
37395 Martin St., Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971
Established in 1986, Boardwalk Builders has spent the past three decades perfecting the art of complex remodeling and tailor-fit custom home building. Its exacting methods and distinct process are executed by a diverse team of professionals and craftsmen that have proven themselves excellent in residential design and construction. Founder Patty McDaniel captains the firm and its team, drawing from her childhood spent in and around construction. She is a Certified Graduate Remodeler and Certified Green Professional of the NAHB.
Cedar shingle-style homes and Dutch-style coastal homes are the firm’s expertise. In the remodeling scene, it has ranked among the Remodeling’s Top 550 and Big50 lists and Qualified Remodelers’ Top 500. In each project, the firm sends progress reports and photos to an online client portal to keep clients up-to-date concerning their project. For its exemplary customer service, the firm has earned the GuildMaster Award for seven years, as well as an NRS Homeowner Satisfaction Award.
Patty and her firm built her personal home in a marsh corner lot adjacent to Rehoboth Bay. Impressively, the home was built on a minimal amount of buildable space on land susceptible to erosion. The home perfectly represents the firm’s capability of building on any location and adapting any style. The home has also been featured in Annapolis Home Magazine.
Evergreene Homes
701 Bethany Loop Suite #2, Bethany Beach, DE 19930
Evergreene Homes is a spec home, custom home, and multifamily home builder with a strong multistate presence. For 12 years, the firm has built award-winning residences from Ocean City, Maryland to Lewes, Delaware. It was hailed as the Delaware Custom Home Builder in the 2018 Regal Awards and earned the distinction of Best Luxury Custom Home in 2017 and 2018. The Cape Gazette, Professional Builder, and Modern Builder & Design have also profiled the firm and featured its projects.
The Evergreene Companies was established by CEO Rob Cappellini and CFO Joe Ricketts. Both men worked for national home builders prior to starting the firm in 2007. Tim Naughton heads the Maryland and Delaware division with his 30 years of experience in the industry.
While most of the firm’s work are spec homes and ready-made floor plans to be built in select communities, the firm also offers on-your-lot design-build services. Farmhouse, Craftsman, Cape Cod, and modern coastal designs are prominent in the firm’s portfolio. Energy efficiency is also a standard of the firm, with its projects consistently receiving quality HERS scores.
Turnstone Custom Homes
37395 Oyster House Rd., Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971
Design-build company Turnstone Custom Homes banks on experience, customer service, and sustainability in creating one-of-a-kind homes in Delaware. The firm’s past clients laud the firm for its honesty and loyalty throughout the construction process. The firm is also passionate about energy-efficiency and often uses ICF. The firm’s North Indian Beach Home was first runner-up in the National ICF Builder Awards of ICF Builder Magazine. Turnerstone’s exceptional customer service also earned the firm a GuildQuality Guildmaster with Distinction Award in 2016.
Leading the firm is the trio of Harvey Ryan, Erin Bagnatori, and Dave Eppes. Ryan is the CEO of Turnstone Holdings, the parent company of the firm. The Sussex County native was a former paramedic before turning back to his love of construction and establishing Turnstone Builders in 2004. Bagnatori serves as Vice President and has experience in commercial construction projects in Wilmington. Eppes is the Chairman of the company and rounds out its leadership with his management and financial expertise.
The firm builds and renovates throughout Sussex County, from Broadkill to Fenwick and the inland bays. Some of the styles the firm works with are Mediterranean, Cape Cod, and Craftsman. Aside from luxury homes, the firm offers ready-made floor plans and spec homes. Featured here is one of the firm’s award-winning homes. Priced at more than $3 million, it is built to survive the gale winds and roiling waters of a Category Five hurricane, the most devastating of storms.
Bay to Beach Builders
414 East Market Street, Greenwood, DE 19950
Bay to Beach Builders’ custom homes are defined by impeccable Amish woodworking and Old-World craftsmanship, setting it apart from most home builders in the area. The firm has completed more than 500 new homes in Delaware and Eastern Shore Maryland. Many homeowners also choose the firm for its capability to incorporate energy efficiency and sustainability in its projects. For its superb work and outstanding customer service, readers of Metropolitan Magazine have voted the firm the Best Home Builder in Southern Delaware for six years running.
The firm takes extra steps in helping clients be a part of the building process. Its website features an online visualizer, a neat tool that helps clients easily choose elements they want in their home. It features selections in exterior, floor plans, homestyle, and even preferred location. Bay to Beach Builders is popular for its modifiable home designs, such as the NAHB award-winning Apple Tree. However, if the client wants to fully customize their home, the firm’s in-house draftsman can step in and design it for them. An example is this fully custom, unique, beach-style home inspired by the homeowners’ tour in the Carolinas.
Miken Builders
32782 Cedar Dr. Unit 1, Millville, DE 19967
Named as 2017’s Custom Home Builder of the Year by the HBA of Delaware, Miken Builders has proven itself as one of the top home builders in the state. The Millville-based firm specializes in coastal construction, including renovations and building from the ground up. It also conducts renovations of penthouse condominiums and commercial construction.
The firm’s decades of experience in building coastal homes have made it one of the go-to builders for seaside building. The firm’s more than 25 years in the business have enabled Miken Builders to understand the various elements that will affect a coastal home. Its houses are built to withstand coastal winds, have protection against water intrusion, and exceed local energy standards through the use of green and energy-efficient materials.
Its leadership team boasts a minimum of 30 years of experience for each member. CEO Michael Cummings is a construction industry veteran with a 35-year resume. Mike McKone, president and lead project manager, has almost 40 years of experience in the industry. Both leaders are not only passionate about delivering the best homes to their clients but also about volunteering for great causes, like Contractor for a Cause.
Echelon Custom Homes
20184 Phillips St., Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971
Echelon Custom Homes is the custom home building arm of the Schell Brothers Companies. This award-winning firm builds some of the most luxurious homes in coastal Sussex County. Its large portfolio features expansive estates, coastal homes, and charming farmhouses. The firm also boasts an impressive list of accolades that include awards from the NAHB, Regal Awards from the HBA of Delaware, Cottage & Town Awards, and Best of American Living Awards.
The firm offers fully custom homes or floor plans that are part of exclusive and select communities. Spec homes are also included in the firm’s services. In the process of building a home, clients can opt for a separate architect to design and collaborate on their Echelon home or choose the firm to handle all phases, as Echelon is also a design-build firm.
The home featured here is Echelon’s award-winning Carnegie house. The Craftsman-style home uses traditional details to create an overall luxurious aesthetic. The large home features unfinished storage space and the option for a second suite so the homeowner can further customize the space. This project earned a 2017 Regal Award for Best Luxury Home.
Dewson Construction
7 S. Lincoln Street, Wilmington, DE 19805
For four decades, Tim Dewson and John McMahon have been building beautiful homes in Delaware. While they both have extensive hands-on experience individually, the two started working together in 1993 when they started Dewson Construction. Stunning architecture and outstanding building techniques define their company’s homes, which can be found in Wilmington, Greenville, and the state’s beachside communities. The company also builds in Pennsylvania. With such an encompassing service area, the firm ensures efficiency by having its own crew of craftsmen in each of the areas it serves.
The firm’s homes and spaces are an ideal mix of modern technology, traditional silhouettes, and high-end functionality. It builds common coastal and seaside retreats in Cape Cod and Farmhouse styles but also ventures into modern contemporary styles. Eco-design and sustainable elements are often features of the firm’s homes. The firm also collaborates with expert local architects, like Sea Studio Architects, in its award-winning, sustainable homes.
In addition to being a custom home builder, the firm is also a renowned renovator and general contractor. Dewson Construction is part of the Remodeling Big50 and Top 550 Remodelers and has earned a Preservation Award from the Lewes Historical Society. Also, the company’s custom homes have earned Regal Awards from the HBA of Delaware. The firm and its work have also been featured in Delaware Beach Life, Delaware Today, USA Today, Curbed, and Remodeling Magazine.
Garrison Homes
19413 Jingle Shell Way, Lewes, DE 19958
For three generations, Garrison Homes have built waterfront homes and beach cottages throughout Kent and Sussex Counties. One of the busiest builders on this list, it has completed more than 450 homes and has also done commercial fit-outs for local companies. The firm was opened in 2000 by father-and-son team Charles and Jeff Garrison. Both men owe their innate building talents and keen eye for detail to Charles’ grandfather, who was a specialty cabinet and trim carpenter in the ’40s and ’50s. Initially, the company’s clients were former Air Force Airmen and retirees, but this soon gave way to families that wanted high-end coastal renovations and second homes.
Garrison Homes’ award-winning reputation is backed by custom home Regal Awards from the HBA of Delaware. It has won Best Custom Home in 2016 and five more awards for custom homes in 2019, including Delaware Custom Home of the Year. The organization also named the firm as the 2019 Kent County Remodeler of the Year.
One of the firm’s strengths is its versatility in terms of styles. At first, the firm was known for its Nantucket, Cedar shake cottage-style homes in coastal Delaware. Today, in addition to coastal homes, the firm’s portfolio also features modern contemporary, Mediterranean, and Farmhouse styles. This award-winning contemporary retreat in Rehoboth Beach has earned a feature in Luxe Interiors + Design. Other projects of the firm have also been featured in Beach Life, The Washington Post, The News Journal, and Cape Gazette.
Marnie Custom Homes
33298 Coastal Hwy. Suite 3, Bethany Beach, DE 19930
Impeccable craftsmanship, innovative design, and luxury sophistication—these are the three things Marnie Custom Homes constantly delivers every time it builds in Delaware, making it the premier custom home building contractor in the state. The firm has been able to redefine traditional home building in Delaware by utilizing sustainable technology and energy-efficient methods as well as using locally sourced, reclaimed, and reused materials in its beach homes. The firm builds an average of seven custom homes per year, with 110 built to date in the Delaware Beaches.
The company’s owner, Marnie Ousler, is a fifth-generation home builder. After college, she moved to Bethany Beach and worked in real estate, studying its trends. On the side, she flipped houses and built custom homes and sold them for profit. Soon, people saw potential in her design abilities and craftsmanship and asked her to build for them. She started the company soon after. Aside from being a trusted leader in the industry, Marnie is also a local celebrity. She was the host of two seasons of DIY Network’s “Big Beach Builds,” as well as HGTV’s “2018 Dream Home.”
In addition to TV appearances, the firm has been featured in various publications, such as Washingtonian, Arlington Magazine, Daily Herald, Forbes, and Coastal Living. In 2019, the firm took home ten Regal Awards, including Designer of the Year and Custom Builder of the Year. Featured below is the Point Break Home, the 2019 Best Home Design awardee.
How can I find a home builder near me?
Read our latest articles on the best custom home builders in and near Delaware. If you don’t see your state below, just let us know – we are happy to create a tailored recommendation list just for you.
Custom Home Builders in each State
Luxury Home Builders in each State
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.
