Last updated on May 27th, 2024 at 01:48 pm
Detroit thrived during the early 1900s with its rich history of music and industry, but the decline of the housing market and the economy between the 1980s and the Great Recession of 2008 led to a decline in the city’s reputation.
At present, Detroit is on the road to revival. Many of Michigan’s home builders continue to develop for the city in an effort to improve its standing. In late 2018, the Home Builders Association of Michigan predicted that single-family new home construction will rise by 3 percent in 2019. The firms we’ve chosen for this list are some of the best in the state. They have been evaluated on their customer service, craftsmanship, and accolades; their prominence and trustworthiness have been recognized and awarded by publications such as Detroit Home. These firms will no doubt be able to build the home of your dreams and exceed your expectations.
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 Detroit, check out our cost guide article.
15) Sapphire Luxury Homes
210 S. Old Woodward Ave. Suite #200, Birmingham, MI 48009
Randy Najjar’s passion for luxury home building led him to found Sapphire Luxury Homes. He holds a degree in architecture from Lawrence Technological University and has since committed himself to the industry, constructing beautiful custom homes for the suburbs of Detroit. He has been recognized by the Home Builders Association (HBA) for his efforts and was named Young Home Builder of the Year in 2018.
The firm has a collection of gorgeous Ranch and French house styles in its portfolio, each ranging between 4,650 to 6,000 square feet. The firm’s premier home designs are designed to be spacious and elegant. Many of the firm’s homes are built with a contemporary interior in contrast to their old world-inspired exteriors.
14) MacLeish Building
650 E. Big Beaver Cornerstone Village, Suite F Troy, MI 48083-1432
MacLeish Building has been providing impressive homes to the greater Metro Detroit areas since it was founded in 2013 by Dan MacLeish. Dan’s grandfather, James Archibald MacLeish, built barns in the northern parts of the state, and Dan’s father, Archie, had a history working in the industry. Dan was just a boy at the time, but went on to learn the finer details of home construction. In 1964, Dan graduated from the University of Michigan and started his building career.
Today, the firm stands strong and continues to provide its services to the northern suburbs of Detroit. It has also received recognition for its work, with honors from the Building Industry Association (BIA) for Builder of the Year, Distinguished Service Award and Parade of Homes Award of Excellence, and has been selected as one of America’s Best Builders by the APA. The firm has also been featured in Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.
13) Sterling Development
2382 Franklin Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302
Sterling Development has been in the homebuilding business for more than 20 years, working on homes in parts of Metro Detroit, usually in Birmingham. In fact, one of the firm’s Birmingham homes was featured in the Temple Israel home tour early in 2015.
A year later, the firm was honored with a Detroit Home award for its work on interior stone design; it also appeared in online publications such as The Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber and Neighborhood Seen. Sterling Development implements innovative construction while utilizing high-quality materials with highly-skilled professionals to ensure complete satisfaction from its clients.
12) Oakwood Custom Homes
1150 Ann Arbor Rd. #103 Plymouth, MI 48170
Oakwood Custom Homes has built a variety of different styles and specializes in Craftsman styles, Olde World and French country. A recent addition is the Nantucket style which is seen in the photo. Complete with a rustic cozy look and modern amenities. It features a first-floor master, walk-out basement, and 3 additional bedrooms. The build is an open style with high ceilings and timber beams, it also has an extra large stone masonry fireplace.
Oakwood Custom Homes worked on a green home using what they call a Nantucket style. Complete with a rustic cozy look and modern amenities. It features a first-floor master, walk-out basement, and 3 bedrooms. The build is an open style with high ceilings and timber beams, it also has an extra large fireplace.
Oakwood has been developing affordable luxury custom homes for more than 15 years, and the firm is also a member of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the HBA of Southeastern Michigan. Some of the firm’s notable works several multi-million dollars homes in the Plymouth and Northville.
11) Petrucci Johnson Group
6905 Telegraph Rd. Suite 200 Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301
Mike Petrucci and Eric Johnson worked in the industry for over 30 years before joining to form Petrucci Johnson Group, a design/build firm specializing in custom home building, professional restoration projects, and handmade cabinetry. During its decade of existence, the firm has amassed an impressive portfolio of custom homes, displaying an extensive collection of homes in various styles, ranging from European Charm to Eclectic Contemporary. An example from the firm’s gallery is a three-story rustic home with old-time charm, seen from the brick and timber aesthetic that covers its interior and exterior.
Many of Petrucci’s other homes also showcase the firm’s affinity for modernized antiquity. Detroit Home magazine recognized the firm as the best construction company and best designer/builder of 2018
10) Hunter Pasteur Homes
32300 Northwestern Hwy. Farmington, MI 48334
Hunter Pasteur Homes is a premier home builder from Michigan that has built and developed several communities for Metro Detroit. Hunter Pasteur Homes prides itself as “The Solutions Based Builder,” distinguishing itself from other home builders by assessing each site as “an investment in the future of the community and the lives of the people who will live and work there.” The founder, Howard Gitler, discovered his passion for the home building during his days working a part-time job in the industry. Gitler would later form Hunter Pasteur Homes with two other colleagues after graduating from Eastern Michigan University. Together, they nurtured the firm’s reputation, working in several communities in and out of Detroit, from South Lyon to Ann Arbor.
The firm was recognized as one of the 25 top home builders in Detroit by DBusiness and has been featured in publications such as the Michigan Builder, Detroit Free Press, and Crain’s Detroit.
9) Hemphill Builders
2370 Lake Angelus Ln. Lake Angelus, MI 48326
In 1979, Jerry Hemphill founded Hemphill Builders, a trustworthy premier custom home builder that has serviced Michigan’s residential needs for more than 40 years. The firm provides a plethora of services besides the construction of custom homes, including historic preservation and home center conversion, and services most areas in Metro Detroit. Though the responsibilities have been passed down to Hemphill’s children, the quality of work has not suffered. They’ve shown their craftsman prowess in diverse styles, such as manors, estates, cottages and valley homes.
Hemphill’s 40 years in the homebuilding industry has given the firm a prominent reputation; many of its works have been featured in Detroit Home Magazine and the Modern Home Builders Magazine.
8) Jonna Luxury Homes
640 N. Old Woodward, Birmingham, MI 48009
Jonna Luxury Homes is a Birmingham-based custom home building firm, founded in 2012 by Joseph “Joey” Jonna. The firm was featured in the 2015 edition of Modern Home Builder, with an article detailing the firm’s ability to manage expectations and avoiding any unnecessary extensions, which often detract from a pleasant relationship between contractor and client.
The firm details its process and services to its clients, from lot selection to post-construction maintenance. The firm also offers 24/7 online access for clients who wish to view their home’s progress. The expected end-result provides not only a positive experience but also a lasting impression for the beauty and subtle functionality of the firm’s homes.
7) Robertson Brothers
6905 Telegraph Road. Suite #200 Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301
Robertson Homes has been in the business for more than 70 years, with its humble beginnings dating to just after WWII, when the firm made an effort to create affordable housing for returning veterans. Since then, the firm has received recognition and numerous awards for its continued improvement, cementing its distinguished reputation. The firm has been hailed as one of the top 25 builders in Metro Detroit by DBusiness Magazine and has been nationally ranked by Housing Giants.
The firm has developed over 40 communities in Southeast Michigan and has been featured in the Detroit Free Press and HBA parade of homes, where its Princeton home plan in Royal Oak and Charleston home plan won a blue ribbon award in 2016.
6) La Marco Homes
777 S Eton St. Birmingham, MI 48009
With a reputation for completing highly detailed custom homes in short time frames, La Marco Homes has garnered a myriad of satisfied clients with its experience in custom home design. Many of the firm’s homes can be spotted in Bloomfield Hills, including a farmhouse home that won a Gold for Best in American Living from NAHB, as well as winning a Detroit Home design award for its work on a central Birmingham home, detailing an “innovative approach to creating a light-filled home”, and for “its stylish, modern twist on the contemporary farmhouse.”
The firm’s principal, Greg La Marco is a former investment banker who worked in both London and New York. His firm’s completed works range between $1.3 million to $3 million and have been featured in Detroit Homes and Modern Home Builder.
5) Kastler Construction Inc
425 S. Main St. Clawson, MI 48017
Rick Kastler established Kastler Construction in 1996 and has since built his reputation on noteworthy projects and collaborations. The firm specializes in custom home building and luxury remodeling, and currently serves most of the northern suburbs of Detroit. Kastler aims to create dream homes for his clients, whether that means a whole house renovation to the client’s wishes or building a dream home from the ground up.
Kastler and his firm were featured in an article by Hour Detroit in August of 2018 as the faces of luxury residential construction. The firm’s custom home project in Royal Oak shows how Kastler seamlessly fuses function with style, seen from its elegant bathrooms and cabinet designs.
4) MJ Whelan Construction
620 N Milford Rd. Milford, MI 48381
MJ Whelan Construction is a design-build firm that has serviced the Metro Detroit area for more than almost three decades, employing its highly skilled team of creatives in building an impressive portfolio of homes in Michigan’s most affluent counties. The team aims to build the dream homes that clients have always desired.
Many of the firm’s previous projects include exquisite lake homes and vacation homes, along with other gorgeous French and Mediterranean style homes in Charter Township. In recent years, MJ Whelan Construction has received recognition for its work from Detroit Home Design for multiple categories, including Historical Renovation, Outdoor Buildings, and Sustainable Design.
3) Matthew G. Strickfaden and Associates
| 34665 Brittany Dr. Farmington Hills, MI 48335
Matthew Strickfaden has more than 25 years of experience in the custom home industry. Hour Detroit awarded the firm several Home of The Year awards, recognizing Strickfaden as a trusted home builder for Michigan and Metro Detroit. Many of Strickfaden’s previous clients have noted his exceptional management skills and his perception of improving quality at affordable costs. They were also extremely pleased with his ability to meet their needs, whether for improving a home or constructing one from the ground up.
The firm has won many awards, including the 2011 Parade of Homes Best Model Home award, the 2010 Detroit Home‘s Best New Model Home award, the 2009 SAM Awards’ Community of the Year, and the 2007 Parade of Homes’ Best Urban Infill Design.
2) Luxe Homes Design+Build
360 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, MI 48009
Birmingham’s high-end design/build firm has been building custom homes for more than 30 years, and each luxurious home has exceeded expectations. The firm’s expertise in luxury homes has earned it the reputation of one of the best luxury home builders in Michigan. The company was co-founded by Bryan and Rachel Leith of Olde World Homes, and John and Donna VanBrouck of VanBrouck & Associates firm, combining more than thirty years of award-winning experience to provide one of the best homebuilding services operation in Michigan.
The firm’s portfolio showcases a beautiful collection of inspired period architecture, with many of the large houses utilizing styles such as European, French, Traditional, Tuscan, and Craftsman. One such house from the firm’s premier collection uses a transitional style combination of Modern and Prairie. Homes range from $1 million to $10 million, and clients have the option to visit LUXE’s in-home office if they wish to conduct business privately.
1) Arteva
445 S. Livernois Rd. Rochester Hills, MI 48307
Arthur Szliter and Vito Terracciano founded Arteva Homes in 1991. The firm is now run by Vito Terracciano and Arthur’s son, Brian Szliter. Brian, graduated from Wayne State University with a Master’s degree in Marketing and Finance, later earning the honor of Builder of the Year from the HBA in 2013. Vito, on the other hand, is a licensed Michigan builder for over 30 years and has been featured in DBusiness and Hour Detroit for his works throughout Michigan and Florida. With their combined experience, Arteva rose to become one of Detroit’s leading homebuilding firms.
The interiors of Arteva’s beautiful homes give a calming aura, with spacious and elegant rooms. The team also uses energy-efficient construction methods. The Michigan home builder serves clients in the suburbs of Detroit, including Oakland Township, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills and Rochester, and has won multiple awards for its work, including the 2017 Detroit Home Design Awards, and the Star Diamond Award from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences, as well as recognition for its Colonial home in Macomb County’s Homearama.
How can I find a home builder near me?
Read our latest articles on the best custom home builder near Detroit. If you don’t see your city below, just let us know – we are happy to create a tailored recommendation list just for you.
Custom home builders in Michigan
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.
