House Plan Designers in Ellicott City, MD

“Turner Troxell did a complete kitchen and basement renovation. They also built a screened porch and deck, moved our laundry room to the second floor and built a closet for it, and replaced several existing windows. They did a beautiful job and were wonderful to work with. They paid very close attention to detail and didn't miss anything (especially Jim!). We never had to move out of our house and they worked around our schedules and our kids. Everyday they would rebuild me a makeshift sink so that I didn't have to go very long without a sink or water in the kitchen. All of the people who worked for Turner Troxell, as well as their subcontractors, were great! I trusted all of them enough to give them full access to my house regardless of whether I was home. Finally, there were a few surprises along the way given the age of our house. Doug Turner and his employees worked through everything that came their way! I highly recommend them for any home remodel or renovation!”

“I had the opportunity to initially meet Paul and Paul, Jr. almost 2 years ago, through a mutual friend and interior design professional. Since then, I have worked with Mueller Homes on three separate projects where they not only exceeded expectations on quality and workmanship, but were a joy to work with and proved to be very receptive to our client's needs. I highly recommend Mueller Homes and will look forward to more projects in the future.”

“Penza Bailey Architects has had the pleasure of working with Delbert Adams and his team of professionals on many, many wonderful projects over the past 25 years. Delbert is very professional and his team works diligently to maintain a high level of craftsmanship. DACG understands older structures, and take the time to manage a construction project thoroughly. If you want a job well done, we highly recommend Delbert Adams Construction Group.”

“Riley Custom Homes built our custom home and incorporated a level of professionalism, integrity and courtesy throughout the entire process, from contract negotiations and construction to establishing an ongoing relationship based upon mutual respect and friendship. Their contract provided full disclosure of all costs. We met every other week, at our time preference, on the job site to discuss progress and upcoming agenda items. Owner, John Riley hires top-rate workers and has superb working relationships with reliable subcontractors. We would highly recommend Riley Custom Homes for a custom home or renovation.”

“They did a good job quality wise. They were not always on time, but a job well done. They built my house and I would recommend them.”

“Mike was our construction manager during our house teardown and rebuild from 2009-2010. Mike said it would only take one year and he delivered! Mike provided excellent contractors for us to choose from and the only time we had issues was when we didn’t follow his advice. Mike is very experienced and had all the right answers to the difficult questions. Mike was more than fair, dependable and respectful of our time. Hiring Mike as our construction manager as opposed to our general contractor meant that we were responsible for negotiating the contracts with the various sub-contractors that Mike supplied. This is the way we wanted it and it worked really well because Mike was with us every step of the way. His advice was priceless. We have been in our house 5.5 years and have had no issues. The ultimate compliment that one can give to a builder is that you would use them again. We would definitely hire Mike again and could not recommend him more highly.”

“I recently completed a successful journey in having my old home torn down and having a custom new house built in its place. I consider myself to be one of the lucky few who navigated this terrain with a fabulous outcome thanks to having made the right choice in both the architect and builder that I used. The Architect: Ponte Mellor Architects, Ltd (Bethesda, MD) www.ponte-mellor.com The Builder: Edgemoor Custom Builders (Bethesda, MD) www.edgemoorcustombuilders.com The first order of business was to select the right architect. SHOULD I USE A DESIGN / BUILD FIRM: In researching the right architect, I began realizing the benefits of using a design/build firm - i.e., a firm that could provide both the services of both the architect and the builder. IF YOU DO NOT USE A DESIGN / BUILD FIRM: Let's say you are in the middle of a project and you change your mind about how you want something done. If the architect and builder are not under the same roof, then you first have to call the architect to get the blue prints altered. The architect will most likely be busy and you will have to wait for him or her to review the situation, come up with the new plans and blue-prints, get those revisions to the builder, so that the builder can proceed. This can cause huge (read "expensive" delays). IF YOU DO USE A DESIGN / BUILD FIRM: If you use a firm that is handling both the design AND build, then they can do it all "in house" thereby minimizing the delay (and cost) to you. In interviewing different architects, I found architect Rui Ponte, AIA/LEED AP with Ponte Mellor Architects, to be the one who most clearly and enthusiastically understood my vision and ideas. His firm turned out to be the perfect choice for the architectural work. And since he and his partner Brad Mellor, AIA/LEED AP also have a construction company called Edgemoor Custom Builders, they fit the bill as a "Design / Build" firm. I WENT TO SEE SOME OTHER PROJECTS THEY HAD DONE: I asked Mr. Rui Ponte if I could go inspect some of the homes they had designed and built. He said certainly, and arrangements were made with the various home-owners for me to come take a look. I went to see 5 of them. The homes were beautiful, warm, and classy. But I did not just walk around the main portions of the houses. I also went into the basements and up into the attics, so that I could examine the unfinished portions of the house. What I saw was outstanding, solid craftsmanship in every beam, joint, and installation. I THEN EDUCATED MYSELF ON CONTRACTS: Once I decided who to use, I asked Ponte Mellor Architects and Edgemoor Custom Builders for a copy of the contracts they use. They use the standard AIA (American Institute of Architects) contracts, but these contracts have many different options in them. The next step was to pay an hourly rate to another architect to advise me on what all these variables meant, and to do some research on-line. I then had further discussions with Ponte Mellor Architects and Edgemoor Custom Builders about my ideas regarding the contract, which resulted in an agreement that I thought was fair to all parties. I FOUND PHOTOS ON-LINE OF IDEAS I LIKED: One of the biggest challenges in any creative process is the ability to communicate an idea to another. So how does one communicate to an architect an idea that one wants incorporated into the build? The answer is with photographs taken from the internet. I spent hours combing through the internet taking "screen-shots" of ideas that I liked from architectural sites. These photos were invaluable in this creative process. I INTERVIEWED SUB-CONTRACTORS MYSELF: For decisions on the major subcontractors (HVAC system, Electric, etc) I found it helpful for Edgemoor Custom Builders to get several bids, for them to make a recommendation to me, and then for me to be able to speak to the sub-contractor myself to make a final decision. Edgemoor Custom Builders was very supportive of my involvement with this and we worked together as a team in making the right selections EXPECTATIONS: I often hear people who have been through a renovation or a build be extremely critical of their builder, architect, and/or contractor. Sometimes I wonder how many of these people had unrealistic expectations going in? REALITY CHECK: There is no way you are going to go through a renovation or home build without there being some snafus. In the rare instance when a problem would arise in the building of my home, I was able to speak openly to my architect and builder and together we would find the best solution and move on. FINAL PRODUCT: I now have my dream house where I live with my family. It is amazing. I am very grateful to the folks at Ponte Mellor Architects and Edgemoor Custom Builders, and heartily recommend their services to anyone considering a renovation or a build.”

“Vince finished our basement and did an outstanding job. He was always accessible, pleasant and very easy to work with. Vince had a lot of great ideas and made the process enjoyable. He finished the project on time and within budget. We would hire him again to do work on our house and most likely will as we have a new list of items that we want done. Great Job Vince!!”

“Cgc did a great job in our 2nd story addition. Work was done on time and was of highest quality.”