Custom Home Builder

Luxury custom home building is one of our specialties. See what we can do for your home to make it most extraordinary.

Custom Home Builder in Santa Rosa, CA

Residential construction in Santa Rosa and the North Bay requires an intimate knowledge of the area. Weather can vary dramatically from day to day or hour to hour. Sonoma county, Napa and Marin County all boast a wide variety of architectural styles, adding to the beauty of the region. As your custom home builder, we blend your dreams with the Bay Area style achieving unmatched results.

Welcome to Carrington Construction! As you will discover, there’s nothing ordinary about our team or the custom homes we build. With Carrington Construction as your custom home builder, you’ll come home to a space that blends form and function just the way you want it. Maybe it’s the view of the hills, the layout of the kitchen or the comfort of a cozy living room. No compromise, no dream unfulfilled.

As a luxury custom home builder in Santa Rosa, we take great pride in our work. We have a reputation to uphold so nothing less that complete satisfaction is a requirement. We’re not a production home builder. We don’t stamp out formula houses day after day. Whether new home construction or growing family remodeling, the job site is our studio. A place we create. Each member of our crew shares the same belief, that at the end of the day, and the end of a project, we leave a legacy of workmanship which bears our name and reputation.

Why Carrington Construction?

Owning a home in beautiful Sonoma County brings with it a unique set of opportunities and challenges. We’ve helped clients enjoy the opportunities and overcome the challenges. The experience gained from more than 20 years of premium custom home building, renovations and historical preservation informs everything we do at Carrington Construction. As your custom home builder, we know how to expertly manage the entire process of new construction. We can work alongside talented designers or we can build from your own plans. In either case, we’ll develop a customer-centric plan to execute your vision with remarkable quality.

It’s Sometimes Best To Listen

One of our greatest assets is our ability to listen. Our talented team puts you at the center of attention. And that includes before you sign off on your plans and after you sign a building contract. You might say that a custom homebuilder’s best tools are his ears. And when it comes to your needs, we’re all ears.

Carrington Construction Inc. has built custom homes of all shapes and sizes, from small mission-style homes to large Victorian and Craftsman houses. We use our in-house talent and a trusted network of screened, approved vendors and subcontractors so that we can masterfully create the dream home you want.

From the very beginning of your relationship with us, to even years after your home is completed, we extend to you the highest level of service that you expect and deserve. Yes, there are many good home builders in the greater Sonoma, Marin, and Napa county. We work hard every day to keep Carrington at the top of the list.

About Us

Our Approach as Your Custom Home Builder

We bring the unique perspective of an experienced, high-quality custom home builder to the design process. This is a key element in our collaboration with you and your architect. As we gain an understanding of your wants and needs in your new residential construction project, we may be able to offer suggestions that achieve the same results, but at a lower cost. From the most critical and dynamic mechanical systems to the most thoughtful and clever interior trim details, everything is thoroughly discussed, agreed, and documented.

We are the custom home builder that will act as your partner and stakeholder, caring as much about the success of the project as you do.

We value teamwork, creative thinking, and strong communication skills to deliver the custom-built, thoughtfully designed custom home you have envisioned.

You can rest assured that Carrington will take of care of every detail associated with your custom home including:

N

Pre-Planning and Designs

N

Value Engineering

N

Zoning, Permits, Historic Building Codes

N

Risk Management

N

Client-Centric Consultations

N

Ongoing Customer Communication

N

On-Site Visits Throughout the Project

N

Project Management

N

Follow-Up and Post-Construction Services

N

Screening and Approving Subcontractors

Your team at Carrington Construction Inc. cares about your complete satisfaction. To achieve this, we put in the legwork and sustain our utmost attention to your project from start to finish, while keeping you informed throughout.

The Carrington Design & Build Process

Many people, especially those who have not worked with a custom home builder, see the phrase ‘design/build’ and think, “Well, of course, what else would you do? You design your home and then you build it, right?”

Not exactly. Most new residential construction processes are actually ‘design-bid-build’. This tradition is sequential, meaning the design is completed, then bids received on labor and materials, followed by construction of the home based on the pre-approved specifications. This can yield predictable results with known costs going in. However, what if you change your mind and need change orders? What if materials suddenly become unavailable due to a shortage in the supply chain? The unexpected can and does happen. And as you might imagine, this allows very little client input once construction begins and the house is delivered ‘as agreed’ at the bidding stage.

Design & Build

At Carrington Construction Inc. our design/build is a collaborative approach that is much more client-centric and offers many advantages for the project owner, namely you receive the services you need under one umbrella. The project can begin rather quickly, with final details like specific cosmetic touches being chosen and added in-progress. During the residential construction project, you, your architects or designer, and Carrington Construction will work as a team, mapping out your vision, discussing costs, options, and timetables. Each member of the team brings their expertise so that the collaboration yields the best custom home at the best cost. Your satisfaction comes first. We always aim for the sweet spot where cost-efficiency and high-quality work meet. You have a number of choices for your custom home, but only Carrington Construction provides such caring, personal attention to detail, and a client-first approach.

See Design Build

Our Goal: Quality Home and a Quality Experience

Our goal is to provide you with an outstanding residential design/build experience. We work closely with those who are interested in quality, uniqueness, and an opportunity to live in great home design.

A majority of our homes begin with a vacant site, a vision, and a process of achieving that vision. Designing and building the home of your dreams is an evolution of ideas, styles, materials, and budgets. In addition to being collaborative and enjoyable, your new home will be completed on time, and at the approved cost.

Troy Carrington leads the team with a great eye for detail, along with the mindfulness and precision required for successful project management…and your voice is the most important.

Watch Your New Home Come to Life

A team of the best artisans and tradespeople are coordinated with precision and control to ensure the highest quality results. Consistency, predictability, and accountability are trademarks of Carrington Construction Inc. activities. Through this exciting and creative experience, you will have unlimited access to Carrington Construction’s customer service, and we can provide you with construction status updates in person, email, or phone. When the big day arrives, a member of our team will give you a home orientation walkthrough, reviewing each area of your new home with you. Plus, we are happy to offer you any assistance you may need for move-in. We want you to be as happy with and excited about your new home as we are, and look forward to maintaining our relationship with you as a Carrington Construction customer for life!

Our Building Process

The Carrington Construction floor, trim and cabinet team assures no detail is ever left to chance. Our tradesmen, with their creativity, skill, and passion, allow Carrington Construction to not only maintain better control over finishing quality and scheduling; but they also bring imaginative freedom to the residential construction design process. Possibilities are greater, limitations are fewer.

In planning your kitchen, baths, and storage areas, as well as woodworking elements of staircases, moldings, and entertainment cabinets, we are not limited by mass production profiles, materials, and dimensions. Our goal is to work collaboratively with you to create your perfect home.

Our team takes pride in their contribution to a home’s sense of permanence and lasting beauty. This quality of timelessness is meant to be enjoyed immediately as well as for generations to come.

Learn More

Our motto says it all. We Listen. We Build.

You’re the boss! Both your designer and your custom home builder should be working for you. By partnering with respected independent designers, rather than in-house employees, Carrington Construction utilizes the design-build approach while avoiding any conflict of interest. In other words, the designer creates plans with your best interests in mind, and Carrington Construction operates as a central command and the driving force to build the plans successfully.

As your high-end custom builder, we bring you all the benefits of clear communication and seamless project management from planning to completion. We bring you the best design minds in the area, while also incorporating value engineering and feasibility studies to make sure the designs can be built to your liking, on schedule, and at the right price.

Chances are, your home is one of if not the largest purchase of your life, and renovating is an important investment in your home. It can also be disruptive. At Carrington Construction, we serve our clients with a listening ear and fine attention to detail. As your renovation contractor, we ensure that you get the smoothest experience and the highest value out of the project.

Carrington Construction Inc. takes pride in every aspect of renovating and remodeling. From design and planning to the final touches, we think creatively to stay one step ahead saving you time and money while delivering beautiful, environmentally friendly, and artisan-quality results.

Renovations and Remodeling

We’re the residential contractor that local homeowners actually enjoy working with because we take a client-first approach with excellent communication. From design and pre-planning forward, Carrington Construction keeps you in the loop with regular updates and check-ins. Ultimately, we do what it takes to ensure that your renovation or remodeling project gets completed on-time and on-budget, exactly to your liking.

Our renovation services range from simple to complex, including but not limited to:

Foundation Repair
Exterior Renovations
Flooring Replacement
Custom Cabinets
Room Conversions
Bathroom Remodeling
Kitchen Remodeling
Custom Tile Work
Staircase remodeling
Finished Attics and Garages
And More!

Learn More

ADUs and Barns

Have a tasting room? Frequent guests? A future wedding venue? Carrington Construction is very experienced in assisting clients in planning, designing, and building Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) as well as barns, paddocks, and fencing. Our experience covers codes and regulations as well. Ask to see our portfolio.

Home Additions

Building up or building out, home additions require a lot of careful planning but result in a major home improvement that adds value and square footage. Carrington Construction Inc. helps clients assess the options, obtain permits and approvals, and find materials that match or complement the existing home.

Our experience as a residential contractor includes home additions and alterations such as second-floor additions, bump-out additions, sunrooms, and outdoor living room additions.

As your home addition contractor, we are mindful of the fact that such a large project is a major investment and that construction affects your daily living. We plan creatively and work dutifully to produce high-quality work in the most efficient manner, so you can enjoy your newly expanded home as soon as possible.

Fire Rebuilds

As anyone who lives in California knows, fire is a real and certain threat to homeowners. We saw the devastation firsthand that occurred when the wildfires raged through Santa Rosa (Sonoma County) in 2017, 2019 and 2020..

We are proud to provide comprehensive services and expertise in the approval process for residential fire rebuilds in Sonoma County, Marin, Healdsburg, Geyserville, Napa, Kenwood, Glen Ellen, Sonoma, Fairfield, San Rafael, Mill Valley, and Tiburon, as well as Ross, Fairfax, Bodega, Windsor, Guerneville and Russian River areas.

This includes:

Two-phase debris removal of household hazardous waste, followed by removal of other fire-related debris.
Develop rebuilding construction plans for your new home.
Applying for all required building permits.
Construction and inspections
Assisting with costs documentation for insurance claims and debris removal refunds.

Our ability to assist our clients with sound advice and excellent services is best reflected in letters of appreciation.

Letter of Recommendation

I would like to take this opportunity to share my experience with Carrington Construction.

We were a victim of the 2017 “Tubbs” fire in Sonoma County. We needed to build from the ground up. Rather than use the previous floor plans we changed the location of the house on the property as well as the general layout.

We had what we thought were good plans, working them over until we were happy with the results. Once we were satisfied, started the approval process and began looking for General Contractors.

We received a couple of bids which were just numbers, no details. Troy of Carrington Construction however offered a complete and detailed plan on how much it would cost to rebuild along with details of what those numbers involved. While reviewing the plans, Troy informed us there were engineering errors and should be revised, thus saving $1000’s.

Needless to say, we hired Troy and Company in October 2018 almost a year to the date after the fire.

Our relationship started out a bit rough when we began to realize how thin the plans actually were. A new site survey should have been done, the engineering firm was not local, and the Geo Engineer was very strict.

After some false starts the concrete forms started to go up. And then the rains started. Winter 2018/2019 was a very wet year in Sonoma County. However, Carrington Construction rose to the challenge. Rather than just stopping the project and losing 4 months of progress Carrington Construction rigged tarps and pumps to keep out the water and keep his crew working through the winter. With the concrete poured, basic framing was started on the ground floor.

During the above process the designer left the project. This meant we had to work even more closely with Carrington Construction to interpret what was intended and how to implement the plans. Many challenges and compromises followed as design met reality.

Throughout this process Carrington Construction maintained steady progress on the build. We met weekly to walk through the previous week’s work and plan for the new week. Going over the plans, discussing potential problems, and reaching good solutions.

Due to various issues with the plans, structural and architectural, constant communication was critical and maintained via face-to-face, phone, email, and text depending on urgency.

Troy was able to suggest several design improvements and the end results vastly increased the overall concept of the house.

The final delay was Covid-19. The Shelter in Place did not affect our rebuild project as fire rebuild projects were considered essential. Fortunately, we were near the end of the construction and had finishing details remaining only and everyone was able to put health and safety foremost.

As we come to the end of our project, we have a beautiful new home, with clean lines and modern design. Much of which Carrington Construction is directly responsible for achieving.

We would like to express our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Troy, Jerred, Will, Jaime and all of the crew for taking care to ensure we felt we were respected and our opinions and wants were heard.

We will be offering recommendations to all we meet to use Carrington Construction for their project.

Best Regards,

William Beauchamp

Important Building Terms

Depending on your new home design, material use, and location, you may come across unfamiliar terminology referenced in your construction documentation. We’re more than happy to discuss these terms and why they may be important to your new luxury home.

Types of Construction

Codes for Types of Construction are usually known by contractors, not homeowners, but in California where fires can be prevalent, it’s important to know that your home builder is very familiar with code requirements, as they refer to the type or rating level of fire resistance. Types I and II, for example, use non-combustible materials and are commonly found in high rise apartments, schools, and office buildings. Type III is ‘ordinary’ construction, typically older structures with brick or block walls and wood floors. Type IV is known as mill construction with heavy timber used throughout the structure. Type V is traditional construction, with categories for protected and unprotected wood frames.

Each of these construction types must meet code requirements for fire resistance in terms of protection. We’ll discuss your requirements and options, and make our recommendations accordingly.

Mass Timber

Mass timber is a construction term for buildings in which the primary load-bearing structure is made of either solid or engineered wood. If construction uses timber just as an accent then it isn’t considered mass timber. While this type of construction can be an interesting solution in large homes, mass timber is more often used in commercial buildings, where load bearing is critical, and the natural beauty of wood complements (or minimizes) the use of traditional concrete and steel building materials.

Dowel Laminated Timber (DLT)

Beautiful and functional, DLT wood panels use hardwood dowels to friction fit pre-milled boards together. The resulting strength makes DLT suitable for floors and non-structural walls with desirable acoustical qualities. Introduced in Switzerland in the 1990’s, DLT avoids the use of glue, and in doing so, also avoids the VOCs and environmental impact from adhesive usage.

Cross Laminate Timber (CLT)

Building with cross laminate timber yields a very unique and handsome design, often evoking the ambience of Scandinavian countries, where wood has been historically the only building material. Layers of solid-sawn lumber are glued together and milled into thick wood panels that are surprisingly thermal efficient. CLT panels can be precisely precut at the mill and delivered to the jobsite ready for installation. A high-performance substitute for conventional concrete and masonry, CLT offers inherent benefits in regards to aesthetics, build efficiency, and environmental impact.

Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs)

Buildings built with SIPS are more energy efficient, stronger, quieter and more airtight than traditional construction. Properly constructed, SIPS will deliver less air leakage for fewer drafts and greater acoustical performance. Most importantly, an airtight SIP building consumes less energy to heat and cool, and also reduces construction waste.

Expertise in Home Style Details

Working closely with your architect or designer, we gain a better understanding of your preferences in home styles, your residential personality, so to speak. Your new home plans will serve as our ‘instructions’, certainly, yet there are often nuances of your wishes not captured in the blueprints. We may pick up on a subtle detail not yet documented as our partnership moves forward. Being a native California home builder, we have built a wide range of styles, from Mission homes to modern, contemporary statements. Our Craftsman and Victorian homes remain timeless in their appeal, as do those Carrington Homes bearing classical architecture. Our portfolio is diverse and our eye for style and period detail unmatched; be assured we can deliver on the added details.

Transparency in Residential Construction

As vested partners with our clients, we maintain transparency in residential construction costs, scheduling, materials, and subcontractors. Just as trust is the foundation of successful project delivery, transparency empowers all stakeholders to make informed decisions. Regardless of the style, size, or scope of the home building process, costs are always an important issue. California is an environment of complex codes, regulatory fees, and natural events. Our experience is an important asset as we remain diligent in construction management and stewardship of our client’s budget.

At any time a client should request design changes, cost updating is immediate and well documented. This allows our clients to be ‘in the driver’s seat’ throughout the design/build process.

Value engineering is also an opportunity to let us know where you place value and where you don’t. For example, kitchens are a central activity area for some homeowners; others not so much. By knowing this, we can approach the home design concept from a value proposition perspective. Similarly, if you’re considering purchasing land for your new home, we can provide lot evaluations including estimates for any improvements needed to fit your needs and municipal requirements.

What to Look for in a Custom Home Builder

When interviewing custom home builders, it’s important to remember that while you may be purchasing a product – a new home ‑ you need to feel right about the design and construction service and the people providing that service. Don’t focus on price; that will come soon enough. This home will be the one you’ve always imagined, your dream home, and our dream team is here to execute your vision.

Your new home builder should have previous custom home projects in his or her portfolio that catch your attention. At a high level, do the homes exhibit the level of craftsmanship and style you want in your project?

How long has the potential builder been in business? Are you speaking to the owner of the construction firm? Or a sales representative. And will you always have access to the owner?

How involved will you be in the design as well as the decision-making process?

Ask direct questions: how do you handle delays, what makes you different from other home builders, and how many homes do you have under construction right now?

The best way to learn about your prospective home builder is to talk to the owners of homes they’ve built. If possible, visit the homes and see first-hand the quality of the cabinetry, carpeting, trim work, paint, and other important attributes. If there is any hesitation on the part of the builder, keep looking.

At Carrington Construction Inc. our craftsmanship is well known among fellow contractors, our quality and construction management is valued by customers, and our business practices are respected by subcontractors and municipalities alike. When you are ready to build, you know where to find us.

Get Started

Custom home builder - Vista Ridge House Exterior Front