McMahon Custom Homes · Richmond, VA
Custom Home Design Build
Serves Greater Richmond, VA including Chesterfield, Goochland, Maidens, and surrounding Central Virginia communities
Full-service design and construction on your lot, from architectural plans through final handover, with transparent cost-plus contracting and weekly updates.
About
McMahon Custom Homes provides complete design-build services for custom homes on your lot, handling everything from architectural planning and permitting through final construction and handover. The team uses transparent cost-plus contracting where you see every cost, and provides weekly project updates throughout the build process. With full-service coordination of architects, engineers, subcontractors, and vendors, clients work with a dedicated project team from concept through completion.
What's Included
Custom home plans tailored to your lifestyle, lot characteristics, and aesthetic preferences, from conceptual drawings through construction-ready documents and 3D renderings.
All permit applications, engineering coordination, building department submissions, inspection scheduling, and compliance documentation handled by your project team.
Detailed documentation of all labor, material, and subcontractor costs with builder fee clearly stated, providing complete visibility into project expenses.
Coordination of all trades, material procurement, scheduling, quality control, and problem-solving from groundbreaking through final walkthrough.
Regular communication on progress, upcoming decisions, schedule status, and any issues, with milestone walkthroughs at key construction phases.
Ideal For
Design-build is ideal for homeowners who want a custom home tailored to their specific needs and lifestyle, value transparency in pricing and process, prefer working with one accountable team rather than managing separate contracts, and want flexibility to make design decisions throughout the process. It particularly suits those building on challenging lots where integrated design and construction expertise prevents costly mistakes, and those who value collaborative relationships over transactional ones.
Consult First
Before committing to custom home construction, ensure you have realistic budget expectations for your market (custom builds typically cost significantly more per square foot than production homes), adequate financing secured or pre-approved, sufficient time to be involved in decision-making throughout the 12-18 month process, and have thoroughly evaluated your lot for any conditions (steep slopes, poor soil, easements, setback restrictions) that might significantly impact cost or feasibility. Consider consulting with the design-build team about lot evaluation before purchasing land if you haven't yet secured your site.
What Is Design-Build and How Does It Work?
Design-build is an integrated project delivery method where a single company handles both architectural design and construction under one contract. Unlike the traditional approach where owners hire an architect to create plans and then separately contract with a builder, design-build unifies these services under one team and one agreement. This integration allows designers and construction experts to collaborate from day one, creating plans that are both architecturally compelling and practically buildable within budget.
The process typically begins with programming meetings to understand your lifestyle, aesthetic preferences, must-have features, and budget parameters. The design team creates conceptual plans, which evolve through revisions into detailed construction documents. Because construction expertise is embedded in the design phase, potential issues—complicated framing, expensive structural elements, or impractical details—are identified and resolved before construction begins rather than becoming costly surprises mid-build.
Throughout construction, the same team that created the design manages the build, ensuring design intent is preserved while making informed decisions when field conditions require adjustments. This continuity eliminates the common scenario where builders claim designs are flawed and architects claim builders aren't following plans—there's single-point accountability for both design quality and construction execution.
Understanding Cost-Plus Contracting and Transparent Pricing
Cost-plus contracting means the homeowner pays the actual cost of all labor, materials, subcontractors, and permits, plus a builder's fee (either a fixed amount or percentage of costs). This contrasts with lump-sum or fixed-price contracts where builders quote one total price upfront. The fundamental difference is transparency: in cost-plus arrangements, you see detailed accounting of every expense—what the framers actually cost, what was paid for lumber, the actual plumbing subcontractor invoice—rather than a black-box total.
The advantage is flexibility and trust. When you want to upgrade countertops or add a feature mid-construction, you see the actual cost difference rather than inflated change-order markups that builders use to protect contingency in fixed-price contracts. You also benefit when builders negotiate good subcontractor rates or material prices—in fixed-price models, the builder keeps these savings, while in cost-plus, lower costs directly reduce your total. The trade-off is less cost certainty upfront, though detailed budgeting during design provides solid estimates.
Cost-plus works best when there's mutual trust and transparency. Reputable design-build firms provide detailed cost tracking, regular budget updates, and documentation of all expenses. This model particularly suits custom homes where owners want significant input and flexibility rather than selecting from predetermined plans and allowances common in production building.
The Custom Home Building Timeline and Process Stages
Custom home construction unfolds in distinct phases, each with specific milestones and decision points. The pre-construction phase includes initial programming and conceptual design (typically 4-8 weeks), design development and selections (6-10 weeks), and permitting (2-8 weeks depending on jurisdiction). During this phase, you'll make all major decisions about layout, architectural style, structural systems, major finishes, and fixtures. The more thorough this planning phase, the smoother construction proceeds.
Construction itself typically follows a predictable sequence: site preparation and foundation (3-6 weeks), framing and rough-ins for plumbing/electrical/HVAC (6-10 weeks), exterior completion including roofing and siding (4-6 weeks), interior finishes including drywall, trim, cabinetry, and flooring (8-12 weeks), and final fixtures, painting, and punch list (3-4 weeks). These timelines overlap—exterior work continues while interior finishes begin—and vary based on home size, complexity, weather, and material availability.
Weekly updates throughout construction keep you informed of progress, upcoming decisions, any issues encountered, and schedule status. Key milestone walkthroughs let you see progress firsthand and address concerns while they're easy to correct. The final phase includes final inspections, your walkthrough with a punch list of any items needing attention, completion of those items, final cleaning, and handover with all warranties, manuals, and documentation for your new home.
What Makes a Successful Custom Home Project
Successful custom home projects share several common characteristics. First is clarity of vision balanced with flexibility—knowing what's truly important to you (maybe aging-in-place features, a chef's kitchen, or a dedicated home office) while remaining open to professional guidance on details. Trying to control every minor decision creates stress and delays, while providing clear priorities lets the design-build team optimize around what matters most to you.
Realistic budgeting is equally critical. Custom homes typically cost significantly more per square foot than production homes due to unique designs, higher-quality materials, and custom details. Understanding market rates in your area, being honest about must-haves versus nice-to-haves, and maintaining contingency for unforeseen conditions (usually 10-15% of construction budget) prevents mid-project financial stress that can compromise quality or force difficult compromises.
Finally, strong communication and trust between owner and builder make the difference between a stressful ordeal and an exciting journey. Construction inherently involves unknowns—existing utilities in unexpected locations, soil conditions requiring different foundations, material delays, weather impacts. A collaborative relationship where problems are solved together, where the builder proactively communicates issues, and where owners trust their builder's expertise to handle day-to-day decisions, creates better outcomes than adversarial relationships where every issue becomes a battle.
FAQ
How does the design-build process work compared to hiring separate architects and builders?
Design-build integrates design and construction under one contract and team. You work with McMahon Custom Homes from initial concept through completion, rather than managing separate contracts with an architect and then a general contractor. This streamlines communication, reduces timeline gaps between design and construction phases, and provides single-point accountability. The design team works closely with construction experts throughout the process, ensuring buildability and budget alignment from the start rather than discovering issues after architectural plans are complete.
What does cost-plus contracting mean and how is it different from fixed-price contracts?
Cost-plus contracting means you pay the actual cost of labor and materials plus a predetermined builder fee (typically a percentage or fixed amount). McMahon provides transparent documentation of all expenses, so you see exactly where your money goes. This differs from fixed-price contracts where the builder quotes one total price upfront. Cost-plus offers more transparency and flexibility to make changes during construction, while fixed-price offers more cost certainty but less visibility into actual expenses and less flexibility for modifications.
How long does it typically take to design and build a custom home?
The complete process typically takes 12-18 months from initial design to move-in, though timelines vary based on home size, complexity, site conditions, and permit processing times. Design and permitting generally take 3-5 months, followed by 9-13 months of construction. Factors that can extend timelines include complex architectural designs, challenging site conditions requiring additional engineering, custom millwork or imported materials, and local permit authority processing speeds. McMahon provides a detailed timeline during the planning phase and weekly updates throughout the build.
Do I need to already own land before starting the design process?
While you can begin preliminary design discussions before owning land, you'll need to have your lot secured before moving into detailed design and permitting. The specific characteristics of your site—topography, soil conditions, setback requirements, utility locations, solar orientation, and view corridors—significantly influence the architectural design. McMahon can provide guidance on lot evaluation and what to look for when purchasing land to ensure it suits your vision and budget.
What level of involvement and decision-making is required from me during the build?
You'll make all major design decisions during the planning phase (floor plan, exterior style, major finishes) and selections decisions for fixtures, finishes, appliances, and colors before or during early construction. McMahon handles day-to-day construction management, subcontractor coordination, scheduling, and problem-solving. You'll receive weekly updates and have opportunities for walkthroughs at key milestones. Most clients spend several hours weekly on communications and decisions during active construction, with more time required during the selection phase.
What happens if we want to make changes during construction?
The cost-plus contracting model accommodates changes more easily than fixed-price contracts. When you request a change, McMahon provides documentation of the cost impact (materials, labor, and any timeline effects) for your approval before proceeding. Changes made early in construction or before that phase begins are easier and less costly to implement than changes after work is complete. The transparent pricing model means you see exactly what each change costs rather than inflated change-order markups common with fixed-price builders.
How do you handle permits, inspections, and building code compliance?
McMahon manages all permitting, inspections, and code compliance as part of the design-build service. This includes preparing and submitting permit applications, coordinating required inspections throughout construction, addressing any inspector comments or required corrections, and ensuring final certificate of occupancy. The design team creates plans that meet local building codes, zoning requirements, and any HOA restrictions. You're kept informed of permit and inspection status but don't need to manage these processes directly.
What if there are issues or problems during construction?
Construction challenges are normal—unexpected site conditions, material delays, weather impacts, or subcontractor issues can arise. McMahon's project management team handles problem-solving and keeps construction moving forward. You're informed of significant issues and any budget or timeline impacts, but the team manages resolution directly. The weekly update process ensures you're never surprised by problems. After completion, McMahon provides warranty coverage for construction defects, with clear processes for addressing any post-completion issues.