Custom Home Builder in Hillsborough

Hillsborough's housing stock is one of the most architecturally diverse collections of estate homes in California. The town's residential history stretches back to the early 1900s, when wealthy San Francisco families built country estates on the wooded hillsides above Burlingame. Grand Mediterranean and Spanish Colonial Revival homes from the 1920s and 1930s sit alongside Georgian estates, English Tudor manors, and midcentury modern residences from the postwar era. More recent decades have added contemporary designs that take advantage of the town's hillside topography with walls of glass, cantilevered decks, and open-plan interiors oriented toward Bay views or the western ridgeline.

Custom home construction and estate renovations are the leading project types in Hillsborough. New ground-up builds on the town's larger parcels allow homeowners to create residences of 5,000 to 10,000 square feet or more, often with multi-car garages, home offices, guest suites, and outdoor entertaining areas. Whole-home remodels are equally prevalent, as many buyers acquire an architecturally significant older estate and invest in updating the interior layout, mechanical systems, and finishes while preserving the exterior character and mature landscaping. Kitchen remodeling is a consistent priority, as the town's older homes often have compartmentalized kitchen layouts that homeowners want to open up and modernize.

The Architecture and Design Review Board (ADRB) is central to building in Hillsborough. Every new home and significant exterior modification requires ADRB approval, and the board evaluates design quality, material selections, color palettes, landscape integration, and compatibility with surrounding properties. Applicants submit detailed plans, elevations, material samples, and color boards. Many Hillsborough lots are sloped, requiring retaining walls, custom foundation systems, and grading plans that comply with the town's erosion control standards. Tree preservation is also taken seriously, with heritage trees protected under local ordinance.

Hillsborough's residents include corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and established families who are drawn to the town's combination of privacy, prestige, and convenient access to San Francisco, SFO, and the Peninsula's tech corridor. Home values consistently rank among the highest in San Mateo County, and well-executed construction projects protect that investment while delivering the modern comfort, energy efficiency, and personalized design that today's homeowners expect.