Classic Homes of Maryland Review

We are so happy with our home! The rooms are spacious, the model we chose is very modern, with its open floor plan. Classic provides great value for your money. We recommend Classic Homes of Maryland to our friends and neighbors.

Classic Homes of MD built our new house in Bethesda 2018-2019. Overall, we are happy with their pre- and post-construction customer services, quality of work, and the cost benefit is great! Quality control at each step is good, delivered what the sales promised. wished the construction time had been shorter.

***5 year update: We are updating our review five years in to say that we are still extremely happy with our decision to go with Classic Homes. We haven't made any major repairs beyond normal wear-and-tear issues. Most important, the foundation is solid, and we ve had no plumbing issues or expensive replacements. The only modifications I would do to my house, looking back, would be to put 9 ceilings on my upper floor and a fireplace in the master bedroom. Classic Homes builds a great house for the price, as long as you understand going in that you pay for the upgrades you want, rather than an inflated fixed price for high end finishes you don't want. We still get compliments when people see our house. I encourage people to do your research. Even if you do a lot of upgrades (and we did), you ll still find Classic to be less expensive with the same quality standards as other higher end builders. ***

We researched a fair amount of companies specializing in teardowns before choosing Classic Homes of MD to build our new custom home in Bethesda. Home building is a long process with lots of decisions, but we are happy with how it all came together in the end, and we now can relax in the home of our dreams.

No other builders we looked at came close in terms of value for the money. There are more expensive builders and cheaper builders out there, but Classic strikes the right balance and truly builds a customized, quality home at a reasonable price. All the finishes and extra details like craftsman interior trim to match the craftsman exterior, bookshelves in the study, bench for the mudroom, and the high ceilings on all floor levels, including lower, make our house feel unique and spacious. We also like how they strike a nice balance of letting you customize what you want, while having standard options you can rely on for the choices where you aren t overly picky. If you want, you can pick every light switch plate.

Classic also lets you save money by arranging for your own site work. Dealing with the County and site work contractors takes a little time, but the savings more than makes up for it. Plus, Classic s supers are fantastic and will walk you through every step. Our super kept the house on schedule and literally made sure every nail was in the right place.

We receive many compliments when we have guests over and haven t had an issue with anything since taking the keys. Classic helped make our dream of owning an affordable beautiful custom home come true.

Good experience working with this builder from start to finish. They come in at 90-day and 12-month post-completion to fix anything that settled or touch-ups. Nice people and responsive. Would recommend for building your next home.

My wife and I were looking into building a house with Classic Homes and although we decided to not move forward, we had a great experience. Scott from the sales team was incredibly professional and was always quick to respond to any questions we had. He helped us come up with a great design for a house that fit our needs while keeping within our budget. The lot we were trying to obtain was being developed as a part of a larger subdivision and Scott reached out to the developer several times to get updates. He was always extremely upfront and honest with us about the realistic timeline for building (a major issue we had with another builder). Although the timeline was pushed too far out for us at this moment, we hope to work with Classic in the future!

My husband and I are Happy with my new custom home. My home building experience with Howard and his team (Mike, Haixia, and Tom) at Classic Homes was great!! They acted professionally at every step of way - from selection of interior colors to the leveling of the front yard. There were no hesitations in returning my calls or answering our many questions, as new homeowners. I could literally go on and on about Classic Homes, but try it by yourself!!! We love our home. Thank you so much!!!

My husband and I just completed the building of our new house with Classic. I cannot describe how wonderful the experience was. From the very beginning when we were just looking at the lot that we ended up purchasing and building our home on, the team at Classic was incredible. They did a great job managing our expectations through the entire process. Everything to do with costs was laid out very clearly and there were no surprises along the way. While we did run into a few situations that increased the projected costs (as one should expect while building a home), Classic was very upfront and thorough in explaining why. It was not the scary home building experience that you hear about! The various products offered during the design phase are top notch, even the standard options. Once construction started, our superintendent Pete, was awesome. We were kept in the loop the entire time and looked forward to our weekly update emails. My husband and I would absolutely recommend Classic to anyone we know!

PART 1
3 years ago, we built with a production luxury builder (NV homes) but unfortunately we had to sell and move because of lot size and lack of privacy.
We just finished building with Classic Homes of Maryland. We had them build for us one of of their luxury models.
Here are some areas that we feel they can improve on to make customers happier and not always want to write negative reviews about them.
1. Initial consultation phase and plan development. We feel they should spend more time to review building plan modifications well so clients know upfront what is possible and what is not. After signing our contract, we later realized that some of the modifications we desired could not be achieved after all, for example exterior front columns and rear patio. We feel it would have been helpful to know this before signing our contract. They should also be more straightforward with the square footage pricing. They wanted to add an open space to the price per square footage because it costs more to leave an open space . This forced us to switch to a different model; yet in the new model when we wanted to convert an open space into a closet to get the benefit, they charged us for it anyway.
2. Options and selections. It seemed to us that their standard features for luxury models were rather basic. If the base price for a house starts above nine hundred thousand dollars (minus the cost of the land), one would expect that the house would come with some luxury features (faucets, drawer handles and pulls light fixtures, crown mold package vanities, toilet set and such). We did not find it so with Classic Homes. One good thing we found was that a luxury model came with brick on three sides as standard but the quality of the brick selection was rather inadequate and we had to upgrade to a slightly better quality brick for a significant cost of about $33000
3. Delays and tardiness. In our case, after we signed our contract and completed our selections, there was a significant delay before they would escavate. There were also significant delays along the way causing two extensions to our loan finalization. They were still unable to meet the final conservative estimate that they gave us, causing us to keep extending our rental lease. Luckily we had a landlord who was very understanding. It seems to us they need more subs. In their bid to try and finish, there was so much chaos in the last 2 months with things not being done in an orderly manner. We also found that they were very tardy in addressing errors that arose forcing them to address them at the last minute and in a rushed and improper way. One example is squeaking floors that were brought to their attention. Those were not adequately addressed in a timely manner, and continue to be a problem today. I get angry anytime I m entering my daughter s bedroom because of squeaking outside her door that was not fixed adequately. This issue was brought to their attention after framing but was not addressed adequately. It was actually one of my priorities in a new home and I made it known from the beginning yet they failed on that. I have no confidence that they will resolve it satisfactorily because the email they gave for customer warranty concerns does not appear to be a working one. The reason I say that is that soon after we moved into the house we had issues with the garage door. However when I emailed the warranty department, I did not receive any response. So after several days, I called the office and I was given a different email. It was only when I insisted on talking to a human being that I received a message that they would send someone over.
See comments on yelp as there is limited space here.
UPDATE: DESPITE THE PROBLEMS WE FACED DURING CONSTRUCTION, WE HAVE BEEN PLEASANTLY BY THEIR GOOD WARRANTY SERVICE. MR DAVE FRYE VERY PATIENT AND VERY COMMITTED. WE BELIEVE THEY TOOK OUR CONCERNS SERIOUSLY AND HAVE IMPLEMENTED CHANGES. FOR THIS REASON, I WILL RECOMMEND THIS COMPANY TO ANYONE. SPECIAL THANKS TO MR MIKE WILSON WHO WAS ALSO VERY HELPFUL DURING CONSTRUCTION.

I cannot say enough about my working relationship with Todd. His communication was open, honest, and clear at all times, always making himself available during Pre-Construction. Through our meeting, he really demonstrated his understanding of my vision and was extremely detailed, thorough and precise in putting the package together to avoid any confusions upon Hand-Off. 5 Stars All the way!

Aug 9, 2017: They reached out to me, but they failed to reply to my email. They appear to only want to help those who visit them so they can BS. Their website said we build homes for under $100 sf. Prove it before you want me to go meet with you.

Sep 19, 2017: Rating went from a 1 to 3 star, because I was contacted on Aug 17, and now email communication has improved. In my opinion communication started because of the original review. Since the initial encounter the company has been helpful and diligent in answering questions.

We cannot be happier with Classic Homes. The service was impeccable from the very start we were provided with a very broad choice of options, each of which was promptly described to us in the most detailed and precise way. Once our choice of the house model and internal fixtures was made, Classic never failed in terms of timing and price. We had no experience whatsoever in construction projects but the level of help and support by Classic to us made the whole process of building the house smooth and easy. The county inspectors know the level of the company s attention to every regulatory detail and there have been no problems in this area.
The project was finished just in time and strictly within the budget and we are extremely grateful to Classic for getting the dream house to us exactly as we wanted.

We have lived in the home they built us for seven months and they have had to come out more than seven times to correct issues they have made.
This doesn t include the settling home items that they will still come out and address at the one year mark.

Several times they have come out to fix items and made the problems worse.

They have acknowledged this and are working to fix them again but at some point I have to work. And not sit at home babysitting them.

I will try to attach pics. You be the judge.

My wife and I don t post nasty reviews not are we picked people but we are both livid over this experience.

Classic Homes is a great Company to work with when building your perfect home. Their sales professionals, I highly recommend Terri, are absolute responsive to the MANY emails, calls, and questions my Wife and I had relating to design, property, and features of our potential dream home. We thought constructing our home will be a very stressful endeavor, especially for us with Full-time jobs and two kids, however, the professional at Classic Homes seem to make it simple. From selecting a design, property location, preferred lender, and construction materials; Classic provided the best, forward thinking recommendations that matched our research and due-diligence. My Wife and I enjoy working with Classic and will continue to do so in the future. To Classic Homes Team Members: Thank you all, we really appreciate your efforts and patience, and we will highly recommend your services to our network of friends and family.
Thank you all.

We had a great experience with Classic Homes of Maryland. From the first meeting with the sales agent, to the visit at the design center, we felt that a premier attention was given to our needs. The staff at classic homes are professional and our sales agent in particular was very proactive in giving us information on possible lot location, organizing site visits with the engineer, and reviewing with us various building options. The team has a hands-on knowledge of the entire building process, from the lot acquisition, to engaging with lenders on construction loans and choosing your house specs. We highly recommend!

The Classic Homes models and designs fit in with the craftsman feel of our neighborhood in Bethesda. Their process allowed for the customization that we desired. Their staff understands the fears held by clients new to custom home building and work to make you feel comfortable throughout the design and build process. We have been in our new home for almost a year and friends and neighbors continue to comment on what a beautiful home we have. We love it too!

They play tricks on the total sq. feet of the house. If you buy 4,000 sq. ft house, you will get 3500 sq. ft.

I love our home today as much as I did the day we moved into it! It's been 18 months, and I am still very impressed with the quality of the construction and the way the space fits our growing family perfectly. We selected Classic Homes' Kingsmill floor plan, but they worked with us to customize it- modifying our first floor to accommodate an in-law apartment. My mother-in-law loves and is very proud of her space; and- believe me- having two kitchens is a life-saver! Choosing all of the options for our home- from the bricks and flooring to paint and carpet- was very easy and relaxed. It took us only two trips to Classic's design center to finalize our choices. Because we had a tight budget, we went with a lot of the "standard" options. But we by no means felt like we were settling- our home came "standard" with hardwood throughout much of the 1st floor, beautiful 42" cabinets, a fireplace in the family room, a huge soaking tub in the owner's suite, and much more. So we're quite happy with what we got!

From excavation to getting our keys, the actual build took about 8 months, just a little longer than we expected (*** It did, however, take us almost a year from the time we signed the contract to start our project, due to demolition, site work, utility and permitting delays. These headaches were NOT caused by Classic Homes, but by the outside contractor who prepared our lot for the build and by our county's sometimes confusing permitting process. But the people at Classic walked us through everything and helped calm my nerves along the way.***). Building a new home is a decision that always requires much PATIENCE and bravery (and a cash reserve to cover upgrades and the unexpected), and we did have to do a bit of the legwork ourselves (dealing with our site contractor and our county's planning & zoning and public works offices)... but the friendly team and support staff at Classic Homes of Maryland made our experience as painless as possible. Since I'll be growing old in this one, I probably won't ever build another home; but if I did have the opportunity to do so, I wouldn't hesitate to build with Classic again.

We looked at several builders before choosing Classic, and the reason for our decision was not only for their price but also for the quality of the house they built.

We went to several Classic Home's open house tours, and one house was under construction during the framing phase at the time we visited. We were able to see the framing, the structures, and it shows excellent workmanship and quality. The other house we visited was a completed home, and when we go in, it's a wow! Every detail looked nice. Classic also has many models to choose from, and we easily found our ideal model and Classic worked with us to do the customization we wanted.

Our building process went pretty smooth. The superintendent made good arrangement for different workers so the construction goes on without much delay. Whenever we notice any problems, the superintendent is always happy to discuss with us and solve the problems right away. Building a house from scratch is a huge commitment and effort. It sure has its ups and downs, but the Classic Homes team worked with us and helped us along the way and makes the process as painless as possible.

After our house was built, we received many compliments whenever guests come over. We are very happy with our house that we told a lot of friends about Classic Homes. One of our friend is also building a house with Classic now!

We strongly believe that we got extremely lucky with choosing Classic Homes as the general contractor for our first house. No better service could be expected with respect to consulting, scheduling, and general assistance. All the job was done on time and within the budget; in fact, creative approach and focus on our case by the managers and the superintendent saved us tens of dollars. Having lived in the house for more than two years, we have not seen any flaws or problems with the construction. Hence, we strongly recommend Classic Homes without any reservations.

We built our home in 2011 and we have remained a happy customer since the day we signed the contract. From start to finish, we have received outstanding customer service from sales, design, and warranty department.

The construction process required a lot of coordination and multitasking. But fortunately Classic was very responsive to any questions we had and provided helpful advices as we moved forward. Particularly at the design center, we didn t feel any pressure to upgrade any of our selections, and the pricing was very reasonable; they truly just wanted to work with us to build our dream house without any hassle.

We recently purchased a luxury townhouse with a well-known builder as an investment property but were very disappointed with their craftsmanship and post-sales services. Then I realized that my expectations were too high as we were expecting the same level of service we had received from Classic.

The craftsmanship provided is top-tier, they really surprised me with the level of detail and quality of products they built-in to our house. It is truly a customized home by all mean. We also received a certification of energy qualified home from the EnergyStart so I knew there is no need to look for other energy saving options for the house.

We have received many compliments on our gorgeous house and I am very happy to have chosen Classic as our builder.

This has been the most amazing experience only because of the character of the folks at classic and their vendors. I couldn't be happier with the process and the people I get to work with. Amita is the most pleasant and reliable person as well as all the other members of the team that we work with for our site work, designs, permitting, etc. we are completely tearing down our house and rebuilding from the ground up. This could have been the most stressful experience but has been really streamlined. I cannot wait to see the finished product. / update: so it s been a year now and I am happy to report we only had one small issue with a frozen pipe that they got fixed for me immediately. They have been proactive about the 11month walk through so they can fix whatever cracks that occur from settlement over the past year. I am happy we worked with a company that still respects quality work and communication. I think this was a great value overall and would use them to build again.

We strongly believe that we got extremely lucky with choosing Classic Homes as the general contractor for our first house. No better service could be expected with respect to consulting, scheduling, and general assistance. All the job was done on time and within the budget; in fact, creative approach and focus on our case by the managers and the superintendent saved us tens of dollars. Having lived in the house for more than two years, we have not seen any flaws or problems with the construction. Hence, we strongly recommend Classic Homes without any reservations.