Kensington
Custom home builders in Kensington, MD. Repeat work here since 2009.
In 2009, the president of a construction-consulting firm hired us to build his own Kensington home, then put his inspectors on the job as it went up. They found no shortcuts. We've worked in and around this small town ever since: Parkwood Dr, Dresden St, and the projects in between.
In 2009, the president of a construction-consulting firm hired us to build his own Kensington home, then put his inspectors on the job as it went up. They found no shortcuts. We've worked in and around this small town ever since: Parkwood Dr, Dresden St, and the projects in between.
The town and the ZIP code are not the same place. The difference changes your permits.
The Town of Kensington is a compact, incorporated municipality with its own mayor and council: the Victorian core that grew up around the old train station, Antique Row along Howard Ave, and the MARC Brunswick line still carrying commuters into Union Station every morning. The greater 20895 ZIP spreads well past the town line into Parkwood, Rock Creek Hills, and blocks of streets that say "Kensington" on the envelope but answer only to Montgomery County. Which side of that line your lot sits on changes your permit path, and we'll get to that below.
The housing stock splits the same way. Inside and near the historic core you find the frame houses of a late-1800s railroad suburb: tall, close together, full of character and full of compromises. Outside it, the postwar decades filled in capes, ramblers, and split-levels, most of them sitting on lots more generous than the houses themselves. That second category is where most of our Kensington conversations start. You love the street, the walk to Antique Row, the train into the city, and you have outgrown 3 small bedrooms and 1 working bathroom.
There are 2 honest answers to that problem. Add on, or take the house down and build the one you need on the lot you already love. We do both, and we've done both here. What we won't do is pretend one answer fits every lot. A cape with a sound foundation and decent ceiling heights is a different decision than one without them, and we'll walk the house with you before anyone talks scope.
In a town this size, a builder's recent work is a short walk from your front door. Ours is on Parkwood Dr and Dresden St, part of nearly two decades of repeat Kensington projects. Ask those neighbors what the build was like before you ask us.
Our 2009 Kensington build was audited by the client's own inspectors. They reported no shortcuts.
In 2009, the president of AEGIS Construction Consultants, a firm that scrutinizes construction work for a living, hired us to build his own custom home in Kensington. The lot was difficult and the timeline strict, and he didn't take our word for anything: he retained his own personnel to check the build as it went up.
"I retained personnel to ensure that no shortcuts were being made… I can say with no reservations that Kevin Slezak excelled in all areas." - D. Hatwell, President, AEGIS Construction Consultants, 2010
That house is why we keep getting Kensington calls. The full story (the lot, the schedule, what his inspectors checked) is on our custom homes page.
Our Kensington work, by address. Drive past any of them.
- The 2009 AEGIS president's home - difficult lot, strict timeline, audited throughout by the owner's own inspectors.
- 10608 Parkwood Dr - our project in the Parkwood neighborhood, just outside the town line.
- 4308 Dresden St - Kensington, MD 20895.
- "Modern Classic" - a Montgomery County project featured in our Houzz portfolio.
What we build in Kensington. Teardowns and additions lead the list.
- Teardown & rebuild - the natural Kensington move when the lot is right and the cape isn't. We evaluate teardown lots for the new homes we build and sell each year, so you get a straight answer on which way the math points.
- Home additions - keep the house, the street, and the school assignment; add the space.
- Custom homes - bring your architect's plan, a plan you bought online, or a blank lot and a wishlist. All 3 have produced finished homes.
- Design-build - one firm covering both the drawings and the construction: complete home design, permitting, then a construction contract agreed before work begins.
- Whole-home remodeling - when the bones are worth keeping and almost nothing else is.
Inside the town line, you clear two desks. We plan for both from day one.
Every Kensington project starts with Montgomery County: building permits, trade permits, sediment control where the site calls for it. If your lot sits inside the Town of Kensington itself, the town adds its own review layer on top of the county's, a separate municipal step that catches owners (and out-of-area builders) off guard. Properties in and around the historic core can carry historic-preservation review as well.
None of this is a reason not to build. It's a reason to sequence the project correctly. We map the full approval path during design - county, town, and anything your specific lot triggers - and build it into the construction schedule you get before work starts. You'll know what's filed, what's pending, and what's next, because the schedule says so, not because you had to call and ask.
Your street may already be on our list. Ask what we've built nearby.
Tell us about your lot, your cape, or the house you can't quite make work anymore. We'll walk it with you and tell you straight whether it wants an addition, a rebuild, or nothing at all.
Or call us at 443-752-5621.
From the portfolio
Coming Soon4915 Bangor Drive
Kensington
Sold10120 Ashwood Drive
Kensington
Sold10608 Parkwood Drive
Kensington
Sold4308 Dresden Street
Kensington
Sold4524 Everett Street
Kensington
SoldCushing Drive
Kensington
What Kensington homeowners ask us. Straight answers on cost, time, and permits.
What does it cost to build a custom home in Kensington, MD?
Our design-build projects have historically run from $350K for major additions and remodels to $3M+ for full custom homes. In Kensington the big cost drivers are the lot itself, sitework and foundation, square footage, and finish level. You get a detailed line-item budget before construction begins.
Should I tear down my Kensington cape or renovate it?
It depends on 3 things: the foundation, the ceiling heights, and how much of what you want the existing structure can hold. When an addition starts rivaling the cost of new construction, the teardown usually wins. We evaluate teardown lots for the new homes we build and sell, and we’ll give you the same read on yours, including when the answer is "renovate, don’t rebuild."
How long does a custom build take in Kensington?
Plan in 3 blocks: design and selections, permits, construction. A sane planning window for a full custom home is roughly 16 to 22 months from first drawing to move-in; additions run shorter. Inside the town line, the town’s review adds time to the county’s, so we build that into the schedule rather than discovering it mid-project. You get a construction schedule and a selection schedule on day 1, so you always know which block you’re in.
Do you know the Town of Kensington’s permit process?
Yes. We’ve been building in and around the town since 2009, and projects inside the town line go through the town’s own review on top of Montgomery County’s permits. We map that path during design and sequence the filings so review time doesn’t stall the build.
Do I need an architect before I call you?
No. Bring finished architect’s drawings, a plan you bought online, or nothing but the lot and a wishlist. We’ve delivered finished homes from all 3 starting points. If you need design, our design-build track covers drawings and construction under one roof.
Tell us about your project. We'll tell you what it takes.
Fill out the short form and we will call you to set up a consultation, or skip the form and call us directly: 443-752-5621.