Custom Home Builder San Diego
Marilynn & Co. is a custom home builder serving San Diego County — from coastal estates in La Jolla and Del Mar to hillside homes in Rancho Santa Fe and Encinitas. 32 years of experience. Fire-aware construction. Built for Southern California.
32+
Years Experience
500+
Homes Built
6
Counties Served
5.0
Client Rating
San Diego Custom Homes
Marilynn & Co. is a custom home builder serving San Diego and the surrounding communities of La Jolla, Rancho Santa Fe, Del Mar, and Encinitas — bringing 32 years of luxury construction experience to one of the most varied and demanding building environments in Southern California.
San Diego County covers an extraordinary range of terrain and regulation in a relatively small geographic area. Coastal bluff lots in La Jolla and Del Mar come with California Coastal Commission review on top of city permitting — a process that adds time and requires documentation that has to be prepared correctly or it loops back to the start. The rural estate communities east of the coast — Rancho Santa Fe, Fairbanks Ranch, Olivenhain — have their own design standards and covenant review processes that add another layer of coordination on top of city permitting. And the hillside and inland communities east of the I-15 sit in some of the most active fire corridors in the state, which shapes everything from material selection to site planning.
We have built across all of it. Contemporary coastal homes in La Jolla and Solana Beach designed to capture the view and stand up to the marine environment. Estate homes on large parcels in Rancho Santa Fe where the scale and setting demand something that feels permanent. Modern farmhouse and transitional homes in Encinitas and Carlsbad where the clientele wants indoor-outdoor living and quality that holds up for decades. Hillside homes in the communities east of the 5 where the site challenges are real and the fire environment requires construction details that most builders treat as optional.
We do not push a style. We build what the site and the client call for, and we do it the same way regardless of whether the project is on the coast or twenty miles inland.
We serve clients throughout San Diego County including La Jolla, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Oceanside, San Marcos, Escondido, Rancho Santa Fe, Fairbanks Ranch, Carmel Valley, Torrey Pines, Poway, Rancho Bernardo, Scripps Ranch, Santee, El Cajon, La Mesa, Chula Vista, Bonita, and surrounding communities.
What We Build
Full design-build services for custom homes throughout San Diego County. Design, engineering, permits, and construction handled by one team — from the first site visit through final walkthrough. No gaps, no handoffs to subcontractors you have never met.
San Diego County has some of the most active wildfire corridors in California. Every home Marilynn & Co. builds incorporates fire-resistant construction methods developed over 25+ years of frontline Southern California firefighting experience.
Our ADU Series brings the same construction standards as our custom homes to accessory dwelling units — well suited to San Diego County properties where a guest house, home office, or rental unit adds real value.
Our Founder
Anthony Ferro spent 25 years as a Southern California firefighter before founding Marilynn & Co. Some of the most destructive fires he worked burned through San Diego County — the Cedar Fire, the Witch Creek Fire, the communities east of the coast where the terrain and the wind combine in ways that can move fire faster than most people expect. He knows this county’s fire history from the ground up, and that knowledge shapes how every home we build here gets specified.
Most builders in San Diego approach fire-resistant construction as a code compliance exercise — they meet the minimum and move on. Anthony approaches it as someone who has watched homes fail in real time and understands exactly why. Class A roof assemblies. Ember-resistant vent detailing. Non-combustible siding and trim. Defensible space built into the site plan from the start rather than added as an afterthought. These are not upgrades. They are how we build by default.
Beyond the fire piece, what Anthony brings to every project in San Diego is the same thing he brings everywhere — a contractor who tells clients what they need to hear, holds the timeline, and finishes the job the way it was designed.
32+
Years Building
25+
Years Firefighting
6
Counties Served
Our Work
A selection of custom homes built by Marilynn & Co. across San Diego County.
How It Works
01
We start with the site and the vision. Bring us the lot address, your ideas, and your questions. We walk the property, talk through what is realistic for the budget and timeline, and give you a straight picture of what the process involves before you make any commitments.
02
We work with your architect or ours to develop plans built around the site and around how you actually live. Materials, structural engineering, energy systems, and fire-resistant detailing all get worked out before construction starts.
03
We manage the full permitting process — city planning, building permits, Coastal Commission requirements where they apply, and covenant or HOA design review in communities like Rancho Santa Fe and Fairbanks Ranch. We have run the San Diego County process many times.
04
Our crews build with the same attention we bring to design. We communicate throughout, surface problems before they get expensive, and deliver a finished home built the way it was designed.
Where We Build
Marilynn & Co. builds custom homes throughout San Diego County — from the coastal bluffs of La Jolla and Del Mar to the inland estate communities of Rancho Santa Fe and the hillside neighborhoods east of the I-15. Our team is based in the San Gabriel Valley and travels throughout the county for every project.
Communities we serve in San Diego County include La Jolla, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Cardiff by the Sea, Leucadia, Carlsbad, Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, Escondido, Valley Center, Rancho Santa Fe, Fairbanks Ranch, Carmel Valley, Torrey Pines, Scripps Ranch, Poway, Rancho Bernardo, 4S Ranch, Sabre Springs, Mira Mesa, Santee, El Cajon, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, National City, Chula Vista, Bonita, Eastlake, Otay Ranch, and surrounding communities.
Building outside San Diego? We also serve Los Angeles, Orange County, the Inland Empire, and the desert communities of Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley.
Common Questions
Custom home construction in San Diego County typically runs between $400 and $850 per square foot. Coastal sites in La Jolla, Del Mar, and Solana Beach run toward the top of that range — ocean exposure requires specific materials, and lots along the bluff often involve more structural complexity. Estate properties in Rancho Santa Fe vary widely depending on size and specification. Inland sites in Escondido, San Marcos, and Poway generally come in lower, though fire-resistant construction requirements in those communities add some cost back. We provide a detailed estimate during the consultation so you have a real number before you commit.
Most custom home projects in San Diego take between 12 and 24 months from permit approval to move-in. Coastal projects that require California Coastal Commission review add time before permits are even submitted — plan for that upfront. Communities like Rancho Santa Fe and Fairbanks Ranch require covenant review in addition to city permitting. We manage the full process and communicate the timeline clearly from the start.
Yes. For projects on or near the coast in La Jolla, Del Mar, Encinitas, Carlsbad, and Oceanside, Coastal Commission review may be required. Marilynn & Co. manages that process as part of our full permitting service. It adds time to the pre-construction phase but we know how to prepare the documentation correctly the first time.
Yes. Most of our clients come to us with land they already own or are in the process of purchasing. We can evaluate any site in San Diego County before you finalize a purchase — assess buildability, identify site constraints, coastal or fire exposure considerations, and give you a clear picture of what the project will involve before you are committed.
Our founder Anthony Ferro worked fires in San Diego County for 25 years — including some of the most destructive wildfire events in the county's history. That experience is directly reflected in how we specify and build every home in this market. No other luxury custom home builder in San Diego brings that background to the work.
We build throughout San Diego County including La Jolla, Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Solana Beach, Poway, Escondido, San Marcos, Chula Vista, and all surrounding communities. The full service area list is in the section above.
Yes. Marilynn & Co. is fully licensed and insured in California with active licensure throughout the state and 32+ years of residential construction experience across Southern California including San Diego County.
Client Reviews
"Marilynn & Co. handled everything from permits to final inspection. The attention to detail was incredible, and the finished home exceeded what we imagined when we first broke ground."
Sarah M.
Manhattan Beach
"After getting quotes from five contractors, Marilynn & Co. came back with the most thorough plan and the most transparent pricing. The project finished on time and on budget."
Michael R.
Orange County
"The construction quality is unlike anything we have seen. Professional, responsive, and they delivered exactly what they said they would. We would build with them again without hesitation."
Jennifer L.
Los Angeles
Get Started
Whether you are ready to break ground or still working through the early planning stages, we want to hear about your project. Consultations are free and there is no obligation.
Phone
(909) 599-0033
Address
5135 N Valley Center Ave
Covina, CA 91724
