Ford DD Construction

We build, remodel and maintain custom homes of all shapes and sizes in the Santa Barbara area and give the highest level of service and workmanship that's humanly possible. We live for the finer details so you're free to enjoy the most important part of the process - realizing your dream. We have four specialized but closely coordinated departments: New Homes & Major Renovations, Remodels, Maintenance and Finish Carpentry. This workforce can see your project through from concept to finish no matter the scope or size.

In 1979, Doug Ford crafted fine furniture and cabinetry in a single car garage for just a handful of clients. They grew to appreciate his eye for detail so much, they persuaded him to take on bigger and bigger projects, and that's when DD Ford Construction began. Doug majored in Industrial Arts with an emphasis in Fine Woodworking at Cal State Long Beach. He built furniture and cabinets on the side to help pay his way through college and framed houses for a local builder over the summer. After getting his B.A. and earning his Journeyman Carpenter designation, Doug moved to Santa Barbara to teach but soon left to work for a general contractor.

Our heartfelt principles are based on honesty, integrity, attention to detail, and open communication. Our mission is to partner with clients, designers, and trades alike, to understand their goals and realize the vision of the architect and the dreams of the client. From concept to construction and maintenance, we pride ourselves on staying flexible and responsive to architects and clients throughout the entire life of a project. We're also good at looking after the little things because we all know it's often what's turns a good experience into a great experience.

As the top custom home builder in Santa Barbara, our process is critical in getting from concept to construction to ongoing maintenance of your home. But just as important is open and honest communication. Without it, we just simply couldn't do what we do and it's what we'd expect if we were in our client's shoes. The whole process begins at the design development or 'pre-construction' phase. This is when experience tells us just how crucial it is to create a seamless project team. Working together from the get go, our client, design team and builder collaborate and pool efforts toward a common goal.

Not only do we build Santa Barbara's best homes, we also renovate and maintain some of Santa Barbara's best commercial spaces. From smaller office remodels to Montecito's finest golf clubhouses, DD Ford has taken on quite the repertoire of commercial projects. There is often larger liability at stake when working on the commercial side of the industry. We partner with excellent trades, design teams, and engineers to produce careful planning, coordination, and communication to ensure projects stay under budget, ahead of schedule, and liability free.

Not only do we build the finest homes in Santa Barbara, we maintain them too. Just like all our projects, no task is too big or small when it comes to giving you the very best service. So leave your worries at the door. Our Home Maintenance Department makes sure your home is covered top to bottom. And if we built your home, then no one's more qualified than us. We've seen just about everything over the past 30 years so we know exactly what it takes to get your home to perform at its best. Every program we create is tailored around your home's unique systems and our maintenance can be scheduled as often as you like.

One thing that never changes is our desire to build each and every home with exacting and meticulous attention to detail. After all, building fine furniture & cabinetry is how we got our start. With numerous qualified finish carpenters, our Finish Carpentry Department not only provides talent for our own projects but they also work for other General Contractors in the area. This gives them the vast experience needed to tackle any project you can dream of. There isn't much these carpenters haven't seen or done, and you can always count on them to complete your project in perfect detail.

Our Remodel Department works on projects of any size, including small remodels, whole house remodels, or just kitchens & bathrooms. Whether it's a new build or a remodel, we get involved from the very beginning of the design process. We meet with you from day one, not only to exchange ideas, but to also make sure the budget and schedule stays on track from beginning to end. We're such sticklers about our process that, even on smaller projects, there's always a full-time foreman on hand to manage every little detail.