Hanover County is one of the more distinct parts of the Richmond metro. Historic roads, open farmland, real communities, and enough land that building what you actually want is still possible. For families who own property here, or who are seriously looking, custom construction is usually the clearest path to getting what the resale market won’t deliver.
McMahon Custom Homes is a full-service design-build firm and new home builder serving Hanover County and the greater Richmond area. Josh McMahon leads every project personally, from the first site visit through the final walkthrough. One team, one contact, no handoffs.
The families we work with in Hanover come from a few common places:
Whether you’re looking to build on your lot or build on your land you already own, McMahon handles everything from site evaluation through move-in. You bring the property anywhere in Hanover County and we take it from there.
A lot of builds in Hanover involve things standard suburban construction doesn’t: well and drainfield placement, soil perc testing, site clearing, private road access, and county-specific permitting timelines. We’ve worked through all of it in Mechanicsville, along the Cold Harbor Road corridor, in Ashland, and out into the more rural stretches of the county.
The process starts with a site evaluation. Before any design decisions are made, we look at the land: slope, soil conditions, utility access, setback requirements, and overall buildability. That evaluation drives the design. Josh McMahon builds homes that work with the land, not around it.
Not sure whether your Hanover lot is buildable? Start with a free consultation and we’ll give you a straight read on the site.
Once the site is understood, the design work begins. Every McMahon home is built from scratch. No plan catalog, no semi-custom packages. As a design and build firm, the process starts with your household and how you actually want to live, then we design and build it ourselves.
Our pre-construction planning process covers custom architectural drawings, full material specifications, and a transparent cost-plus contract, all finalized before construction starts. No surprise costs, no scope creep, no wondering where your money is going.
Your floor plan is built around your life, not a template. Primary suite placement, home office, extended family space, kitchen layout. Those are the starting points, not afterthoughts.
Hanover’s terrain varies. Wooded lots, sloped parcels, drainage challenges, private road access. We factor all of it in early so nothing surfaces mid-build as a surprise.
From permitting to punchout, everything is managed internally. No rotating crews, no project managers you’ve never met. Josh oversees construction directly.
Most McMahon builds run 10 to 14 months from groundbreaking to move-in, depending on lot conditions, permit timing, and scope. For a full breakdown, read how long it takes to build a custom home in Central Virginia.
We build throughout Hanover County. The character of where you’re building shapes how we approach each project:
We also build throughout the broader Richmond region, including Goochland County, Chesterfield County, and Powhatan County.
Montpelier is rural Hanover at its quietest. Larger parcels, mature tree cover, and a pace of development slow enough that land is still available — and still affordable compared to areas closer to Richmond. For buyers who want genuine privacy without a long commute, it’s one of the better-kept secrets in Central Virginia.
If you’re looking to build on your lot in Montpelier, VA, or build on your land that’s been sitting idle, most parcels here are workable. They just come with a different set of site requirements. Nearly all rely on private wells and septic systems, which means soil evaluation and drainfield siting happen before design work begins. Lot sizes are generous, which helps with setbacks and home placement, but site clearing and driveway access are usually more involved than on a suburban lot.
McMahon has worked through the well and septic planning process that Montpelier builds require. We handle county permitting, coordinate with licensed engineers on site prep, and design around the land. Custom home construction on your lot in Montpelier, VA is realistic for most parcels. It just takes a builder who evaluates the site before anything else.
Custom homes in Montpelier, VA tend to run larger and more private than what you’d build closer to Mechanicsville or Ashland. That’s part of the draw. If you own land in the Montpelier area and want to know what building there would actually look like, reach out for a free consultation. We’ll walk through the site, realistic costs, and timeline.
Every project is different, but the clients we work with in Hanover tend to fall into a few categories:
Families who own land in Hanover (including inherited parcels) and are ready to build on it | Buyers relocating to the Richmond area who want Hanover County specifically |
Multigenerational households that need a layout built around two generations under one roof | Remote professionals who need a real home office, not a converted bedroom |
Retirees looking to downsize into a well-designed single-level home with modern finishes | Landowners who’ve been waiting for the right builder to help them get started |
A full custom build isn’t the right fit for every situation. Two alternatives worth knowing about:
Move-In Ready Homes:
If your timeline doesn’t stretch to 12 to 18 months, take a look at McMahon’s Move-In Ready Homes. These aren’t production homes. Every spec build gets the same material selections and construction oversight as a fully custom project, just on a compressed schedule.
Kitchen & Bathroom Remodeling:
If you love where you live but your kitchen or bath hasn’t kept pace, McMahon also offers kitchen remodeling and bathroom renovation throughout Hanover County. Same design-build process, same direct oversight from Josh, same attention to how things are finished.
Most of the time, yes, but it depends on zoning, soil conditions, and utility access. We evaluate lots throughout the county, including parcels in residential, rural agricultural, and A-1 zoning districts. If you're unsure about a specific parcel, reach out and we'll give you an honest read. Our article on building on your lot in rural Virginia is also a good starting point.
From first consultation to move-in, most projects run 13 to 18 months total. Pre-construction planning takes 3 to 4 months and covers design, engineering, county approvals, and a fully finalized contract. Construction runs 10 to 14 months depending on scope, lot conditions, and permit timelines in Hanover County.
Custom construction in the Richmond region generally runs $175 to $300 per square foot, depending on design complexity, finish level, and site conditions. Lot prep, well and septic, and driveway access are additional variables that shift by parcel. Our custom home cost guide for Richmond, VA has a full breakdown.
No. McMahon is a full design-build firm. Josh handles both design and construction under one roof. You work with one person from the initial concept through move-in. No separate architect, no handoffs, no gaps between a design team and a build team.
Josh McMahon has been building custom homes in Hanover County and the greater Richmond area for 15 years. If you own land here and want to know what’s possible, the first step is a free conversation.
McMahon Custom Homes LLC
1925 Ellis Drive
Maidens, VA 23102
