OPAL Design Build

What OPAL Design Build does

OPaL Design Build, LLC is a privately held, founder-controlled design-build firm headquartered in Cabin John, Maryland, operating since 2003 in the Washington DC metropolitan area. The company designs, builds, and sells custom homes, named residential developments, and renovations/additions, with active projects spanning Washington DC urban neighborhoods (Shaw, Logan Circle, 14th Street corridor), suburban Maryland (Cabin John, Bethesda), and the Delaware beach market (Rehoboth, Lewes, Bethany). Per-unit pricing ranges from $795,000 for DC condo townhomes (5thirteen) to $4,195,000 for a Rehoboth Beach luxury home (136 Columbia Ave), with the Cabin John custom-home portfolio clustered in the $2.495M-$3.495M band.

The firm operates an integrated design-build model with in-house architecture led by Sr. VP of Architecture Greg Sparhawk (Boston Architectural College) and construction management under Sr. VP of Construction Ken Mergner (30+ years across Craftmark/Craftstar Homes and Classic Homes of Maryland). The core technology is the firm's design philosophy emphasizing natural light optimization, sightlines, reading nooks, and connection to outdoors — execution capabilities rather than software IP. Operations are supported by a small core team (1-10 employees per firmographic data) supplemented by project-based construction labor, a COO (Jason Woodward, former US Army logistics and federal Senior Executive Service), and the founder/President Sean Ruppert.

OPaL generates revenue through two streams: (1) one-time sales of new homes and named developments — six active projects visible across DC, Cabin John, and Rehoboth Beach; and (2) project-based professional services for renovations and additions under the OPaL Custom and "That's So OPaL" sub-brands, running 10-15 concurrent renovation projects. Distribution combines direct website sales, on-site sales offices at active developments, and a sales-and-marketing partnership with LoganSkye Realty. Content marketing through a blog (200,000+ visitors), Instagram (25,000+ followers @thats.so.opal), YouTube, Facebook, and Houzz Pro supports top-of-funnel demand generation. The firm has closed 350+ homes since inception, won DC Home of the Year five times, and accumulated 15 national design and architecture awards. No institutional funding, no subsidiaries, and no parent company are disclosed.

Name

OPAL Design Build

Legal name

OPaL Design Build, LLC

Website

https://opaldc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

OPaL Design Build is a privately held, founder-controlled design-build firm in Cabin John, Maryland that designs, builds, and sells custom homes, named residential developments, and renovation projects across the Washington DC metro and Delaware beach markets, with units priced from $795K to $4.195M.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Home Building & Residential Design-Build Services

NAICS

Residential Building Construction (23611), Architectural Services (54131)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520), Operative Builders (1531)

akta.pro primary industry

Design-Build / EPC General Contracting (IMAFAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Custom home building
• Residential renovations
• Design-build services
• Luxury home construction
• Architectural design services

Headquarters

HQ city

Cabin John

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. New Home Sales: OPaL builds and sells new residential properties including condo townhomes, single-family homes, and custom homes in DC, MD, and Delaware beach areas. Revenue is generated through one-time sales of completed or pre-construction homes.
2. Custom Homes & Renovations: OPaL Custom builds custom homes and performs renovations/additions for private clients. Revenue generated through project-based contracts for design and construction services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

OPaL Design Build is a design-build construction firm that designs, builds, and sells custom homes, residential developments (condo townhomes, single-family homes), and home renovations/additions for private clients in the National Capital Area and Delaware beaches. The firm operates on an integrated design-build model from concept through construction, with pricing ranging from $795,000 condo townhomes to $4.2 million luxury beach homes.

Product overview

OPaL Design Build is a design-build firm operating as a unified platform offering custom home construction, residential development projects, and renovation services. The core offerings include OPaL Custom Homes (custom home building in DC, MD, VA) and OPaL Renovations (home renovation and additions), supplemented by the sub-brand That's So OPaL for residential renovations. The company also develops multiple named residential projects including condo townhomes (5thirteen, Kizzie), single-family homes (The Barn, Airplane Bungalow, Mid Mod Mews), and luxury beach properties (136 Columbia Ave). OPaL serves the National Capital Area market including Delaware beaches, with projects ranging from $795,000 condos to $4.2 million luxury homes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OPaL Custom Homes Custom home building services for private clients in DC, MD, and VA, featuring award-winning architectural design and quality-driven construction.
• OPaL Renovations Home renovation and addition services including kitchen remodels, sunrooms, whole-house renovations, and historic renovations across the DC metro area.
• OPaL at the Shore (Delaware Beach) Delaware beach market services including custom homes, historic renovations, and developments in Rehoboth, Lewes, and Bethany areas.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully closed over 350 homes since 2003
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• LoganSkye RealtycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLoganSkye Realty handles sales and marketing for OPaL properties. Their logo appears on the main website footer as the designated 'SALES & MARKETING BY' partner for OPaL Design Build homes.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Toll Brothers: National luxury homebuilder with significant presence in the DC metro market. While much larger and more standardized, Toll Brothers competes for similar affluent buyers and increasingly offers design-forward customization that overlaps with OPaL's positioning.

Direct peers

• Foster Remodeling Solutions: Maryland-based design-build remodeling firm with strong regional presence. Comparable to OPaL's renovation segment in service offerings, design-build approach, and Maryland/DC customer overlap.
• BOWA: Design-build firm specializing in custom home construction, renovations, and additions for affluent clients in the DC metro area (DC, MD, VA). Closely comparable to OPaL on integrated design-build model, customer profile, and service offerings.
• Hopkins & Porter Construction: DC/Maryland custom home builder and remodeler with a design-build model serving similar affluent clients. Comparable to OPaL on integrated design services, custom home segment, and Mid-Atlantic geography.
• Habitech Design + Build: DC-area design-build firm specializing in additions, renovations, and custom homes. Comparable to OPaL on integrated design-build delivery, Mid-Atlantic geography, and emphasis on architectural differentiation.
• Case Design/Remodeling: DC-area design-build remodeling firm offering home additions, kitchens, baths, and whole-house renovations. Comparable to OPaL's That's So OPaL renovation sub-brand in customer base, project mix, and DC/MD/VA service area.
• CARNEMARK design + build: DC metro area design-build firm offering architecture, custom home building, and remodeling. Comparable to OPaL in design-build integration, DC/MD/VA service area, and high-end residential customer base.
• Sandy Spring Builders: Maryland-based custom home builder focused on high-end single-family homes in the DC metro area. Comparable to OPaL's Maryland custom home segment (Cabin John, Bethesda) with similar price points and design-forward approach.
• Landis Architects/Builders: DC-area design-build firm combining architecture and construction for custom homes and renovations. Closely parallels OPaL's in-house architecture capability under Greg Sparhawk and similar premium DC market positioning.

Regional players

• NVHomes: Mid-Atlantic luxury homebuilder with operations across DC/MD/VA and a strong design-forward product line. Notably, OPaL's former Sr. VP of Construction (Peter Nelson) previously managed construction of 20,000 homes at NVHomes, indicating direct industry ties and a competing comparable in the same regional market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ThatsSoOPaL
• Facebookfacebook.com/OPaLDesignBuild
• Instagraminstagram.com/thats.so.opal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/opal-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about OPAL Design Build