John Buchan Homes

19 Reviews

General Contractors

4 Verified Hires

Write a Review

About Us

7x Best of Houzz winner

Offers Custom Work

50+ years in business

Seattle's Award Winning Home Builder

John Buchan Homes is uniquely Northwest, with roots planted here in the early 1960’s. Our first community of homes were built on Mercer Island and before long, we were building throughout the Puget Sound, never losing focus on the Eastside. We have the pleasure of building homes for home buyers from around the world who say they sought us out by name, wanting the level of expertise we offer. We do more than simply execute plans. We add value by thinking through every detail, guiding and sharing our knowledge and expertise as we help our clients navigate a complex process. The emphasis for us is quality and is rooted in the culture and cohesiveness of our highly experienced team. Most of our staff and many of our trade partners have been with us over 20 years. We use advanced systems that maintain tight control of costs and schedules. Our knowledge, experience and the care we give each of our clients sets us apart. It’s about building a home that we can be proud of, that John is proud to have his name on and that our clients can be proud to call home.

Awards

Chairman of NAHB Builder 20 Club #27 "The Highenders". Founding member of Liberty Road Foundation. Professional Builder's "40 Under 40" in 2014. Pugest Sound Business Journal's No. 1 Fastest Growing Privately Owned Company in Washington state in 2013. NAHB’s Premier Builder Association

Transitional exterior home photo in Seattle

Clyde Hill Custom

Clyde Hill, WA

MEDINA CONTEMPORARY

Medina, WA

Home design - contemporary home design idea in Seattle

Clyde Hill Contemporary

Enatai

Bellevue, WA

Medina Heights

Back to Navigation

Business Details

Business Name

John Buchan Homes

Phone Number

(425) 970-9082

Website

www.buchan.com

Address

2821 Northup Way
Bellevue, WA 98004

Typical Job Cost

$3 million - 11 million

Followers

256 Followers

Socials

Back to Navigation

Services Provided

General Contracting

Custom Homes

New Home Construction

Energy-Efficient Homes

Back to Navigation

Areas Served

Bellevue

Kirkland

Redmond

Sammamish

Issaquah

West Lake Sammamish

Mercer Island

Woodinville

Eastgate

Clyde Hill

Medina

Yarrow Point

Hunts Point

Back to Navigation

Credentials

Back to Navigation

Featured Review

Vijaye Raji

During the building process, they were flexible to all our changes and additional requests. They were transparent in their billing, providing detailed construction breakdown and costs with each invoice. Read Full Review

Write a Review

19 Reviews for John Buchan Homes

Newest first

Max Rattie

We have lived in a John Buchan home for 21 years. The house was 2 years old when we bought it. We had always heard great things about Buchan homes. It was a selling point. However, OUR experience has been anything but great. Some of the problems we have experienced: 1) The exterior paint started peeling after 5 years; we were told by the painter who re-painted the house that there was no undercoating. 2) Holes were left uncovered in the floor boarding, allowing rats easy entrance into the kitchen under the sink and dishwasher. We had to go into the crawl space and put wire mesh over the openings. 3) The storm drain at the edge of our sloping driveway was not drained properly. The drain extended only three feet then dead-ended. The builder was expecting the water to be absorbed into the ground, but the ground easily became saturated and the water backed up into our driveway. We had to pay a contractor $2000 to extend the drain out to the street. 4) There is only one electrical wall outlet in the 3-car garage. 5) We are in the process of renovating the master bathroom, and when our contractor removed the soaking tub there was a large 250+ pound blob of concrete on the floor that the builder apparently used to level the bathtub. 6) Trees that will eventually grow to become very tall should never be planted adjacent to a fence or house, and existing large trees should be removed at the time the house is built. There was a large cedar tree on an adjacent Buchan property, and the tree came down in a storm, part of it landing on our roof. 7) Landscaping: there were four maple trees that the Buchan landscaper planted in our yard, small when we bought the house, but 40 ft tall ten years later. The roots of these trees grew and busted our irrigation lines (other Buchan homes in the neighborhood had the same issue). Eventually our HOA had to pay an arborist to remove trees from lawns throughout the neighborhood, at our expense.

October 24, 2023

Comment from John Buchan Homes:

Hi Max,

Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns about your experience with your John Buchan home. We genuinely appreciate your feedback and want to express our apologies for the issues you've encountered. Your feedback is invaluable to us as it helps us identify areas for improvement and enhance the quality of our homes. We would like to address each of your concerns individually to provide a better understanding of the situation:

1. Exterior Paint: I’m sorry the paint didn’t perform as you expected. It is recommended that homes with wood siding, like yours, be repainted every 5-7 years. The lap siding material of your home does include an undercoat. Specifically, the material installed is ½ x 6, kiln-dried, pre-primed cedar; it has a manufacturer applied undercoat. It is true your cedar shingles did not have an undercoat. The shingles are clear cedar, delivered raw (no undercoat), and painted with a 4:1 mix that intentionally dilutes the paint to allow the beauty of the cedar to show through. We are always listening to our homeowners and striving to deliver the best. While cedar is an exceptional cladding material it does require more homeowner maintenance. Over the course of time, lower maintenance products that perform well have become available. Currently we install pre-primed, fiber-cement siding which lowers homeowner maintenance and doubles the lifespan of exterior paint.

2. Holes in Floor Boarding: We’re sorry you experienced rodent issues and glad you found a solution. To run plumbing from the crawlspace into the home, holes must be cut in the floorboards. Should there be an issue with rodents, it is recommended to fill any remaining gaps around plumbing pipes with expanding foam. It’s a quick and easy remedy and one we would have gladly done for you during the warranty period.

3. Storm Drainage Issue: We sincerely apologize for the drainage problem you faced with the storm drain. We’re glad you were able to resolve the issue. Storm drainage systems are designed by civil engineers per the approving authorities’ requirements which are based on best data and practices available at the time. Municipalities seek to keep as much water as is reasonable on-property and out of the municipal systems. It may be that the drain of concern was a french drain which are sometimes installed as an added measure to help drain areas of pooling water in the yard. They can but are not required to connect to the municipal storm system. We would have addressed this concern if notified during warranty.

4. Electrical Outlet in Garage: We understand the importance of having sufficient electrical outlets, especially in a three-car garage. Our homes built today provide one outlet for each vehicle stall plus extra panel capacity to add more if desired.

5. Concrete Blob in Master Bathroom: Installing the tub in a thick layer of mortar is the manufacturer’s recommendation and a best practice for most tubs. Freestanding and clawfoot tubs would be the exception. Mortar serves to level the tub, as wel as protect the tub and secure its placement. This is the correct installation for the types of tubs we installed in that era. The larger the tub, the more mortar would be required.

6. Tree Placement: Landscaping is an integral part of making a home and community look their best. We want our homes to look great when we hand over the keys. Trees and other vegetation soften features such as fencing and walls. They add beauty and enhance our ecosystem and communities. We hope our homeowners take pride in their landscaping and perform ongoing maintenance. Given time, that maintenance will periodically include tree removal.

7. Landscaping and Irrigation: We work closely with our landscaping team and in accord with the municipalities tree codes to determine tree removal as well as select appropriate tree species for replacement and ensure they are planted at a safe distance from homes and infrastructure to prevent such issues. However, most trees and even shrubs will eventually outgrow their given space. Their roots may eventually clog storm drains, break irrigation lines or even bust sidewalks given ample time. It is important to monitor for any potential damage and remove trees or other vegetation as appropriate.

Thank you for your feedback. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience you've faced. You are always welcome to contact us directly should you discover any concerns in the future. We are committed to learning from the experience of our homeowners to continue to provide the very best homes to our clients.

With appreciation,

Mischelle McCall
info@buchan.com
425-827-2266

Eric Lo

At the beginning we didn't know what to expect, we had a lot of friends cautioning us that it will be a painful process to build a custom home. Most of our friends who built a custom home told us they would never do it again. John Buchan Homes proved them all wrong! They made the process so enjoyable and easy that we would most definitely do it again in the future! We hired them for both the design and the build. They were very professional throughout the entire process and explained in great detail every step of the way. They go out of their way to cater to our style, needs, and budget. We were pleasantly surprise that they even went through the effort of trying to understand the Feng Shui of the design because it was one of the things we cared about. The interior design process was straightforward. The advices they gave were very genuine and I never felt like they were upselling any materials to make more money. You can really feel how much they care about building the perfect home for you for the perfect budget. The whole cost estimation and billing was very transparent. For the build, because we went with Buchan as our designer/architect, there was never any miscommunication and things were built exactly to spec. We started our build right when COVID started, but John Buchan Homes managed to still finish the build on schedule. Because of the great relationship they have with their vendors and sub-contractors, I never felt like the build was affected in any way at all. This was quite different compared to my friend who was building at the same time - they were getting delayed because their sub-contractors wanted more money and only worked on the highest paid projects. One thing that got affected by COVID was the appliances. However JBH went out of their way to get us loaner appliances to make sure we can get our dream house as early as possible. In short, JBH did a great job with our custom build and went out of their way to make sure we were happy. I would definitely do it again with them and would highly recommend them to anyone considering doing a custom build.

February 17, 2022

Vijaye Raji

When we began the journey of building our own dream home, our first stop was at John Buchan homes. This was because, previously we had lived for 10 years in another home built by them, and we knew that we’ll get great quality craftsmanship if we went with them again. And we weren’t disappointed. Throughout our construction process, the team we worked with was very knowledgeable and guided us expertly through 1000s of decisions. Whenever we were stumped with a decision, their team had several decades of experience to borrow from and showed us photos of past projects with similar constraints that helped us think through the problem concretely. One of the reasons that we chose Buchan was for their great interior details. As construction progressed, we kept visiting the work site weekly. One thing that impressed us was how they painstakingly created the beautiful curved staircase, high entry arches, box beam ceilings, and other detailed millwork. Their stained glass designer created a gorgeous door for us based on our preferences. During the building process, they were flexible to all our changes and additional requests. They were transparent in their billing, providing detailed construction breakdown and costs with each invoice. Buchan welcomed all feedback and were proactive in collecting feedback using a private survey company at the end of the construction process. We trusted the Buchan team with the signature interior and exterior details that they are well-known for. Buchan also has fantastic after-service. They kept in touch with us throughout our move-in process. After one year they worked with us on a short list of cosmetic issues which they promptly addressed. In short, we had a great experience with Buchan throughout our custom home building process, and would highly recommend them.

October 14, 2019

Comment from John Buchan Homes:

Vijaye,
Thank you for your thoughtful and detailed review. It was an honor to build your family's dream home! We appreciate you and Ashley beyond measure. Thank you for your trust, partnership and continued friendship.
Heather & Kevin

Coast sun

I have a demolition and custom construction project with Buchan. They are trustworthy builder and deliver high quality result. I highly recommend.

July 1, 2019

Jingjing

We love our home built by John Buchan, the design is excellent with a lot of thoughtful touches, and the materials/colors are well selected with great artistic taste. Everyone visited mentioned they love how elegant and spacious our house is. The crew did an awesome job! Also we sould also like to give special kudos to Kevin who has been very patient helping us with a few polish items after we move in. Truly appreciate the customer obsession!

April 16, 2019

Yi Liao

John Buchan Homes is a great builder, super customer focused. Even after years since we purchased the home, we still get good support and maintenance advises from John Buchan. The company goes extra miles to make sure home buyers are happy about their service, and they are proud of it. Highly recommend.

April 2, 2019Last modified:April 3, 2019

Comment from John Buchan Homes:

Yi, Thank you so much for your compliments. We appreciate you!

Xingwang Ma

Hi Kevin, Joe, and the Wonderful JBH Project Team, As you know, we moved back to our new home on February 26, 2019. Though a few items are pending to be finalized, we're very pleased with the new home and so appreciated your professional services in the last more than one year. Looking back at the first time that we met Mischelle, Kevin and Chad, we believed that you would be the ones that we can depend upon to rebuild our home. Interior design with Jill further increased our confidence, moving one more step forward; Joe's daily efforts with the many subs transformed our belief and confidence into physical reality day by day for almost 11 months, which brought us home early this week. We felt so fortunate and grateful having JBH build our new home. You are a wonderful team! Thank you!

March 6, 2019

Comment from John Buchan Homes:

Thank you Xingwang and Hua. You are forever part of our family! We are thankful for you and your family and wish you endless happiness in your new home. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for trusting all of us to build your home.

Carol Westlund

To remodel our masterbath Everything from start to finish went fabulous Everyone on the project were professional and extremely nice. When they left after a days work I was amazed by how beautiful they cleaned up at the end of each day.

February 26, 2019

Comment from John Buchan Homes:

Thank you Carol! We appreciate you and Nick. Your master bathroom turned out beautiful! It was great to work with you again.

Jennifer Bernhart

I am a real estate broker and as such am very familiar with working with this builder. I have represented many buyers that have sought out a John Buchan home for their exceptional quality and style. I can honestly say that I have never, ever come across a builder that exceeds John Buchan Homes in terms of quality, reliability and consistency. Owning a John Buchan home is not only owning a home, it’s owning a legacy.

February 16, 2019

Avi Ben-Menahem

We've contracted Buchan homes to build a custom home. They've done outstanding job, finishing on time and within budget. The work quality, service from the staff and the overall experience was great. Highly recommended.

June 1, 2017

Imelda Dulcich

We hired John F. Buchan Homes for a kitchen renovation. We interviewed a number of contractors and came away with the feeling that for professionalism, talent and personality, John F. Buchan Homes fit us best. From the beginning of the project until the end we never regretted our choice. Each person we met with - from the designers at the showroom to skilled workers in our home - was kind and gracious to us. The showroom was well appointed and stocked, allowing us to visualize what we wanted. We were guided in each choice and given the opportunity to imagine different looks and costs. Once the work started, we had two primary contacts. Each stayed involved and made sure that we were comfortable and happy with daily work. While it is never easy to have contractors in your home for a month, we loved having such good people sharing our space. We even missed seeing them when the work was complete. Our kitchen was finished on the timeline we were given at the start of the project. We are so very happy with our kitchen. It's smart, updated and our family and friends love being in that space - which was our intent.

March 30, 2016Last modified:March 30, 2016

bkenkman

We had Buchanan finish our unfinished daylight basement a few years ago. The work and quality was outstanding. We were so happy, we had them back recently to remodel our master bath and laundry. Their staff are very courteous and keep a very clean worksite. Again, the quality was top notch. I would recommend Buchanan to anyone doing a home remodel job.

February 26, 2016

the_townsends

John Buchan Homes helped us build a wonderful home. We enjoyed the process, the people, and certainly the end result! At some distant point in the future when we're thinking about building another home, we know who we'll call.

February 16, 2016

dxs425

Hiring Buchan Home for building our dream house was the best decision we could have ever made. They were very efficient throughout entire construction phase, no delays whatsoever, and the house came out beautiful and of very high quality. We've been living there over a year now and still enjoying every day.

January 25, 2016Last modified:January 25, 2016

tab622009

The majority of the cedar shake roofs haven't lasted even 10 years on their homes in North Seattle area. We are preparing to have and entire roof replaced and only 12 year old home. Very expensive to say the least! The roof companies told us the cedar shake is very low standard material used for 2002.

June 19, 2015

alakssevugan

We used Buchan Homes to build our home last year. Overall experience is below par for what you would expect from John Buchan. In the quest for increasing their profits, they are cutting corners that they should not. - During the design phase of the construction, they were so disorganized and their designer had no idea on how to get a house designed with the options we needed. - When the house was being built, they installed all the wrong options. I had to work with them on a daily basis to rectify the errors. - Quality of painting is so bad around the house. - Cabinet finishes were poor quality even though we were paying top dollar for it - They installed a counter top that was broken - had to work hard to get the issue resolved. - It takes 2 minutes for the hot water in any tap around the house. They are not willing to address this issue. End result, my water bills are higher. - Vents for air-conditioning in the master bedroom is not doing its job. It takes hours for the master bedroom to cool down, while the secondary bedrooms are really cold and my kids have to wear sweaters, hats, socks and gloves to keep them warm in summer. This is not being addressed by them either. - Be in the kitchen area when the toilets in the master bedroom are flushed and you would hear the loud noise of the water being flushed down. They are not willing to fix this issue, unless we pay for it. Really? - Door are really poor quality and the weather sealing has been poor. - Light seeps through the doors, when the doors are closed in the master bedroom. This ends up waking us up in the mornings when the light is turned on. - We chose Oil Rubbed Bronze finishes for faucets, and cabinet door handles. We are noticing that the oil rubbed bronze coating is coming off in quite a few places - really poor quality for a high end builder. In summary, John Buchan quality has deteriorated in the last few years when the new management has taken over. So if you are choosing John Buchan homes, be prepared to face all the basic issues I have highlighted here.

December 20, 2014Last modified:December 23, 2014

Lisa Lo

We hired the Buchan team to build our custom home over this past year. The house has been complete for about 2 weeks and we are thrilled with the quality and attention to detail in the final product. This was our first custom home and Buchan's team helped guide us through the whole process - from feasibility of the project, to creating a custom set of plans, to selecting interior and exterior design features, to finishing touches - they made everything easy (or at least as easy as one could imagine a custom home project being). We have a narrow waterfront lot and Ted from their design department did such a great job designing a house that fit our lot perfectly, and took advantage of the views from all possible areas. Our project was finished on time and definitely up to the quality standards we were expecting. We would definitely recommend John F Buchan Homes to anyone looking to build or remodel. Thank you to everyone at Buchan for your hard work on our project!!

October 13, 2014

John L Scott

John F Buchan Homes is one of the premier builders in the Pacific Northwest with unparallel quality and exceptional service. Having 20 years experience in the real estate industry I have grown up beside John F Buchan homes and they are well regarded in the industry and in the community as the builder name that represents all things luxurious in the home building industry. I highly recommend John F Buchan Homes.

December 4, 2013

janetrosebrock

We selected Buchan to build our dream home after a long and extensive search. Our project had a lot of special challenges including access, shoreline restrictions and a schedule which had us out of town most weeks. So we were looking for a builder with a proven track record, someone who would be highly flexible while also bringing an innovative and fresh perspective to guide us. Despite having built before this project was more complex so complete trust was also essential. Buchan rose to the occasion and wholly came alongside us. Surely Buchan had many other projects going besides ours but we'd have never known it. It felt like they were building just for us. They were expert guides, leaning in where we needed it, backing off where we were firm. It was both a very professional engagement yet felt very personal. We are in our new home and absolutely love it. Only thing would have done differently is not spend so much time looking for a partner! Highly recommend Buchan and definitely would build with them again.

October 19, 2013

Back to Navigation

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, we are licensed contractors. Our comprehensive build quotes include Course of Construction Insurance, ensuring peace of mind and protection throughout your project. We prioritize professionalism and client confidence.

Yes, we are fully licensed contractors. Our commitment to professionalism extends to ensuring all projects are properly insured, with Course of Construction Insurance included in our comprehensive build quotes.

Yes, we manage the entire permitting and inspection process for new home construction. Our team handles all necessary paperwork and coordination to ensure your project complies with local regulations and proceeds smoothly.

Yes, we handle all necessary permits and inspections for both custom home builds and remodeling projects. Our team manages this complex process, ensuring compliance and a smooth experience from start to finish.

We specialize in custom home building, comprehensive remodeling, and design services. This includes kitchen remodels, room additions, whole-home renovations, and new home construction. We're known as Bellevue's Custom Home Builder.

FAQ content may be generated based on the Pro's Houzz profile and website.

Back to Navigation

1 Ideabook

Back to Navigation

51 Comments

Commented: Stair CarpetThank you for your kind message. This carpet is by Shaw. The photo is a few years old now, but your carpet vendor should be able to match this to something similar today. Thank you!

January 3, 2023

Commented: I love the rug/ mat, where is it from please?Hi! This rug was provided by Andrea Braund Home Staging. https://www.andreabraundstaging.com/

November 8, 2021

Commented: Could you tell me the color on the walls and floor? Thank you.Hi Nancy, thank you for your message. The floors are: https://kentwoodfloors.com/us/our-floors/showroom/brushed-north-american-hard-maple-lemur and the paint color is https://www.sherwin-williams.com/...

June 24, 2021

Commented: Can you share the external paint color please? Thank youHi Brenda, thank you for your question. This home is painted Sherwin Williams – Gauntlet Gray (SW 7019) and the trim is Sherwin Williams – Eider White (SW 7014)

March 12, 2021

Commented: Where are the sofas from?Hi Ka, thank you for your message. The paint color is Benjamin Moore Classic Gray https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/color-overview/find-your-color/color/1548/classic-gray?color=1548 The sofas wer...

February 16, 2021

Commented: What is the name of the black splash behind the stove?Hi! Thank you for your question. The backsplash is MSI Bianco Dolomite Geometric tile. https://www.msisurfaces.com/bianco-dolomite/geometrica-polished/

November 24, 2020

John Buchan Homes