Flagg Coastal Homes

Flagg Coastal Homes turned what could have been a stressful and difficult process of building a custom home into a smooth and enjoyable experience. Design Build is what they offer, and it's exactly what they delivered. From design inception through final inspection, they worked side by side with us every step of the way. The team is responsive and professional, and when the inevitable surprises came up during construction, they were right there to handle them quickly and effectively. We couldn't be happier with our home or the experience. Highly recommend!

My wife and I have known the founder of Flagg Coastal home for over 35 years. We have traveled together, seen our kids grow up .... and along the way dreamed about having Flagg design and build a home in my wife's home town. We started with design process while still living in Huntington Beach, and in November 23 sat in Beach chairs and watched the old home on Ocean Blvd come down. The new management team led by Brian Gilhooly and Martin Brown have continued the tradition of great workmanship and transparency in the process. Long time builder Joe Perkins supervised the work day to day. He was communicative and flexible. When walking the job, there were several improvements that we made spontaneously that improved the finished product. The workmanship was superior in every way --- they simply did not cut corners. We have confidence that it's built well and is going to last for decades and decades.

My wife and I recently downsized and moved to a smaller townhome in Coronado. At the same time, we wanted to update and remodel our longtime family home for our son, his wife and family. We sought out Flagg's design team because we were confident in the company’s proven track record of building and remodeling high quality homes in our coastal community. Flagg was very encouraging with ideas and helped us bring the house up-to-date while always keeping an eye on the budget. Flagg was the ideal designer and builder for our project. As an added bonus, the principals at Flagg, just like the homeowner, are longtime Coronado residents and Navy veterans. As a locally based company, Flagg was able to locate and research the original plans and specs. Flagg selected trusted subcontractors to complement and complete the project. Our family, particularly my son and his wife, are enjoying their newly remodeled Coronado home with many thanks to the management and artisans selected by Flagg Coastal Homes.

To whom it may concern, My sweetheart and I recently purchased a resort home in Coronado which was designed and built by Flagg Coastal Homes in 2010. I contacted the founder of Flagg, John OBrien and asked if he and Flagg could assist us in addressing some issues that had arisen over a number of years from the previous tenant's misuse and neglect. Flagg was able to locate and research the original plans and specs and they selected a couple of trusted subcontractors to repair both the HVAC and plumbing. Flagg's detailed warranty records even afforded us the opportunity to take advantage of some parts and equipment warranties that were still "in place". The most impressive part about Flagg homes and their willingness to assist us was that John O'brien himself was personally involved and present many times during the remedy process. It is so rare for the owner himself to take that kind of pride and ownership in issues caused by others. A testament to the quality of both Flag coastal homes and the owner himself. We absolutely love our new Coronado home with many thanks to the management and artisans selected by Flagg Coastal Homes.

Best construction/reconstruction project we've ever been involved in. Josh Blore is a master project manager who has kept the job on track and who interacts well with numerous subcontractors. Our home looks better than ever now!

We have loved working with Flagg Coastal Homes, especially because of Dorian Lytle's design efforts and Flagg's construction execution in attaching an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) to our Historically Designated house (built in 1886) using a "breezeway connector" in Coronado. The ADU wonderfully complements the original house. We look forward to enjoying the ADU this spring. We unequivocally recommend Flagg Coastal Homes.

In 2022, we purchased an original Coronado Cays waterfront home. The home was in subpar condition and needed major renovation to match its superb location. After interviewing several architects and builders, we chose Flagg Coastal Homes to handle all facets of our project. We could not be happier with this decision! The wonderfully talented Dorian Lytle, Flagg's architect/designer, has done an incredible job translating our vision into a beautiful and functional design. Martin Brown, a longstanding member and Vice President of Operations of the Flagg Team has led our project masterfully from day one. His conscientious execution with Flagg's professional crew of fine homebuilding craftsmen has been a marvel to watch. Everything from the budget and scheduling processes to the day-to-day communication has been meticulous and proactive. In short, this has been a first-rate experience and we feel confident in saying that Flagg Coastal Homes is without peer when it comes to quality, expertise, and professionalism. We look forward to moving into our "forever" home in the new year.

I own an historically designated house in Coronado. I asked Flagg Coastal Homes, a Design Build firm that remodeled the house 15 years ago to add an ADU, (Auxiliary Dwelling Unit, commonly referred to as a “granny flat). Flagg’s senior designer, Dorian Lytle designed a stand-alone building and connected it via an enclosed entryway. His innovative design was enthusiastically approved by the Historic Review Commission. Flagg’s experience in both historic remodels and adopting to California’s ADU rules was exceptional.

We purchased a home in Coronado, with an attached guest house that was added in the 70's. The new California Auxiliary Dwelling Unit, (ADU) Law provided us with an opportunity to convert the guest unit into a rentable apartment. After some frustrating attempts to start the process I engaged Flagg to work with me on this project. Dorian Lytle, senior designer at Flagg Coastal Homes was able to creatively adapt the existing guest unit and re-configure the kitchen into an ADU that met local zoning laws while minimizing the costs of conversion, particularly electric utilities. He was also able to obtain zoning approval by adding a required additional parking space, which was a condition for ADU approval. Flagg's years of experience in navigating local zoning laws and approvals was instrumental in achieving our goals for the property. Thank you!

John, Dorian and the entire Flagg team have been a delight to work with every step of the way. They are professional, timely and have impeccable attention to detail. We have always admired Flagg and feel privileged to have the opportunity to work with them on both the design and build of our new home!

We purchased a house that was under repair through Flagship Properties, an affiliate of Flagg Coastal Homes. We retained Flagg Coastal Homes and John OBrien as Owner's Representative to oversee the completion of the repair and remodel. Beth Delano, with Flagg and Shipshape also assisted in the interior design and furniture design and layout. The project exceeded our expectations and was completed in a compressed time frame. We would highly recommend Flagg Coastal Homes for both their management and design skills.

We purchased a charming historical cottage in Coronado that was in dire need of a major upgrade. We selected Flagg Coastal Homes because they know the Coronado market, particularly historical homes so well. Designer, Dorian Lytle did a marvelous job of laying out an open floor plan given the constraints of working with an historically designated house. Project Manager Martin Brown and Supervisor Mark Blore teamed-up to overcome some structural and circulation issues. The result of Flagg's team efforts, both in design and execution was remarkable. On the outside, Flagg assisted us with improving livability of our porch and patio despite some difficult utility and access easements. John OBrien's entire TEAM at Flagg Coastal Homes are dedicated professionals and they maintained a disciplined budget and schedule during the entire design and build phases. I recommend the Flagg Team, especially for historic homes in Coronado...its their specialty.

We selected Flagg particularly because they know the Coronado waterfront so well. Their design by Dorian Lytle took advantage of the ocean view opportunities for our unique lot while laying out a clean and efficient floor plan and interior circulation. Project Manager Shane Durkin was tenacious on our behalf in maximizing the usability of our lot despite some difficult utility easements Jean-Marie was also incredibly helpful when it came to our punch list and other administrative duties. John OBrien's entire TEAM at Flagg Coastal Homes are dedicated professionals and they maintained a disciplined budget and schedule during the entire design and build phases. Flagg's after-market care, warranty book and web-based owner portal is state of art and quite impressive. I recommend the Flagg Team, especially in the coastal zone...its their specialty. Equally noteworthy, I was largely out of town during the entire build process. But at every turn that required owner input, Dorian and Shane were remarkably accommodating. Moreover, because they are a long time builder in Coronado their subcontractor crews were incredibly reliable, helpful, educational and kind. We always felt the experts were on the job, so we could make decisions on-the-fly with minimal stress. I simply can't imagine a more trustworthy Team, with such in depth local knowledge. We will definitely be repeat customers of Shane, Dorian, and John if we build in Coronado again!

We hired Flagg to take over a complete remodel of our home. John and his team took complete ownership of the project at the point when we had a set of plans and our house was down to the studs. Now our home is complete and better than we could have imagined. The quality of the materials and construction is top notch. There were dozens of people who worked on the project and they were all professional. The construction schedule was organized and the financial expectations were transparent throughout the entire process. We even came in under budget! Even now that the project is complete and we are living in our home, any question or minor issues we find are addressed immediately. We feel truly fortunate to have worked with Flagg. Their professionalism, organization and clear communication made the transformation of our home as stress free as it could be and were a pleasure to work with on top of it. We give them our highest recommendation and would hire them again!

My husband and I have been 110% satisfied with our decision to choose Flagg for the design and build of our new home. The entire Flagg team has been wonderful throughout the “design phase” of our project. John O’Brien and his team have always communicated clearly with us and answered questions honestly and in a timely fashion. Dorian Lytle has worked tirelessly to ensure a design that is unique for our family, meeting our needs and desires (and also our budget!). We have been so impressed by the experience of everyone at team Flagg, and they have given us nothing but confidence as we embark upon this journey to building our dream home. We are excited to start our build in 2020!

When we decided to tear down an existing duplex and build a single-family home on our property in Encinitas, we met with and interviewed several top design/build firms in the San Diego area. After meeting with the team at Flagg, we knew we had found the firm that we could trust to build the home of our dreams. From day one, everyone that we worked with at Flagg, including all of their sub-contractors, went above and beyond to make us feel as though our project was truly special. To begin with, Dorian Lytle did a fantastic job designing the house and continually made certain that all of our requests were met (such as reconfiguring a couple of bedrooms and finding the perfect spot for an elevator). To bring the blueprints to life, Flagg’s project manager, Shane Durkin, handled the entire construction phase, and we honestly can’t speak highly enough of the job that Shane did. Shane’s “can do” attitude, knowledge and professionalism were simply more than we expected. He was the point man for both the city and the subcontractors and handled it all amazingly well. Shane continually updated us on progress, budget and everything else relating to the project. We are both detail-oriented “A” type people, and with Shane managing our build, we actually never worried about any aspect of the project not being completed to the absolute highest standard possible. Finally, our home designer, Rebecca Lincoln of Coastal Dwelling and Design Co, worked hand in hand with Flagg from the beginning of the project and brought both construction expertise and a designer’s eye to the project. Rebecca had a hand in literally every design detail both inside and out and was a true pleasure to work with. There is simply no possible way that our home would have turned out as well as it did without Rebecca’s expertise. Thank you to the entire Flagg team for delivering to us our perfect beach home!

A huge thank you to the team at Flagg Coastal Homes for building our dream home! For years we admired the quality work and Cape Cod style homes they build. When we finally chose to start our project there was no other builder to consider. The entire process from design with architect Dorian Lytle, to the construction under the watch of Mark Blore couldn’t have been smoother. They helped bring our ideas to life. Thank you also to Martin Brown for managing the budget throughout the entire build. In the end we were completely blown away with the results and look forward to enjoying our home for years to come. John O’Brien you can be very proud of your team!!

As all people who live in Coronado know, Flagg Coastal Home is the premier coastal home builder in this town. This proved true to my wife and I over the past 12 months while they built a coastal cottage dream home for our family. We interviewed five separate contractors in Coronado to make sure that we chose the best one for our project; we ultimately chose Flagg due to their professionalism, their ability to put an entire team behind every project (architect, project manager, and budgeting manager), their knowledge of the intricacies of building in this small town, their relationships with the City of Coronado, the beauty of all their homes, and their like-minded individuals who understand the military. As the owner of Flagg Coastal Homes, John O’Brien’s vision and leadership are unique to Coronado and developed the team that turned our home into what it is today. As our project manager, we found Mark Blore’s attention to detail, ability to identify necessary changes with associated solutions, unique expertise for Coronado coastal home building, and relationships with sub-contractors and the City of Coronado to be unmatched by any other Coronado contractor. Despite my absence due to the military and my wife raising two children, Mark was always easy to reach and responsive when we had questions, and he always quickly identified and presented solutions so we were able to make the most educated decisions. As our budget manager, Martin Brown was able to work with us on our unique financial situation that included a bridge loan with TIAA bank and tight budget. The financial spreadsheets produced by Martin were easy to follow and alleviated all burden of tracking sub-contractor bids and day-to-day budget tracking. Martin’s up-beat personality and professionalism made him easy to work with through this entire project. Despite using a separate designer for the “bones” of our house, Flagg’s designer, Dorian Lytle, used his expertise to help put Flagg’s coastal look on our home through elevation renderings prior to breaking ground. Dorian has a love for design and we would recommend him to anyone looking for a designer in Coronado. As you can tell, based on my comments above, we enjoyed every part of the building experience with Flagg and we feel like we made new friends with John, Mark, Martin, and Dorian through the process.

John O'Brien, the President of Flagg Coastal Homes, and his entire team were highly professional and built us an exceptional home. We are extremely please with the quality of the design, the construction, and the detailed finish work. Their focus on completing the home on time and on budget was noteworthy, and we would not hesitate to hire the Flagg team if we ever decided to undertake another new home construction project.

This was our 3rd custom home and Flagg Coastal Homes was by far the best! The entire Flagg team from Designer Dorian to Construction Supervisor Mark, Project Manager Martin and Operations Manager Jean Marie were superb in every way. They treated us like family and walked us thru every step with care. Every detail mattered to them and they built us the most beautiful dream home we could have hope for. We absolutely could not have been more satisfied.

My husband and I (Jessica and Kyle), hired Flagg Coastal Homes to build our personal home because we knew how important it was to trust implicitly your builder, and what a night-mare it can be if you don't trust your builder and/or their quality. In our experience, we also know you get what you pay for. Of course you could always find someone less expensive than the other, but I have found it to always be a wash in savings because of all the mistakes another prospective builder who isn't as qualified may make. With John and Flagg Coastal Homes, we knew that we were getting a top-quality build, the best subs around town, and also, we trust and respect John as a person tremendously. We knew that there was no going wrong in hiring these guys. If you are wanting your home done, and done right; and particularly if you love the coastal style, there is no reason why you shouldn't hire Flagg Coastal. Moreover, they give back in so many to amazing organizations like the Navy SEAL Foundation and others. I like working with people that have the same philanthropic values as we do. It's important to us, as I feel, it reflects the person and company.

I've worked extensively with Flagg Coastal Homes over the past 6 years. The entire Flagg team is amazingly creative and works collaboratively with each client to ensure that the best house plan, maximized views, and unwavering quality are delivered on every single project. Mark Blore, Rebecca Lincoln and Martin Brown really sweat the construction details to make the projects come alive. You won't find a more energetic and committed design/build team. These guys really enjoy what they do.

I enjoyed working with the professionals at Flagg including John Obrien, Designer Dorian Lytle, Partner Mark Blore and Project Manager Martin Brown, Mark Parenica and Shipshape. I had the opportunity to provide project management and design work with the Flagg Team & Shipshape. Collectively, the Flagg Team, Shipshape, and Coastal Dwelling was able to help make this family's dream beach house become a reality. Not to mention, we worked for some really amazing clients!

We retained Coronado-based Flagg Coastal Homes to design and build our new home on Coronado Island only a block from the beach. I attended Coronado schools as a youngster (my father was stationed there as a Navy pilot) and always wanted to return to this beautiful coastal community. Flagg's in-house designer, Dorian Lytle, captured the "Coastal" look perfectly and was able to incorporate the concept of gracious island living in a marvelous two story 4-bedroom house with a separate guest unit and rooftop deck with breathtaking views. The construction and interior design crew at Flagg, including Beth Delano of Shipshape Interiors, executed a very beautiful, efficient and comfortable beach house that our family will enjoy for generations to come. Company owners John O’Brien and Mark Blore made a special effort to employ and retain military veterans in crafting and building our house, and the excellent quality, performance and results are a testament to the whole TEAM.

John and his team bring knowledge and experience to their builds and remodels. I appreciated the passion he brought to executing our client's vision and loved that he was determined to get it right!

We are a wood flooring supplier for Flagg Coastal Homes. They build beautiful high end homes in the San Diego area.

Flagg Coastal Homes was chosen to be the builder for the 2014 Coastal Living Showhouse. This team is AMAZING!!! They are professional, timely, true craftsmen and an absolute pleasure to work with. Their passion and attention to every last detail truly shines in the Showhouse (2014 October Issue). I would highly recommend this team to anyone that is in the market to build or remodel a coastal home!!

My husband and I bought a beautifully restored 1912 home from Flagg Coastal Homes. The Flagg team made sure everything was done properly and in a timely manner. Our home was updated and restored thoughtfully. Any issues we had or concerns were addressed right away. Along with minor additions we had done for the interior, we wanted to expand the outdoor patio but keep the same ground stone that was already present. Carrie and Jim Obrien, along with their excellent crew of guys, worked hard to create a seamless expansion of the patio grounds. Martin from Flagg also deserves a mention for his attention to detail and for making sure everyone did his job properly. Martin was always available to meet with me and walked me through the house to ensure that every appliance, fixture, and job was done to our satisfaction.

John O'Brien and his crew led by Rebecca and Mark took on a demanding client (us) on a short schedule. The task was to completely design and complete a guest bath remodel in 10 weeks before out-of-town guests arrived. Rebecca and Mark were with us every step of the way: Rebecca helping us with a hundred design decisions (who knew there could be that many in a guest bath/dressing room remodel?). Mark made sure that the design was one that could be executed on our timeline. Both did a good job handling subs. Management is always tested when things don't go as planned. In our case, several boxes of tile were not timely delivered. Rebecca and Mark kept their cool as they managed through the mini-crisis. And, when we had to leave town a couple days before the job was finished, Rebecca and Mark assured us that everything would be done when our guests arrived. And, they were right.

We retained Flagg Coastal Homes to “coastalize” our new home in Coronado. The old version was stucco on the outside and contemporary on the inside. We wanted a more coastal Cape Cod look and feel. John O’Brien and his team (Martin, Mark, Dorian) – were simply THE BEST group to work with. From start to finish, the experience was an enjoyable one (and who says that about a major construction job?!). The design advice was superb and spot-on. Plus they allowed me to have my own visions come to life with their excellent guidance/advice supporting me. The budgets were thoughtful and complete. And the Flagg team did a great job giving us choices throughout the process – helping us understand the budget impact of different design decisions. The sub-contractors worked seamlessly with Flagg. You can tell they have a good working relationship with each one of them – which says a lot. All were professional, friendly, quick to do their work, and worked well with others doing their respective jobs. From beginning to end, the communication and working relationship with Flagg was excellent. Flagg was there for us 100%. We highly recommend their team.

Flagg Coastal Homes recently completed the second Flagg Home for our Family and it is more spectacular than the first Flagg Home they built for us 8 years ago. We received a great offer on our first Flagg Home and it was an easy decision to have Flagg build our second dream home. The entire process from architectural design to executing the actual construction was all handled by professionals who always had the end goal of creating the best designed and quality built home they could within our budget and other constraints. They are the best Builder in the area and we would highly recommend them to anyone.

Flagg Coastal Homes just completed a major renovation and addition to my 80 -year old cottage in Coronado, CA. It was a pleasure to work with the Flagg team and I am so pleased with my new house. John O'Brien, the owner, is a brilliant designer and superb buiilder. All members of his Flagg team are highly professional- very knowledgable, resourceful, and dependable, They work well together and have complimentary skills which contributed to the success of the project. The project came in close to budget and the estimated completion date was delayed just 1 month due to a backlog at the window manufacturer (no fault of Flagg's). All the subcontractors who worked on my project commented to me that "Flagg builds the highest quality, most beautiful homes on the Island." And I agree! It was a very positive experience with a fantastic outcome. I get so many compliments from people walking by my house!

Flagg Coastal Homes - 5 stars PLUS! John and Carrie delivered a beautiful home ahead of schedule and on budget. We hired the Flagship team to renovate our 1950's era bungalow and trusted them with our "nest egg." We couldn't be happier with the results. John's "eye" for maximizing space and his creative use of balconies and porches helped turn this small, standard "box" property into a spacious "upside down" dream home. We love how he incorporated finishes (windows, mahogany transoms, and cherry floors) -- all practical and charming. Our Coronado home, nicknamed "JCLASS" to for the sailing yacht, receives compliments from strangers passing by daily, "We just love your house..." We promise "smooth sailing" if you do business with Flagg Coastal Homes!

Our Relationship with Flagg Coastal Homes started nearly 10 years ago when we were in search of a small historic home in Coronado. We fell in love with 909 J Avenue, a home meticulously brought up to Date by Flagg, yet managing to maintain all of the turn of the century qualities one looks for when purchasing a period home. Fast forward 4 years and a growing family, it was time to move. We purchased a home a block and 1/2 off the beach, a real dump in a great location. This was a major project, with lots of issues to deal with. I interviewed 3 companies and selected Flagg Coastal Homes. The Flagg Family proven formula, from the first initial meetings, design, architecture, product selection, permitting and scheduling were seamless. They were available to us 24/7 anytime we had a question. So Pro-active when challenges came up during the construction phase. From start to finish Flagg takes an "all hands on deck approach". Flagg Coastal Homes, A company that delivered our dream, on schedule and within budget. Our home looks as fresh and new today as the day Flagg gave us the keys. Thanks!

We have retained Flagg Coastal Homes to complete a remodel of our guest house located on our property at 160 G Avenue, Coronado.. We selected Flagg because of their experience in completing "Historic" renovations in Coronado. Our home was designated a Historic Resource in 2011. Flagg will be providing design, permitting and construction services. Flagg has already sourced "historically accurate" windows, doors and shutters to complement the existing house.