My wife and I contacted Dave with ICF Homes of VA toward the beginning of 2017 as his company was one of the only ones in the state than had experience constructing ICF homes. I had wanted to build a concrete home since I was a kid living over seas in the Middle East where everything is built with concrete. As I got older I continued to read about various construction methods, and really was drawn to ICF for all the energy savings and thermal stability this type of construction brings. My thoughts were that energy prices would continue to rise even after we retire and if I could limit that expense retirement would be more comfortable.

Dave agreed to build our house even though the plans were quite smaller than his usual project because we were looking to go “All Out” with this build. ICF walls, concrete basement, 1st floor, and a slab across the roof with a stick built hip roof for looks. We incorporated rain roof capture and plumbed the house for a possible grey water system to be installed later. Indirect hydronic heating, variable speed heat pump with an air exchange system, and finally an addition Dave thought might be too much for this super insulated house, a Tulikivi wood stove. If you limit yourself to 1-2 small fires/day in winter it works like a charm 😀.

Dave sheparded us through custom design with an architect familiar with ICF construction. We broke ground on the project in late 2017, and it took about a year and a half to complete largely due to the incessant rains that we had in 2018 delaying construction progress.

Toward the end of construction, Dave did a blower door test to measure the efficiency of our house. It scored very high with a .97 air changes/hr. Not quite passive house, but Outstanding nonetheless and I believe 7X better than code requirements. We have about 5000 ft.² of conditioned space, I ended up installing a mini-split system to condition my garages. With all that our electric & gas bills runs about $210/mo.

Overall we LOVE LOVE LOVE our house and urge you to consider this method of construction. The Temperatures do not swing much with all the mass and it is the most quite house I’ve ever lived in.

Building a custom home can be a terribly stressful, overwhelming project for families. We entered the house-building process with both excitement and fear. Dave’s experience and support allowed our ideas to evolve into reality. We love that our home is truly custom, and are confident that our home is of solid quality. Working closely with Dave allowed us to be highly involved in modifications and adjustments throughout the building process.

My wife and I built our dream home with Dave of ICF Homes of Va.   I grew up in tornado country, so had been dreaming about a sturdy concrete house my whole life.  I was able to sell my wife on the idea when she saw the deep window sills, the durability, and how energy efficient it would be.

We started planning in Fall 2013, looking for land in 2014, and construction started January 2015.  We moved in  October 2015.  2015 was the year of ice storms, and we were done well ahead of schedule due to Dave and his crew being ready as soon as the storm lifted, putting us at the head of the pack for subcontractors and deliveries.

We talked to three builders before deciding to go with Dave, and we knew he was the one the moment we met.  Dave’s excitement for our project, preparedness for the initial meeting, and robust knowledge of custom ICF homes, made it the easiest decision we ever made.

We had heard that building a home, particularly a custom one can be a stressful one, but for us it was one of the best experiences of our life, and we had a blast working with Dave to get it all designed, planned, and built. The quality of construction was amazing, and our house is still getting compliments today.

Working with Dave let us being fully involved with every decision, and Dave helped us every step of the way to ensure the house met our dreams and desires.

Our home building experience with Dave and ICF Homes VA was fantastic. One of the great things about building with ICF Homes of VA is that the client is in charge of the ultimate finish. We had complete freedom in the allowances to have whatever we wanted. But it was because of Dave that our vision came to fruition. He had a great team supporting him that got our build completed through several hurdles. Dave and his crew were responsive to all our questions and did a great job at communicating with us on where we were in the process and what to expect next. Due to their expertise our house was finished a month earlier than expected as well as within our budget range.

One of a kind builder! My company, Designer Grey, has partnered alongside Dave and his team for almost two years. Dave and the ICF Team take great pride is crafting a quality and energy efficient home. They go above and beyond to make sure every client is taken care of and you couldn’t be in better hands.

5 stars just doesn’t cut it. ICF Homes Is The Best Builder! My husband and I have two properties that are built by ICF Homes, and we will 100% continue to use them on any and all of our future projects.
Thank you ICF Homes, for being like family.

Dave at ICF Homes of Virginia was incredibly helpful and informative when we contacted him about the possibility of building an ICF home on our property. He answered numerous questions, met with us on multiple video calls since we were in a different state, described the building process in detail, and was always patient, professional and articulate. We also really appreciated his honesty, as trust is so important when building a home, and is not easy to come by. We heartily recommend ICF Homes of Virginia and recommend reaching out to them if you are considering ICF.

I waited a full year before writing this review because I wanted to see how our new home held up. One year later, I can say without hesitation — it’s been perfect. No call-backs, no issues, everything worked exactly as it should. That kind of result doesn’t just happen; it’s the product of true craftsmanship and a team that cares about the details.

From the very beginning, Dave Phelps and his team — David BeLoat, Greyson, and Teressa — brought a level of professionalism and precision that made the entire process smoother than we expected. Building a custom home always comes with a few hiccups, but the difference here was how they handled them. Dave prepared us for each step, stayed transparent, and always had a plan to move forward.

A year later, the house not only looks beautiful — it feels solid, thoughtful, and well-built. The highest compliment I can give is this: I would build with them again without hesitation. If you’re considering a custom home, do yourself a favor — get to know this team. You’ll be glad you did.