About McLean Construction
We are a family-owned general contractor. We have been building homes and commercial spaces since 2010.
How we got started
2010
Year founded
16
Years in business
I started McLean Construction in 2010 with one pickup truck, a borrowed trailer and the tools I had collected working for other builders. I had watched a lot of clients get vague estimates, missed schedules and change orders nobody explained. I wanted to run a company that didn't do that.
Our first job was a second-story addition on a small brick colonial. I told the owners we would do the work right, tell them the truth and finish what we started. We finished on budget and three days early. They referred their neighbor, and the neighbor referred a local business owner. Most of our work still comes to us that way.
Today we have project managers, superintendents, estimators and carpenters on our own payroll. We build custom homes, fix up older houses, build out offices and retail space, and do site work for developers. The jobs are bigger now, but we run them the same way we ran that first addition.
I still visit our job sites every week and I still return calls myself. When you hire us, you are hiring people who live here and who will be around to stand behind the work.
John McLean, Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Our mission
Build good buildings, keep everyone on our sites safe, and be straight with our clients about cost and schedule.
That covers how we price a job, who we hire, which materials we use and how we treat your property while we work on it.
Our goal
Be the builder people recommend to their friends and family.
We don't need to be the biggest contractor in the area. We would rather have clients who hire us again and crews who stay with us for years.
What we expect from everyone on our team
We hire for these and we train for them.
1
Honesty
Tell the truth about price, schedule and problems, even when it is bad news.
2
Good work
Build every detail as if the toughest carpenter you know is going to inspect it.
3
Safety
No deadline is worth an injury. Everyone goes home safe.
4
Ownership
One project manager owns your job. If something goes wrong, they make it right.
5
Community
Hire locally, train apprentices and help out in the neighborhoods where we work.
Safety on our job sites
Safety is the first item at every meeting we hold, including the Monday toolbox talk and every owner meeting.
- OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 training for every field employee and supervisor
- A written safety plan for each site and a daily hazard check
- Weekly toolbox talks and documented site inspections
- Anyone on our site can stop work if they see something unsafe
- We supply and maintain fall protection, PPE and equipment
The work behind the walls matters too
Everyone notices the finishes. How a building holds up depends on the flashing behind the siding, the blocking behind the cabinets and the fasteners in the framing. We check all of it.
- Inspections at each stage before anything is covered up
- Photos of every wall, ceiling and roof before it is closed in
- Materials chosen for our climate
- A punch list and a walkthrough with you before closeout
- A written workmanship warranty on every job
John McLean
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Meet John
John McLean started McLean Construction in 2010 with one pickup truck and a borrowed trailer. He grew up in the trade, framing houses with his father, and later earned a degree in Construction Management. He spent ten years as a superintendent and project manager on commercial jobs around the Mid-Atlantic before going out on his own.
John is a licensed general contractor, holds an OSHA 30 card and is a LEED Green Associate. He still walks our job sites every week.
Outside of work he coaches youth baseball, volunteers with a local program that repairs homes for seniors and veterans, and helps young people get started in the trades.
"Anyone can make a house look good on move-in day. I want it to still look good, and still work, twenty years later."
Our team
Most of our field leaders came up through our own apprenticeship program, and many of our project managers have been with us for ten years or more. If you hire us twice, you will probably see the same faces on both jobs.
Project managers
Your main contact for budget, schedule and decisions for the whole job.
Superintendents
On site every day. They schedule the trades, enforce safety and check the work.
Estimators
Detailed pricing before work starts, and ideas to save money where it makes sense.
Carpenters and crews
Our own framing, concrete and finish carpentry crews.
16+
Years in Business
650+
Projects Completed
85
Tradespeople on Staff
98%
Repeat or Referred Clients
What our clients say
Planning a project? Let's talk.
Send us a few details about what you want to build. An estimator will call you back within one business day to set up a site visit.