CMA DEVELOPMENT

CMA Development is a San Francisco–based general contracting and design-build firm founded on the belief that great homes are born from genuine collaboration — when design intent and construction expertise are aligned from the very beginning. Uniting design sensitivity with technical precision, CMA bridges the gap between concept and execution, translating vision into built reality with care and clarity.

The team works closely with architects, designers, engineers, craftspeople, and clients, guided by transparency, trust, and open communication. CMA partners with leading design studios while also delivering fully integrated design-build projects from concept to completion. Its portfolio spans high-end remodels, additions, and custom ground-up homes — each defined by disciplined execution, thoughtful detailing, and a lasting respect for design integrity.

CHARLES MA | Principal

With a background in architecture and more than a decade in high-end residential construction, Charles Ma brings an uncommon balance of design sensibility, technical discipline, and practical experience. His integrated understanding of design and construction defines CMA’s approach — pragmatic yet design-minded, detail-driven, and fluent in both the language of architects and the logic of builders.

That integration of design and construction informs how Charles leads CMA — emphasizing systems, collaboration, and long-term partnerships to ensure creative vision and execution move in step. The result is a practice defined by design integrity, operational clarity, and a deep commitment to the craft of building.

Originally from New York and fluent in Mandarin, Charles now lives in San Francisco with his wife and two young children. Outside of work, he’s deep in the trenches of family life—building couch forts, refereeing sibling showdowns, and pretending to enjoy children’s movies he’s already seen ten times. It’s chaotic, it’s messy, and somehow it’s still his favorite project yet.