Our team

NICK SCHAAR

Nick Schaar is the founder of California Buildings, a general contractor and premier builder of luxury custom homes along the Southern California coast, based in Malibu. With over 30 years of experience in homebuilding, Nick has overseen the development and construction of more than 100 homes. In addition to projects in Malibu, Pacific Palisades, and Brentwood, California Buildings has built extensively in Venice and Manhattan Beach. Committed to giving back, the Schaar family and California Buildings have been proud supporters of the Boys & Girls Club and local schools in these communities for over 25 years.

REGAN SCHAAR

Regan Schaar is the President of California Buildings and manages all aspects of finance and accounting. Regan has been a Planning Commissioner for the City of Malibu. She was previously the Director of New Business Development at The Walt Disney Company, a Director of Marketing for consumer products at Warner Brothers, and the Head of Sales and Marketing for the Viacom cable channels at MTV. Regan has a B.S. in Biology from USC and an MBA from UCLA.

ERIC BARRICKLOW

Eric Barricklow has over 25 years’ experience as a general contractor in Southern California and has overseen many large and complicated projects including estates in Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Malibu, and Brentwood. Eric is a licensed general contractor, a licensed electrician, and master carpenter. He is a valued contributor to California Buildings in many ways and we are thrilled to have him on our lead team. Eric is committed to giving our customers a finished product that exceeds expectations.

DARRELL RILEY

Darrell Riley recently retired from investment management to launch an encore career focused on improving our business practices, communication, and operating efficiencies. For 22 years, Darrell held various leadership
positions at T. Rowe Price in both investments and distribution. His focus now is to make it easier for architects, sub-contractors, clients, and others to partner with California Buildings. Darrell has a B.S. in Psychobiology from UCLA and an MBA from The University of Chicago.

JOHN SCHAAR

John was raised in Pacific Palisades and Malibu. While attending USC, he began his career as an apprentice and later advanced to a foreman position with two esteemed construction firms, WEB Construction and Dilbeck Interiors. John earned his general contractors license in 2025. His impressive grasp of structural complexities sets his work apart. Today, as our lead project manager for the last 5 years, John is steering the company confidently toward a promising future.

JOHN EMBLETON

John Embleton is a skilled craftsman who started his career building custom homes in Malibu. Over 30 years, John managed all aspects of constructing over 15 luxury houses. John then shifted his focus to estate management, overseeing a family’s various properties in Malibu, Hawaii, and the wine country in Paso Robles. Over the years, John has developed the high standards that serve him well in his current role with our company doing construction.

CAROLIN SULLIVAN

Caroline recently graduated from UCSB with a degree in Environmental Studies, specializing in terrestrial ecology and sustainability. She brings a wise yet fresh perspective, inspiring us to build more conscientiously and align ourselves with forward-thinking, practical, and thoughtful solutions in our evolving industry. In her spare time, Caroline volunteers with the Surfrider Foundation, which is dedicated to protecting our oceans, and with Grind for Life, a nonprofit organization that provides transportation for those undergoing cancer treatments. We are extremely proud that she has chosen to work with us.

DIEGO VITAL

Diego Vital has honed his exceptional skills and leadership over more than 30 years. He is one of California’s finest finish carpenters, consistently meeting every challenge with outstanding results. With a broad perspective and focused craftsmanship, Diego has led most of our finishing projects and served as both a dedicated team member and project manager for 21 years. His contributions are truly irreplaceable.