Nearly a century of family-owned building. An honest guide for families relocating to North Texas.
Drees Custom Homes is the Texas operating name of The Drees Company, a family-owned homebuilder that has been operating continuously since 1928. Founded in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky by the Drees family, the company is now in its fourth generation of family leadership under CEO David Drees. Across nearly a century in business, Drees has built more than 70,000 homes in 10+ metro markets spanning the Midwest, Southeast, and Texas. In DFW, Drees has been building since 1984 and operates from a regional office in Irving.
In Dallas–Fort Worth, Drees positions itself as a semi-custom builder, not a production builder, and not a fully custom shop. Their trademarked "Custom Construct" approach divides the process into two phases: a "Custom" phase where buyers work with design experts to select and personalize a floor plan (structural options, elevations, interior choices), followed by a "Construct" phase where the home is built and handed off with post-close support. DFW buyers will find Drees concentrated in McKinney, Rockwall, Northlake, and Argyle, suburbs where larger lots support more extensive customization. Drees has earned national recognition including America's Best Builder, National Builder of the Year, and the National Housing Quality Award, a combination known as the industry "Triple Crown." In DFW specifically, Drees earned gold in the Dallas Morning News Best in DFW competition and claimed the People's Choice honor in the Home Builder category.
Drees sits in a specific niche that production builders can't fill: families who want genuine design flexibility, not just countertop and cabinet choices, but who aren't ready to go fully custom. Here are the differentiators worth knowing:
Many regional builders have been acquired by national conglomerates or private equity firms in recent years, often resulting in cost-cutting and warranty policy changes post-acquisition. The Drees Company has remained in the Drees family's hands since 1928. That ownership continuity matters for buyers evaluating long-term warranty reliability, the company that built your home is the same company answering warranty calls 10 years later.
Drees offers more structural customization than most production builders, buyers can modify room counts, add or remove spaces, change exterior elevations, and make layout decisions before the foundation is poured. This is distinct from builders who lock the floor plan and offer only finish selections. For relocating families with specific needs (home office, multigenerational suite, 5-bedroom vs. 4-bedroom), Drees' "Custom Construct" process gives meaningful choices while maintaining builder-managed pricing and timelines.
Unlike most builders who only sell lots within their own master-planned communities, Drees offers a build-on-your-lot program throughout the DFW metroplex. This is valuable for families who have already identified a specific neighborhood or school zone but want a new construction home. Drees has several custom community neighborhoods, including Discovery Lakes, Park Place, Summit Ranch, and Waterstone Estates, where this option is structured for buyers who own or are purchasing land.
Drees is active in 7 DFW suburbs, with concentration in McKinney and Rockwall on the eastern corridor and Northlake and Argyle in the northwest. Their DFW footprint skews toward move-up and upper-move-up price points, you won't find Drees in entry-level corridors. Click any suburb to read the full family profile, or search current listings directly.
The table below is generated from Kristen's ShowingNew portal data and refreshed each month. Drees opens and closes communities as lots sell out, always verify current availability at dreeshomes.com/new-homes-dallas-ft-worth or browse the portal below.
Showing 14 communities, sourced from ShowingNew and last updated 2026-05-26. Additional communities may be available; browse the full portal for current listings.
| Suburb | Community | Price Range | Beds | Baths | Sq Ft | Avail. | Promo | Portal |
|---|
Opens Kristen's NewHomeSource portal, listings update daily
Texas law (RCLA, Residential Construction Liability Act) sets the floor: 1 year on workmanship and materials, 2 years on mechanical systems, 10 years on structural components. Drees meets all three tiers. Their workmanship coverage is 1 year, the legal minimum, which is worth knowing compared to builders like Perry Homes and Highland Homes who exceed the workmanship minimum. Structural coverage is 10 years and is transferable to future owners.
| Coverage | Texas Legal Minimum | Drees | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workmanship | 1 year | 1 year ✓ | Materials, installation defects, cosmetic construction issues visible at close or discovered within the coverage window |
| Systems | 2 years | 2 years ✓ | HVAC, electrical, plumbing, mechanical systems defects |
| Structural | 10 years | 10 years ✓ (transferable) | Foundation, load-bearing walls, beams, columns, framing, structural elements whose failure would materially affect the safety of the home |
Drees uses an online system called "My Home Portal" for warranty claim submission and tracking. After close, buyers receive access to the portal where they can log and monitor warranty requests. Drees also conducts a 90-day follow-up after close to address items identified during the first weeks of occupancy. The specific warranty document applicable to your home varies by the year of your contract and your metro market, Drees publishes these at dreeshomes.com/warranty, where you select your contract year and metro to download the relevant document. All warranty disputes are subject to binding arbitration, meaning homeowners waive the right to jury trials or direct court action.
Normal settlement cracks in drywall and concrete, damage from homeowner modifications or lack of maintenance, cosmetic issues that don't affect function or structural integrity, and wear-and-tear items. The 10-year structural warranty covers only defects whose failure "materially affects the safety of the home", cosmetic foundation issues or minor settling typically don't meet that threshold. Drees' warranty terms vary by contract year and region; always request and read the specific document for your contract before signing.
Drees Custom Homes scores a 79 (B+) on our 100-point builder index. Here's what drives that score, and where relocating families should pay attention.
Drees regularly runs named promotions for the DFW market, past campaigns have offered up to $50,000 in financing assistance on build-to-order contracts. At the time of this page's publication (May 2026), Drees has active promotions pages for the DFW market. Specific dollar amounts, expiration dates, and eligibility criteria change frequently, sometimes weekly at phase closes. Verify the current offer at dreeshomes.com/new-homes-dallas-ft-worth/promotions before any visit.
Past Drees DFW promotions have included 2-1 rate buydowns through First Equity Mortgage, year one payments 2% below the locked rate, year two 1% below, years 3–30 at full rate. Requires financing with First Equity Mortgage.
Drees has offered up to $25,000–$50,000 in closing cost assistance on build-to-order agreements. Amount varies by community, floor plan, and contract date. Again, tied to using First Equity Mortgage as the lender.
Spec/inventory homes that are near completion sometimes carry larger incentive packages to move them quickly. These are often the best-value Drees opportunity for families on a tighter relocation timeline.
Important: Builder incentives are almost always tied to using their preferred lender. First Equity Mortgage is a Drees subsidiary, that's not inherently bad, but the financing is designed as a package deal. Always get a competing quote from an independent lender before accepting any incentive offer. A buyer's agent can help you evaluate whether the bundled deal is truly competitive or whether you'd be better off with separate financing and a different incentive structure.
As a DFW relocation specialist, Kristen regularly checks in with Drees sales teams across communities to stay current on what's being offered, rate buydowns, closing cost credits, upgrade packages, and end-of-phase deals. Before you set foot in a model home, a quick call with Kristen will tell you exactly what Drees is running right now in the communities that fit your budget and school zone. That's information the sales agent won't volunteer unless you ask the right questions.
Important, register before your first visit: If you walk into a Drees model home without registering a Realtor's name, you may permanently lose the ability to have buyer's representation for that community. Drees' sales agent works for Drees. Call or text Kristen at (602) 405-4115 before your first visit and she'll make sure her name is registered so you have independent representation at no cost to you.
Drees offers 60+ floor plans in the Dallas–Fort Worth market, with a range spanning from approximately 1,700 sq ft (townhome configurations in Allen and McKinney) up to 5,000+ sq ft in Northlake and Wylie communities. Plans are organized across product tiers with different lot widths, communities like Trinity Falls (60' lots) and Painted Tree Showcase (open series) serve different buyer profiles within the same master-planned development. Current DFW floor plans and pricing are available at Drees' DFW floor plans page.
Drees' "Custom Construct" approach allows structural modifications before construction begins, adding a bedroom, changing a study to a formal dining room, modifying an elevation. These are changes that most production builders do not permit. However, Drees is not a true custom builder: you're working from a defined catalog of plans and options, not designing from a blank sheet. Once the slab is poured, structural changes are not possible. Interior finish selections (flooring, cabinets, countertops, fixtures) are made at the design center and carry a wide range of options and price points.
Drees operates its own design center for the DFW market. For relocating buyers who aren't local, Drees can work virtually through the early selection phases, a meaningful advantage when you're coordinating a move from California, New York, or out of state and can't visit Dallas repeatedly. That said, the in-person design center appointment is where most structural and major finish decisions are locked in, and it's worth making the trip if at all possible. Buyers who skip the in-person appointment and rely solely on virtual selections often report post-close surprises when they see things in person for the first time.
Drees' base price includes more than bare-minimum production-builder standard features, but specific inclusions vary by community and floor plan tier. Common inclusions buyers report: 9-foot ceilings, energy-efficient windows, granite or quartz countertops at certain plan levels, stainless appliances, and smart home connectivity packages. What counts as "standard" vs. upgrade varies by the specific community and contract period, ask the Drees sales rep for the current feature sheet for your specific plan before your design center appointment.
"Drees is the builder I recommend when a family needs more than a production home but isn't ready to manage a true custom build. That semi-custom flexibility is real, you can actually change the plan, not just pick the countertops. But the post-close service reviews are uneven enough that I always tell buyers to go in with eyes open and a clear plan for how they'll document and follow up on warranty items."
For relocating families, Drees' DFW footprint is important context. They're concentrated in McKinney (strong Allen ISD access), Rockwall, Northlake (Liberty Christian and Argyle ISD are both nearby), and Argyle. If your school zone research points to Allen ISD, McKinney ISD, Rockwall ISD, or Argyle ISD, Drees may fit your geography well. If you've narrowed your search to Frisco ISD, Keller ISD, or Southlake/Carroll ISD, Drees has limited presence there, other builders will serve you better in those corridors.
The TrustBuilder responsiveness score of 3.1/5 in DFW is the detail I watch most carefully with Drees clients. It doesn't mean warranty calls go unanswered, it means the experience is inconsistent across communities and project managers. Families who go in proactively, documenting punch-list items at the 30-day and 11-month marks, using the My Home Portal consistently, and having a buyer's agent who knows how to escalate, tend to have significantly better outcomes than those who assume issues will be caught and resolved automatically.
Bottom line: Drees is the right choice for move-up buyers with $500K+ budgets who want genuine semi-custom flexibility, especially in McKinney, Rockwall, Northlake, or Argyle. If post-close service consistency is your top priority, or if you're in a fast-close relocation timeline, a builder with stronger DFW responsiveness scores may be a better fit. Call or text me at (602) 405-4115 before your first model home visit, I'll register my name so you have independent representation, brief you on current Drees incentives, and make sure you're looking at the right communities for your family's school zone and commute.
Drees Custom Homes scores 79 (B+) on our 100-point DFW builder index. The company has a 97-year track record, A+ BBB rating, and national Triple Crown award recognition. Where Drees stands out is semi-custom design flexibility and family-ownership continuity. Where buyers experience friction is post-close service responsiveness, the DFW TrustBuilder score of 3.3/5 (responsiveness: 3.1/5) is below what top-rated regional builders like Highland Homes (4.5/5) achieve. Drees is a solid choice for buyers who prioritize customization flexibility and longevity; it requires a more proactive approach to warranty follow-up than builders with higher service scores.
In the Dallas–Fort Worth market, Drees homes currently range from approximately $449,900 (townhome configurations in Allen and McKinney) to $1,323,900+ for large semi-custom homes in Wylie and Northlake, based on current ShowingNew portal data. Build-to-order pricing on standard detached floor plans typically starts around $500,000–$550,000. Price points vary significantly by community, McKinney's Timber Creek community starts near $549,900, while Northlake's Creek Meadows West community starts at $1,015,900. Design center upgrades and structural modifications add to the base price. Always get the specific community's base price sheet from the sales agent before visiting.
As of May 2026, Drees Custom Homes is actively building in 7 DFW suburbs: McKinney (5 communities including Timber Creek, Trinity Falls, Painted Tree Woodlands, Painted Tree Showcase, and Ridgeline Towns townhomes), Rockwall (3 communities including Quail Hollow and The Homestead), Northlake (2 communities including Pecan Square and Creek Meadows West), Argyle (Furst Ranch), Melissa (Creek View), Wylie (McCreary Meadows), and Allen (Chelsea Commons). Drees also offers a build-on-your-lot program throughout the DFW metroplex. They do not currently have active communities in Frisco, Southlake, Coppell, Colleyville, or Flower Mound.
Drees provides a 1-year limited warranty on workmanship and materials, 2-year systems warranty (HVAC, electrical, plumbing), and a 10-year structural warranty that is transferable to future owners. These terms meet the Texas RCLA legal minimums. The workmanship term (1 year) equals the minimum but does not exceed it, some competing builders offer 2-year workmanship coverage. All warranty claims are submitted through Drees' "My Home Portal" online system. Warranty disputes are resolved through binding arbitration. The specific warranty document for your home depends on your contract year and metro market, download it from dreeshomes.com/warranty.
You don't need one, but you should have one, and it costs you nothing extra. Drees pays the buyer's agent commission; the builder price is the same whether you bring a Realtor or not. The Drees sales agent works for Drees, not for you. A buyer's agent reviews the contract, explains upgrade pricing relative to market value, advises on lot selection, recommends independent inspectors, and represents your interests at the pre-closing walkthrough. If you visit a Drees model home without registering a Realtor on your first visit, you may lose the ability to have that Realtor represent you for that community. Call Kristen at (602) 405-4115 before your first visit to make sure her name is registered.
Build-to-order Drees homes in DFW typically take 9–14 months from contract to close, depending on the floor plan complexity, structural modifications selected, and current supply chain conditions. Semi-custom homes with significant plan modifications tend toward the longer end. Quick move-in (spec) homes that are already under construction can close in 30–90 days depending on completion stage. For families on a corporate relocation timeline of 60–90 days, Drees' inventory homes are the better path; a build-to-order contract won't typically close within a standard relocation window.
Yes, Drees' preferred lender is First Equity Mortgage Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Drees Company. You are not required to use First Equity Mortgage, but Drees' incentive packages (rate buydowns, closing cost credits) are almost always tied to financing through First Equity. If you use an outside lender, you typically forgo those specific incentives. Before committing, get a quote from an independent lender to compare the true all-in cost: sometimes the incentive package with First Equity is genuinely the better deal, and sometimes an independent lender's rate and fees are more competitive even without the credit. A buyer's agent can help you run the comparison properly.
Kristen has helped relocating families navigate Drees communities across DFW, from suburb shortlisting to contract review to closing day. Her representation costs you nothing on new construction, and the builder's sales agent works for Drees, not for you.
