Builder rankings, active suburb breakdowns, school district connections, and an honest guide to the new construction process — everything a relocating family needs before signing a contract.
When families call me from California, New York, or Illinois to talk about moving to Dallas–Fort Worth, new construction comes up in almost every conversation. And for good reason: DFW is one of the most active new home markets in the entire United States. Builders are constructing thousands of homes across dozens of suburbs right now — from entry-level production homes in the $250s to custom semi-custom builds well over $2 million.
But "new construction" in DFW isn't one thing. It's 33 ranked builders, 60+ active suburbs, and a process that works very differently from buying a resale home. The families who have the smoothest experience are the ones who understand the landscape before they ever walk into a model home. That's what this guide is for.
When you're moving from 1,500 miles away, you can't do 15 weekend showings. New construction lets you choose your floor plan, finishes, and lot from afar — then show up to a brand-new home. No surprises from the previous owner's renovation choices.
Texas law requires a minimum 1-year workmanship, 2-year systems, and 10-year structural warranty on new homes. Most top DFW builders exceed that. When you're new to a city and don't have a trusted plumber or electrician yet, that warranty matters enormously.
The biggest worry for relocating families isn't the house — it's belonging. Master-planned communities in suburbs like Prosper, Celina, and Frisco are designed for exactly this: pools, trails, event programming, and neighbors all starting fresh at the same time.
Resale deals fall through — the seller changes their mind, the inspection blows up, the chain collapses. A new construction contract gives you a builder-committed closing date you can plan a cross-country move around. For families coordinating job start dates, school enrollment deadlines, and movers booked six weeks out, that certainty is worth a lot.
Your Realtor is free on new construction. Builder's sales agents represent the builder — not you. Bringing your own Realtor costs you nothing (the builder pays the commission) and gives you a licensed professional whose job is to represent your interests through the contract, design selections, inspections, and closing. Call or text Kristen at (602) 405-4115 before your first model home visit — she'll make sure her name is registered so you have independent representation from day one. If you walk in without registering a Realtor, the builder may not honor the representation later.
Texas is a non-disclosure state for sale prices, which means public records won't show you what the house down the street sold for last month. Builder pricing is also less transparent than resale — list price is just the starting point. Lot premiums, structural upgrades, and design center selections can add $50k–$150k+ to the base price. Kristen stays in regular contact with sales teams across DFW builders to track current incentives, rate buydowns, and end-of-phase deals — the kind of information a builder's website won't publish and their sales agent won't lead with. A quick call before you visit any community can make a significant difference in what you negotiate.
DFW's 33 ranked home builders fall into three tiers. Your tier choice is the first decision to make — it defines your price range, customization level, and the communities available to you.
High-volume builders with standardized floor plans, limited customization, and the fastest timelines (typically 4–8 months from contract to close). Best for families on a clear budget who want to move quickly.
What you get: Proven plans, efficient construction, professional warranty processes, and communities across every DFW suburb. Design center choices are real but bounded — you're selecting from pre-set packages.
DFW Production Builders (16): Southgate Homes · Normandy Homes · Taylor Morrison · Century Communities · Riverside Homebuilders · Toll Brothers (luxury production, $700k+) · Beazer Homes · K. Hovnanian Homes · D.R. Horton · Lennar · Pulte Homes · Megatel Homes · Ashton Woods · Meritage Homes · M/I Homes · LGI Homes
The DFW sweet spot for most relocating families. You choose from a wider range of floor plans, with meaningful structural options (extra bedrooms, media rooms, extended garages) and broader design center selections. Build times typically 8–14 months.
What you get: A home that feels distinctly yours without the complexity of full custom. Builders in this tier have dedicated design consultants and structured selection processes that work well for remote buyers.
DFW Semi-Custom Builders (10): Grand Homes · Perry Homes · Highland Homes · David Weekley Homes · GFO Homes · Bloomfield Homes · American Legend Homes · Trophy Signature Homes · Drees Homes · UnionMain Homes
Full control over every element — floor plan, elevations, materials, finishes. Some DFW custom builders have spec home programs that make them accessible at lower price points. Build times 12–18+ months.
What you get: A home built exactly to your family's needs. Better suited for buyers who have already decided on a suburb and lot, have time in the process, and have a clear design vision.
DFW Custom Builders (6): Kindred Homes · Coventry Homes · Pacesetter Homes · Shaddock Homes · First Texas Homes · Chesmar Homes
Toll Brothers is classified as production (high-volume, standardized process) but operates at luxury price points — DFW communities typically start around $700k and reach well over $2M. They offer more architectural customization than most production builders while maintaining the structured warranty and build process of a large company. Think of them as luxury production.
These are the DFW suburbs with the most active new home builder inventory right now — ranked by builder presence and filtered for family relevance (schools, amenities, commute access). Click any suburb to see the full profile including schools, market data, and lifestyle details.
For a complete look at all DFW suburbs, visit the DFW Suburb Comparison Guide or the DFW School Districts Guide.
Browse All DFW New Construction → Searches through Kristen's NewHomeSource portal — listings update daily
Also active: Denton (11 builders, UNT/TWU presence), Wylie (12 builders, Wylie ISD A+), Little Elm (6 builders, Little Elm ISD), Princeton (9 builders, Princeton ISD), Midlothian (9 builders, Midlothian ISD B+), and Waxahachie (9 builders, Waxahachie ISD) for families looking south of Dallas.
Every major DFW builder scored across six categories: customer satisfaction, responsiveness, value, BBB standing, warranty quality, and active suburb coverage. Scores are calculated from TrustBuilder (NHS Professional / NTREIS verified reviews), Google reviews, BBB data, and warranty specifications.
Data sources: TrustBuilder (NHS Professional/NTREIS verified purchaser reviews), Google Places, BBB.org, Texas TRCC warranty data. Scores are periodically updated as new review data becomes available. "Limited" completeness means fewer than 4 of 6 scoring components had sufficient data.
| Builder | Tier | Score | Grade | Reviews | BBB | Warranty structural |
Price Range | DFW suburbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trophy Signature Homes↗ | Semi-Custom | 94 | A+ | ★ 3.4 (224) | A+ | 10-yr | $300k–$600k | 24 |
| Century Communities↗ | Production | 93 | A+ | — | A+ | 10-yr | $280k–$450k | 7 |
| Grand Homes↗ | Semi-Custom | 93 | A+ | ★ 4.6 (83) | A+ | 10-yr | $437k–$1.1M | 25 |
| Perry Homes↗ | Semi-Custom | 92 | A+ | ★ 4.5 (439) | A+ | 10-yr | $300k–$800k | 39 |
| Kindred Homes↗ | Semi-Custom | 91 | A+ | ★ 4.4 (23) | A+ | 10-yr | $360k–$1.1M | 11 |
| Riverside Homebuilders↗ | Production | 91 | A+ | — | NR | 10-yr | $300k–$619k | 9 |
| Toll Brothers↗ | Production | 90 | A+ | ★ 4.5 (15) | A+ | 10-yr | $700k–$3.0M | 18 |
| Beazer Homes↗ | Production | 90 | A+ | ★ 4.6 (911 — TrustBuilder) | A+ | 10-yr | $290k–$747k | 1 |
| Coventry Homes↗ | Custom | 90 | A+ | ★ 4.6 (109) | NR | 10-yr | $350k–$975k | 20 |
| Normandy Homes↗ | Production | 90 | A+ | ★ 4.4 (47) | A+ | 6-yr | $370k–$800k | 5 |
| Highland Homes↗ | Semi-Custom | 89 | A | ★ 4.5 (1,338 — TrustBuilder) | A+ | 6-yr | $300k–$1.8M | 27 |
| David Weekley Homes↗ | Semi-Custom | 89 | A | ★ 4.2 (78) | A+ | 10-yr | $400k–$1.5M | 6 |
| K. Hovnanian Homes↗ | Production | 89 | A | ★ 4.3 (366 — TrustBuilder) | A+ | 10-yr | $280k–$600k | 13 |
| Pacesetter Homes↗ | Custom | 87 | A | ★ 4.3 (84 — TrustBuilder) | A+ | 10-yr | $280k–$500k | 25 |
| Shaddock Homes↗ | Custom | 86 | A | ★ 4.7 (222) | B- | 10-yr | $500k–$1.5M | 15 |
| First Texas Homes↗ | Custom | 86 | A | ★ 3.9 (75) | A+ | 10-yr | $350k–$700k | 30 |
| Bloomfield Homes↗ | Semi-Custom | 84 | A | ★ 4.3 (1,038 — TrustBuilder) | A- | 6-yr | $280k–$600k | 30 |
| D.R. Horton↗ | Production | 84 | A | ★ 4.3 (314) | A+ | 10-yr | $250k–$500k | 1 |
| American Legend Homes↗ | Semi-Custom | 84 | A | ★ 3.8 (46) | A+ | 10-yr | $400k–$900k | 0 |
| Lennar↗ | Production | 82 | A | ★ 3.7 (1,489 — TrustBuilder) | A+ | 10-yr | $174k–$700k | 20 |
| Southgate Homes↗ | Production | 82 | A | ★ 3.5 (30) | A+ | 10-yr | $724k–$1.2M | 5 |
| Chesmar Homes↗ | Production | 80 | A | ★ 4.1 (64) | NR | 10-yr | $413k–$1.0M | 21 |
| Drees Custom Homes↗ | Semi-Custom | 79 | B+ | ★ 3.3 (80 — TrustBuilder) | A+ | 10-yr | $450k–$2.0M | 0 |
| Ashton Woods↗ | Production | 78 | B+ | ★ 4 (271) | B- | 10-yr | $315k–$899k | 21 |
| M/I Homes↗ | Production | 77 | B+ | ★ 4.6 (369) | D- | 10-yr | $242k–$510k | 0 |
| Pulte Homes↗ | Production | 76 | B+ | ★ 4.2 (499 — TrustBuilder) | NR | 10-yr | $350k–$900k | 18 |
| GFO Home↗ | Semi-Custom | 75 | B+ | ★ 4.2 (15) | C- | 6-yr | $400k–$800k | 12 |
| Meritage Homes↗ | Production | 73 | B+ | ★ 3.3 (62) | A+ | 10-yr | $269k–$479k | 1 |
| UnionMain Homes↗ | Semi-Custom | 70 | B+ | — | C | 10-yr | $300k–$704k | 9 |
| Taylor Morrison↗ | Production | 67 | B | ★ 2.2 (23) | A+ | 10-yr | $257k–$725k | 16 |
| Megatel Homes↗ | Production | 64 | B | ★ 2.7 (102) | B- | 10-yr | $309k–$579k | 48 |
| LGI Homes↗ | Production | 0 | D | — | F | 10-yr | $290k–$416k | 16 |
| Trophy Signature Homes↗ | Production | 0 | — | — | A+ | 10-yr | $239k–$714k | 17 |
Scores updated quarterly. "TrustBuilder" = verified purchaser reviews from NHS Professional / NTREIS. "0 suburbs" in the DFW column means community data requires a builder website visit — those builders are active. Builder websites link directly to their DFW community pages.
This is the intersection most new construction guides skip entirely — and it's the most important question relocating families ask me. DFW's fastest-growing new construction corridors are concentrated in the outer-ring suburbs of Collin, Denton, and Rockwall counties. These are also the counties with the most new ISD campus construction. But not all fast-growing ISDs are equal, and the ISD your new construction home falls in depends entirely on the street address — not the suburb name.
Two homes. Same community. Different ISDs. This happens regularly in fast-growing suburbs like Frisco, Prosper, and McKinney, where ISD boundaries cut through master-planned communities. Always verify the specific lot's ISD via the TEA District Locator before signing a contract. I do this verification for every client — don't skip it.
| Suburb | Primary ISD(s) for New Construction | TEA Rating | Niche Grade | New Home Range | Verify By Address |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frisco | Frisco ISD, Prosper ISD (far north) | A | A+ | $400k–$1.5M+ | TEA Locator ↗ |
| Prosper | Prosper ISD, Celina ISD (far north) | A | A | $380k–$1.5M | TEA Locator ↗ |
| Celina | Celina ISD, Prosper ISD (south edge) | B | B+ | $280k–$900k | TEA Locator ↗ |
| McKinney | McKinney ISD, Frisco ISD (north edge), Prosper ISD (northwest) | B | A | $320k–$1.2M | TEA Locator ↗ |
| Argyle | Argyle ISD | A | A+ | $600k–$2M+ | TEA Locator ↗ |
| Rockwall / Fate | Rockwall ISD | A | A | $280k–$900k | TEA Locator ↗ |
| Melissa | Melissa ISD | A | A | $280k–$650k | TEA Locator ↗ |
| Aubrey | Aubrey ISD, Little Elm ISD (south) | B | B | $280k–$700k | TEA Locator ↗ |
| Anna | Anna ISD | C | B− | $270k–$550k | TEA Locator ↗ |
| Forney | Forney ISD | B | B | $260k–$600k | TEA Locator ↗ |
For the complete DFW school district guide — TEA ratings, Niche grades, tax rates, and program spotlights for all 36 ISDs — visit the DFW School Districts Guide.
Buying new construction in DFW is meaningfully different from buying resale. Here's the full process, including the steps most buyers don't know about until they're already in contract.
Before you look at a single builder, decide on the suburb. School district, commute route, and community type are harder to change than floor plans. Use the suburb guide and school district guide to narrow to 2–3 areas. Then look at which builders are active there.
If you're working with a Realtor, they must be registered on your first visit to every model home — otherwise the builder may not honor the representation later. Builder's agents are paid by the builder and represent the builder's interests. Your Realtor costs you nothing and represents only you.
Builder contracts are heavily weighted toward the builder. They are not the standard TREC residential contract used in resale. An experienced Realtor reviews the contract for earnest money terms, change-order policies, price-lock provisions, and what happens if construction is delayed. Earnest money is typically 1–3% and non-refundable after a short review period.
This is where budget overruns happen. Base price is the floor, not the actual price. Design center visits cover cabinets, countertops, flooring, lighting, appliances, exterior materials, and dozens of structural upgrades. Budget an additional 10–20% above base price for a "move-in ready" result. Some families spend $50k–$150k above base at design center.
Production builders build faster (3–8 months). Semi-custom builders typically run 8–14 months. Full custom is 12–18+ months. DFW has experienced labor shortages and permit delays — build schedules slip. Get the timeline expectations in writing and maintain regular check-ins with the builder's customer care team.
Most builders offer a frame walkthrough (before drywall goes up) where you can verify structural options, electrical outlet placement, and plumbing rough-in. This is your last easy opportunity to catch things before they're buried in the walls. Bring a checklist.
Builder inspections are not the same as independent inspections. Hire a licensed Texas home inspector (separate from any inspector the builder arranges) for a pre-drywall inspection and a final pre-closing inspection. This is non-negotiable. New construction defects are caught at this stage — not after you've moved in.
The final walkthrough ("blue tape" walkthrough) is where you and the builder walk every room noting items to fix before closing. Get everything on the list signed off before you hand over your key money. After closing, your warranty begins. Document everything in writing from day one.
Builder incentives are real — but they come with strings. Builders regularly offer closing cost credits, design center upgrades, or rate buydowns — but most are contingent on using the builder's preferred lender. That lender may or may not offer the best rate. Always get a competing quote before committing to the builder's lender. The incentive may still be worth it, but you'll negotiate from a much stronger position knowing your options.
You don't legally need one, but you should absolutely have one. Here's why: the builder's sales agent is employed by the builder and paid by the builder. Their job is to sell you a home at the best price for their employer — not to negotiate on your behalf, flag contract terms that favor the builder, or advise you on comparable pricing. A buyer's Realtor does all of those things, and the builder pays the commission. It costs you nothing extra. The only thing you lose by not having one is representation. Call or text Kristen at (602) 405-4115 before your first visit to any model home — she stays in regular contact with DFW builder sales teams, knows what incentives are currently running, and will make sure her name is registered so you're protected from day one.
Yes, but not always the way you'd expect. Builders rarely discount the base price (it affects comp values throughout the community). What they will negotiate: closing cost credits, lot premiums, design center allowances, and rate buydowns through their preferred lender. The best deals come at end-of-quarter and end-of-year when builders are closing out phase inventory. Kristen tracks incentive cycles across all 33 DFW builders — a quick call before you visit a community tells you what's currently on the table and how to ask for it.
Production builders (D.R. Horton, Beazer, Meritage, K. Hovnanian, Pulte) build standardized plans at high volume. You choose from set floor plans, pre-defined design packages, and available lots. Build times are faster and pricing is more predictable. Semi-custom builders (Highland Homes, Perry, David Weekley, Bloomfield) offer meaningful structural customization — you can often add rooms, move walls, extend spaces — and broader finish selections. The trade-off is higher prices, longer timelines, and more decisions to make.
Production builds: typically 4–8 months from contract signing to close. Semi-custom: 8–14 months. Custom: 12–18+ months. These timelines assume normal permit processing and material availability — both of which have had disruptions in recent years. Always ask your builder for their current average cycle time and factor in a 30–60 day buffer when planning your move.
Some builders also sell "inventory homes" (also called "spec homes" or "quick move-ins") — homes already under construction or complete. These can close in 30–90 days and are worth asking about if your timeline is tight.
Yes. Emphatically yes. New construction homes have defects — improper insulation, plumbing rough-in issues, electrical problems, HVAC sizing — that a third-party inspection catches before closing. The builder's own inspectors work for the builder. Your licensed Texas home inspector works for you. The cost is typically $400–$700 for a final inspection; a pre-drywall inspection is an additional $300–$500 and worth every dollar. I recommend both to every buyer I work with.
School district boundaries don't follow suburb lines or community names — they follow legal parcel boundaries, and they change as ISDs annex new land. A single master-planned community can span two or even three ISDs. The only way to know your specific lot's ISD is to check the address against the TEA School District Locator or your county's appraisal district parcel records. Don't rely on the builder's sales agent — verify it yourself before signing. This is step one of what I do for every new construction client.
Texas law (the Residential Construction Liability Act) establishes minimum implied warranties: 1 year on workmanship and materials, 2 years on plumbing/electrical/HVAC systems, and 10 years on structural defects. Most top DFW builders meet or exceed these minimums. When comparing builders, look for:
All 20 builders in our comparison table include their structural warranty duration. Builders with 10-year structural coverage have a meaningful advantage in the event of foundation or framing issues.
DFW has consistently been one of the top new construction markets in the country, driven by corporate relocations, population growth, and business-friendly policies. New construction in master-planned communities in suburbs like Frisco, Prosper, Rockwall, and Argyle has historically held value well. That said, I always tell families: buy the home that works for your family's life — the one in the right school district, near the right employer, that fits your actual lifestyle. When those things align with a growing suburb, the investment case takes care of itself.
I've guided hundreds of families through the DFW new construction process — from choosing the right suburb and builder to negotiating at the design center and closing on time. Let's talk about what your family needs and map out a plan.
Schedule a Free Consultation Email KristenLicensed Texas Realtor® TREC #760457 · eXp Realty · (602) 405-4115 · Serving all of DFW
Kristen Carpentier is a licensed Texas Realtor® (TREC License #760457), brokered by eXp Realty (15950 Dallas Pkwy #400, Dallas, TX 75248). Builder scores, grades, and ratings on this page are compiled from publicly available sources including TrustBuilder (NHS Professional/NTREIS verified purchaser reviews), Google Places, BBB.org, and Texas warranty documentation. Scores are for informational purposes and are updated periodically. Ratings do not constitute an endorsement of any builder and should not substitute for your own due diligence. Price ranges are approximate based on publicly listed communities and are subject to change. Always verify ISD boundaries for any specific address before signing a purchase contract. Texas law requires Realtors to provide the Information About Brokerage Services form.
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