Dallas is the ninth most populated city in the U.S., with over 1.3 million people. The city has an eclectic atmosphere with a bustling metropolitan area. With its proximity to the business district and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport- one of the nation’s busiest airports- Dallas is also home to billionaires and celebrities.
Luxurious and spacious homes dominate the Dallas market, especially in the inner Dallas neighborhoods. Zillow estimates that homes in that area of the city easily tally at seven to eight figures. Grand villas with French and Victorian styles are the most common home architectural style, but modern and contemporary variations are quickly catching up in the Dallas architecture scene, due to the influence of architecture giants such as Pritzker Award-winners IM Pei and Rem Koolhaas.
In this list, custom home builders in Dallas are carefully curated, organized, and ranked in accordance with their prominence, expertise, and strength of portfolio. The city has an abundance of impressive custom home builders, so this list carefully considers awards, accolades, and other supporting criteria to make sure that the list gives justice to the thriving architectural scene in the city. On the other hand, if you want to learn more about the cost of building a custom home in Dallas, check out our other article.
If you are thinking about building a custom home, we recommend checking each builder’s license with the local licensing board, speaking to past clients, and using our bidding system to get competitive quotes from at least 3 contractors. Getting multiple bids is the best way to ensure you get a fair price and that bids include the complete scope of work.
15) Jim Scott and Sons
319 Slaughter Ave., Dallas, TX 75214
Starting in the early ’70s, Jim Scott built his construction career by completing a series of homes in Highland Park after earning his degree at Southern Methodist University. A generation later, Jim Scott and Sons are lead by Peter Scott, son of the principal.
The 44-year experience of the firm enables a wide range of home styles, with their most prominent works being contemporary and modern designs. In the featured project above, the company completed a contemporary home with an interesting two-tone facade. Charcoal black and gray tones are accentuated with hazel tones. This home has an asymmetrical facade and L-shaped layout which maximizes the space for the courtyard and natural landscape. This setup achieves both function and style as the open space allows the full use of the environment while keeping the home fashionable.
14) Faulkner Perrin
5050 W Lovers Ln., Dallas, TX 75209
For 25 years, Faulkner Perrin has been providing custom home construction in the Dallas area. Scott Faulkner obtained a Masters of Business Administration degree from Southern Methodist University, while Kirk Perrin earned a degree in Construction Science from Texas A&M University. Faulkner Perrin found local prominence with their features in publications such as Luxe Interiors, D Magazine, and Business View Magazine.
The company’s portfolio is filled with contemporary renditions of classical home styles. In the work featured above, the company completed a tasteful fusion of contemporary, transitional, and bungalow elements. The home features the airy and open-floor layout of the contemporary style, with the silhouette of a bungalow. This home is a playful iteration of progressive and traditional design styles.
13) Caprock Custom Homes
307 Terry Ln., Heath, TX 75032, USA
Rockwall county-based Caprock Custom Homes is operated by U.S. Marine veteran Joe Chamberlain, who has more than 40 years in the construction business. The company’s efforts have been recognized by the Dallas Builders Association, as reflected by their five ARC awards.
The company specializes in French and Victorian colonial villas and often uses beige and light-colored stonework. In the featured work pictured above, the company did a gabled-roof Victorian home with a massive porch that connects the home sideways in the home’s bent layout. The irregular roofing of the room adds character and an element of unpredictability. The home is built to appear to be staged with the low elevation of the front courtyard, eliciting an atmosphere of distinction and elegance.
12) Drees Homes
6225 State Hwy. 161, Suite #100, Irving, TX 75038
For over 90 years, Drees Homes has been building homes in the states of Kentucky, Ohio, Florida, and Texas. This multi-generational family business offers a full-scale service to homeowners- from design to custom home build. Drees have been the recipient of several awards, including 30th on Builder Magazine’s Builder 100 list, as well as being recognized as the 12th largest private builder in the country.
The company specializes in traditional, colonial, and French home styles. In the project pictured above, the company completed a single-family French country home with fine wall tapestry in a suburban neighborhood. The uneven yet nearly symmetrical silhouette is the most prominent feature of the home. Narrow doorway and arches are paired with slender French windows; a design combination allows maximum privacy and hiddenness.
11) Thomas Signature Homes
5622 Del Roy Dr., Dallas, TX 75230
D Home Magazine’s Best Builder in Dallas for nine consecutive years, Thomas Signature Homes is one of Dallas’ most decorated home builders. The company has won eight DBA Associate, Remodeler, and Contractor awards, including Best New Home for $2M – $2.5M. Thomas London, the company’s founder, is one of only 497 builders in the U.S. to be accredited as a Graduate Master Builder (GMB) by the National Association of Home Builders. They have also won several awards, in 2018 TSH won 8 DBA awards and since 2009, TSH has won 42 DBA awards, that is more than any other custom builder in the DBA.
Thomas Signature Homes worked on an amazing home at 6503 Belmead. The project is approximately 7,700 sf and features 5 Bedrooms, 5 Bathrooms, and 4 garages. This single-family home is fashioned with modern styles throughout the home, and even complete with a wine bar.
10) Ellen Grasso & Sons
8150 N Central Expy, Suite M-1090 Dallas, TX 75206
Ellen Grasso & Sons is a Dallas-based custom home builder that builds in the Park Cities and Preston Hollow. In addition to Grasso being one of the two female principals on this list, the company is also one of this list’s few family-run firms. Ellen, and her sons Clay and Rob, are all are equal partners and principals at Ellen Grasso & Sons. They have been voted Best Builder in D Magazine for the past 9 years.
Ellen Grasso & Sons pride themselves on building homes that their clients will love – no matter what their style. In a particular work pictured above, the company created an elegant home with a complex mixture of contemporary and French eclectic styles. The home has a unique asymmetry compared to the common French design and sports an off-white tone with subtle gray accents that allow the art and décor to be the focal point.
9) Tim Jackson Custom Homes
650 Maple Creek Dr., Fairview, TX 75069-0138
Over 22 years, Tim Jackson Custom Homes has built over 100 homes across Collin, Dallas, Denton and Grayson counties, specializing in the classical style. Founder Tim Jackson served as the President of the Dallas Builders Association in 2009 and currently serves as the Life Director of the association.
As an example of their craft, the company recently completed this massive English manor. This manor is an impressive combination of intricate stonework and unique planning. The home is bent in on an obtuse angle and has a hipped roof. Another important detail of the home is the use of a natural wash of the stones, which blends with the dark blue shade of the roofing. This combination highlights the sense of luxury that the manor already poses.
8) Milan Design Build
5220 Spring Valley Rd., Suite #212, Dallas, TX 75254
Scott Trahan and Eric Mistretta founded Milan Design Build with combined industry experience of more than 30 years and fluency in Chemistry and Engineering. Trahan and Mistretta co-owned multiple patents in metal corrosion and chemistry.
In their custom homes pursuit, the company specializes in modern and contemporary design. The company’s design team is coordinated by Giuliana Bellatin, who oversees new construction projects in Milan, Venice, Padua, Cortina D’Ampezzo, California, and Dallas. The progressive approach of the team is attributed to Bellatin’s experience in Europe and South America. Bellatin has also worked with the Prime Minister of Italy.
Milan Design Build is fluent in modern and contemporary design. In a featured work that the company describes as Texas modern, the company built an interesting structure with a two-tone texture of exterior. The upper portion of the home has a cream tone that matches the chestnut stonework and dark hues of the roof. The most outstanding feature of the house, however, is its shape. Unlike the usual modern home with flat roofing and minimal shape, this home features a sloping roof, and two pillars that hinge the front door.
7) Coats Homes
3100 Monticello Ave., Dallas, TX 75201
Coats Homes is a custom home builder serving the Park Cities and Preston Hollow areas. The company is led by a second-generation builder, Ben Coats. Coats Homes was awarded with The Dallas 100 award- presented to 100 of Dallas’ fastest growing companies- by Coat’s alma mater, Southern Methodist University.
The company offers a wide range of styles in its portfolio, including a modern home with a simple yet brilliant structure and facade. What makes the project so impressive is the singular and versatile use of different shades of brown. The home, in beige and other earth tones, evokes a feeling of luxury and uniqueness with the palette choice. The home’s silhouette is symmetrical with three boxed accents on the top right and ripple of strands in the left middle section.
6) Shaddock Caldwell
105 E. Main St., Richardson, TX 75081
Six-time Best of D Home Magazine awardee Shaddock Caldwell is a product of progressive thinking and friendship between Todd Shaddock and Ben Caldwell. Shaddock carries more than 50 years of homebuilding experience from his family’s home building company, while Caldwell was directly involved in the disposition of $85M worth of real estate prior to the establishment of Shaddock Caldwell.
The two made a name for themselves through their outstanding portfolio that features a combination of ranch and contemporary home styles. In the project featured above, the company completed an interesting contemporary piece. The home elevates progressively to the right and has a cascading indention. Large windows with French-like window panes invoke a sophisticated touch, matched with a cinnamon front door. The house maintains its elegance by only revealing certain portions of the home without being too intrusive to the passersby outside.
5) Veranda Designer Homes
1594 Hart St., Suite #200 Southlake, TX 76092
In addition to being one of the two female principals on this list, Betty Baker sets herself apart from the rest by being one of the few principals that arrange both interior design and architecture. Since 2005, Baker’s Southlake-based firm has built a significant number of homes in the Dallas area.
Veranda Designer Homes has a unique selection of ranch-style homes, often defined by a gabled and hipped roof, fine stonework, and traditional silhouette. In a Fort Worth Magazine-awarded home, the company constructed a 7200 square foot transitional French ranch home. The project featured a compact two-story estate with light yellow stonework and French windows- a straightforward yet highly effective design choice.
4) Phillip Jennings Homes
8604 Turtle Creek Blvd., Suite #25569 Dallas, TX 75225
Fifteen years ago, Phillip Fristoe founded a custom homes company, with its name combining his first name and his grandfather’s. The firm focuses on high-end homes ranging from $2M to $10M in the areas of Preston Hollow, Bluffview Estates and Park Cities. The company was awarded by D Home Magazine the Best Builder of the Year for 2017 and 2018.
The company’s portfolio offers an interesting collection of contemporary reinterpretations of more established home styles. In the Spanish villa featured above, the company incorporated contemporary elements such as the use of large glass windows. This blends in nicely with the tamed cream accent of the exterior and the merlot roofing. The combination offers a progressive design with a familiar silhouette.
3) Alford Homes
17480 Dallas Pkwy., Suite #217 Dallas, TX 75287
Family-run, Alford Homes is a custom home builder that caters the luxury market. The company’s principal Greg Alford is an industry veteran of almost 40 years. His leadership enabled the company to garner the ON TOP Builder Award by On Magazine, a direct mail local magazine about Dallas homebuilders, as well as other local awards and features.
The firm specializes in full-scale villas and mansions, the majority of which have a grand facade and are characterized by high elevation and pyramidic roof. In the work pictured above, the company did a modern take on a stone ranch home. This modern ranch has a confident and warm design. The facade is filled with a light wash floor-to-ceiling wall tapestry that is complemented by the dark floor tiles and wooden accents. The front porch and the balcony add volume to the house’s overall structure.
2) Bauhaus
1920 McKinney Ave., 7th Fl., Dallas, TX 75201
Bauhaus is a design firm and custom home builders that emphasize the integration of art, craft, and technology. Marc Kleinmann, the company’s founder, and principal took inspiration from The Staatliches Bauhaus, an influential art school in Germany that promoted Gesamtkunstwerk, or the use of interdisciplinary disciplines, to create a design.
The same design philosophy is shared by Kleinmann and his work. Homes under the hands of Bauhaus are smart, functional, and simple, without going overboard on minimalism. A prime example of this stylistic choice is this mid-century contemporary home located curiously in an elevated plot of land. This symmetrical home is strikingly minimal yet maintains optimal functionality. The open-floor, U-shaped layout provides both seclusion and integration, as the home’s opposite ends are functioning areas connected by the midsection. The minimal exterior of the home is characterized by the flat roofing and prominent use of glass and concrete.
1) Platinum Homes by Mark Molthan
7001 Preston Rd., Suite #230 Dallas, TX 75205
Platinum Homes by Mark Molthan is a luxury custom home builder in Dallas. The company has been named Dallas Best Builder by D-Home Magazine for 12 straight years and is included in the Builder 20 by NAHB. Platinum Homes has also been featured in several publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Luxury Real Estate, and Dallas Modern Luxury. These achievements are more impressive due to the fact that the company has only existed for 16 years.
Mark Molthan’s portfolio is an astounding collection of luxury homes in different styles. The company specializes in massive homes with elaborate design features. In the featured work, the company created a modern home in wooden ensembles. This multi-level home is a creative project that perfectly fits in suburban Dallas. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows and thin wooden bezel create a luxurious feeling. The same design element allows seamless integration of the home’s interior and the outside environment.
How can I find home builders near me?
Read our latest articles on the best custom home builders across Texas. If you don’t see your city below, just let us know – we are happy to create a tailored recommendation list just for you.
Custom home builders in Arlington
Custom home builders in Fort Worth
Custom home builders in Irving
About Our Rankings
This list takes a range of ranking criteria into consideration, including but not limited to: work history, customer satisfaction, awards and recognition, geographic area of work, cost, building permits, and clientele. We spent over 40 hours researching local contractors before calculating the final ranking for this post. If there is additional information about your business that could affect these rankings, please fill out this form and we will take it into consideration
Get Bids For Your Build
If you are thinking about building a custom home, we recommend checking each builder’s license with the local licensing board, speaking to past clients, and using our bidding system to get competitive quotes from at least 3 contractors. Getting multiple bids is the best way to ensure you get a fair price and that bids include the complete scope of work.
