Recognized as one of the best places to live in Kansas, Overland Park provides its residents a pleasant suburban experience. The community offers various exciting and beautiful restaurants, coffee shops, and parks and is the ideal and picturesque setting for a young and growing family. Most residents own their own homes and many continue to build their first homes in the area.
This list showcases 15 of the best custom home builders in the city. These builders are behind some of Overland Park’s most beautiful homes and offer their services at competitive rates. These excellent firms were chosen based on their overall work quality, their experience, and the strength of their portfolios.
Homoly Signature Homes
924 Oak St., Kansas City, MO 64106
Homoly Construction offers both custom home building and complete house remodeling services as well as commercial work. It is the firm behind the remodeling and construction of some of the area’s most luxurious communities. The firm offers its clients a highly streamlined “5 Step Process,” which enables them to communicate with each client thoroughly and consistently throughout the project’s entire duration. The firm offers a warranty period of up to five years and clients have on-call privileges for any problems that come up after completion. Homoly Construction has been recognized multiple times for its excellent work through several awards and publication features. The firm has received Gold Awards from Kansas City Homes & Gardens Magazine and the Kansas City Business Journal.
Our editorial team was particularly impressed by the depicted project above. This stately chateau heavily draws inspiration from homes found in the historic French countryside. It features a cupola, stone window accents, pedimented dormer windows, and an elegant iron spiral staircase.
Starr Homes
7555 W 160th St., Stilwell, KS 66085
Recognized as one of Kansas’ premier custom home builders, Starr Homes extends its services throughout the greater metro area. The Starr Homes team guides its clients from inception to completion—including handling the financial requirements of a project. The relationships the firm has fostered with its clients have lasted beyond each of its projects’ completion dates, enabling the firm to garner an excellent reputation for its superior work. Starr Homes is led by Gerry Starr, who maintains a highly hands-on approach. Mr. Starr holds two engineering degrees and is an expert when it comes to floorplans and overall aesthetics.
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The firm maintains affiliations with organizations such as the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI). The firm has also been distinguished with numerous awards from the Home Building Association (HBA). Showcased here is the company’s entry in the 2020 Artisan Home Tour. The 14,000-square-foot home includes six bedrooms, seven full bathrooms, a full-sized volleyball court/half basketball court, and a two-lane bowling alley.
Cecil & Ray Homes
P.O. Box 2629, Olathe, KS 66063
From Mediterranean and Tuscan-themed spaces to Old-World, traditional, and the latest contemporary architecture, Cecil & Ray Homes showcases expertise for every design a client may have in mind. The firm provides prospective homeowners with a complete range of custom home building services and has worked on many unique and challenging spaces. These include home theaters, mudrooms, themed playrooms, man-cave garages, Old World wine cellars, and even free-floating staircases with glass handrails. The firm regularly takes on custom work such as staircases, fireplaces, and cabinets. And that concept work includes everything from concept to installation. Additionally, the firm provides excellent aging-in-place work. The firm has been distinguished with numerous industry awards, the most noteworthy are several American Dream Award Grand Awards.
At the firm’s helm are its namesakes and founders Bryan Cecil and Ryan Ray. The two were born and raised in Johnson County and have been designing and building custom homes throughout Kansas and Missouri for more than two decades. Cecil & Ray Homes’ clients are guaranteed to receive the benefit of the expertise of the firm’s talented team as the firm’s long-standing relationships with the area’s best subcontractors.
J.S. Robinson Fine Homes
8325-D Monticello Rd., Shawnee Mission, KS 66227
Extending its services throughout the greater Kansas City area for the past three decades, J.S. Robinson Fine Homes has worked on over a thousand homes, all completed in the mid to upper price level. Some of its best projects can be seen in Kansas communities like Overland Park, Olathe, Lenexa, Shawnee, Prairie Village, Leawood. The company offers a complete and extensive range of services and works with only select and talented subcontractors to ensure the quality of the homes it builds. Its fine attention to detail and its team’s meticulous finishing touches define all of its projects. The firm is no stranger to acclaim and it is the proud recipient of numerous Parade of Homes Awards as well as several other distinctions.
For clients looking to find an already built home rather than craft one from scratch, the firm also offers a wide array of new homes with ready-made floor plans. Interested clients may want to have some fun playing with J.S. Robinson’s interactive gallery. They just might find their forever home if they do so. These homes vary and size and come with competitive prices.
Madi Mali Homes
1741 Jefferson St. Kansas City, MO 64108
Started in 2003, Madi Mali Homes has consistently proved itself as one of Kansas City’s top custom home builders. Led by Troy Moore, MMH offers a true custom experience—believing that every project should be exceptional, unique, and reflect the owner’s personal style and taste. Its boutique-style approach ensures clients are informed throughout the entire process as well as the team’s intimate involvement in every aspect of design and construction.
Specializing in custom homes, the firm’s wide range of styles further illustrates the variety of clients that choose to build with them. From traditional Colonial homes to simplistic Moderns with clean lines, each aspect is studied, curated and delivered with exceptional style and workmanship. The firm has also
successfully partnered with clients on interior design projects and consulting. Through this, it offers total home re-designs, furnishings, office spaces, lower-level finishes, pools, and cabanas. Additionally, the firm’s new MMH Experience Center—a new three-story contemporary home overlooking the
downtown skyline—will highlight the company’s breadth of design and construction to show everyone “what’s possible” when building with them.
The project above is an engineering masterpiece highlighting great craftsmanship. It accomplishes this by creating a completely floating, S-curve staircase with custom iron details, slab wall feature, custom lighting
and high-end finishes selected by the client’s designer. The partnership to create this, along with extensive homeowner input, made for a one-of-a-kind statement entry.
B.L. Rieke Custom Homes
14352 W 96th Terrace, Lenexa, KS 66215
Comprising a team with a collective experience of over 211 years, B.L. Rieke Custom Home Builders has worked on over a thousand homes’ construction and design. The firm’s impressive background includes over 478 industry awards and accolades and a distinct flair for outdoor living spaces, bathrooms, kitchens, interiors, and specialty entertainment work. The firm works closely with each of its clients to ensure that their lifestyles and needs are reflected in its designs. The firm meticulously plans the entire process and experiments with various floorplans and multiple amenity options to craft the best fit for each homeowner. The firm is led by its namesake, a third-generation builder and Kansas native.
The rustic home above best depicts the firm’s work. Incorporating several transitional elements, this project features shingled roofs, brick exteriors, and several English-cottage-inspired shutters. Several beams may also be observed, along with other wood finishes.
Holthaus Building
3601 W 154th St., Leawood, KS 66223
Founded in 2006, Holthaus Building specializes in custom homes, large-scale remodels, and lower-level home construction work. The firm is highly hands-on and its a personalized approach and has secured partnerships with some of Kansas’ best and leading architects, designers, and artisans. Since its inception, the firm has worked on over 60 luxury homes in some of the area’s best neighborhoods and is personally overseen by its principal and founder. The firm is also the proud recipient of numerous industry awards. Some of these include the 2010 Overall Home of the Year Award from Kansas City Homes and Gardens and the 2011 Best home Builder distinction from Ingram’s Best of Business Kansas City.
The firm prides itself on constructing and designing no two homes alike and is noted for conceiving one-of-a-kind floor plans from scratch. Prospective clients may opt to use a previous floorplan of the firm and may even add their own personal touches. Overall, the firm’s designs are noted for their excellent aesthetics, functionality, and innovative take on otherwise classic and traditional designs.
Dreams & Design Building
P.O. Box 7014, Lee’s Summit, MO 64064
Also known as D & D Building, Dreams & Design Building is an award-winning luxury home builder that services the Kansas City metro area’s entirety. It is led by builder Kevin Stallings. He is a Certified Green Building Professional with over three decades of experience working in the industry. Under his leadership, the firm has secured an excellent reputation for its geothermal services, extensive aging-in-place work, competitive pricing, and projects in some of the area’s best neighborhoods and communities. The firm is regarded as the Kansas City region’s leading residential EnergyStar builder. It ensures that its clients and homeowners save thousands of dollars per year in energy costs alone.
The firm’s portfolio depicts a gallery of excellent work. The project above is a beautiful example and showcases the firm’s expertise in classic English cottages. This project incorporated clean finishes with stucco details in the home’s exteriors and opted for traditional countryside shutters.
Don Julian Builders
15521 W 110th St., Lenexa, KS 66219
Having built over 2,000 homes since its inception in 1974, Don Julian Builders services the entirety of the Kansas City metro area. The firm provides superb craftsmanship enhanced by the talent and experience of its team. The firm helps clients select the ideal lot for their new home and allows them to either choose among some of its award-winning floor plans or work on an entirely customized plan to fit their lifestyles and needs. The firm’s team prioritizes every selection necessary throughout the process. Its five-step method allows the company to oversee everything from exteriors and interior decor to electrical and plumbing, on-site meetings, and exterior finishes. All of the firm’s projects come with a project manager with whom clients will be in direct communication during their project’s pendency. Upon completion, the project manager conducts a final walk-through with its clients to give them an overview of their new home.
The project above best encapsulates the firm’s work. This home draws inspiration from Spanish colonial elements and couples that traditional influence with modern touches in the terraces and archways. The home features various entertainment areas, a pool wrapped next to an inviting rotunda, and large windows and entrances.
Prairie Design Build
270 Hillcrest Rd., W Lake Quivira, KS 66217
Prairie Design Build specializes in working on highly-complex and challenging projects and is regarded as a leader in high-performance design and construction in the greater Kansas City area. It offers its clients a complete and comprehensive range of custom home building and remodeling services and is also noted for its contributions to the green building movement. From Passive House consultations to energy modeling, Prairie Design’s projects are noted for their excellent aesthetics, functionality, and sustainability. The firm started as a local carpentry contractor before growing into the company that it is today. Prairie Design’s team oversees the entire process under the design-build model and uses only the latest industry technology.
As a result, the firm is capable of providing weekly status reports, look ahead schedules, experienced onsite supervision, and accurate financial projections. The firm is no stranger to acclaim and has been regarded as among NARI’s Remodelers of the Year on more than one occasion. Aside from its residential work, the firm has also taken on several commercial projects.
Willis Custom Homes
6855 W 151st Terrace, Overland Park, KS 66223
Drawing experience from over five decades of experience in the custom home building and remodeling industry, Willis Custom Homes is an award-winning firm. It is best known for its projects spread throughout the prestigious communities of Loch Lloyd, Villa de Fontana, Villas of Ironwoods, Tuscany Reserve Village, Mills Ranch, Waters Edge, and Southern Lakes, in addition to several other noteworthy areas in the Kansas metro area. Regarded as a trailblazer in the local housing market, it crafts homes with its clients’ needs and vision in mind. The firm often uses open floor plans and prioritizes the principles of low maintenance and high energy efficiency. Willis Custom Homes has worked on a multitude of interesting and exciting projects since its inception. The firm has completed projects for young and growing families as well as empty-nesters looking to downsize.
The firm has been lauded several times throughout the years for its work and services. Some of its most recent distinctions include first-place awards in its area’s Parade of Homes celebration. Depicted above is a home that best embodies its craftsmanship. The Willis Custom Homes team opted for various transitional elements and clean exteriors, shuttered windows, and shingled roofs for this project.
Cornelius Homes
11021 S Glenview Lane, Olathe, KS 66061
Headquartered in Kansas City, Cornelius Homes takes on only a small number of projects by choice to ensure that each home receives the benefit of its hands-on and personalized approach. The firm assists throughout the entire process, from designing plans and working with architects and artisans to personally supervising a project during construction to completion. The firm maintains close contact with homeowners during the said process to ensure that their vision and needs are perfectly incorporated into every project. Cornelius Homes is also noted for its outstanding custom renovations and has had its work grace the pages of publications like Kansas City Homes & Gardens.
The firm’s portfolio depicts various exciting designs ranging from the most lavish to some of the coziest and inviting spaces. Showcased above is one of its lodge-inspired homes. It features several beams, low roofs, and an overall rustic appeal.
Lambie Custom Homes
8712 W 151st St., Overland Park, KS 66221
Lambie Custom Homes commits itself to work on high-quality designs and functional spaces. The firm is regarded as one of Kansas City’s top builders and has had the honor of winning numerous awards locally and nationally. Lambie has also worked on some of the area’s most exclusive subdivisions and has secured a solid reputation for itself in its local competitive residential market. At the firm’s helm is its namesake Jim Lambie, a builder with over four decades of industry experience.
He is a graduate of Kansas State University, holds a Master Builder license, and is joined by a talented staff of professionals. Together, they work towards catering to all of its clients’ needs and ensuring their dream homes are all they hoped they would be and more.
Todd Hill Homes
19532 Metcalf Ave. Suite B, Stilwell, KS 66085
Led by its founder Todd Hill, Todd Hill Homes anchors itself on the American Dream’s actualization through its magnificent homes and services. Hill himself draws inspiration from over two decades of experience in the industry and is noted for his excellent attention to detail, open communication methods, and the use of the latest industry techniques. He first gained experience working for a large residential construction company that specialized in installing infrastructure. By the time he was 21 years old, he had established his practice that developed into the firm it is today. Through his hard work and dedication together with his team, Todd Hill has secured strong relationships with some of the best and most well-respected residential developers in the area.
The firm has also worked on some of the area’s most prestigious communities. Its work is often distinguished by its excellent blend of traditional and modern themes. Further, it is also noted for its fine woodwork and beautiful custom details.
