New Construction Homes in Houston
Browse every new build on the market right now, then learn what the builder’s sales office will not tell you before you sign. Both are on this page, and both are free.
Last updated · roughly 1,190 new construction homes are active in the Houston MLS within about 45 miles of downtown.
Search new construction across the Houston area
Updated continuously from the Houston MLS. Filter by price, bedrooms, and community, and save searches to get new listings by email.
Before You Sign with a Builder
New construction is not a resale purchase with better carpet. The contract is written by the builder’s attorneys, the sales rep works for the builder, and most of the money is won or lost before anyone picks a countertop. This class walks through each of those decisions in order, across ten short modules.
The Pilot’s Briefing
Why the builder’s sales rep is not your representation, and why walking in alone does not get you a discount.
The Houston Builder Landscape
Production, tract, and custom builders negotiate differently. Know which one you are dealing with before you ask for anything.
Contract Combat
Where builder contracts depart from the standard Texas forms, and which clauses put your earnest money at risk.
The Incentive Illusion
Rate buydowns, design credits, and the preferred lender offer, priced out in real dollars.
The Dirt and the Tax Bill
Lot selection, MUD taxes and PID assessments, flood maps, and reading the drainage plan.
The Design Center Trap
Which upgrades are worth buying from the builder, and which ones cost far less after you close.
The Invisible Quality Check
Pre-pour, pre-drywall, final walkthrough, and the eleven-month inspection before your first year ends.
The Warranty Reality
What the coverage tiers actually cover, who pays a claim, and the Texas process if a defect shows up.
The Move Twice Reality
Timing the sale of the home you own now against a completion date that will move.
Your Action Plan
The three steps that protect everything else, starting before your next model home visit.
The 14 questions to ask in the sales office
Two pages. Print it, take it with you, and write the answers down. Every question on it came out of the class above, and the sales office will answer all of them, generally only if you ask.
- The five contract clauses that decide whether your earnest money is safe
- How to price an incentive as closing costs, as a buydown, and as a price cut
- What to ask about the MUD tax or PID assessment on your specific lot
- The inspection access to request before the pour and before drywall
We will email you the checklist and the ten class modules, one a day. Unsubscribe any time. We do not sell or share your information.
What should you know before signing a builder contract?
Six things decide most of the money on a new build: how the incentive package is priced, what the lot’s tax district costs you, where the lot sits on the drainage plan, which upgrades are worth buying from the builder, when your inspections happen, and what the warranty actually covers. Each one is below.
Incentives and the preferred lender
How to price a rate buydown against a price reduction, and how to check whether the builder’s lender is actually cheaper.
MUD and PID taxes
Two identical homes a few streets apart can carry very different tax rates. Texas has thousands of special-purpose districts with their own levies, so check the rate on the specific lot. See the Texas Comptroller’s property tax resources.
Lot selection and drainage
Phase pricing, lot premiums, and why the low spot on the street is worth avoiding here. Pull the parcel on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center before you commit to a lot.
The design center
Which upgrades are worth buying from the builder, and which ones cost far less after closing.
Phased inspections
Pre-pour, pre-drywall, final, and the 11-month warranty inspection. What each one catches while it can still be fixed.
Warranty and Texas law
Builder warranties are commonly structured as 1-2-10: workmanship, systems, then structural. Texas also sets out a notice and opportunity-to-repair process in Property Code Chapter 27, worth reading before you need it.
How do you budget for a new build before you tour?
Price the monthly payment with the lot’s actual tax rate, not the community average, and confirm your financing with a lender outside the builder’s office. If you own a home now, know what it is worth first, because most builders will not accept a contract contingent on an unsold house.
Two tools worth running before your first builder visit: the mortgage calculator for a real monthly payment including taxes and insurance, and Texas down payment assistance programs if you have not bought in the last three years. Selling first? Start with a home valuation, because most builders will not accept a contract contingent on a home that is not already under contract.
Register with us before you tour
Builders generally treat your first sign-in at a community as controlling. Walk in alone and many builders will take the position that they will not recognize or compensate your agent there afterward. It takes about ninety seconds to do and it is close to impossible to undo.
Tell us where you are headed and we will register you correctly before you go, then handle the contract review, the incentive math, and the inspection schedule from there. On new construction, builders commonly offer compensation to the buyer’s agent, though it varies by builder and community. We confirm it for yours up front, and it is spelled out in a written agreement before we show you anything.
Would rather just talk? Call or text
(281) 969-3817.
Common questions
Does using an agent cost me more on a new build?
Usually not. Builders commonly budget a co-op commission for the buyer’s agent into their pricing, and where that is the case, buying without representation generally means the builder keeps that amount rather than discounting the home. It does vary by builder and by community. Texas requires a written agreement before a license holder shows residential property; compensation is negotiable and is spelled out in that agreement rather than assumed.
Can I still bring an agent if I already visited a model home?
Sometimes, but it depends on the builder and how you registered. Most builders treat the first registration as controlling. If you have already visited a community, tell us which one and when, and we will find out where you stand before you go further.
What is a MUD tax and how much does it add?
A Municipal Utility District is a taxing entity that funds water, sewer, and drainage in a development. The rate is set by that district and is separate from city and county taxes. In parts of the Houston area it can add several hundred dollars a month compared to a home outside a district, so it belongs in your payment math before you choose a lot.
Do I need my own inspector on a brand new home?
Yes. A municipal inspection confirms code minimums, not workmanship. An independent inspector at the pre-pour and pre-drywall stages can see the foundation and framing while problems are still accessible, and an inspection near month 11 catches defects before the first-year warranty expires.
Are the listings on this page all of the new construction in Houston?
The search shows new construction listed in the Houston MLS. Some builders hold inventory back or list only through their own sales offices, so there are homes it will not show. Tell us the communities you are considering and we will check what is available directly with the builders.
Bruno Fine Properties, Marcus Bruno, Broker Associate. TREC License #664155. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Listing data comes from the Houston MLS and is subject to change. This page is for general education and is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Equal Housing Opportunity. Information About Brokerage Services · Privacy Policy