28 topics · updated 2026-10-05 · the full glossary →
Choosing a builder
Production or custom, national or local, and how to check a builder's record before you sign.
Builder types: production, semi-custom, custom
What each model delivers, what it costs, and who it suits.
The national builders & how they differ
D.R. Horton, Lennar, Pulte and others, compared on volume, brand tiers and their opposite approaches to included features.
Buying new construction
How the advertised base price grows into the price you pay, through options, upgrades, the design center, lot premiums and incentives.
Contracts & the build process
Cost-plus vs fixed-price, draw schedules, change orders, pre-drywall and final walkthroughs, certificate of occupancy.
Warranty & new-home quality
The 1-2-10 warranty, punch lists, third-party coverage and how to judge build quality.
Financing & budgeting
Construction loans, draw schedules, cost-per-square-foot, contingency, builder rate buydowns and in-house lenders.
Cost & what moves it
What cost per square foot leaves out, how allowances work, and where budgets usually run over.
Permitting & code
Permits, inspections, zoning, energy codes (IECC/IRC), setbacks and impact fees.
Land & site selection
Access, utilities, soil and flood risk. Settle these before anyone draws a plan.
Site prep & foundations
Grading, drainage, slab vs pier-and-beam, post-tension slabs, soil tests.
Framing & envelope
Framing, insulation, air sealing, windows, roofing and the building envelope.
Energy efficiency & green building
HERS, blower-door tests, passive design, solar, heat pumps, ENERGY STAR and DOE Zero Energy Ready.
Manufactured, modular & factory-built
HUD-code manufactured homes, modular homes and panelized homes, and how building in a factory differs from building on site.
Barndominiums & post-frame
Metal-building and post-frame homes, a growing choice on rural land.
Tiny homes & ADUs
Accessory dwelling units, tiny-home rules, rental income.
ADUs & garage conversions
Accessory dwellings and garage conversions, the main way most Texas metros are adding density.
Remodels & additions
Where most residential construction spending goes.
Off-grid systems
Solar + storage, water catchment, septic, propane.
Timeline & what delays it
Permits, weather, trades and materials, in the order they usually cause delays.
The homebuilder business model
Volume builders make money on more than the house. Options and upgrades, in-house mortgage and title companies, land-light lot options, and tight control of cycle time and sales pace all shape what a buyer is offered.
New-home sales and buyer representation
How the on-site sales process works, from agent-registration rules and the buyer-agreement changes since 2024 to where a builder's incentives have room to move.
Rate buydowns and builder financing incentives
Mortgage subsidies such as 2-1 buydowns and permanent forward commitments have replaced sticker-price cuts as the main new-home incentive, and how they are funded explains why builders prefer them.
Water and wastewater on unsewered land
On rural and Hill Country lots without public sewer, wells, on-site septic systems, percolation tests and rainwater catchment govern whether and how the land can be built on.
Property taxes and carrying costs on a new home
Beyond the mortgage, MUD and PID assessments, the second-year tax reset, the homestead exemption and HOA dues set the monthly cost of owning a new Texas home.
Green certifications and energy ratings
HERS scores, ENERGY STAR, DOE Zero Energy Ready, LEED for Homes and the NAHB National Green Building Standard compete as efficiency labels, and the federal 45L credit rewards the higher tiers.
Solar, storage and the all-electric home
As new homes electrify, rooftop solar, battery storage, heat pumps and heat-pump water heaters, together with net metering and solar-ready wiring, are becoming standard design decisions.
The land-development pipeline
Raw land becomes a finished lot only after entitlement, platting, infrastructure and financing. Finished-lot supply, more than builder capacity, sets the pace of new construction in a market.