Looking to mo move to Bryan-CS soon. I have heard good things about the D. Weekley Homes. Does anyone have any experience they can share. Thanks.

I did a new build with a local BCS builder/contractor a few years ago and it was a wonderful experience.

I have since moved to The Woodlands. There are a ton of David Weekley homes in my neighborhood, many of which I've watched them build. I even looked at a few before I purchased but ultimately went with a different builder. I have not been impressed at all, for the very reason mentioned above - poor finish out quality (and for the record, they aren't the only mega-builder that has this problem). For the $180-$200/sq ft that houses are going for in my neighborhood, IMO, they should be paying more attention to detail, using better fixtures, making the homes feel more "custom", etc. Not to mention, they are a mega-builder. They aren't going to want to put anything in your house that doesn't come directly from their "design center", and once the house is done, it's going to be very difficult to get anyone to deal with problems that may come up (and they will come up).

It's been a few years, but in contrast, the local BCS builder I used subcontracted to local businesses, gave me a lot of flexibility in making changes (both major and minor), and even gave me a store credit for a light fixture I already had (and hung it for me). I used the store credit to upgrade a ceiling fan. You'd think a $200 store credit on a $240k build wouldn't be worth the time/effort for a builder to even bother to keep track of it, but that's the kind thing the local guys can do. When I upgraded carpet to hardwood in a few areas of the home, he only charged me his cost increase (the mega builders WILL upcharge you). He also did appliance upgrades for me at his cost. There were tons of other little things that I was able to do to customize the home (at no additional charge) - like having a custom backsplash made from the leftover granite. Many of the "upgrades" were made at the builder's suggestion and were no more than a phone call or quick trip to a sub's storefront.

He was always available by phone, was on the site pretty much daily, and came out several times after closing to fix/correct minor issues that came up. In short, his local reputation was important to him, so the customer service was outstanding.

I'd be happy to share the name of the local builder I used, but I think you will find there is more than one in the BCS area that provides this high level of service. Most of them are family oriented and actually live in the communities where they build. There is a lot of value in that vs going with a large, mass-production builder.

I don't know what the going $/sq ft is for Weekley homes in BCS, but if it's comparable to the prices being charged by one of the good/reputable local guys, hands down I'd go with a local builder.

Are there any particular local builders that I should favor?

If I remember correctly the builder referred to is Heath Townsend. I live in one of his homes in the same neighborhood and I'm very happy with it.

Other builders I personally like are Magruder, Pittman, Blackstone and Thomas Pack. These are all local builders who build the same places DW does.

SoTheySay said:

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If I remember correctly the builder referred to is Heath Townsend. I live in one of his homes in the same neighborhood and I'm very happy with it.

Other builders I personally like are Magruder, Pittman, Blackstone and Thomas Pack. These are all local builders who build the same places DW does.

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Yep, I went with Heath Townsend. But I watched Magruder build a bunch of homes in my old neighborhood, Jimmy Pittman was a neighbor, and Marriott and Schaefer both build lovely homes (but in my experience they did charge a premium compared to the other builders I've listed).

I hesitated to specifically mention the builder I used because a) choosing a builder is a highly personal decision and 2) there are multiple very good builders in the area to choose from. But, based on what I've seen, I would absolutely go with any one of the local builders mentioned above over a mass production builder Iike Weekley.

My wife and I live in a David Weekley "Urban Living" home. We've been very pleased. This is a new product type for them so there were a couple of hiccups, but their warranty manager did a good job of resolving the issues quickly. I would buy it again. We really like our home.

http://magruderhomes.com/

I do wonder at times why seekers of new homes avoid at all costs first seeking builder choices from a local licensed architect that deals with a broad spectrum of local home builders as well as has insider information, site inspections graded "A" "B" "F" and can at least identify their subs/suppliers as trouble or maintenance-free.

A true residential specialist license architect doesn't give a "pat answer", instead he first asks Owner priorities & expectations, sees what the project demands vs. builder capabilities/preferences and may also see how busy a bidder candidate might be in light of Owner's schedule to completion.

I can share that those builder that reply SOLELY on custom work income will always outperform those builders that also build spec.houses on the side ... for obvious reasons.