Polk & Dallas Counties

Custom home builder in West Des Moines, Iowa

West Des Moines runs from established east-side neighborhoods to new development out past Jordan Creek and beyond.

Building in West Des Moines

West Des Moines covers so much ground that no single answer describes building here. On the east side it is infill on established streets. Out west it is new phases with modern covenants. South of the interstate you get closer to acreage ground.

The city's review process is thorough, which we consider a good thing. It does mean plan submittal and permitting need real calendar time built into the schedule — something we account for in the timeline we give you rather than discovering later.

Clients building in West Des Moines are often trading up from a house they already own here. That usually means a specific list of what the current house gets wrong: not enough storage, a bad mudroom, a kitchen that fights the way they entertain. Those lists make for good houses.

What we handle for West Des Moines builds

Lot review before you buy — grade, soils, drainage, setbacks and covenants
Plans drawn to your site and any architectural review requirements
A line-item budget with named allowances, not a per-square-foot guess
Permits, inspections and the full Polk & Dallas Counties process
Construction, finish work and a one-year workmanship warranty

Talk about your West Des Moines build See build costs

Open kitchen and great room sightline in a custom home built in Central Iowa — A recent Central Iowa build. See more work.

Thinking about a lot in West Des Moines?

Send us the address or the plat before you sign. A twenty-minute review of grade, drainage and covenants routinely saves five figures in site work — and tells you whether the walkout you want is even possible.

Send us a lot to review →

How a West Des Moines build works

The same process on every home, whether it is a platted lot in town or an acreage outside it. See the full process.

Sit down

Budget, lot and timeline. Free, and honest about whether the numbers work.

Plan and price

Drawings plus a line-item budget your lender will accept.

Select and permit

Finishes locked, permits pulled, schedule set before ground breaks.

Build

Weekly updates, walkthroughs at framing, mechanicals and drywall.