Highland Homes vs Perry Homes in DFW

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Highland Homes vs Perry Homes in DFW

Which is better, Highland Homes or Perry Homes?

Neither, in the abstract. They are the two highest-volume semi-custom builders in Dallas-Fort Worth and they win on different things. Highland generally leads on standard specification and geographic reach. Perry generally leads on plan library depth and square footage per dollar. Which matters more depends on whether you have found a plan you love or are still looking for one.

The short version

Choose Highland if

You want the base home to arrive closer to finished, with fewer design studio decisions required to reach the standard you want.
You are shopping across several cities and want the same builder available in most of them.
Consistency matters to you - a Highland home in Celina and a Highland home in Fort Worth are built to a recognisably similar standard.

Choose Perry if

You have a specific configuration in mind and want the widest set of plans to find it in.
Square footage is a priority and you are willing to spend in the design studio to reach the finish level you want.
You value a long-established warranty programme and a builder with a lengthy Texas track record.

Plan library: Perry's structural advantage

Perry maintains one of the deepest plan libraries of any builder operating in Texas - a catalogue large enough that working through it is genuinely a project.

That matters more than buyers expect. A large library means a higher chance that a plan already exists matching your requirement, which is the cheapest possible way to get what you want. Structural modification and custom building both cost money and time. Finding the right existing plan costs neither.

The corresponding cost is decision fatigue. A buyer who has not narrowed their requirements can spend weeks in a plan catalogue and end up choosing on elevation rather than on how the house works.

Standard specification: Highland's argument

Highland's positioning rests on what arrives without upgrades - the inclusions a buyer notices when comparing base models rather than decorated ones.

The practical consequence is where your money goes. A builder with a higher standard specification requires less design studio spend to reach a given finish level. A builder with a lower base and a wider option list gives you more control over where the money goes, but requires you to actually exercise that control.

Neither approach is better. They suit different buyers, and the test is simple: walk both base models on the same day. Not the decorated models - the un-upgraded ones. The difference will be obvious and it will tell you which argument you find persuasive.

Geography: how much does availability matter?

Highland is the more geographically diversified of the two, active across Collin, Denton and Tarrant counties in communities including Fields, Phillips Creek Ranch, Star Trail, Windsong Ranch, Mustang Lakes, Light Farms, Pecan Square, Walsh Ranch and Canyon Falls.

Perry is active across the northern corridor and into the western side, including Trinity Falls, Lilyana and Walsh among others.

If you have already chosen a community, this is settled for you - build with whoever is there. If you are choosing a community and a builder together, Highland's broader footprint gives you more combinations to compare.

Where they actually differ in the build

Three things worth asking about, in either case:

Homes per superintendent. Both are high-volume builders, which means site supervision is spread across more homes than at a boutique builder. Ask the number rather than assuming.
Change order handling. How changes are priced and how late they can be made varies, and it matters most on a to-be-built home.
Warranty administration. Not the stated terms, which look similar on paper, but who handles a claim after closing and how quickly. This is the part that differs most and is discussed least.

The comparison that actually resolves it

Both build in several of the same communities, which makes this unusually easy to settle in person.

Pick a community where both are active.
Walk both un-upgraded base models on the same day, in the same weather, at the same time of day.
Ask each for the standard specification sheet rather than the brochure.
Ask what the design studio appointment typically adds for a buyer wanting the finish level you saw in the decorated model.
Compare total cost including that spend, not base price.

Buyers who do this in one afternoon usually stop deliberating. Buyers who compare from websites deliberate for weeks.

Highland Homes guide covers Highland in depth. For where each sits relative to the premium tier, Toll Brothers vs Shaddock vs Darling is the luxury-side comparison.

Frequently asked questions

Is Highland Homes or Perry Homes better quality?

Both build in the semi-custom tier to comparable structural standards. The visible difference is in standard specification, where Highland generally includes more at base, and in plan library depth, where Perry offers more options. Quality judgements between them usually reduce to which trade-off a buyer prefers.

Which builder has more floor plans?

Perry maintains one of the deepest plan libraries of any builder in Texas. That is an advantage if you have a specific configuration in mind and a liability if you have not narrowed your requirements.

Which builder builds in more DFW communities?

Highland is the more geographically diversified, active across Collin, Denton and Tarrant counties. Perry is concentrated more heavily in the northern and western corridors.

Do Highland and Perry build in the same communities?

Yes, in several - which is the easiest way to compare them. Walking both un-upgraded base models in one community on the same day settles the question faster than any amount of online research.

Which is better for resale?

Both are recognised names with substantial DFW volume, so neither carries a resale penalty. Within a community, the section and lot usually matter more for resale than which of these two built the house.

How should I compare total cost between them?

Base price plus expected design studio spend plus lot premium, not base price alone. A builder with a higher standard specification and a lower option spend can produce a lower all-in cost than a cheaper base with a longer upgrade list.

Before you visit either builder

Most DFW builders require a buyer's agent to be registered at first contact for representation to apply on that community. Walking into a model home alone and signing the guest register can foreclose it there, and it is irreversible on that community. Register first, then compare.

Under Texas SB 1968, effective January 1, 2026, a builder representative must disclose in writing that they represent the builder.

Nitin Gupta, Broker Associate, Competitive Edge Realty469-269-6541nitin@nitinguptadfw.comcontact