Our Home Building Process

We get to know you!

Homes by Brill will help you design and build a unique custom home that fits your family perfectly. We’ll help you from start to finish with every step of the process, making it as stress-free as possible.
  • We’ll learn about your family’s needs, values, and lifestyle.
  • We’ll help you get ideas for styles and layouts (from model homes and other resources), and perfect location.
  • We’ll help you identify your budget, understand your financing options, and get you prequalified!
Get Started

We make a plan!

We prepare a detailed cost estimate with the specifics of your building plan.
  • Our proposal will break down every aspect of how your home will be built, including a custom-drawn floor plan.
  • We help you arrange financing (both for the construction loans and for your long-term mortgage), draw up a set of blueprints, and get the planning and permitting process started.
Learn More

We build your home!

All during the design and build process, we remain available to help you from beginning to end.
  • We’ll take you to visit some of our preferred vendors to choose cabinetry, flooring, plumbing fixtures, windows, countertops, appliances, and everything else!
  • We stay in constant contact with you to make sure you always know what’s going on and are continuously involved in design and construction decisions of your family’s custom built home.
Schedule a Consultation
Your family could be settled in your own custom home in as little as six months!
Ready to get started? Contact us to talk about how easy and affordable designing and building your own custom home can be when you have the right partner.
Contact Us

Custom built homes in the Des Moines area are not only our business, they are our passion. Nearly 500 homes in the Des Moines area reflect our dedication as a builder of homes to be proud of. For 27 years we’ve operated our family-owned business from Des Moines and have built homes in many of the surrounding areas, including Norwalk, West Des Moines, Bondurant, Ankeny, Altoona, Osceola, Indianola, Pleasant Hill, Saylorville, Johnston, Polk City, Cumming and Carlisle.

We understand how important this decision is and are committed to building a home that your family will love for years to come. Whether you choose from our wide selection of floor plans or design your home from scratch, we have everything you need to make your decision in one convenient location. As a custom home builder, we put your specific direction, input and ideas at the forefront and keep you engaged throughout.

Des Moines is an area to be proud of and we expect your home to be no different. But this isn’t just us singing the praises of our hometown. Others agree:

Learn About Our Custom Home Building Process
Homes by Brill of Urbandale, Iowa selected as new authorized Stratford homes builder.

Since its inception in 1973, Stratford Homes has meticulously built its reputation for exceptional quality through selecting experienced General Contractors capable of handling the construction project from start to finish.

“There are so many details involved with building a new home that we select and work with only experienced General Contractors,” said Travis Willman, Director of Sales and Marketing at Stratford Homes.

“Not only is every customer unique, but so is every job site. The average home buyer needs a reputable and trustworthy General Contractor to organize all the different aspects required to construct and finish their home. We feel that Homes By Brill LLC of Urbandale will provide that expertise and guide the home buyer through an enjoyable building experience. We are very excited to welcome Don Brill and his team to the Stratford Homes’ Builder network. He is a man of great character and integrity in a great market,” Willman continued.

Schedule a Consultation

Available Iowa Land

We will sift through the piles of land listings to bring you only the properties that will work for you.

Learn More

Previous Projects

Ready to see what we have been keeping ourselves busy with for the past few decades? Take a look at our gallery.

Learn More

A Des Moines Custom Home Builder Blog

Stay up to date on current trends in custom home design, and what you need to know about how to finance your dream home.

Learn More
Don Brill was the consummate professional when helping us build our home. He walked us through the entire process from start to finish helping us to understand the building process. What was most refreshing was the attention given to us during the whole process that allowed us to review and make changes as necessary to ensure that the end product was as we desired it to be. Don was always available to help us out and was very up front about what our choices were, the costs associated with them and the timing on getting the project done.
Jeff P.
As a young couple getting ready to buy our first home, we knew absolutely nothing about home building. Don makes you feel like family and helped us out along the way. He made sure we were getting what was best for our needs. Many times most people don’t even meet their builder, but Don was there for us throughout the entire process and still a great family friend three years later!
Brianne P.
I knew very little about how the whole building process goes or even where to start but Don was great. I stayed very informed of what was going on, had good advice along the way and ended up with a house nicer than I thought I could afford. All around it was a great experience.
Jeremy W.
We had a great experience. We had a vision for our home and Don and his staff put it together beautifully. We were very pleased with the craftsmanship and any issues that we found were taken care of quickly and correctly. The end cost that we paid was pretty spot-on with the beginning estimate.the only increases were upgrades that we chose later. Thanks for a great house.
Tony and Bethany G.
Working with Don Brill was a pleasure. Rarely will you find someone who makes you feel that they care as much about your interest as you do. Awesome person with an awesome team. I certainly would not hesitate to recommend him.
Saima S.