Custom Home Builder — Johnston, Iowa

Building Custom Homes in Johnston, Iowa

Happe Homes has built award-winning custom homes and move-in ready homes throughout Johnston and the Des Moines Metro since 2003. Johnston’s top-rated schools, 40-plus miles of trails, and steady growth make it one of the best places in Iowa to put down roots.

Why Johnston Keeps Drawing Families from Across Iowa

One of Iowa's Fastest-Growing Cities — and One of Its Best

Johnston, Iowa (ZIP code 50131) is a city in Polk County that has grown from 8,649 residents in 2000 to over 25,000 today, making it one of the fastest-growing cities in the state. That growth is not accidental. Johnston has built a reputation as one of the best places to raise a family in Iowa, driven by a nationally recognized school district, easy access to Interstate 35/80, over 40 miles of recreational trails, and a growing commercial and dining scene along Merle Hay Road and Johnston Town Center.

Located northwest of Des Moines along the Des Moines River, Johnston is bordered by Grimes to the northwest and Urbandale and Urbandale to the south. Saylorville Lake sits just minutes to the east, giving residents year-round access to boating, hiking, cycling, and waterfront parks. Ankeny is a short drive north, and downtown Des Moines is accessible in under 20 minutes via I-35/80, which currently sees 95,500 vehicles per day according to the Iowa DOT.

The city’s economic foundation is strong. Major employers including Corteva Agriscience, John Deere Financial, Iowa Public Television, and Camp Dodge Military Reservation are all headquartered in Johnston. That corporate presence supports a median household income of $103,430, well above the state average, and an educated, professional resident base that values quality home construction and long-term community investment.

If you are considering building in Johnston, explore our active communities across the Des Moines Metro and see how Johnston compares to nearby Grimes and Waukee. Our team has been building throughout Polk County since 2003 and knows the lots, the permitting process, and the neighborhoods intimately.

Originally developed in the 1950s as one of the metro’s first planned suburbs, Windsor Heights was designed as a self-contained community with shopping and entertainment on the south side and residential neighborhoods on the north. Today, its tree-lined streets, classic Tudor Revival and ranch-style brickwork homes, and proximity to major employment corridors make it one of the most desirable ZIP codes in the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Johnston Community School District

Consistently ranked among Iowa’s top school districts — a primary reason families choose Johnston.

Johnston Senior High School
Grades 10–12 · 1,103 students · 6501 NW 62nd Ave

Johnston Middle School
Grades 8–9 · 782 students · 6207 NW 62nd Ave

Summit Middle School
Grades 6–7 · 824 students · 9500 Windsor Parkway

Beaver Creek, Horizon & Lawson Elementary Schools
Johnston Community School District · Multiple locations throughout the city

25,000+

Population

2025 projected

$354,500

Median Home Value

City of Johnston FY2026

$103,430

Median Household Income

Above state average

38.4

Median Age

Young professional families

40+ mi

Recreational Trails

Throughout the city

50131

ZIP Code

Northwest Des Moines Metro

52%

Families with Children

Under age 18

27,135

Projected Population

By 2030

Why Families Build in Johnston

✓Top-ranked schools — Johnston Community School District is one of the best in Iowa, drawing families from across the metro

✓Saylorville Lake access — boating, hiking, biking, and beach just minutes from most neighborhoods

✓Major employers — Corteva, John Deere Financial, Camp Dodge, and Iowa Public TV all headquartered here

✓I-35/80 access — 95,500 vehicles per day; easy commute to downtown Des Moines in under 20 minutes

✓Green Days Festival and year-round community events at Johnston Town Center and local parks

✓Strong appreciation — median home value grew from $291,650 to $354,500 in recent years

Our Services in Johnston, Iowa

What Happe Homes Builds in Johnston

From fully custom homes built around your life to move-in ready homes available now, Happe Homes covers every path to a new home in Johnston and across the Des Moines Metro.

How It Works

Building Your Windsor Heights Home, Step by Step

We’ve made the custom home building process in Windsor Heights and across Central Iowa as simple and transparent as possible. Here’s exactly what to expect.

01 Free Consultation

We meet — virtually or in person — to discuss your vision, budget, and timeline for building in Windsor Heights.

02 Plan & Design

Choose or customize a floor plan. Work with our design team on finishes, features, and your lot selection.

03 Permits & Pre-Build

We handle all permitting through Windsor Heights / Polk County. Your dedicated project manager is assigned.

04 Construction

We break ground and build to the highest standards. You receive milestone updates throughout your 9–12 month build.

05 Keys & Beyond

Move into your new Windsor Heights home. Your warranty walkthrough and 12-month check-in are already scheduled.

Des Moines Metro Service Area

Also Building Near Windsor Heights

Windsor Heights sits at the center of our Des Moines Metro service area. Explore Happe Homes builds in nearby communities, all within 20 minutes of Windsor Heights.

Grimes

6 miles northwest

Fast-growing corridor with Prairie Trail access and strong lot availability for new builds.

Urbandale

~8 miles south

Excellent WDMCS schools, established neighborhoods, and easy access to I-35/80 and Jordan Creek.

Des Moines

12 miles southwest

City living with walkable amenities, Drake University neighborhood, and cultural venues.

Ankeny

~14 miles northwest

Iowa’s fastest-growing city. Top-rated schools, active new communities, and strong resale value.

Waukee

~18 miles south-west

Prairie Rose development, Waukee NW HS, and Raccoon River Valley Trail — great value per square foot.

Clive

~14 miles south

Upscale suburb close to Jordan Creek Town Center with top-rated WDMCS schools throughout.

Windsor Heights

~16 miles south

Walkable, centrally located suburb with classic neighborhood character and strong community events.

West Des Moines

~20 miles south

Jordan Creek corridor, Valley Junction, and some of the strongest home values in the entire metro.

Customer Reviews

What Windsor Heights–Area Families Say About Happe Homes

We had such a great experience working with Happe Homes and Gladiator Homes. Getting to pick finishes and flooring from a carefully curated list made building a house easy. They kept us informed of progress and updated us on time lines. Our build got started earlier than anticipated and our closing was three weeks earlier too which was a huge blessing to us! The support from the team did not stop at closing and the warranty team is very responsive. In this current climate of builders closing their doors and leaving clients without finished projects I am so glad we could trust the Gladiator Team to complete our home! Services Floor fitting, Design, Deck construction, Interior decorating, Project management, Predesigned floor plans for homes, Interior finishing, Exterior painting, Home building, Interior design, Drywall installation, Plumbing fixture installation, Flooring

We bought a Happe Home that was already finished and have been very happy with it so far! Our superintendent Jared and his team were really great during the walk throughs and Happe made sure all of the little details were perfect. The quality of everything has been great! We had an issue with our sod washing away on our steep hill and Happe made the situation right. I would recommend Happe Homes!

Happe Homes built our three bedroom, two bathroom ranch with an unfinished basement. From the beginning to the end, my husband and I could not have been more impressed. Our initial consultation gave us all the confidence we needed to take the next steps in building our home. The team at Happe Homes is competent and friendly. We were most impressed with their level of craftsmanship in every stage of the built. (See pictures.) Working with Happe Homes was an overall great and fun experience. After hearing horror stories from friends and family about other builders, we found much relief in our decision to work with Happe Homes. 10/10 would recommend.

Thanks to everyone at happe homes for building our dream home! you guys were a dream to work with! sierra, erin and rylan - y’all rock!! Positive Responsiveness, Punctuality, Quality, Professionalism, Value Services Home building The team at Happe Homes is competent and friendly. We were most impressed with their level of craftsmanship in every stage of the built. (See pictures.) Working with Happe Homes was an overall great and fun experience. After hearing horror stories from friends and family about other builders, we found much relief in our decision to work with Happe Homes. 10/10 would recommend.

We recently purchased a Happe Homes ranch plan. We did not build with them as it was completed prior. From the initial showing through closing all of our interactions with Happe have been excellent very easy to work with. The craftsmanship and materials used are very good, way above average for a spec home.

We are very pleased with our home and so glad we went with Happe! The whole team was very helpful throughout the entire process. We started with one of their floorplans but made changes. Chris and Bill were very accommodating and worked with my wife and I to come up with a great plan that fits our needs. To pick out the finishes, Erin was really fun to work with. There are a lot of decisions that need to me made and she walked us through everything without being pushy. During the build, we had a great experience with our project manager, Troy. The whole team has been responsive and helpful since before we bought our house and after. We feel so strongly about Happe Homes, that my parents are also having a house built by them. Highly recommend! Positive Quality, Professionalism Services Consultation, Design, Flooring, Garage design and building, General repairs & maintenance, Drywall installation, Fan installation, Floor fitting, Tile work installation, Plumbing fixture installation, Landscaping, Interior decorating, Exterior painting, Project management, Waterproofing

We have been in our Happe home for 60+ days and are extremely satisfied with their product. The quality is second to none! We built from scratch by picking one of their floor plans and modifying to our needs. The staff walked us through the process step by step and it never felt too overwhelming. They gave us all the information needed to make the right decisions for us. Erin was amazing to work with and helped us make our design vision come to life. Chris, although dually representing us and Happe, was always fair and informative. He always put our questions first and we trusted his expertise. Happe has been extremely responsive in the few, small hiccups we’ve had since moving in and got them fixed right away. We can’t say enough good things about this builder. If you’re thinking of building, we HIGHLY recommend this amazing builder. Positive Responsiveness, Punctuality, Quality, Professionalism, Value

My husband and I have just moved into our beautiful new home and we absolutely love it! We expected the building process to be a little overwhelming, but every person at Happe Homes made sure we had a wonderful experience. Whenever we had questions or concerns, we were answered quickly and always in a helpful and pleasant manner. We had fun customizing our home without feeling overwhelmed and always feeling heard in what we wanted. The work itself is impeccable! As someone who is a bit of a perfectionist, I am beyond thrilled with how everything has turned out! I am so grateful that we chose to work with Happe Homes and they have given us this beautiful new home that we get to grow our family in.

Happe Homes built our house and we could not be more with the end result of our home. Day 1 Jake Happe and Bill Junod met us on the lot and described the vision and the process of building a home. When the owner takes the time to meet with you personally you know he is vested in the quality and commitment of his company. With help from Erin and Sierra to fine tune the touches of the house and the guidance and transparency they offer during the building process was great. Then to add the site superintendent Rylan who was spot on when it came to running the project and humored every comment and question we had and resolved issue we identified in a rapid manner. We couldn't ask for a better experience. THANK YOU.

We loved working with Happe Homes on our custom home build in Van Meter! It is beautiful and the process was as seamless as a new home build could be. We appreciated our customer service representative, Sierra, and our site superintendent, Stephen. They were there to answer any questions along the way. I would highly recommend Happe to anyone looking to build!

Bought a new Happe Home spec in Waukee and have loved our experience! Found our home close to them putting finishing touches. Luckily pretty much all the finishes are things I would have selected. We’ve been in our home for 5 months now and had little to no issues. All minor things that come with any new home purchase. Their warranty team is super responsive. Advantages using HH - one year home builder warranty, free moving up to 8 hrs, friendly owners/employees, quality products and tasteful finishes.

Theyre building in our neighborhood and they actually helped fix an issue created by our builder. They communicated with us better than our builder ever did. I would recommend using them if you're looking for a new build.

Literally no way this isn’t 5 star review from every one else. I’m so happy to be in a Happe home. Pun intended. But they really are amazing. So happy I have this home. Positive Responsiveness, Punctuality, Quality, Professionalism, Value

We were thinking of moving and building. We reached out to Happe Homes and they answered all of our questions promptly! We changed our minds due to family obligations. Highly recommend! Positive Responsiveness, Professionalism Positive Responsiveness, Punctuality, Quality, Professionalism, Value

Best people and best builder! Positive Responsiveness, Quality, Professionalism, Value

So friendly and professional. Will definitely refer them to all my friends and family for their home needs.

Everything was as expected and even better. I couldn’t ask for any more. Positive Responsiveness, Punctuality, Quality, Professionalism, Value Services Deck construction, Interior design, Landscaping

Worked with Happe on a charity event, they were extremely helpful and super supportive of our organization. They build beautiful quality homes! Positive Responsiveness, Punctuality, Quality, Professionalism, Value Services Country home building, Home addition construction, Home building, Drywall installation, Interior decorating, Exterior painting

A great company. Happe really stands by there work. Through the build process the are knowledgeable an detail oriented. There warranty is top notch and everyone goes above and beyond. I can’t say enough good things about my expense with Happe Homes. Positive Quality, Professionalism Services Custom home design, Design

Excellent customer service. Not to mention they build absolutely BEAUTIFUL homes! I hope I can work with them in the future when it is time for my dream home! Positive Quality, Professionalism

We just moved into our "Happe Home" and couldn't be more excited about our house! We are so thankful to everyone at Happe Homes for making our house exactly how we wanted it. Making selections for the home is always challenging but it definitely helped being able to visualize our options in Happe's showroom. Once construction started, everything was so easy. Kevin was great at communicating with us, making sure everything was completed to the best standard and hit our closing date with no issues! We will definitely recommend Happe Homes to our friends and family.

The whole staff at Happe has been wonderful to work with from start to finish! Definitely recommending Happe to all my friends and family!

This company is building my sons home, they are doing a wonderful job! They have been so helpful working with them and getting them through the building process. Highly recommend!! Can’t wait to see the finished project!

We have lived in our Happe Home for 3 years now, and still love it! Great process, wonderful variety of selections, and quality materials. Couldn’t be happier. Positive Responsiveness, Punctuality, Quality, Professionalism, Value Services Home building

We built a home with Happe Homes and couldn’t be happier!! They were professional, took pride in their work and great follow through!! We love our home!!!

My son's town home is beautiful. Happe Homes worked hard to get it finished in time for him to move in before starting his new job transfer in Des Moines. He has enjoyed the home now for 3 years.

This company is great!! Makes beautiful homes and has some of the best people working for them!!! Positive Quality, Professionalism, Value

We recently moved into our "Happe Home," which we purchased during the framing stage. From the moment we signed the purchase agreement, representatives from Happe went out of their way to help us make our selections. They respond promptly and professionally to all emails, phone calls, and texts--our realtor mentioned several times that he has never worked with such a responsive builder. Kevin and Robert, the site coordinators, were in frequent communication to find out how we wanted things, often sending pictures of progress that was being made. We had a problem with a water line soon after closing, and Happe was very quick to fix the situation. Through all of our interactions with Happe Homes, it has been clear that having great customer service is one of their top priorities.

This was my first build with Happe Homes and it went great! Everyone involved was excellent to deal with and my clients are extremely happy with their new home.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Custom Home Building in Johnston — Common Questions

Does Happe Homes build custom homes in Johnston, Iowa?

Yes. Happe Homes builds fully custom homes and move-in ready homes throughout Johnston and across the Des Moines Metro, including Ankeny, Grimes, Waukee, and Urbandale. We have been building throughout Polk County since 2003. Reach out to discuss lot availability and floor plan options in Johnston.

What school district serves Johnston, Iowa?

Johnston is served entirely by the Johnston Community School District, which is consistently ranked among the best in Iowa. The district includes Johnston Senior High School, Johnston Middle School, Summit Middle School, and several elementary schools. The district’s academic reputation is the single most-cited reason families choose to build new homes in Johnston over other Des Moines suburbs.

What is the median home value in Johnston, Iowa?

The median home valuation in Johnston is $354,500 for Fiscal Year 2026, according to the City of Johnston. Johnston’s home values have appreciated significantly — the median rose from $291,650 to $351,500 in a single year before stabilizing at current levels. Building a new home in Johnston represents a strong long-term investment in one of Iowa’s most desirable ZIP codes.

How long does it take to build a custom home in Johnston?

Most custom homes in Johnston take 9 to 12 months from contract to move-in. This covers design selections, Polk County permitting, and construction. Happe Homes provides a dedicated project manager and milestone updates throughout. If your timeline is tighter, our move-in ready homes near Johnston can often close in 30 to 60 days.

Is Johnston, Iowa a good place to build a new home?

Yes, Johnston is one of the strongest locations in the Des Moines Metro for new home construction. The combination of top-ranked schools, rising home values, strong employer presence, Saylorville Lake access, over 40 miles of trails, and direct Interstate 35/80 access makes Johnston a compelling long-term investment. The city’s projected population of 27,135 by 2030 points to continued demand and appreciation. Talk to our team about current lot availability in and around Johnston.

What warranty comes with a Happe Homes build in Johnston?

Every Happe Homes build in Johnston includes a 1-year workmanship warranty, a 2-year systems warranty covering plumbing, electrical, and HVAC, and a 10-year structural warranty. We also schedule a 12-month warranty walkthrough automatically — no chasing required

Ready to Build in Johnston, Iowa?

Over 20 years. 500-plus homes. The Des Moines Metro’s trusted custom home builder. One free consultation is all it takes to get started.

Serving Johnston (50131) · Grimes · Ankeny · Urbandale · Waukee · Des Moines Metro