WEST DES MOINES'S LOCALLY BASED HOME BUILDER SINCE 2003

Custom Home Builder in West Des Moines, IA

Expert Custom Home Builder Serving Your Community

Design and build your dream home with Happe Homes, a trusted custom home builder in West Des Moines IA offering design-build expertise, energy-efficient construction, and personalized service across the Des Moines metro.

About Happe Homes
Your West Des Moines Custom Home Builder

Happe Homes is a locally established home building company specializing in custom, semi-custom, and design-build homes throughout West Des Moines and the greater Des Moines metro. Our team combines modern architecture, durable materials, and innovative floor plans to create energy-efficient houses that reflect how you live today, and how you’ll grow tomorrow.

#6 Ranked School District

Waukee Community School District ranks #6 in Iowa with 13,600+ students across 16 schools. The fastest-growing district in the state features 82% elementary reading proficiency, 87% math proficiency, and an impressive 97% graduation rate.

Exceptional Growth & Investment

With 8.44% annual growth and projections to reach 50,000 residents by 2040, Waukee attracts major investment including Apple’s data center. Your home appreciates in Iowa’s most dynamic market.

Strategic Location & Accessibility

Located just 15 miles west of downtown Des Moines, Waukee provides seamless access to major employment centers, shopping, entertainment, and cultural attractions while maintaining a distinct community identity and quality of life.

Master-Planned Communities

Build in Waukee’s finest neighborhoods including Prairie Rose, Kettlestone Ridge, Triumph Park, and Autumn Valley. These thoughtfully designed developments offer modern amenities, walking trails, and strong community connections.

Affluent, Professional Community

With a median household income of $106,728 and only 2.3% unemployment, Waukee attracts successful professionals and families seeking exceptional quality of life, safe neighborhoods, and strong community connections.

Strong Property Values

Median home values of $328,200 with 7.5% year-over-year appreciation demonstrate Waukee’s strong real estate market. Invest in a community where 67.4% of homes were built after 2000, reflecting modern standards and sustained demand.

Outdoor Recreation Paradise

Enjoy 16 city parks, 23 miles of nature trails including the renowned Raccoon River Valley Trail, Triumph Park recreation complex, Waukee Family YMCA, and extensive sports facilities perfect for active families.

Award-Winning Community

Recognized by Money Magazine as one of the “Best Places to Live” and featured in Family Circle Magazine, Waukee lives up to its motto: “The Key to Good Living.”

Why Build Your Custom Home in West Des Moines, Iowa

West Des Moines is one of Iowa’s most desirable cities, known for its thriving economy, excellent schools, and community-centered neighborhoods. It offers proximity to downtown Des Moines while maintaining quiet suburban charm, a perfect match for families seeking space, safety, and quality of life.

West Des Moines has a growing population and strong community, making it one of Iowa’s fastest growing metro suburbs
Access to excellent amenities, schools, parks, and convenient commuting to Des Moines city.
Wide variety of neighborhoods and buildable lots — offering flexibility for custom home design & land selection.
Ideal blend of suburban comfort and metro accessibility for families, professionals, and retirees alike.

Choosing to build in West Des Moines means you get small-town community feel with big-city convenience, and Happe Homes knows the area’s zoning, permit process, and best neighborhoods inside out.

Waukee Schools: By the Numbers

Overall Ranking

Total Students (Growth)

Waukee Schools

#6 in Iowa

13,600+ (Fastest Growing)

Iowa Average

N/A

Comprehensive Educational Excellence!

11 Elementary Schools providing personalized learning in neighborhood settings
3 Middle Schools preparing students for academic success
2 High Schools, Waukee High School & Waukee Northwest High School
State-of-the-Art Facilities with modern technology integration
Immediate Response: Local office means faster service and support
Advanced Placement Programs for college-ready students
Fine Arts Excellence in music, theater, and visual arts

Championship Athletics across multiple sports programs
STEM Focus preparing students for future careers
Community Partnerships with local businesses and organizations
Safe, Supportive Environment with comprehensive student services
Experienced Educators committed to student success

Build Your Custom Home in West Des Moines' Best Neighborhoods

West Des Moines offers exceptional neighborhood diversity from historic Valley Junction charm to contemporary Jordan Creek luxury. Happe Homes builds throughout West Des Moines’ premier areas, helping you find the perfect location for your custom dream home.

Build on Your Own Lot in Waukee

Already own property in Waukee or found the perfect lot? Happe Homes specializes in building custom homes on customer-owned lots throughout Waukee and Dallas County. We’ll work with your specific site to design and construct the perfect home for your property, whether it’s in a master-planned community, established neighborhood, or acreage setting. Our experienced team handles all aspects of site development, permits, and construction, making your building experience seamless and stress-free.

OUR WORK

Our Custom Home Building Services in West Des Moines

As a full-service custom home builder serving West Des Moines, we provide end-to-end solutions for your dream home:

Custom Home Design & Build

From concept to completion, personalized layouts designed around your lifestyle and budget.

New Home Construction

Comprehensive new construction services in West Des Moines, handling everything from permits to final finishes.

Energy-Efficient & Luxury Homes

Modern comfort meets sustainability, premium materials and energy-conscious design for quality homes.

Lot & Land Consultation

We help you select the best lot in West Des Moines subdivisions and ensure proper zoning & build suitability.

What West Des Moines Homeowners Say

Real reviews from West Des Moines
families who chose Happe Homes for their custom home.

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.

Why Choose Happe Homes as Your West Des Moines Home Builder

Locally experienced, we know West Des Moines and surrounding metro inside out.
Full-service design-build process from lot selection to finishing touches.
Energy-efficient and high-quality construction using premium materials.
Flexible floor plans and custom solutions tailored to your lifestyle.
Commitment to transparency, communication, and client satisfaction.

Ready to Build in West Des Moines?

Discover our Happe Custom Series featuring executive, family-friendly, and luxury designs perfect for West Des Moines’ diverse neighborhoods.

Or explore quick move-in homes in West Des Moines ready in 60-90 days.

Serving West Des Moines, Polk County & Des Moines Metro

Frequently Asked Questions About Building in West Des Moines, Iowa

How long does it take to build a custom home in West Des Moines?

On average, building a custom home takes about 6 to 10 months depending on size, design complexity, and lot conditions. Happe Homes provides a clear project timeline before construction begins.

Do I need to own land before hiring Happe Homes?

No, our team can help you locate and evaluate available lots throughout West Des Moines and the Des Moines metro area. We’ll guide you through zoning, soil testing, and lot preparation.

Are your homes energy-efficient?

Yes. All our custom homes include energy-efficient insulation, HVAC systems, and windows to reduce long-term utility costs and improve comfort throughout the seasons.

Can you customize floor plans?

Absolutely. Whether you start from one of our proven layouts or your own design ideas, we can customize every detail, from floor plan modifications to material selections.

Do you work outside West Des Moines?

Yes, Happe Homes proudly serves West Des Moines, Waukee, Norwalk, Ankeny, and other Central Iowa communities.