CLIVE'S TRUSTED HOME BUILDERS SINCE 2003

Building Dream Homes in Windsor Heights, Iowa

Happe Homes has delivered award-winning custom homes and move-in ready homes throughout Windsor Heights and the greater Des Moines Metro since 2003. Your new home starts with a single conversation.

Why Build a Custom Home in Clive, IA?

A Suburb That Has It All — Right in the Heart of the Des Moines Metro

Windsor Heights, Iowa (ZIP code 50324) is a tight-knit suburban city of approximately 5,252 residents located directly west of Des Moines, bordered by Urbandale to the north, Clive to the west, and West Des Moines to the south. What makes Windsor Heights uniquely attractive for home builders and buyers is its position as one of the most walkable, centrally located suburbs in Polk County, described by locals as “dead center in the middle of everything.”

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.

With Interstate 235 running through its southern edge, Windsor Heights residents enjoy straightforward freeway access to downtown Des Moines (under 10 minutes), Des Moines International Airport (8 miles south), and the wider metro. Everyday amenities, including Hy-Vee, Walmart, Sam’s Club, and the UnityPoint Clinic at Northwest Des Moines, are within walking distance for many residents.

A Suburb That Has It All — Right in the Heart of the Des Moines Metro

If you’re exploring Happe Homes communities across the Des Moines Metro, Windsor Heights represents one of the most exciting opportunities for buyers who want urban convenience without urban density. Compare our Ankeny builds or explore our Waukee communities to see the full range of what Happe Homes builds across Central Iowa.

Two school districts serve Windsor Heights, divided by 70th Street.

Cowles Montessori School
Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) · Only public Montessori school in Iowa · Grades PreK–8 · B Niche rating

Windsor Elementary School
Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) · C+ Niche rating

Clive Learning Academy
West Des Moines Community School District (WDMCS) · Serves west-side Windsor Heights residents

Roosevelt High School
Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) · Secondary education · B Niche rating

5252

Population

2020 US Census

$267K

Median Home Value

Below metro average

$91,707

Median Household

Income (ACS 2024)

39.8

Median Age

Mature, stable community

1.41 mi²

City Area

Dense suburban living

50324

ZIP Code

Own ZIP since 2009

8 mi

To DSM Airport

Via I-235 South

2 Districts

School Systems

WDMCS & DMPS

Why Windsor Heights

Our Services in Windsor Heights, Iowa

What Happe Homes Builds in Windsor Heights

From fully custom homes designed around your lifestyle to move-in-ready homes available now, Happe Homes offers the complete spectrum of new home construction in Windsor Heights 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.

Urbandale

2 miles north of Windsor Heights

Excellent WDMCS schools, major retail corridors, and strong community growth.

Urbandale

~1 mile west of Windsor Heights

Upscale suburb with top-rated schools and close access to Jordan Creek Town Center.

Des Moines

2 miles north of Windsor Heights

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

Ankeny

~18 miles north

One of Iowa’s fastest-growing cities — top-rated schools, strong resale, and new community development.

Waukee

~12 miles west

Prairie Rose development, Waukee Northwest HS, and Raccoon River Valley Trail access.

Johnston

~14 miles northwest

Family-friendly suburb with excellent schools and established neighborhoods near I-35/80.

Grimes

~15 miles northwest

Rapidly growing community with new development corridors and Prairie Trail access.

West Des Moines

~4 miles south

Upscale corridor with Jordan Creek, Valley Junction, and strong business community.

Build on Your Own Lot in Clive

Already own property in Windsor Heights, IA? Happe Homes specializes in building custom homes on customer-owned lots. We’ll work with your specific site to design and construct the perfect home for your property, whether it’s in an established neighborhood or a rural setting.

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 Windsor Heights — Common Questions

Does Happe Homes build custom homes in Windsor Heights, Iowa?

Yes. Happe Homes builds fully custom homes and move-in ready homes throughout Windsor Heights and the greater Des Moines Metro, including Ankeny, Waukee, Clive, Urbandale, and Johnston. Contact us to discuss lot availability and floor plans near Windsor Heights, Iowa.

How long does it take to build a custom home in Windsor Heights, Iowa?

Most custom homes in Windsor Heights and the Des Moines Metro area take between 9 and 12 months from contract to move-in. Timeline varies based on design selections, permitting through Windsor Heights (Polk County), and trade scheduling. Happe Homes provides a dedicated project manager and milestone updates throughout the entire build. Learn more about our build process →

What school districts serve Windsor Heights, Iowa?

Windsor Heights is served by two school districts, divided by 70th Street. West of 70th, students attend the West Des Moines Community School District (WDMCS), including Clive Learning Academy. East of 70th, students attend Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS), including Cowles Montessori School, the only public Montessori school in Iowa, and ultimately Roosevelt High School. This makes Windsor Heights attractive for families on both sides of the school district boundary.

What is the cost to build a custom home in Windsor Heights or nearby?

Custom home build costs in Windsor Heights and the Des Moines Metro vary based on square footage, finish level, and lot costs. Given Windsor Heights’ current median home value of ~$267,900, many buyers are choosing to build in nearby Clive, Urbandale, or Des Moines and then locate close to Windsor Heights. Schedule a free consultation to get a realistic investment range for your specific situation.

What is the difference between a custom home and a move-in ready home?

A custom home is designed entirely around your preferences — floor plan, finishes, lot, and layout. The build typically takes 9–12 months. A move-in ready home (spec home) is an already-finished or near-complete home with designer selections made by our team — available for immediate move-in. Happe Homes builds both types throughout the Windsor Heights area and across the Des Moines Metro. Browse available move-in ready homes →

Does Happe Homes offer a warranty on homes built near Windsor Heights?

Every Happe Homes build comes with a comprehensive warranty package: a 1-year workmanship warranty covering installation and finish quality, a 2-year systems warranty covering plumbing, electrical, and HVAC, and a 10-year structural warranty. A scheduled 12-month warranty walkthrough is built into every build. Learn more about our warranty →

How do I start designing my custom home?

Great question! You can start by exploring our floor plans for inspiration,
viewing available homes to see our work firsthand, or using our design tool
to begin creating your dream home. We’ll guide you through every decision.

Ready to Build Your Dream Home in Windsor Heights, Iowa?

Over 25 years. 500+ homes. Des Moines Metro’s trusted custom home builder. Schedule your free consultation today, no commitment, no pressure, just honest answers.

Serving Windsor Heights (50324) · Des Moines Metro · Central Iowa

CLIVE'S TRUSTED HOME BUILDERS SINCE 2003

Building Dream Homes in Windsor Heights, Iowa

20+

2500+

4.5★

Why Build a Custom Home in Clive, IA?

A Suburb That Has It All — Right in the Heart of the Des Moines Metro

A Suburb That Has It All — Right in the Heart of the Des Moines Metro

5252

$267K

$91,707

39.8

1.41 mi²

50324

8 mi

2 Districts

Why Windsor Heights

Our Services in Windsor Heights, Iowa

What Happe Homes Builds in Windsor Heights

Custom Home Building in Windsor Heights, Iowa

Move-In Ready Homes Near Windsor Heights

Floor Plan Selection & Customization

Professional Design Center Consultation

Comprehensive Home Warranty Program

Lot Sourcing & Community Development

How It Works

Building Your Windsor Heights Home, Step by Step

01

Free Consultation

02

Plan & Design

03

Permits & Pre-Build

04

Construction

05

Keys & Beyond

Des Moines Metro Service Area

Also Building Near Windsor Heights

Urbandale

2 miles north of Windsor Heights

Urbandale

~1 mile west of Windsor Heights

Des Moines

2 miles north of Windsor Heights

Ankeny

~18 miles north

Waukee

~12 miles west

Johnston

~14 miles northwest

Grimes

~15 miles northwest

West Des Moines

~4 miles south

Build on Your Own Lot in Clive

Customer Reviews

What Windsor Heights–Area Families Say About Happe Homes

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Custom Home Building in Windsor Heights — Common Questions

Ready to Build Your Dream Home in Windsor Heights, Iowa?