Middle Tennessee builder guide
Drees Homes in Middle Tennessee
Family-owned since 1928, one of America's largest private builders, bringing true custom design and committed-in-writing pricing to Middle TN.
- Headquarters
- Fort Mitchell, Kentucky
- Founded
- 1928
- Ownership
- Privately held, family-owned and operated (Drees family, multiple generations)
- National scale
- One of the largest privately owned U.S. homebuilders (top ~20 private / top ~40 overall by Builder Magazine)
- In Middle TN since
- 2000
- Typical price tier
- Semi-custom
- Signature
- Custom + Construct
Drees Homes is one of the oldest continuously family-owned homebuilders in the country. The company was founded in 1928 by Theodore Drees, a German immigrant who built his first home in Wilder, Kentucky — a house that still stands today. Now spanning multiple generations of the Drees family and led from its longtime headquarters in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, the company has grown from a single Northern Kentucky homebuilder into one of the largest privately held builders in the United States, consistently ranked among the top private builders nationally by Builder Magazine.
Drees operates across roughly a dozen major metropolitan markets, including Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Raleigh, Washington D.C., Jacksonville, Dallas, Austin, Houston — and Nashville. The company entered the Middle Tennessee market in 2000 through its acquisition of the Nashville operations of Zaring National Corp., and has been building in the greater Nashville area ever since, with communities concentrated across Williamson and the surrounding suburban counties.
What sets Drees apart is its signature Custom + Construct℠ approach — a two-phase process that pairs genuine custom design with the efficiency and predictability of a production builder. In the Custom phase, buyers work with the design team to tailor a floor plan to their lifestyle, with the ability to move and reconfigure spaces rather than just pick finishes. In the Construct phase, Drees builds the home and hands over the keys on a defined timeline. The result is a level of personalization closer to a custom builder, delivered with the structure and schedule of a national production builder.
Product style leans toward elevated, architecturally distinctive homes — higher-end materials, refined detailing, and varied exterior elevations rather than repetitive facades. In Middle Tennessee, Drees builds in established communities and also offers a Build On Your Lot program for buyers who already own land, giving them access to the same plans and customization on their own site. Locally, Drees built the Rowland model at Durham Farms, the Freehold Communities master-planned neighborhood in Hendersonville.
A point of distinction buyers often note is pricing transparency: Drees commits the price of the home and its selections in writing, with pre-priced options, so buyers know the cost of their choices up front rather than discovering them later in the process. Paired with a dedicated design center and expert design consultants, this gives the experience a more guided, predictable feel than many production builders offer.
What buying from Drees Homes is like
Buying from Drees centers on the Custom + Construct process: a Custom design phase (tailor and reconfigure the floor plan, not just choose finishes) followed by a Construct build phase. Pricing is committed in writing with pre-priced options, so buyers know the cost of selections up front. Selections are made with expert consultants at a dedicated design center, and buyers receive milestone updates through construction. On building science, the DreeSmart program takes a whole-house systems approach — complete thermal enclosure, high-efficiency HVAC, smart thermostats, and other smart-home features (video doorbells, smart locks) — verified by third-party energy testing and inspections to lower utility bills. Homes are backed by a 10-year transferable structural warranty supported by a customer care team.
Where Drees Homes builds in Sumner County
Sumner County new-construction communities where Drees Homes has built. We tour these constantly — call us for what's actually available this week.
Drees Homes is a family-owned national builder — one of the largest privately held homebuilders in the U.S., founded in 1928 — that has built in Middle Tennessee since 2000. Its communities here are concentrated in Williamson County (Franklin, Brentwood, Nolensville, Fairview, Thompson's Station, Arrington), with additional communities in Maury County (Columbia), Wilson County (Mount Juliet), and Sumner County (Hendersonville, Gallatin).
Based on our internal new-construction dataset (pulled June–July 2026), published from-prices across active Drees sections in the region range roughly from the mid-$300,000s (Columbia townhomes) to $2.4 million-plus (Brentwood custom estates), with most single-family sections landing in the $900,000–$1.6 million band. Drees is known regionally for its "Custom + Construct" approach — genuine floor-plan customization paired with selections priced and committed in writing.
Drees communities we track in Middle Tennessee
| Community | Location | Price from (as of 2026-06) |
|---|---|---|
| Durham FarmsMulti-builder; Drees built the Rowland model | Hendersonville (Sumner Co.) | Single-family from the $600,000s (community-wide) |
| Foxland HarborMulti-builder | Gallatin (Sumner Co.) | Custom estates from the $600s to $1M+ |
| Starnes Creek | Franklin (Williamson Co.) | From $1,226,900 |
| Arcadia / Arcadia EstatesMulti-builder | Brentwood (Williamson Co.) | From $1,900,000 |
| Primm FarmMulti-builder | Brentwood (Williamson Co.) | From $2,400,000 |
| King's ChapelMulti-builder | Arrington (Williamson Co.) | From $1,586,900 |
| Fox FarmsMulti-builder | Arrington (Williamson Co.) | Price not publicly listed |
| Orrinshire | Fairview (Williamson Co.) | From $929,000 |
| The Reserves on Chester | Fairview (Williamson Co.) | From $1,190,000 |
| Littlebury | Thompson's Station (Williamson Co.) | From $1,250,000 |
| Whistle Stop FarmsMulti-builder | Thompson's Station (Williamson Co.) | Price not publicly listed |
| AnnecyMulti-builder | Nolensville (Williamson Co.) | From $1,600,000 |
| TelfairMulti-builder | Nolensville (Williamson Co.) | From the $700,000s |
| Heritage GreenMulti-builder | Columbia (Maury Co.) | Classic Collection from $416,990; Drees custom homes from $1M+ |
| Bear Creek Overlook | Columbia (Maury Co.) | Single-family from $480,900–$570,900 |
| Bear Creek Glen | Columbia (Maury Co.) | Townhomes from $314,900 |
| Ashton ParkMulti-builder with Lennar | Mount Juliet (Wilson Co.) | From $499,900 |
Prices are builder- or MLS-reported from-prices as of our June–July 2026 data pull and are subject to change without notice. Where a community lists multiple builders, the price shown is the community's overall range, not necessarily Drees-specific pricing. A few sections (Fox Farms, Whistle Stop Farms) had no published from-price at the time of our pull. Confirm current availability and pricing directly — we don't predict future pricing or appreciation.
What to know before you buy a Drees home — and why bring your own agent
Drees's Custom + Construct process is a genuine differentiator: you work with a design team to reconfigure the floor plan, not just pick finishes, then move into a structured build phase with selections priced and committed in writing at a dedicated design center. That's a real point in Drees's favor. But it's still the builder's process, built around the builder's purchase agreement, preferred lenders, and on-site sales team — and that on-site representative works for Drees, not for you.
Having your own buyer's agent alongside you at a Drees community is typically little or no cost, since the builder generally covers the buyer-agent's commission as part of the deal (we confirm the specific terms with each community before you register). What we add: comparing Drees's pricing and included features against other builders and resale homes in the same submarket, reviewing the purchase agreement before you sign, negotiating lot premiums and closing-cost credits, and getting every "included" feature and pre-priced option documented in writing rather than assumed verbally. We also track inspection timing, HOA and covenant documents, and the closing calendar on your behalf.
Explore new construction where Drees Homes builds
Considering a Drees Homes purchase in Middle Tennessee? The Will Johnson Team represents buyers at little or no cost to you on new-construction purchases, including with Drees Homes. Call or text 615-265-1000.
Written by
Will Johnson — The Will Johnson Team at eXp Realty
Will Johnson is a U.S. Army veteran, former nurse anesthetist (CRNA), and Middle Tennessee new-construction specialist — he tours these communities every week. His expertise has been featured in CBS MoneyWatch and Bottom Line Personal (RealTrends Verified 2026). Meet the team →
615-265-1000Frequently asked questions about Drees Homes in Middle Tennessee
Does it cost more to use my own agent with Drees Homes?▾
No. In the large majority of new-construction sales, the builder — not the buyer — covers the buyer-agent's commission as part of the deal already built into its pricing. Bringing your own agent is typically little or no cost to you; we confirm the exact terms in writing before you register at any community.
Is Drees Homes a custom builder or a production builder?▾
Drees describes itself as a hybrid: its "Custom + Construct" process lets buyers reconfigure floor plans the way a custom builder would, followed by a structured, production-style build and closing timeline. Locally that spans everything from Columbia townhomes to Brentwood custom estates.
Which Middle Tennessee cities does Drees Homes build in?▾
Per our current dataset, Drees has active or recent communities in Hendersonville and Gallatin (Sumner County); Franklin, Brentwood, Nolensville, Fairview, Thompson's Station, and Arrington (Williamson County); Columbia (Maury County); and Mount Juliet (Wilson County). Availability shifts — ask us to confirm what's currently selling before you visit.
We represent buyers in new construction at little or no cost to you, and because we tour these communities constantly we help you compare Drees Homes against other builders, read the incentives, and navigate the build to closing. Builder programs, plans, and pricing change — confirm current terms on any specific home before you write an offer. The Will Johnson Team is not affiliated with Drees Homes; this guide is our independent, buyer-side read.