New Construction Homes in Austin, TX
The city itself · Travis County
The short answer
New construction inside Austin city limits is limited compared to the suburbs, because there is little undeveloped land left and infill is expensive. The exceptions are the east-side master plans, most notably Whisper Valley, which is notable for a community-wide geothermal HVAC system, and Sonoma Heights near the Round Rock border. These offer an Austin address at closer to suburban pricing. Everything else new inside the city tends to be infill, townhomes or condos at a substantial premium.
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Current inventory with pricing, updated by the builders themselves. Incentives change constantly, so ask me what applies to a specific home.
Austin new construction, by the numbers
- County
- Travis County
- School districts
- Austin ISD, Del Valle ISD
- New construction price range
- $320K-$600K
- Commute
- Fifteen to 35 minutes to downtown depending on which part of the city you are in, which is the main advantage over every suburb. The east-side communities where new construction actually exists are further out than the address suggests, and the practical commute from Whisper Valley or the far east side is closer to a suburban drive than a city one.
- MUD and PID taxes
- Austin ISD and City of Austin rates apply inside the city, and the east-side master-planned communities carry their own special districts on top. Whisper Valley in particular sits in a MUD. An Austin address does not mean a lower tax rate than a suburb, and the combination of city rate plus MUD can be higher than a Williamson County suburb.
New construction communities in Austin
Whisper Valley
$300K – $525KGFO Home, Terrata Homes, Pacesetter Homes · 1,500 – 3,200 sqft · 3–5 bed · Del Valle ISD
Austin address, geothermal HVAC, ~25 min to UT campus — the sustainability community.
Sonoma Heights
$400K – $600KCoventry Homes · 1,800 – 3,200 sqft · 3–5 bed · Round Rock ISD
10 minutes to Dell HQ — Coventry Homes at an Austin address with Round Rock ISD access.
Builders active in Austin
Builders with communities on this page. Each one prices, negotiates, and handles upgrades differently, and the incentive packages are rarely the same two months running.
More on Austin
The case for and against Austin
No suburb is right for everyone. Here is how I would frame it for a client.
The case for
- An Austin address and Austin ISD without suburban commute times, if you are in the right part of the city.
- The east-side master plans offer genuinely new construction at prices closer to the suburbs than to central Austin.
- Whisper Valley's community geothermal system is unusual and produces real utility savings rather than a marketing claim.
- Proximity to downtown employers, the airport and the cultural base that most people move to Austin for.
- Resale liquidity inside the city is the strongest in the metro.
The case against
- Very little new construction, and what exists is concentrated on the far east side rather than anywhere central.
- Austin ISD is uneven, with strong and weak campuses inside the same district, so the district name tells you much less than in a suburb.
- City rate plus a MUD in the east-side communities can produce a higher effective tax rate than a suburb.
- Central infill and condos carry a large premium per square foot over anything comparable in the suburbs.
- The east-side communities are far enough out that the Austin address does not deliver a city commute.
On your side of the table
What a buyer's agent watches for in Austin
- Inside Austin ISD, evaluate the specific campus rather than the district. The variation between schools here is wider than in any suburban district in the metro.
- Check the actual drive from the east-side communities at rush hour. The address says Austin and the commute often says suburb.
- Confirm the MUD on the east-side master plans. An Austin address plus a special district is not a cheaper tax bill than Williamson County.
- On infill and condo product, look at the HOA financials and reserve study, not just the monthly dues. Underfunded reserves become special assessments.
- For older central homes, foundation and plumbing age matter more than anywhere else in the metro given the soil and the housing stock.
- Look at what is entitled on adjacent land. East Austin changes fast and the empty lot next door has a plan.
On new construction the builder pays my fee in most cases, disclosed in writing before you tour, so all of this is on your side of the table. Register me before your first model visit — walking into a sales office alone and signing the guest book can cost you the right to representation at that community.
Austin new construction, answered
Where is new construction available within Austin city limits? ▾
New construction within Austin proper is concentrated in east Austin (Whisper Valley by GFO Homes, starting at $320K) and the northwest border near Round Rock (Sonoma Heights by Coventry Homes, starting at $400K). Central Austin new construction is mostly limited to infill projects and custom builds at significantly higher price points.
What makes Whisper Valley different from other Austin communities? ▾
Whisper Valley is built on a community-wide geothermal HVAC system that cuts heating and cooling costs by 50-60% compared to conventional builds. This is a genuine engineering differentiator, not marketing — every home connects to shared geothermal infrastructure. The Austin address puts it roughly 25 minutes from UT campus. Del Valle ISD is the trade-off.
Keep exploring
Thinking about Austin?
Book a 15-minute call. I'll go through current builder incentives for Austin and register you before your first visit, at no cost to you.
Book a Austin new construction consultation
Pick a time that works. I'll share current builder incentives for Austin communities and register you as a client before your first visit — at no cost to you.
Questions about Austin new construction?
Tell me your budget and what you're looking for. I'll send you a shortlist of Austin communities with current pricing and incentives.
Reviewed and updated September 23, 2026. Prices, incentives and tax rates change frequently — confirm current numbers before making decisions.