Builder
Builder Magazine, operated by Zonda Media, is a US trade publication and digital media platform delivering news, data analysis, design coverage, and exclusive rankings such as the Builder 100 list to home builders, building product manufacturers, and architects across the United States.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1950
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Builder does
Builder Magazine is a long-established US trade publication serving the home building industry, currently operated as part of Zonda Media, a privately-held Delaware corporation. Founded in 1950, the publication delivers industry news, data analysis, residential design coverage, financial and economic reporting, and proprietary rankings including the annual Builder 100 list of the top US home builders by closings and the Local Leaders market rankings across 50 major US metros. Content is distributed through the builderonline.com digital platform, the BuilderPulse email newsletter, a digital edition, social media channels, and a portfolio of live industry events.
The core product is a multi-channel vertical media platform built around specialized content for three primary customer segments: home builders (single-family, luxury, active adult, and affordable housing developers), building product manufacturers and suppliers, and architects, developers, and real estate professionals. The underlying technology is a digital publishing infrastructure supporting web articles, digital editions, email newsletters, webinars, and event registration, layered on Zonda's proprietary housing market database and ranking datasets that competitors cannot easily replicate. The editorial franchise also includes the Builder's Choice Design Awards, a 30+ year annual residential design recognition program.
Builder generates revenue through a media mix spanning advertising (including 'Brought to You By' native sponsored content from building product brands such as Siro, Hilti, Buildertrend, and Legrand), event sponsorship and registration fees across the conference portfolio, and subscription revenue from the magazine and digital edition. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Distribution combines owned digital channels, earned media, and a significant in-person events business targeting US home builder executives, with sister publications JLC and Architect Magazine under the same Zonda Media umbrella.
Builder firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Builder
- Legal name
- Zonda Media
- Website
- https://builderonline.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1950
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Builder Magazine, operated by Zonda Media, is a US trade publication and digital media platform delivering news, data analysis, design coverage, and exclusive rankings such as the Builder 100 list to home builders, building product manufacturers, and architects across the United States.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Builder industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Trade Media (Home Building Industry)
- NAICS
- New Housing For-Sale Builders (236117), Residential Building Construction (23611), Residential Building Construction (2361)
- SIC
- General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520), Operative Builders (1531)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Spec Home / Production Homebuilding (Tract & Volume Builders) (IMAFABAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Custom Home Building (IMAFABAC), Multi-Family Residential Construction (Apartments, Condos, Townhomes) (IMAFABAB)
Keywords
Where Builder is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Builder business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels13 records
Builder product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Builder is a US trade publication and digital media platform serving the home building industry. Through its flagship Builder Magazine, the builderonline.com website, the BuilderPulse email newsletter, and a portfolio of live industry events, the publication delivers daily news, market data analysis, design coverage, financial reporting, and proprietary industry rankings including the Builder 100 (top 100 home builders by closings) and Local Leaders (top builders across the 50 largest US housing markets).
Product overview
Builder Magazine is a comprehensive media platform covering the U.S. home building industry. The publication provides news, data analysis, design coverage, financial reporting, and industry rankings through multiple content channels including the flagship Builder Magazine, Builder 100 rankings (top 100 builders by closings), Local Leaders market rankings (50 major metro markets), Data & Analysis reports, Design editorial, Money/finance coverage, and Builder 100 events including the annual Leadership Summit. The platform serves home builders, developers, and industry professionals with market intelligence, design trends, strategic insights, and networking opportunities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Builder 100: Annual ranking of top 100 home builders by closings, published by Builder Magazine.
- Builder 100 Summit
Products and services
- Builder Magazine (Builder Online) Flagship trade publication and digital media platform providing news, analysis, design coverage, finance and economics reporting, and Builder 100 rankings for the US home building industry, delivered through the builderonline.com website, email newsletters, digital edition, and webinars.
- BuilderPulse Newsletter Daily/weekly email newsletter delivering breaking news, market insights, and featured editorial content to home building industry subscribers.
- Builder Digital Edition Digital edition of Builder Magazine distributed through lsc-pagepro.mydigitalpublication.com, providing the magazine content in an interactive digital format for subscribers.
- Builder 100 Rankings Annual ranking of the top 100 home builders in the United States by closings, including gross revenue data and market analysis for major builders, backed by Zonda proprietary data.
- Local Leaders Market Rankings Annual rankings of top home builders across 50 major U.S. housing markets showing market share concentration and top builder performance by metropolitan area.
- Builder's Choice Design Awards Long-running annual residential design awards program with categories spanning community amenity, build-to-rent, custom home, landscape design, master-planned communities, and townhomes.
- Builder 100 Leadership Summit Annual gathering of top US home builder executives for networking and high-impact industry content, held in Dana Point, California.
- Dealmakers Events Regional builder leadership events held across multiple US markets including Dallas, Denver, and Tampa.
- Future Place Conference Annual conference held at The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas Las Colinas Irving, TX for land developers, builders, architects and engineers.
- Elevate Conference Annual high-rise residential real estate conference held in Miami, FL for high-rise real estate developers and professionals.
- Sales & Marketing Leadership Summit Sales and marketing leadership event for the home building industry held in San Diego, CA in partnership with Shore Consulting and NewHomeSource.
- Accelerate Summit Technology and innovation summit for home marketing and sales held at Grand Hyatt Deer Valley.
Quantifiable outcome
- Builder 100 list covers top 200 home builders ranked by closings
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Builder
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Builder technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Builder partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Builder competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- HousingWire: Direct peer as a US-focused B2B media brand covering the housing and mortgage industry with news, rankings (HousingWire 100), and events serving originators, lenders, and real estate professionals—an adjacent but overlapping audience profile to Builder Magazine's home builder focus.
- ProBuilder (rand*RE+pubs): Direct peer as the closest brand-by-brand competitor covering professional home builders with editorial content, product information, and rankings—historically the primary competing trade title for residential construction professionals in the US.
- Journal of Light Construction (JLC): Sister publication under Zonda Media (same legal entity) but functionally a peer serving a closely overlapping audience of residential construction professionals with news, technical content, and events—a direct comparison point for evaluating Builder's positioning within the Zonda portfolio.
- Architect Magazine: Sister publication under Zonda Media serving architects and design professionals; not a direct competitor in the builder space but the closest reference point for Zonda's B2B media model covering adjacent built-environment professionals.
Broad incumbents
- Construction Dive: Industry publication operated by Informa covering construction industry news broadly across commercial and residential segments; competes for share of voice with Builder in residential construction coverage and provides a benchmark digital-first media model.
- Engineering News-Record (ENR): Long-established B2B trade media brand covering the broader construction industry with rankings (e.g., Top 400 Contractors), news, and events; serves as the established incumbent model for B2B construction media that Builder Magazine mirrors for the residential segment.
- Zillow New Construction: Major real estate marketplace with a builder-focused new construction portal and consumer-facing data layer; represents the consumer/marketplace data alternative to trade media and a potential distribution or partnership channel for Builder's builder executive audience.
Emerging players
- Buildertrend: SaaS platform for home builders and remodelers that appears as a sponsored partner on Builder Magazine; represents the emerging software-plus-content business model that a media company could vertically integrate into for deeper builder monetization.
Others
- Hanley Wood (predecessor / sector reference): Former parent corporate entity that historically owned Builder, JLC, Architect, and Remodeling magazines—now reconstituted around the Zonda Media brand; serves as the closest reference point for the corporate valuation and operating model of the publication portfolio in which Builder sits.
Regional players
- Multi-Housing News / Yardi Matrix: Trade media and data brands covering the multifamily housing segment—directly comparable in model (news + rankings + events) to Builder's residential single-family coverage but focused on rental multifamily, an adjacent vertical where Builder's Elevate conference also plays.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Builder social profiles
Digital presenceBuilder financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Builder leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Builder funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Builder M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Builder
What does Builder do?
Builder is a US trade publication and digital media platform serving the home building industry. Through its flagship Builder Magazine, the builderonline.com website, the BuilderPulse email newsletter, and a portfolio of live industry events, the publication delivers daily news, market data analysis, design coverage, financial reporting, and proprietary industry rankings including the Builder 100 (top 100 home builders by closings) and Local Leaders (top builders across the 50 largest US housing markets).
Is Builder a public or private company?
Builder is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Builder founded?
Builder was founded in 1950.
Where is Builder based?
Builder is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Builder's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are HousingWire, ProBuilder (rand*RE+pubs), Journal of Light Construction (JLC) and Architect Magazine. Broad incumbents are Construction Dive, Engineering News-Record (ENR) and Zillow New Construction. Buildertrend is listed as an emerging player. Hanley Wood (predecessor / sector reference) is listed as an others. Multi-Housing News / Yardi Matrix is listed as a regional player.
Does Builder have an API?
No public API is recorded for Builder.
What industry is Builder in?
Builder's product category is Trade Media (Home Building Industry). Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAFABAD, Spec Home / Production Homebuilding (Tract & Volume Builders), with a secondary code of IMAFABAC, Custom Home Building. Its NAICS code is 236117 and its SIC code is 1520.