Horst & Son

What Horst & Son does

Horst & Son is a multi-generational, family-owned residential home builder founded in 1976 in New Holland, Pennsylvania, currently led by President/Owner Gerry Horst (second generation) and Vice President Kyle Horst (third generation). The company constructs single-family homes, townhomes, and duplexes across 22+ self-developed communities in York and Lancaster County, PA, and also designs custom homes on customer-owned lots. Its standard product portfolio comprises six floor plans ranging from 2,246 sq ft (The Asbury) to 3,519 sq ft (The Westleton), all four-bedroom configurations with standard features including Superior Walls pre-fabricated foundations, nine-foot first-floor ceilings, gas fireplaces, gas tankless water heaters, mudrooms with built-in benches, and HERS Index energy ratings verified by third parties and typically 30-40% better than current building code.

The business model is straightforward new-home sales: one-time transactions on each build with additional revenue from buyer-selected upgrades paid directly to vendors. Pricing is positioned as transparent and inclusive (patios and decks included at base price, no post-contract upcharges) and is delivered through a hybrid channel that pairs dedicated community realtors in actively selling communities (Keller Williams Elite, John Smith Real Estate Group) with a direct builder sales line for custom-lot customers. The company employs its own trim carpenters to maintain finish quality and offers a vendor-direct customization process that allows wall modifications, plan resizing, and unlimited cabinet/countertop/fixture selection, differentiated against typical builders offering only four stain choices.

Revenue therefore scales with the rate of community absorption and custom-lot conversions across the south-central Pennsylvania footprint, with no diversification beyond residential build-to-sell construction and no disclosed institutional capital, acquisitions, or non-Pennsylvania operations.

Name

Horst & Son

Legal name

Horst & Son

Website

https://horst-son.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Horst & Son is a family-owned Pennsylvania home builder, founded 1976, constructing single-family homes and townhomes across 22+ communities in York and Lancaster County and on customer-owned lots, targeting individual home buyers with HERS-rated energy-efficient designs and vendor-direct customization.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Home Building

NAICS

New Housing For-Sale Builders (236117), New Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (236115), Residential Building Construction (2361)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520)

akta.pro primary industry

Single-Family Home Construction (Detached Homes) (IMAFABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residential Land Development & Subdivision Homebuilding (Build-to-Sell Communities) (IMAFABAL), Multi-Family Residential Construction (Apartments, Condos, Townhomes) (IMAFABAB)

Keywords

• Residential home building
• Custom home construction
• Single family homes
• Townhome development
• New home sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Lancaster

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. New Home Sales: Sale of newly constructed residential homes including single-family homes, duplexes, and townhomes in company-developed communities or on customer-provided lots.
2. Custom Home Building: Custom home design and construction services for customers building on their own lots, including stormwater engineering navigation.
3. Home Customization/Upgrades: Additional revenue from customer-selected upgrades and customizations including premium finishes, appliances, and structural modifications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Horst & Son is a multi-generational family home builder that designs, constructs, and sells new residential single-family homes and townhomes across 22 company-developed communities in York and Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The company also offers custom home design and construction services for customers building on their own lots, including assistance navigating stormwater engineering requirements. All homes include standard premium features such as Superior Walls foundations, nine-foot first-floor ceilings, HERS-rated energy efficiency, and in-house trim carpentry finish work.

Product overview

Horst & Son is a multi-generational family home building company offering a portfolio of six distinct floor plan models as core products: The Hollister (3,158 sq ft, 4 bed/3.5 bath), The Westleton (3,519 sq ft, 4 bed/3.5 bath), The Wellington (2,857 sq ft, 4 bed/2.5 bath), The Asbury (2,246 sq ft, 4 bed/2.5 bath), The Madison II (2,691 sq ft, 4 bed/2.5 bath), and The Laurel (2,779 sq ft, 4 bed/2.5 bath). These models are offered across 22 company-developed communities in York and Lancaster County, PA. The company also provides custom home building on customer-owned lots with full customization capabilities including wall repositioning, feature additions, and stormwater engineering navigation. All homes include standard features such as Superior Walls foundations, nine-foot ceilings, gas fireplaces, built-in bench and pegs mudrooms, and HERS-rated energy efficiency (30-40% better than code).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Hollister

Quantifiable outcome

• HERS Index ratings 30-40% better than standard building code
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Keller Williams Elite (Jamie Clinton)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJamie Clinton serves as community realtor for River Ridge Hills community in Wrightsville, PA. Contact: 717-468-8566, [email protected]
• John Smith Real Estate Group (John Smith)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJohn Smith serves as community realtor for Westbrooke Hills community in Elizabethtown, PA. Contact: 717-471-9444, [email protected]
• Various Community RealtorsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAdditional unnamed community realtors serve buyers across the company's 22+ communities in Pennsylvania.
• Superior WallscoreTechnology or IntegrationSuperior Walls foundation systems come standard in every Horst & Son home basement. Provides superior insulation, dry basements, and readiness for finishing.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• D.R. Horton: Largest US homebuilder by volume, with significant operations across Pennsylvania including central PA markets. Competes with Horst & Son across entry-level and move-up price points, leveraging national scale advantages in materials, land, and financing.
• Toll Brothers: National luxury and move-up homebuilder with active operations throughout Pennsylvania including the Lancaster/York region. Overlaps at the higher-end of Horst & Son's product range (e.g., Westleton, Hollister) and represents scale and brand competition.
• PulteGroup: National homebuilder with multiple brands (Centex, Pulte, Del Webb, John Wieland) serving first-time, move-up, and active-adult buyers across Pennsylvania. Represents broad competitive pressure in the central PA market where Horst & Son operates.
• NVR, Inc. (Ryan Homes): Large national production homebuilder (Ryan Homes brand) actively building in central PA markets including Lancaster and York counties. Represents the scaled, public-company competitive pressure that Horst & Son faces, with broader product portfolio and national scale advantages.

Direct peers

• Schaeffer Homes: Pennsylvania-based home builder with operations overlapping in the Lancaster/York region, offering new single-family homes in planned communities. Comparable in product mix, customer segment, and mid-Atlantic geographic focus.
• Berks Homes: Regional Pennsylvania home builder operating in adjacent PA markets (Berks County and surrounding), offering new single-family homes in developed communities. Comparable in scale, family-oriented business model, and mid-priced new construction focus.
• EGStoltzfus Homes: Lancaster, PA-based residential home builder operating in the same central PA market as Horst & Son, with overlapping product offerings of single-family homes in planned communities. Directly comparable in geography, customer base (Lancaster County homebuyers), and family-operated business model.
• Landmark Homes: Pennsylvania-based home builder with operations in central PA markets overlapping with Horst & Son's footprint. Comparable in community development model, product offerings, and target customer segment (PA homebuyers seeking new construction).
• Charter Homes & Neighborhoods: Lancaster, PA-based home builder developing new home communities with similar floor plan offerings and customization options in the same central PA region. Direct competitor for community home sales in Lancaster and surrounding counties.

Emerging players

• LGI Homes: Public homebuilder specializing in entry-level and first-time buyer homes with expanding Pennsylvania operations. Represents competitive pressure at the more affordable end of Horst & Son's market, particularly for first-time buyers in central PA communities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Horst & Son