What Frankel Homes, Ltd. does

Frankel Homes, Ltd., operating as Frankel Design Build, is a third-generation, family-owned custom home builder founded in 1988 in Houston, Texas. The company designs and constructs fully custom luxury homes under two programs: a full Design Build offering and a more streamlined Curated Homes program for traditional lots, both delivered to LEED for Homes standards at no incremental client cost. Its service portfolio is unusually broad for a residential builder, encompassing in-house architecture, interior design, custom pools (via wholly-owned AVEA Pools), land acquisition brokerage (via ClearSite Land Services), a post-sale Frankel Home Care subscription maintenance service, warranty coverage of 1/2/10 years, and master-planned Frankel Neighborhoods communities.

The firm operates a 34-person combined team out of a 2025-opened Design Studio and Showroom at 7800 Washington Avenue in the Houston Design District, serving high-net-worth homeowners in River Oaks, Memorial Villages, Tanglewood, West University, and Bellaire. Technology includes Lumion-based 3D rendering for pre-construction visualization (positioned as unique among Houston custom builders), BuilderTrend as the client portal and construction relationship management platform, and LEED-certified construction standards across every project. Sales are project-based (one-time) for homes and pools, with Frankel Home Care generating monthly recurring subscription revenue and ClearSite capturing real estate commissions credited back to clients.

Frankel generated national credibility through the 2021 NAHB Custom Home Builder of the Year award, repeated Best in American Living honors in 2020 and 2024, and consecutive LEED Power Builder recognition from 2015-2024. In 2024, the Houston Business Journal ranked it the largest custom home builder in Houston by volume. The company remains privately held under the Frankel family, with co-presidents Scott and Kevin Frankel (third generation) leading alongside founder/chairman Jim Frankel and COO Brian Adams; no external funding, institutional ownership, or M&A activity is recorded.

Name

Frankel Homes, Ltd.

Legal name

Frankel Homes, Ltd.

Website

https://frankeldesignbuild.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Frankel Homes, Ltd. (dba Frankel Design Build) is a third-generation, family-owned Houston custom home builder designing and constructing LEED-certified luxury residences, pools, and master-planned communities for high-net-worth homeowners, supported by an integrated studio, showroom, and recurring home-care subscription service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Luxury Custom Home Building

NAICS

New Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (236115), Residential Remodelers (236118), Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (54141)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520)

akta.pro primary industry

Custom Home Building (IMAFABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Luxury Whole-Home Renovation (High-End Finishes & Custom Build) (HSAPAEAI), Full Bathroom Remodel (Design-Build) (HSAPABAA), Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD)

Keywords

• Custom home building
• Luxury home design
• Residential construction
• Home remodeling
• Green home building

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Custom Home Sales: Revenue from designing and building fully custom luxury homes. Includes services for architecture, interior design, pools and outdoor living, land acquisition, and home care. Sales are transaction-based for each home built.
2. Frankel Home Care (Recurring): Monthly subscription-based home maintenance service covering generator maintenance, pool maintenance, and general homeowner tasks. Delivered through BuilderTrend platform with monthly billing.
3. Land Acquisition Services: In-house real estate brokerage service provided at no extra cost to clients, credited from commissions received.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Frankel Design Build is a full-service custom home builder in Houston, Texas, designing and constructing fully custom luxury homes through an integrated in-house model covering architecture, interior design, construction, pools and outdoor living, land acquisition, and post-sale home care. The firm operates two primary home building programs—Design Build (fully custom homes from sketch to completion) and Curated Homes (pre-designed plans with limited customization)—and builds all homes to LEED for Homes sustainability standards.

Product overview

Frankel Design Build is a full-service custom home builder offering two primary home building programs: Design Build (fully custom homes from sketch through construction) and Curated Homes (pre-designed plans with customization). The company provides all services in-house including architecture, interior design, land acquisition, and construction management. Related brands include AVEA Pools (custom pools and outdoor living), Frankel Home Care (post-construction maintenance), and Frankel Neighborhoods (master-planned community development). Clients access project information through BuilderTrend, which serves as the client portal for daily updates, design plans, 3D renderings, and work order management. The company operates a Design Studio & Showroom in Houston for material selections, and all homes are built to LEED for Homes standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AVEA Pools: Luxury custom pool design and outdoor living space construction services operated by Frankel Design Build.
• Frankel Home Care
• Frankel Neighborhoods

Products and services

• Design Build Custom Homes Full-service custom home design and construction for individual luxury homeowners, covering sketch, 2D planning, 3D Lumion rendering, dedicated project manager, and 24/7 BuilderTrend project access.

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hutson Homes: Houston-based luxury custom home builder focused on high-end residential projects in premium neighborhoods. Directly comparable to Frankel on customer segment, geography, and project type.
• Sandcastle Homes: Houston custom home builder offering design-build services to clients building in the metro area. Comparable as a Houston design-build peer at slightly lower price points than Frankel's premium segment.
• Thompson Custom Homes: Texas custom home builder focused on luxury residential projects. Comparable to Frankel on fully custom design-build model and high-net-worth buyer segment, serving a similar Texas luxury market.
• Charter Custom Homes: Houston luxury custom home builder offering design-build services to high-net-worth buyers in premium neighborhoods. Closely aligned with Frankel on customer base, project type, and full-service delivery model.
• Croix Custom Homes: Texas-based luxury custom home builder serving high-net-worth clients with full design-build services. Comparable to Frankel in custom luxury focus, integrated design-build delivery, and premium project pricing.

Regional players

• Lovett Homes: Houston-based homebuilder active in custom and semi-custom segments across premium neighborhoods. Comparable regional peer with overlap in Houston luxury geography and client base.
• Pelican Builders: Houston-area homebuilder focused on luxury and urban infill projects. Comparable to Frankel on Houston luxury market overlap and design quality, though with different project types (urban/townhome emphasis).

Broad incumbents

• Sitterle Homes: Texas-based homebuilder with operations spanning San Antonio, Houston, and Austin, covering luxury and move-up segments. Comparable as a Texas luxury builder with broader scale than Frankel.
• Newmark Homes: Houston-based homebuilder with broader product lines spanning luxury to entry-level homes. Comparable as a Houston residential builder and is the prior employer of Scott Frankel; less focused than Frankel on fully custom design-build.
• David Weekley Homes: Large national homebuilder with significant Houston presence across multiple price points. Comparable as a major Houston builder, though primarily production/semi-custom rather than fully custom design-build like Frankel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/frankel_designbuild

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Frankel Homes, Ltd.