High Meadow Development

What High Meadow Development does

High Meadow Development Co. is a privately held, family-owned real estate developer founded circa 1975 by Jack Frey and now in its third generation under President and Owner David Frey. The company designs and develops master-planned acreage residential communities in the Northwest Houston corridor, spanning Montgomery, Grimes, and Walker counties in Texas. Its active portfolio comprises four named communities — High Meadow Estates (1,100 acres, 560 planned families), High Meadow West (1,600 acres, 1,000 planned families), The Cedars (1,100 acres, 600 planned families), and The Manors (290 acres, 170 planned families) — plus The Grove gated enclave within High Meadow Estates, totaling roughly 2,330 planned families at full buildout.

Each community delivers one-acre-plus homesites with deed restrictions, professional HOA management, underground utility infrastructure (electric, water, natural gas, fiber optics), and amenities such as pools, recreation centers, pickleball courts, splash pads, walking trails, and nature preserves. The company's core differentiator is a "Bring Your Own Builder" model: buyers select their preferred custom home builder from a vetted network of 15+ preferred builders (Gracepoint Homes, Partners in Building, Royal Texan Homes, Jamestown Estate Homes, Harrisburg Homes, Blackoak Homes, Trinity Signature Homes, Morning Star Builders, and others), with no mandatory build timeline. Preservation of natural cedar and oak stands and minimal tree clearing is a stated development principle.

Revenue is generated primarily through one-time lot sales across phased section releases, supplemented by recurring annual HOA dues ($500 at The Cedars, $750 at High Meadow West) and supported by direct sales at three community information centers, participation in regional home and outdoor living shows, and a multi-channel digital marketing presence. The company is privately held with no external institutional investors and reports 11–50 employees. High Meadow Estates was named Community of the Year at the Greater Houston Builder's Association PRISM Awards in October 2024.

Name

High Meadow Development

Legal name

High Meadow Development Co.

Website

https://highmeadowtx.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

High Meadow Development is a third-generation, family-owned acreage residential community developer in Northwest Houston, Texas, building master-planned one-acre-plus homesites with deed restrictions, underground utilities, and HOA amenities across four active communities serving custom home buyers via a Bring Your Own Builder model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Land Development

NAICS

Land Subdivision (23721)

SIC

Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Land Development & Subdivision Homebuilding (Build-to-Sell Communities) (IMAFABAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

HOA / Condominium Association Management (BPAJAFAH)

Keywords

• Residential acreage communities
• Custom homesites
• Master-planned communities
• Land development
• Deed-restricted communities

Headquarters

HQ city

Montgomery

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Homesite/Lot Sales: Primary revenue comes from selling residential acreage homesites to buyers who then build custom homes with their chosen builder. Lots are sold in phases/sections with deed restrictions and HOA requirements.
2. Property Owner Association Dues: Recurring annual HOA fees collected from homeowners for community maintenance, amenities, and management services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

High Meadow Development designs, develops, and sells one-plus-acre residential homesites within deed-restricted, master-planned acreage communities in the Northwest Houston area. Buyers purchase a homesite and then choose their own custom home builder to construct their residence. The company also runs professional HOA management across its communities and maintains a network of preferred/vetted custom home builders.

Product overview

High Meadow Development is a nearly 50-year-old acreage community developer specializing in master-planned residential communities in Northwest Houston. The company operates four distinct acreage community products: High Meadow Estates (1,100 acres, sold out/closing out), High Meadow West (1,600 acres, flagship expansion), The Cedars (1,100 acres, new development in Plantersville), and The Manors (290 acres, new development in New Waverly). Each community offers one-plus acre homesites with deed restrictions, professional HOA management, and freedom for buyers to choose their own custom home builder. Communities feature various amenities and are served by local school districts. The company also operates a Preferred Builder Program partnering with vetted custom home builders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• High Meadow Estates: Flagship 1,100-acre acreage community in Magnolia, Texas planned for 560 families at completion. Features include recreation center, resort-style pool, tennis courts, pickleball courts, playground, 4-acre nature preserve, and community lake.
• High Meadow West
• The Cedars
• The Manors
• The Grove

Products and services

• High Meadow Estates A 1,100-acre flagship acreage community in Magnolia, TX, planned for 560 homesites at completion. Features deed restrictions, professional HOA management, resort-style pool, tennis and pickleball courts, playground, 4-acre nature preserve, and community lake.
• High Meadow West A 1,600-acre acreage community in Magnolia, TX (Montgomery County/Magnolia ISD) planned for 1,000 families. Offers one-acre-plus homesites with 3,200 sq. ft. minimum living space, controlled architectural styles, and amenities including pond, walking trails, pickleball courts, splash pad, and recreation center.
• The Cedars A 1,100-acre residential acreage community in Plantersville, TX (Grimes County/Navasota ISD), planned for 600 families. Named for historic cedar trees; features include community recreation center, park and jogging trails, pickleball courts, splash pad, and proximity to Bernhardt Winery. Sections 1 and 2 now open.
• The Manors A 290-acre acreage community north of The Woodlands in New Waverly, TX (Walker County/New Waverly ISD), planned for 170 families. Adjacent to Sam Houston National Forest with community pond, walking trails, and deed-restricted custom home requirements.
• Acreage Homesites (Homesite/Lot Sales) One-plus-acre residential homesites sold across High Meadow Development's communities for custom home building, with deed restrictions, professional HOA management, freedom to choose own builder, and underground utilities (electric, water, natural gas, fiber optics).
• Bring Your Own Builder Program Program that lets homesite buyers select their own preferred custom home builder, supported by a network of vetted builders operating in High Meadow Development's communities.
• HOA/Property Owner Association Management Recurring annual HOA dues-based service covering community maintenance, amenity upkeep, deed-restriction enforcement, and resident services for each of the company's acreage communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Communities have been recognized with industry awards including PRISM Award for Community of the Year

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, primary and major.

• Oak & Stone Community ManagementcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProfessional property management company that manages HOA operations for The Cedars community, handling daily operations, community standards enforcement, and resident services.
• Gracepoint HomesprimaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeatured custom home builder operating in multiple High Meadow Development communities including High Meadow Estates, The Cedars, and The Manors. Displays model homes in communities.
• Partners in BuildingprimaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCustom home builder featured in High Meadow Estates and High Meadow West communities, building spec and custom homes for lot purchasers.
• Royal Texan HomesprimaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFeatured custom home builder in The Cedars and High Meadow West communities with active model homes and lot sales partnerships.
• Jamestown Estate HomesprimaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCustom home builder with over 40 years experience, featured in High Meadow Estates with model home at 7125 Morningbrook Dr and The Grove enclave.
• Blackoak HomesprimaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCustom home builder featured in The Cedars community with Signature Series Farmhouse style models (2853 sq ft) and promotional offerings including free generators.
• Harrisburg HomesprimaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCustom home builder featured in The Cedars and High Meadow Estates with model homes and Build on Your Lot seminars.
• Magnolia ISDmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool district serving High Meadow Estates and High Meadow West communities. District encompasses 150 square miles, serving approximately 14,000 students and employing 1,900.
• Navasota ISDmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool district serving The Cedars community in Grimes County. District encompasses 362 square miles.
• New Waverly ISDmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool district serving The Manors community in Walker County.
• Texas General Land Office (GLO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency that awarded City of Plantersville a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant for infrastructure improvements including roads, drainage, and development planning that benefit The Cedars residents.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Hillwood Communities: National master-planned community developer (Ross Perot Jr.-linked) with comparable master-planned, amenitized communities in Texas and other Sun Belt states.
• D.R. Horton: Largest US homebuilder with significant Houston-metro presence across master-planned and acreage communities; competes broadly for first-time move-up and acreage buyers in HMD's submarkets.
• Toll Brothers: National luxury homebuilder with move-up and acreage-adjacent product in the Greater Houston area, overlapping with HMD's custom/luxury acreage buyer segment.
• Howard Hughes Holdings: Owner/developer of The Woodlands, Bridgeland, Summerlin, and other large-scale master-planned communities; competes for exurban Houston acreage buyers and is headquartered near HMD's market.
• Perry Homes: Houston-based homebuilder that builds in many of the same master-planned acreage communities as HMD's preferred-builder network, representing both an indirect partner and competitor for buyer relationships.

Direct peers

• Starwood Land Ventures: Texas-focused residential land developer creating master-planned and acreage communities with a similar lot-sale-then-build business model across the Houston and broader Texas markets.
• Johnson Development Corp: Houston-area master-planned community developer (Cinco Ranch, Cross Creek Ranch, Firethorne, Sienna, Harvest) with comparable acreage and deed-restricted product positioning in the same Greater Houston market.
• Friendswood Development Company: Texas-based master-planned community developer with comparable large-scale acreage projects (e.g., Firethorne, Harvest) competing in the Houston-region family-buyer segment.
• Caldwell Companies: Houston-based real estate developer with land, master-planned community, and commercial operations, overlapping with HMD's Northwest Houston territory and build-to-sell homesite model.

Regional players

• Woodforest Development: Master-planned community north of Conroe, Texas in close geographic proximity to High Meadow West, competing for similar Magnolia ISD acreage buyers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/high_meadow_development
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC2f2oxywOKqN2DvZ44-EFSQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/HIghMeadowDevelopment
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/high-meadow-development

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 High Meadow Development