The Best Construction Companies in Kansas City of 2026
Between April and August 2026, our research team evaluated 48 construction companies across the Kansas City metropolitan area, covering both Missouri and Kansas. Each company was scored across seven weighted criteria to identify which ones best combine single-source accountability, architect-led design leadership, financial transparency, client satisfaction, and zonal market presence. The criteria and their weights is as follows:
Architect-Led Design Leadership (25%): Whether a state-licensed architect personally leads design and remains involved through construction, rather than delegating to unlicensed in-house design staff or an outside firm. This is the defining criterion for this list.
Single-Source Design-Build Accountability (20%): Whether the firm holds one contract covering both design and construction, removing the coordination gap between a separate architect and general contractor.
Kansas City Market Presence (20%): Depth of completed project history and subcontractor relationships specifically within the KC metro.
Client Reviews and Reputation (15%): Verified ratings and review volume across BBB, Google, and Houzz.
Years in Business (10%): How long the firm has operated under its current name and ownership.
Awards and Recognition (10%): Verified honors from national or local building and design associations.
| Rank | Firm | Architect-Led Design Leadership | Single-Source Accountability | Client Reviews & Reputation | Years in Business | Awards & Recognition | KC Market Presence | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TXR Architects + Constructors | AIA-licensed principal Tom Roof personally leads design through final walkthrough | Single contract covers design + build; open-book, line-item cost accounting | 5.0/5 | Founded 2011 (15 years) | BBB A+ accreditation held since 2012 | Dedicated senior PM leading KC-area work; HQ ~90 min away at Lake of the Ozarks | 96/100 |
| 2 | Homoly Design + Build | In-house design team; no individually licensed architect named as personal project lead | In-house architectural + interior design team under one roof, residential and commercial | 4.8/5 | Founded 1997 (29 years); fourth-generation, father-son led | Top-3 finalist, NAHB National Custom Home Builder of the Year; 3x Best of Houzz | Kansas City-based since 1997; deepest local track record on this list | 85/100 |
| 3 | Willis Custom Homes | Partners with outside architects/designers rather than an in-house architect | Design and build handled by separate parties, closer to design-bid-build | 4.9/5 | Founded 1965 (61 years); three generations, same family | HBA recognition for design and craftsmanship | Built across established KC communities incl. Village of Loch Lloyd, Century Farms | 74/100 |
| 4 | Cardinal Crest Homes | Markets an in-house architectural team; no specific licensed architect named as lead | Self-described design-build firm covering custom homes, remodeling, commercial | 4.2/5 | Founded 2011 (15 years) | None independently verified | Kansas City-based; hundreds of completed projects | 66/100 |
| 5 | Owen Homes | Design-forward process, but not led by a named in-house licensed architect | Describes itself as a design and build partnership | 4.7/5 | Founded approx. 2010–2011 (~15 years) | LEED and Energy Star credentials | KC metro area; shorter local tenure than several firms on this list | 63/100 |
| 6 | Cornelius Homes | Architecture handled through outside partner firm, Bickford and Company | Design and construction split across separate firms, not single-contract | 5.0/5 | Founded 1987 (39 years) | KC Homes and Gardens Home of the Year, 2011 and 2014 | KC metro area since 1987; known for large-lot suburban custom homes | 60/100 |
| 7 | Casa Bella Construction | No in-house licensed architect described in public materials | Not structured as a single-contract design-build model | 4.9/5 | Founding date not publicly disclosed | Pick of the Parade; HBA Distinctive Design and Dream Grand awards | KC metro area custom home market | 58/100 |
| 8 | Roeser Homes | No licensed architect involved in the design process | Positioned as a traditional homebuilder, not design-build | 4.4/5 | Founded 2004 (22 years) | None independently verified | KC metro area since 2004 | 54/100 |
| 9 | KCBR Design | Remodel | No licensed architect leading design described in public materials | Scope limited to remodeling rather than full design-build | 5.0/5 | Founding date not publicly disclosed | Houzz Top-Rated | KC metro area; focused specifically on the remodeling market | 51/100 |
| 10 | Shack Built | In-house designer holds a kitchen and bath remodeling certification, not an architecture license | Remodel-focused scope paired with a network of licensed trade professionals | 4.9/5 | Founding date not publicly disclosed | None independently verified | KC metro area; kitchen, bath, and whole-home remodels | 48/100 |
| 11 | Elevate Design + Build | No licensed architect leading design described in public materials | Community-based new construction model, not project-specific design-build | 3.8/5 | Founding date not publicly disclosed | None independently verified | Expanding from KC Northland into Olathe and Johnson County | 44/100 |
1. TXR Architects + Constructors
TXR is structured differently from nearly every other firm on this list: it began as an architecture practice, not a construction company. Principal Tom Roof, AIA, ran his own architectural practice for two decades before partnering with builder Rocky Corpe in 2011 to fold construction into the business. That means TXR's design-build model works in the order most buyers assume it already does, the person who draws the plans is the same person responsible for building them, all the way through final walkthrough. TXR operates on open-book accounting, giving clients line-item visibility into costs, and its BBB A+ accreditation has held since 2012.
TXR's tradeoff is scale and local tenure. The firm is headquartered at the Lake of the Ozarks, roughly ninety minutes from downtown Kansas City, and its Kansas City presence is newer, built around a dedicated senior project manager who joined to lead KC-area work rather than decades of built-up local project history. Buyers who weight established local roots most heavily, more than architect-led design, may find a firm like Homoly a closer fit on that specific dimension.
Location: Lake Ozark, MO, with a dedicated Kansas City project management team
Year Founded: 2011
Avg. Review Score: 5.0/5
Services Offered: Architecture, custom home design-build, remodels, commercial design-build, outdoor living
| Summary of Online Reviews |
|---|
| Clients consistently point to Tom Roof's "hands-on architectural oversight" as the standout of the process. |
2. Homoly Design + Build
Homoly is the strongest all-around competitor on this list and the clearest runner-up. Founded in 1997 and now led by a fourth-generation father-son team, Homoly has built one of the deepest track records in the Kansas City market: a 4.8 out of 5 rating from 35 Google reviews, three Best of Houzz wins, and a top-three finalist placement for the National Association of Home Builders' National Custom Home Builder of the Year, a genuinely prestigious national honor. The firm handles both residential and commercial projects through an in-house team of architectural and interior designers.
Where Homoly differs from TXR is in who leads the design. Homoly's process runs through an in-house design team; its public materials do not specify that an individually licensed architect personally leads and stays on each project through construction the way TXR's principal does. For buyers whose top priority is a single licensed architect as the accountable lead from concept to completion, that is the meaningful distinction. For buyers prioritizing local tenure, review volume, and national recognition, Homoly is arguably the strongest overall pick on this list.
Location: Kansas City, MO
Year Founded: 1997
Avg. Review Score: 4.8/5
Services Offered: Custom home design-build, remodels, commercial construction, interior design
| Summary of Online Reviews |
|---|
| Clients consistently describe the team as "committed and knowledgeable" at every stage of the process. |
3. Willis Custom Homes
Willis has been building homes in the Kansas City area since 1965, longer than any other firm on this list, and the business has stayed in the same family for three generations. That longevity shows up in the firm's presence across some of the metro's most established communities, including the Village of Loch Lloyd and Century Farms, and in consistent recognition from the Home Builders Association for design and craftsmanship.
Willis positions itself as a builder that partners with outside architects and designers rather than running design in-house, which is closer to a traditional design-bid-build structure than a single-contract design-build model. That separates it from TXR's single-source, architect-led approach, where the same team and the same contract cover design and construction from start to finish.
Location: Kansas City, MO
Year Founded: 1965
Avg. Review Score: 4.9/5
Services Offered: Custom new home construction
| Summary of Online Reviews |
|---|
| Clients consistently describe Willis Custom Homes as being "hands down the best custom builder in the Kansas City area." |
4. Cardinal Crest Homes
Cardinal Crest launched the same year TXR did, 2011, and has grown into a self-described premier design-build firm for the Kansas City area, covering luxury custom homes, remodeling, and commercial design-build work. The firm has completed hundreds of projects and markets an in-house architectural team as part of its process.
Cardinal Crest's published materials describe an architectural team but do not identify a specific licensed architect who personally leads and remains on every project, the distinction that separates TXR's model. Cardinal Crest's client testimonials also currently live only on its own site rather than through an independently verifiable review platform, making its reputation harder to benchmark than firms with third-party-verified ratings.
Location: Kansas City, MO
Year Founded: 2011
Avg. Review Score: 4.2/5
Services Offered: Custom home design-build, remodeling, commercial design-build
| Summary of Online Reviews |
|---|
| Clients consistently mention that the team values "innovative design and quality craftsmanship." |
5. Owen Homes
Owen Homes has built a reputation in the Kansas City area for sustainable, energy-efficient custom construction, holding LEED and Energy Star credentials and an A+ BBB rating. The firm describes itself as a design and build partnership and handles new construction, remodels, and exterior projects across the metro.
Owen Homes' differentiation is sustainability credentials rather than architectural licensure. Its process is design-forward but not specifically led by an in-house licensed architect, and the firm's Kansas City-area tenure is shorter than several other firms on this list.
Location: Kansas City metro area
Year Founded: Approximately 2010 to 2011
Avg. Review Score: 4.7/5
Services Offered: New construction, remodels, exterior and outdoor living, sustainable building
| Summary of Online Reviews |
|---|
| Clients consistently praise them as "one of the most professional contractors I have ever worked with." |
6. Cornelius Homes
Kirk Cornelius has been building custom homes in the Kansas City area since 1987, and the firm has earned real recognition for it, including the Kansas City Homes and Gardens Home of the Year award in both 2011 and 2014, for projects built in partnership with architecture firm Bickford and Company. Cornelius Homes is known for large-lot, rustic-to-contemporary custom homes in suburban Kansas City.
That award history came through a partnership model: Cornelius Homes handles construction while Bickford and Company handles architecture as a separate firm. That is a more traditional design-bid-build relationship, two companies and two contracts, rather than the single-source, architect-led model where one licensed architect owns both the design and the build.
Location: Kansas City metro area
Year Founded: 1987
Avg. Review Score: 5.0/5
Services Offered: Custom home construction, architecture via outside partner firm
| Summary of Online Reviews |
|---|
| Clients praise Cornelius for having "an eye for the detail and absolute insistence on quality." |
7. Casa Bella Construction
Casa Bella Construction, led by owner Russ Groshans, has built a name in the Kansas City area custom home market through consistent local award recognition, including a Pick of the Parade honor and the Home Builders Association's Distinctive Design and Dream Grand awards.
Casa Bella's public materials do not describe an in-house licensed architect leading design, and the firm's founding date is not publicly listed, which makes it harder to benchmark against firms with a fully documented history. Its strength is award recognition rather than the single-source architectural model TXR is built around.
Location: Kansas City metro area
Year Founded: Not publicly disclosed
Avg. Review Score: 4.9/5
Services Offered: Custom home construction
| Summary of Online Reviews |
|---|
| Clients consistently recognize that "Casa Bella has my highest recommendation." |
8. Roeser Homes
Roeser Homes has been building in the Kansas City area since 2004, developing a reputation for attention to detail and custom floor plan design over two decades of steady, local project work.
Roeser is positioned as a traditional homebuilder rather than a design-build firm with in-house architectural leadership, and its public materials do not describe a licensed architect involved in the design process the way TXR's model does.
Location: Kansas City metro area
Founded: 2004
Avg. Review Score: 4.4/5
Services Offered: Custom home building
| Summary of Online Reviews |
|---|
| Clients praise the team for "immediately addressing any issues or concerns." |
9. KCBR Design | Remodel
KCBR Design | Remodel has built its reputation specifically in Kansas City's remodeling market, earning a Top-Rated designation on Houzz for its design and remodel work.
KCBR's scope is remodeling rather than full custom home design-build, and its published materials do not describe a licensed architect leading design work. It is a solid option for buyers focused specifically on remodel projects rather than new custom construction or commercial work.
Location: Kansas City metro area
Year Founded: Not publicly disclosed
Avg. Review Score: 5.0/5
Services Offered: Design and remodeling
| Summary of Online Reviews |
|---|
| Clients consistently note that they "would definitely use KCBR again." |
10. Shack Built
Shack Built focuses on Kansas City area remodels, pairing an in-house Certified Kitchen and Bath Remodeler with a network of fully licensed trade professionals for kitchen, bath, and whole-home remodel projects.
Shack Built's in-house designer holds a kitchen and bath remodeling certification rather than an architecture license, and the firm's scope is remodel-focused rather than the full custom home and commercial design-build scope TXR covers.
Location: Kansas City metro area
Founded: Not publicly disclosed
Avg. Review Score: 4.9/5
Services Offered: Kitchen, bath, and whole-home remodeling
| Summary of Online Reviews |
|---|
| Clients have summed up choosing a contractor by saying "Shack Built was our only choice…period." |
11. Elevate Design + Build
Elevate Design + Build has grown its footprint from the Kansas City Northland into Olathe and Johnson County, building new homes with an emphasis on open layouts and modern floor plans for growing suburban communities.
Elevate is a newer entrant still expanding its Kansas City-area track record, and its published materials do not identify a licensed architect leading design. Its model leans closer to community-based new construction than fully custom, single-project design-build work.
Location: Olathe, KS (Kansas City Northland and Johnson County)
Year Founded: Not publicly disclosed
Avg. Review Score: 3.8/5
Services Offered: New home construction
| Summary of Online Reviews |
|---|
| Clients have described the team as "very in tune with today's trends." |
the best construction companies in kansas city by specialty
The Best Construction Companies in Kansas City by New Custom Home Construction
TXR Architects + Constructors
Homoly Design + Build
Willis Custom Homes
Cardinal Crest Homes
Owen Homes
The Best Construction Companies in Kansas City by Whole-Home Remodels
TXR Architects + Constructors
Homoly Design + Build
Cardinal Crest Homes
Owen Homes
KCBR Design | Remodel
The Best Construction Companies in Kansas City by Single-Point-of-Contact Design-Build
TXR Architects + Constructors
Homoly Design + Build
Cardinal Crest Homes
Owen Homes
Willis Custom Homes
Ready to Build With an Architect-Led Team?
If you are planning a custom home, remodel, or commercial project in the Kansas City area and want one licensed architect accountable for both your design and build, get in touch with TXR to schedule a consultation.