David Weekley Homes is the latest builder headed to Oakberry Trails, a master-planned community taking shape on former ranch land north of U.S. 290 in Waller.
In a news release posted on its website Oct. 16, the Houston-based builder said it will "soon begin building" in the community. It did not give a date for the start of construction, a price range or the number of homesites it has bought. A model home is planned to open soon for tours.
What Weekley plans to build
Weekley's plans range from about 2,420 to 3,730 square feet of living space, all on 60-foot homesites. According to the release, the homes will have four to five bedrooms, three to four full baths, up to one half bath, and garages for two to four cars. Some homesites will back up to water or have water views.
The builder's community page describes the homes as "farmhouse-inspired" and calls the site a 260-acre community "just north of Highway 290." The page invites buyers to sign up for updates on floor plans and available homesites and does not list prices.
Weekley was founded in 1976, is headquartered in Houston and builds in 19 markets. The company says it has closed more than 130,000 homes and is one of the largest privately held homebuilders in the country.
The community
Oakberry Trails is being developed by Ryko Development, a Houston-area developer founded in 1991. Ryko's project page describes the site as a former family ranch whose existing structures will be reused as amenities, including a community center with a modern farmhouse design.
The amenity list in Weekley's release includes a recreation center with meeting and event space, a pool, a gym, an activity lawn, a playground, gardens, trails, lakes and pocket parks. A repurposed barn will house games such as ping pong and cornhole. The release points to nearby Fairfield Town Center, the Houston Premium Outlets and The Clubs at Houston Oaks. Students will attend Waller ISD schools.
Weekley joins three builders already listed on the community's website: Risewell Homes, K. Hovnanian Homes and Village Builders. The site advertises homes "priced from the low $300s" and "six model homes by top Houston builders," with Weekley now shown among the builders.
The developer's figures do not match Weekley's. Ryko's project page describes Oakberry Trails as 215 acres with more than 800 single-family homes. Weekley's release and community page put the size at 260 acres. Neither company has explained the gap, and Ryko's page does not show when it was last updated.
Public records show the community moving through platting in several sections. On the Houston Planning Commission's Oct. 1 agenda, which also covers subdivision plats outside the city limits, Oakberry Trails Section 5 and Section 12 were listed under extensions of approval. Both were marked as final plat applications. The agenda gives section numbers only. It does not say how many lots are in each section or which builders they are assigned to.
Why it matters for Contractors
A fourth builder at Oakberry Trails adds another production schedule to a community along the U.S. 290 corridor. Weekley's homes sit at the larger end of what is advertised there, from about 2,420 to 3,730 square feet with up to four-car garages. That means more framing, roofing, concrete, drywall and finish work per house than smaller entry-level plans.
Weekley hires its own trades, separate from Ryko and the other three builders. Subcontractors who already work Risewell, K. Hovnanian or Village Builders homes in the community could pick up Weekley work without moving crews to a new jobsite. They will still need to qualify through Weekley's own trade-partner and purchasing process.
Site, paving and utility contractors should follow the plats. Final plats for sections numbered as high as 12 have appeared on the Houston Planning Commission agenda. The agenda points readers to the city's online Plat Tracker, where individual applications can be looked up. That is one way to follow which sections are moving toward street, drainage and utility construction, and to learn who is behind each filing before work is bid.
Weekley has not announced a construction start date, so contractors hoping to bid the first homes should reach out to its Houston division purchasing team now, while the model home is still being planned.