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What New Housing Developments and Subdivisions Are Being Built in Amarillo, Texas in 2026
By Natalia Weatherly
Moreland Real Estate Group
September 3, 2026 · 11 min read
Amarillo is one of the most active new-construction markets in the Texas Panhandle right now, and buyers relocating here or trading up from an existing home have more options in 2026 than at any point in recent memory. This guide covers what new housing developments and subdivisions are being built in Amarillo, Texas in 2026, where they sit on the map, what builders are asking, and what you should know before you sign a contract with a production builder.

1. Where New Construction Is Happening in Amarillo Right Now
The majority of new housing development in Amarillo in 2026 is concentrated along three growth corridors: the southwest quadrant inside and just outside Loop 335, the southeast side near Hollywood Road and Soncy Road, and the northwest fringe pushing toward Bushland Road. All three areas have seen platted lots turn into framed homes at a pace that outstrips most other Panhandle cities, driven by Amarillo's relatively affordable land costs and consistent job growth from healthcare, logistics, and energy sectors.
You can browse currently listed new communities and available spec homes on Homes.com's Amarillo new construction listings, which aggregates inventory from multiple builders and updates regularly. That's a useful starting point, but the on-the-ground picture below gives you the local context those listings don't.
Southwest Amarillo and the Loop 335 Corridor
Southwest Amarillo continues to be the single busiest zone for new subdivision activity in 2026. Communities are platting and building along Bell Street south of 45th Avenue, along Western Street near Arden Road, and in the broader area stretching toward Coulter Drive. Lot sizes in this corridor typically run from 7,000 to 10,000 square feet, and homes tend to be single-story ranch plans ranging from roughly 1,600 to 2,800 square feet.
Proximity to Baptist St. Anthony Health System, the Amarillo VA Health Care System, and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center campus makes this quadrant attractive to healthcare workers and medical students who want to minimize their commute. Drive times from the southwest corridor to downtown Amarillo's Polk Street district run roughly 12 to 18 minutes depending on the specific street and time of day.
Southeast Growth Near Soncy Road and Hollywood Road
The southeast side of Amarillo has seen a notable uptick in new subdivision platting in 2026, particularly in the stretch between Hollywood Road and Georgia Street south of Interstate 40. This area sits close to Amarillo's major retail corridor along Coulter Drive and Soncy Road, putting new homeowners within a few minutes of the Westgate Mall area, multiple grocery anchors, and the Amarillo Botanical Gardens on Harrington Avenue.
New builds here lean toward two-story plans with four bedrooms, reflecting demand from buyers who want more square footage for their dollar. Finished square footage in this corridor commonly ranges from 1,800 to 3,200 square feet. If you are curious about what the broader South Georgia area looks like for buyers, this guide to buying a home in the South Georgia area of Amarillo covers the existing resale market in that part of the city in detail.
Northwest Amarillo Near Bushland Road
Northwest Amarillo is the newest frontier for large-lot new construction in 2026. Subdivisions platted along Bushland Road and the FM 1061 corridor offer lot sizes that frequently exceed a quarter acre, sometimes reaching a half acre or more. These communities are farther from the urban core, with commutes to downtown running 20 to 30 minutes, but they appeal to buyers who want more outdoor space, newer infrastructure, and lower density than the established southwest neighborhoods provide.
The northwest corridor also sits within reach of Palo Duro Canyon State Park, the 120-mile-long canyon often called the Grand Canyon of Texas, which is about 25 miles southeast of the Bushland Road corridor. Buyers who prioritize outdoor recreation and open landscape tend to look seriously at this part of the market.
2. Which Builders Are Active in Amarillo's New Subdivisions in 2026
Amarillo's new construction market in 2026 is split between a handful of production builders operating multiple communities simultaneously and a longer list of local and regional custom builders working one or two projects at a time. Knowing the difference matters because the contract process, timeline, and negotiating leverage vary significantly between the two.
Production Builders With Multiple Communities
D.R. Horton remains the highest-volume production builder active in Amarillo in 2026, with communities spread across the southwest and southeast corridors. Their Express Homes line targets the entry-level segment while their D.R. Horton-branded communities push into the mid-range. Meritage Homes has also been active in Amarillo, offering energy-efficiency packages that include spray foam insulation and fresh-air systems, which matter in the Panhandle's climate of hot summers and cold, dry winters. LGI Homes has maintained a presence on the southwest side with a focus on move-in-ready spec inventory priced for first-time buyers.
Production builders in Amarillo typically offer model homes you can tour without an appointment, and most have on-site sales agents whose job is to represent the builder. That is worth understanding before you walk in. Having your own buyer's agent costs you nothing as the buyer and gives you someone whose job is to represent your interests, not the builder's.
Custom and Semi-Custom Options
Amarillo has a strong local custom builder community that has been active for decades. Several local builders operate in the northwest corridor and in scattered lot developments across the southwest side, offering buyers the ability to choose floor plans, finishes, and structural options that production builders don't allow. Build times for custom homes in Amarillo currently run roughly 10 to 14 months from permit to close, depending on the builder's backlog and material lead times.
Semi-custom builders occupy the middle ground, offering a library of plans that can be modified within limits. This option tends to appeal to buyers who want more input than a spec home allows but don't want the full complexity of a ground-up custom build. Lot availability in established northwest subdivisions is the main constraint for this segment right now.
3. What Does New Construction Actually Cost in Amarillo in 2026
New construction pricing in Amarillo in 2026 spans a wide range depending on the builder, the corridor, the lot size, and the finish level. The market here remains more affordable than most Texas metros, but costs have risen from where they sat three or four years ago, driven by labor, land, and material inflation.
Entry-Level and Mid-Range Price Points
Entry-level new construction in Amarillo starts around $220,000 to $260,000 for LGI and D.R. Horton Express communities, typically delivering 1,200 to 1,600 square feet with standard finishes. Mid-range production homes from D.R. Horton's main line and Meritage generally price from $280,000 to $380,000 for 1,800 to 2,600 square feet. These homes usually include granite or quartz countertops, LVP flooring in common areas, and covered patios as standard features rather than upgrades.
For broader context on where new construction pricing sits relative to the resale market, the Texas Real Estate Research Center's Amarillo housing activity data tracks median sales prices, months of inventory, and new-listing volume across the Amarillo metro, which helps you understand whether a builder's asking price is aligned with the broader market.
Move-Up and Custom Price Points
Move-up production homes and semi-custom builds in Amarillo typically run from $380,000 to $550,000 for 2,600 to 3,500 square feet. Homes in this range commonly feature three-car garages, open-concept great rooms, primary suites with walk-in showers, and outdoor living spaces designed for the region's long outdoor season. Brick and stone exteriors are standard at this price point, which also helps with the Panhandle wind and temperature swings.
True custom homes on larger lots in the northwest corridor start around $500,000 and can exceed $900,000 for high-end finishes on a half-acre or larger lot. This segment is smaller in volume but has been consistently active in 2026, supported by buyers relocating from higher-cost metros who find Amarillo's land prices allow them to build something they couldn't afford elsewhere.
4. What to Know Before Buying in a New Amarillo Subdivision
Buying new construction in Amarillo is meaningfully different from buying a resale home, and the differences are not always obvious until you are already in the process. There are three areas where buyers consistently get surprised: the contract, the fees attached to the community, and the timeline.
Builder Contracts Are Not Standard Real Estate Contracts
Every production builder in Amarillo uses their own purchase contract, not the standard Texas Real Estate Commission form used in resale transactions. Builder contracts are written to protect the builder. They typically limit your ability to terminate without losing your earnest money, give the builder flexibility to change completion dates, and restrict what you can negotiate on the back end. Reading the contract carefully before signing is essential, and having a buyer's agent review it with you before you hand over a deposit is one of the most practical things you can do.
You should also get an independent home inspection even on a brand-new build. Amarillo's wind and soil conditions mean foundation performance and exterior envelope details deserve a close look, and a third-party inspector is not working for the builder.
HOA Fees, MUD Districts, and Special Assessments
Many newer Amarillo subdivisions are governed by a homeowners association, and some are also located within a Municipal Utility District, which adds a separate tax rate on top of the standard Potter County or Randall County property tax. MUD tax rates in newer Amarillo-area communities can add anywhere from 0.25 to 0.75 percent to your effective tax rate, which on a $350,000 home translates to an additional $875 to $2,625 per year. Ask the builder's sales agent for the full tax rate breakdown before you make an offer, not after.
HOA fees in Amarillo's newer subdivisions generally run from $400 to $1,200 per year and cover common area maintenance, entry features, and in some communities, perimeter landscaping. Some communities also have architectural control committees that govern exterior paint colors, fence materials, and landscaping choices, so reviewing the CC&Rs before you commit is worth the time.
Completion Timelines and Rate Lock Considerations
Production builders in Amarillo currently quote completion timelines of five to nine months for a standard build, though spec homes that are already framed or nearly finished can close in four to eight weeks. The gap between those two scenarios matters enormously for your mortgage rate lock. A rate lock on a 30-year conventional loan typically costs more the longer the lock period, and if a builder's completion date slips, you may need to extend your lock at additional cost or let it expire and re-lock at whatever rate exists at that time.
Some production builders in Amarillo offer in-house financing with incentives tied to using their preferred lender, such as closing cost credits or a temporary rate buydown. These offers can be valuable, but comparing them against an independent lender's quote is always worth doing. The incentive amount sometimes offsets a slightly higher rate, and sometimes it doesn't.
If you are also selling an existing Amarillo home to fund your new build, coordinating the two timelines is one of the more complex parts of the transaction. This overview of selling a home in Amarillo walks through pricing and timeline expectations on the sell side, which can help you plan the overlap.
5. How New Construction Fits Into the Broader Amarillo Market in 2026
New construction and resale inventory are competing for the same pool of buyers in Amarillo right now, and that dynamic shapes both markets. New builds offer the appeal of modern floor plans, builder warranties, and the ability to choose finishes. Resale homes in established neighborhoods like Wolflin, Sleepy Hollow, and the Medical District often offer larger lots, mature trees, and proximity to the urban core that newer subdivisions on the fringe can't replicate.
Amarillo's overall market has been characterized by moderate inventory growth and stable prices through the first three quarters of 2026. New construction adds to that inventory, which gives buyers more negotiating room than they had in 2021 and 2022. Builders are currently offering incentives ranging from rate buydowns to free upgrades to closing cost contributions, particularly on spec homes that have been sitting for more than 60 days. That's a meaningful shift from the seller-favored conditions of a few years ago.
For a fuller picture of how the resale and new construction markets interact right now, the Amarillo TX Real Estate Market Trends guide for 2026 covers current pricing, days on market, and inventory levels across all segments.
One practical consideration for buyers choosing between new and resale: property taxes on new construction are assessed on the completed home's value, which can be higher than the tax bill on a comparable resale home that was last assessed years ago. Ask the county appraisal district for the expected assessed value on any new build before you calculate your monthly payment.
If you are still deciding whether buying right now makes sense for your situation, this article on whether it is a good time to buy a house in Amarillo, Texas covers the current rate environment, inventory trends, and timing considerations in plain terms.
FAQ
Are there new housing developments being built in Amarillo, Texas in 2026 that are move-in ready?
Yes. Several production builders in Amarillo, including D.R. Horton and LGI Homes, maintain a rotating inventory of spec homes that are either complete or within a few weeks of completion. These homes are priced and staged for quick closings, typically in four to eight weeks from contract. The trade-off is that you get whatever finishes and floor plan the builder chose, with little or no ability to make changes. If move-in speed is your priority, asking a builder's sales agent specifically about their standing inventory rather than their to-be-built options will get you to the right homes faster.
Do I need a real estate agent to buy a new construction home in Amarillo, or can I just work with the builder's sales team?
You can legally purchase directly from a builder without your own agent, but the builder's on-site sales representative works for the builder, not for you. Having your own buyer's agent costs you nothing as the buyer in Texas because the builder pays the commission, and it gives you someone whose job is to negotiate on your behalf, review the contract for terms that favor the builder, and flag issues you might not notice on your own. Registering your agent on your first visit to a builder's community is important because most builders require that an agent be present or registered on the initial visit to honor the co-op commission agreement.
What are the property tax rates in Amarillo's newer subdivisions compared to established neighborhoods?
Property tax rates in Amarillo vary by county and by whether the subdivision sits within a Municipal Utility District. Homes in Randall County generally carry a slightly different rate than homes in Potter County, and new subdivisions that include a MUD overlay add an additional tax rate on top of the base county rate. On a new construction home priced at $350,000, the difference between a standard county tax rate and a combined county-plus-MUD rate can amount to $1,000 to $2,500 per year. Always request the full tax rate schedule from the builder before signing a contract, and verify it independently with the Potter County or Randall County appraisal district.
