At Keystone Homes, we treat the building process as a partnership. From your first community tour to the day we hand over the keys, our team works directly alongside you, walking you through decisions, flagging what needs your attention, and keeping you close to the construction as your home goes up.
The community you choose determines everything downstream, including the floor plans available to you, the school districts, the commute, the neighborhood character, and the price range. At Keystone Homes, we currently build in two Austin-area communities: Cielo in Pflugerville, a gated community in the North Austin tech corridor, and Brahmans Draw in Spicewood, a gated Hill Country community near Lake Travis.
Once you choose a community, the rest of the process is specific to that community's inventory, floor plan collection, and homesites.
At Cielo East & West, we offer two collections: the Classic Series, with six floor plans ranging from approximately 1,460 to 2,270 square feet across one- and two-story layouts. We also offer the Advantage Series with 8 unique floor plans starting at 1,325 square feet. At Cielo Villas, we offer 46 townhomes with eight floor plans and square footage ranging from 1,570 to 1,939.
At Brahmans Draw, our Hill Country plans range from approximately 2,660 square feet to 3,705 square feet. Each plan has its unique elevation depending on the number of bedrooms selected. Every design blends vaulted ceilings with spacious, open rafter porches to deliver the breezy comfort of true hill country living. Our homes maximize natural daylight and feature open floor plans that create bright, connected living spaces.
Choosing the right floor plan is less about square footage and more about how the home actually lives. Our Sales Team walks buyers through key considerations based on how you plan to use the home in five years, not just on move-in day.
Not every floor plan fits on every homesite, so this is a collaborative step between you and our sales team. Homesite selection affects the price of the home (through lot premiums for size, view, or position), the final orientation of the floor plan, and, in some cases, the elevation options available to you. Your Sales Consultant will guide you through available homesites in real time and flag those that match your plan and preferences.
Reserving a homesite involves signing a Sales Agreement and paying an earnest money deposit. The Agreement specifies the floor plan, homesite, elevation, base price, and agreed-upon structural options. Upon execution of the Sales Agreement, the homesite will be yours, and we will begin construction planning.
This is the stage most buyers look forward to, and for good reason: it is where we tailor the home to your tastes.
On a to-be-built home, home design selections typically cover flooring, cabinetry style and finish, countertop material and color, tile selections for kitchens and baths, plumbing fixtures, lighting fixtures, paint, trim, and hardware. Some communities include higher-end finish options appropriate for the price point. You will make design selections within 21 days of the execution of the Sales Agreement. If you have purchased an inventory home under construction, ask your Sales Consultant which selections are available.
Selections are binding once confirmed, because they drive the material orders and the construction schedule. Our Design Team is available to guide you through the process. Buyers often bring photos, Pinterest boards, or samples to their first appointment with our designer.
The Keystone Homes building process follows a defined sequence of stages. Once we have all the necessary selections and permits and are close to starting construction, your Sales Consultant will schedule a preconstruction meeting with your Construction Manager. You will review all your selections and special touches you want added to your home. We prefer to meet before construction begins, but if your schedule allows, it can be after slab work has started.
Your foundation is the most important component of your home. Before work begins, we conduct a geotechnical study to properly engineer your foundation based on the soil criteria for your specific homesite. From installing the plumbing rough-in, steel reinforcement cables, grade beams and physical barriers for termite protection, your Construction Manager watches to ensure the work is executed to our high standards. Depending on the topography, the foundation stage takes 3–5 weeks to place concrete and have the foundation ready for the framer.
Framing is the second-most-important component of your home. It is the skeleton upon which your home is built. We use stick-frame construction to give your home superior strength, stability, and long-term durability, something truss-built homes can't match. Depending on the plan size and the availability of our framing crews, the frame may take 2–3 weeks. After the frame goes up, the roof is dried in, and the HVAC rough-in, plumbing top-out, and electrical rough-in are completed. Our Sales Consultant will then set a pre-drywall orientation with your Construction Manager. The Construction Manager will review all selections and changes with you to make sure we meet your expectations. This is the time to verify all previously selected options, not to make any new changes. These rough-ins may take 2–3 weeks to complete.
Drywall, finishes, and final construction take the remaining weeks of the build. We hang, finish and texture drywall; install cabinets, interior doors and trim; paint the home; and install countertops and tile floors. Final mechanical trim, appliance installation, landscaping, and exterior finish work complete your home.
Your Sales Consultant will schedule the final orientation with your Construction Manager. Your Construction Manager will walk you through the different systems in your home, home warranty and homeowner maintenance responsibilities. If any cosmetic items are found, your Manager resolves them prior to closing.
Closing follows the final orientation, typically within 1–2 weeks. Closing on a new construction home includes warranty documents, homeowner association registration (if applicable), and any builder-specific transfer items. Your Sales Consultant, lender, and title company coordinate the closing date with you. On closing day, you sign, funds are disbursed, and the keys are yours.
Your warranty begins on your closing date. If at any time after closing you find an item that you believe is covered by the warranty, then please email us at info@keystonehomes.co. After receipt of your warranty request, your Construction Manager will contact you to address all your items.
We partner with HOME of Texas for their 10-year limited warranty. HOME of Texas is one of the nation's oldest and largest providers of written insured new home warranties. They are also highly selective about which builders they partner with.
A realistic breakdown of the full new-home buying process. Individual buyer timelines vary by community, floor plan, season, and the current build queue.
| Step | Typical Duration |
|---|---|
| Step 1, Pick a Community | Your own timeline for researching and touring homesites. |
| Step 2, Choose a Floorplan | 1 to 2 weeks, often concurrent with Step 1. |
| Step 3, Reserve Your Homesite | Sales Agreement and earnest money are typically finalized within 1 week of the decision. |
| Step 4, Design Selections | 21 days from execution of the Sales Agreement. |
| Step 5, Construction | Industry range is 6 to 9 months, depending on product line and community. |
| Step 6, Final Orientation | 1 week from close. |
| Step 7, Move In and Warranty | Close, fund, and pick up keys. Email info@keystonehomes.co at any time after move-in if you believe a warrantied item needs our attention. |
| Total, Sales Agreement to Move In | 8–11 months on a to-be-built home. |
For buyers with a shorter timeline, quick-move-in homes at both communities are already under construction, with selections in place and can typically close more quickly.
About the Keystone Homes building process. Call (512) 236-5380 for anything not covered here.
Build timelines vary by floor plan, homesite, season, and current build queue. Quick-move-in homes nearing the end of construction often close within 30 to 60 days of signing the Sales Agreement, since design selections are already in place. Our Sales Team can provide a date range at the time of the Sales Agreement signing to give you a timeline for the specific plan and homesite you are considering.
Design selections happen in Step 4 of the new home buying process, after you have reserved your homesite and signed a Sales Agreement. You have 21 days to make selections on a to-be-built home. If you have purchased an inventory home under construction, then your Sales Agent will need to get an authorization to decorate from our Construction Team and let you know what is still available for selection before visiting our designer.
Yes, but it is a construction site, and you enter at your own risk. Please be careful and adhere to the required OSHA regulations. The Keystone Homes building process includes structured orientations at key construction milestones, including a preconstruction, pre-drywall, and final building orientation. For safety reasons, our Construction Team will coordinate access to an active construction site rather than allow unsupervised access. We can arrange visits around your schedule during normal business hours.
The final orientation is a detailed explanation of the different systems in your home, including what is and is not covered by the warranty and homeowner maintenance responsibilities. Your Construction Manager will note any cosmetic items found during orientation for resolution prior to closing. The orientation typically takes one to two hours with your Construction Manager.
Closing typically occurs within 1 week of final orientation, once we resolve any cosmetic items noted during the orientation. Your Sales Agent, in conjunction with your lender and title company, will coordinate the exact closing date. If you are financing the purchase, your lender will coordinate the appraisal and final loan approval in the weeks leading up to the closing date. On closing day, you sign the closing documents, funds are disbursed, and the keys are yours. Move-in can happen immediately after funding.
If at any time after move-in you believe you have an item that needs warranty attention, then please email us at info@keystonehomes.co. Your Construction Manager will get back to you to schedule a resolution.
Keystone Homes is not a full custom builder. We offer a defined collection of floor plans with multiple elevation options, structural options on plans that support them, and a curated set of finish selections. Within that structure, buyers have meaningful choices: elevation, flooring, cabinetry, countertops, tile, fixtures, paint, and hardware.
Construction delays can occur in new home construction for various reasons, such as weather, material supply issues, subcontractor scheduling, etc. Our Sales Agent will proactively communicate with you when delays are anticipated. For buyers with a hard move-in deadline, quick-move-in homes already under construction carry significantly less schedule risk and are often the right choice.
Your Sales Agent is your main point of contact. Please run any questions through your Sales Agent.
Apply your Design Center credit toward premium finishes, upgrades, and personalization. Combine with Flex Cash toward rate buydowns or closing costs. Incentives move with inventory, current homes only.