KB Home
Headquartered in Los Angeles · Founded 1957
About KB Home
KB Home has been around since 1957, which makes them one of the older national builders still actively building today. They started in Detroit as Kaufman and Broad, expanded aggressively through the Sun Belt, and eventually rebranded as KB Home in 2001. They're not the biggest builder in the country — that's D.R. Horton — but they've carved out a consistent niche as a production builder that leans harder into personalization than most at their price point. Nationally they operate in about eight states, mostly in the South and West, and they've been a fixture in Florida for decades. In Tampa Bay, KB Home is active primarily in Hillsborough, Pasco, and Polk counties. You'll find their communities spread across the I-4 corridor into Lakeland and Polk City, north into Pasco along the SR-54 and US-41 corridors, and in parts of Hillsborough. They're not building in Pinellas, and they don't have a heavy presence closer to the city — their footprint skews toward the suburban and semi-rural growth edges where land is cheaper and they can price homes in the $270K to $550K range realistically. At any given time they typically have somewhere between five and ten active communities in the metro area, which is a smaller footprint than Lennar or D.R. Horton. What sets KB Home apart from most production builders at this price point is their built-to-order model. Rather than building spec homes and selling them as-is, they generally have buyers choose a lot and then configure the home before construction starts. That means you're picking floor plans, elevations, and structural options first, then heading into their KB Home Design Studio to select finishes — flooring, cabinets, countertops, fixtures, and more. The Design Studio experience is real, not just a laminate sample and a handshake. You'll have dedicated appointments to work through selections. On the construction side, their homes are concrete block on the first floor, which is standard for Florida, and they build to ENERGY STAR certification as a baseline, which matters for insurance and utility bills. Floor plans range from compact townhomes on the lower end to single-family homes in the 2,000 to 3,500 square foot range. The buyer experience with KB Home is a bit different than walking into a Lennar or D.R. Horton community and buying a nearly-finished spec home. Because they're building to order, the timeline is longer — typically six to nine months from contract to close, sometimes more depending on permitting and trade availability. Their sales process starts at the community, but the real decisions happen at the Design Studio, and that's where a lot of buyers either love KB or get frustrated. It's a lot of choices, and upgrades add up fast. Construction communication varies by project manager and community, but KB does offer an online portal where buyers can track milestones. Don't expect daily updates, but there's more transparency than some builders.
Barrett's Take on KB Home
Here's what I tell my buyers about KB Home: the built-to-order model sounds great until you realize how much the Design Studio wants to upsell you. You'll walk in excited about personalization and walk out with $40,000 in upgrades you didn't plan on. Go in with a budget cap for upgrades before you sit down for that appointment, and stick to it. Structural options — an extra bedroom, a covered lanai, a third-car garage — are generally the better investments because they affect resale value. Granite countertops and cabinet hardware are things you can swap yourself later. KB is not particularly flexible on base price, but toward the end of a quarter when they need to hit sales numbers, I've seen them offer closing cost contributions or absorb some upgrade costs. That's where the real negotiation happens, not off the sticker price. On the contract side, KB Home uses their own purchase agreement, and you need to read it carefully. Their deposit structure typically includes an initial deposit plus an additional deposit due after design selections are finalized — that second hit catches some buyers off guard. The construction timeline language usually gives them significant flexibility on delivery dates, so if you're counting on being in by a specific month, don't count on it in writing protecting you. Their preferred lender is KBHS Home Loans, a joint venture with Stonegate Mortgage. Same advice I give with any builder's in-house lender: get a competing Loan Estimate from an independent lender before you commit. KB does sometimes tie upgrade incentives to using KBHS, so you'll want to run the actual numbers to see if the incentive covers the rate or cost difference — sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. Compared to D.R. Horton and LGI in this price range, KB Home generally delivers a more personalized product and a slightly more deliberate build. Where they fall short is speed and predictability — if you need to move by a specific date, a spec-ready D.R. Horton home might be the better call. Warranty responsiveness has been inconsistent in my experience; it depends heavily on the local construction manager and how busy they are. I'd push hard at closing to document every single item on your punch list before you hand over final funds. Their one-year workmanship warranty and ten-year structural warranty are standard, but getting someone out to address issues in year one can take persistence. If you go KB, go in organized.
Barrett Henry, REALTOR®
Broker Associate at REMAX Collective · 23+ years of real estate experience
KB Home at a Glance
1957
Founded
Los Angeles
Headquarters
$270K – $550K
Price Range
1
Community
3
Counties Served
Current Incentives & Deals
Below-Market Interest Rates + Price Transparency (KB Home standard program)
Verify with BarrettCommunity-Specific Incentives
Communities by KB Home
KB Home currently has 1 community listed across Tampa Bay. Click any community for full details, pricing, and incentives.
Where KB Home Builds
KB Home is active in 3 Tampa Bay counties. Click a county to see all communities in that area.
What KB Home Offers
KB Home builds across 2 home types in the Tampa Bay market.
Single-Family Homes
Detached homes with private yards, typically 3-5 bedrooms with owners suites and 2-car garages.
Townhomes
Attached homes offering lower maintenance and competitive pricing — great for first-time buyers and investors.
Specialties & What Sets KB Home Apart
Key differentiators buyers should know about.
- Built-to-order personalization
- KB Home Design Studio
- ENERGY STAR certified
Guides About KB Home
In-depth guides and comparisons featuring KB Home in Tampa Bay.
General Buyer Guides
Explore More
Thinking About KB Home? Bring Your Own Agent.
The sales team at any model home works for the builder. Their job is to sell you the home at the best price for the builder — not for you. Barrett represents buyers exclusively in new-construction transactions. He knows the incentives, the upgrade traps, and the contract clauses that catch first-time buyers off guard. His representation is free to you because the builder pays the commission. Call (813) 692-9099 or fill out the form below.
Interested in KB Home? Talk to Barrett
Get the inside scoop on KB Home communities, current incentives, and negotiation strategy. Free buyer representation — the builder pays.