New construction questions, answered

This site tracks 40 new construction communities in St. Louis County: 22 in West County, 10 in South County, 7 in Central County, 1 in North County, with builder websites checked Oct 28, 2026. The MLS showed 91 new homes for sale in them on Oct 21, 2026.

West County, with 22 of the 40 communities on this site. Wildwood (6), Oakville (4) and Des Peres (3) have the most by town. North County has the fewest on this site.

Yes. Chesterfield has 3: Schaeffer's Grove, The Legends at Schoettler Pointe and Wildhorse Village, with starting prices from $719,900. Wildwood has 6: Bendick Estates, Meridien, The Pointe at Brightleaf Manor Villas, The Pointe at Brightleaf Orchard Villas, The Reserve and West Eden, with starting prices from $494,900. Builder prices checked Oct 28, 2026.

Not in the 40 communities on this site, where the lowest builder starting price is $494,900 at The Pointe at Brightleaf Orchard Villas in Wildwood, checked Oct 28, 2026. Some builders that are not listed here do sell new homes under $400,000 in North County; call or text Craig and he will send you what is for sale. Across the river, the communities on 618newconstruction.com in St. Clair and Monroe County, IL had 57 new homes for sale under $400,000 in the MLS on Nov 3, 2026.

20 builders and developers are building now in the communities on this site, checked Oct 28, 2026. The ones in the most communities here are Whalen Custom Homes (5), Fischer Homes (4) and Flower & Fendler (4). Each builder page lists its communities, prices and preferred lender.

Drive a finished section the builder completed a few years ago and talk to the owners there. Search the builder on the Better Business Bureau and with the Home Builders Association of St. Louis and Eastern Missouri, and search Missouri Case.net for lawsuits under the builder's company name. Ask for the warranty and the purchase contract to read at home before you sign.

Ask the builder that question in writing before your first visit. Many builders keep one price whether or not you bring an agent, and the sales rep in the model works for the builder, not for you.

The "from" price is usually the base plan on a standard lot. Options, the lot premium and elevation changes are added on top, and builders price them differently. Before you sign, get the full options price list, the premium for your lot, and how much of the upgrade cost is due up front and whether it is refundable.

It is an independent inspection of the framing, wiring, plumbing, ductwork and insulation before the walls are closed, when problems are still easy to see and fix. Put the right to inspect in the contract, then schedule the visit with the builder. Ask the inspector for a written report with photos, so you can give the builder a clear list of fixes.

The builder gives its own written warranty. A common pattern is 1 year on workmanship, 2 years on plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems, and 10 years on major structural defects, but terms vary by builder. Ask for the warranty document before you sign and note every deadline.

Look up the address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center (msc.fema.gov) to see whether it is in a mapped flood zone. Then walk the lot after a heavy rain, and ask the builder where the downspouts and sump pump drain and how the lot is graded. In most of St. Louis County, stormwater is handled by the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD).

The assessor values the home, and Missouri taxes 19% of that market value. In St. Louis County the total works out to about 1.3% of market value a year on average, and the rate depends on the school district, fire district and city: about 1.2% to 1.5% by school district, using average city, fire and library levies, and higher in some fire districts (Missouri State Auditor, 2025 tax rates). On a $500,000 home that is about $6,500 a year at the average rate.

Missouri values property as of January 1, so for the year the home is finished the bill is usually based on the lot or the partly built house, and Missouri law also lets a county add a prorated bill for a new home finished and moved into during the year. The first full bill comes the following year, and Missouri reassesses all homes in odd-numbered years. Ask the St. Louis County Assessor how your home will be billed, and budget for the full tax from day one.

Yes, on vehicles. Missouri taxes cars and trucks each year as personal property. New St. Louis County residents declare their vehicles with the St. Louis County Assessor, and you need a paid personal property tax receipt, or a waiver if you owed none, to renew Missouri license plates.

For the communities on our two sites, prices are lower in Illinois but the tax rate is higher. In the communities on 618newconstruction.com (St. Clair and Monroe County, IL), the MLS showed new homes for sale from $279,900, with a median of about $415,000, on Nov 3, 2026. St. Louis County builder prices on this site start at $494,900. Illinois property taxes run about 2% to 2.6% of value a year before the homestead exemption, versus about 1.3% in St. Louis County, so compare the monthly payment, not just the price.