Mansfield Custom Homes leverages expert craftsmanship and client relationships to create dream homes across Texas
With over 40 years of combined experience, Mansfield Custom Homes (MCH) is dedicated to building homes, dreams, and relationships with its clients. By expertly managing time, budget, people, processes, procedures, and resources, the company provides clients with a result they will love. Beyond crafting their dream homes, MCH is committed to its clients long after they move in, as maintaining customer satisfaction and trusted relationships remains its highest priority.
“We started building homes in 2010 at the request of a friend of mine, who wanted us to build his personal home,” begins Stoney Short, President. “By the time we reached the framing stage of this project, we had two other houses in the pipeline for people who saw us build my friend’s home in the neighborhood. Today, we build about eight to ten houses a year, and the most we have ever built in a year was 16. Our main focus is on custom homes. To us, building a custom home is about sitting down with our clients to understand their needs and design their home exactly as they want and in a way that suits their lifestyle, whether it is a 1,200 or a 15,000 square foot house. While the predominant trends at the moment are craftsman style and modern craftsman style, which has a slightly different flair to it, we build all styles of houses, from Victorian to highly modern homes throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex,” he continues.
Positive experiences
Not limiting itself to a specific style allows MCH to take on a wide variety of projects. Stoney sheds light on the diversity of construction endeavors the company has been involved in. “In the past, we have tried buying lots in a neighborhood and only selling them if we were selected as the builder. However, we have never had much success with this model. At present, we primarily build on other people’s land. Our projects include a couple of spec homes a year where we pick all the selections, build, and then sell them, although custom homes are at the core of our operations. Most of our work comes from referrals or clients we have already done business with. For example, we have one client for whom we have built over 21 projects, whether they are personal homes or investment properties to sell or lease. In other words, we are not limiting ourselves with just custom homes, as it gives us better buying power with trades and vendors, and those cost savings gets passed on to the client.
“A lot of our customers are doctors, lawyers or entrepreneurs for whom we have not only built homes but also their doctor’s or lawyer’s office. This showcases the extent of our construction capabilities. Recently, we finished a project for the National Vietnam War Museum in Weatherford, Texas, which spanned 18,500 square feet. The structure has just been completed, and we are about to move forward with the interior finish out. Furthermore, we build houses for Homes For Our Troops, a company that builds houses for wounded veterans. We are currently working on our fourth home for them in the last six years. Similarly, we contribute to Habitat for Humanity, as we enjoy undertaking projects that make a positive impact on others,” he says.
Whether completing projects for charitable causes or its regular customer base, MCH upholds an approach to construction and service that results in positive and seamless experiences for everyone involved. “For us, that process starts from day one because we are committed to operating our business with a servant’s heart and a spirit of excellence. To embody that, we have to maintain strong communication not only within our own company, but also with our clients and all of our trades. In Texas, most of the trades are subcontractors since the majority of builders do not have employees doing all the work. Therefore, it is important to have a good working relationship with our vendors, tradesmen and suppliers, as well as our clients. One of the tools we use to provide excellent service and keep each job on track and on budget is a software called Buildertrend. Helping us manage every project, Buildertrend plays an important role in our communication process.
The software allows us to send our customers updates on the progress of their home weekly and even to upload pictures of the ongoing construction every day, which is particularly useful for customers who are frequently out of town. Thanks to this feature, our clients can view the process, approve draws and regularly make changes, all in real time. Additionally, there are cameras on our jobs that allow them to watch what is happening on site simply from their phone,” Stoney adds.
Strong outlook
Throughout his career in the home building sector, Stoney has seen the real estate market evolve in many directions. As we head towards 2026, he shares his perspective on the future of the industry. “During the pandemic, we were busier than ever because jobs were taking 50 percent longer to complete due to manpower and product availability issues. Additionally, the prices for material, labor and land went through the roof, a trend that persisted for about four-to-five years. As we begin to emerge from that period, existing home and land prices have decreased to varying degrees. While material costs are still higher than before the pandemic, they have slightly declined. Consequently, our biggest concern at the moment is the interest rates on the larger $5 million projects, many of which have been put on hold unless clients are paying cash. What the industry needs is for the prices and interest rates to come down. I believe that interest rates recently dropped by a quarter of a percent, which is a step in the right direction, but they are still at 6.2 percent right now compared to the three percent range we saw before the pandemic. Such high rates significantly impact the affordability of a home for most people. The average house we build ranges from $750,000 to $3 million, so the interest rate has a particularly massive effect on our work.
“With the prospect of interest rates declining and the continued appeal of Texas’ thriving, business-friendly environment, we are confident that the outlook for MCH remains strong,” Stoney finishes. “We look forward to welcoming new clients and continuing to serve our valued existing customers.”
By nurturing long-standing relationships with clients and embracing operational excellence, MCH continues to cement its standing as a trusted partner in the Texas home building landscape.