Uncover WillowTree Custom Homes’ remarkable journey and rise into a recognized name in luxurious homebuilding
With many custom homebuilders striving to build homes in line with their customers’ visions, WillowTree Custom Homes (WillowTree) holds the distinction of having one of its custom homes recognized as a ‘Dream Home’ by Fort Worth Magazine. Similarly, the company has been voted Southlake Style’s Reader’s Choice for homebuilders and been highlighted in publications like Society Life, and is a proud member of the Certified Master Builder Corp. – an organization recognizing outstanding professionalism and excellence in the construction industry. To achieve such remarkable recognition, WillowTree has carefully assembled a team of proven professionals, from landscape designers to civil engineers, who share its dedication to delivering outstanding results. By adhering to core principles of honesty, integrity, and value, the company makes every decision with its clients’ best interests in mind.
Though the company was established in 2013, its history dates back to decades earlier, as Travis Franks, Owner, points out. “Jody Alumbaugh, my business partner,
and I have been friends since high school, having met in fifth grade. WillowTree’s roots can actually be traced back to our senior year, when we formed an exclusive group of friends who would meet at Jody’s parents’ house to cook steaks and play poker. To ensure that the group remained exclusive, we created a code word: ‘willow tree,’ in reference to the willow tree near the baseball field where we played. Years later, we all went to college and went our separate ways – Jody became a licensed structural engineer, while I pursued a degree in kinesiology and worked for a production home builder.
“Over the years, Jody and I began connecting again and regularly joked about starting our own company. Jody did some research into it, and we got together a few times in 2012 to discuss the idea, as we felt like we could work well together and create something special.
“Subsequently, we joined forces and started a company, though we struggled to find a company name that rang. Eventually, we decided to just call our venture WillowTree Custom Homes which may have seemed like a goofy choice, but it had a long history and relevance to us. Although the name did not mean anything to anybody else, we successfully made it our brand. Upon establishing the company in 2013 we mainly focused on remodels, as we were not sure about the direction we wanted to take. After a year of ups and downs, we finally gained some traction, and the business took off. Blending both of our very strong construction backgrounds – Jody as a structural engineer and me as a traditional builder – truly proved to be fruitful,” he elaborates.
While initially unsure about the direction they wanted to take WillowTree, Travis and Jody rapidly developed a competitive edge to stand out in the homebuilding industry. Travis explains how the company differentiates itself. “From the outset, Jody and I aimed to address a gap in communication that we noticed clients were facing frequently in the industry. To me, our focus on clear and transparent communication is what sets us apart. Indeed, we made this our number one priority when we established the business, alongside offering as many options as possible for our clients through our can-do mindset. Moreover, we differentiate ourselves by making the process enjoyable for everyone involved. To achieve this, we leverage technology to enable our clients to always know what is going on throughout their projects. Our team provides constant communication on what is coming next, utilizing flow charts and other formats. It helps create an enjoyable experience for our clients, which is one of our core missions. For us, it all starts with communication and ensuring that our clients are never left in the dark about their project’s financials or schedule,” he says.
Lock and leave
As a way to ensure effective communication, WillowTree utilizes a cutting-edge software named Buildertrend, which Travis tells us all about. “When we began using Buildertrend approximately nine years ago we were one of the first companies in our market – if not in the industry – to use a solution like this. In the beginning, we used it solely for pictures as we noticed that clients were more satisfied if they saw updates of our team’s progress in their home when they were not around. 
We then started using Buildertrend to provide weekly reports to our clients. Sent via the app’s email and notification system, these reports keep clients informed of any update from us regarding their project. This way, our customers truly feel that their house is taken care of and progressing nicely.
“Nonetheless, Buildertrend offers more than just progress updates. It also provides information on their financials and any potential changes to the original construction plan, ensuring clients are always informed of their financial needs and schedule. Additionally, it helps them stay in the know when there is something new that they need to make selections on, hence keeping the home building process efficient and fluid. This, in turn, makes our clients happy as the build is not delayed. Most importantly, if there ever is an issue, we can simply refer to the recorded information and access visuals of every square inch behind the walls, giving us the opportunity to have a holistic view of the home, regardless of its construction stage, to identify potential issues,” Travis elaborates.
Before concluding our interview, Travis informs us of a new development WillowTree is currently involved in, named WillowTree Gardens. “Around 15 months ago, we acquired a ten-acre land parcel across the street from Southlake Town Square which has been available for some time, and we established a relationship with its current owner. We felt that Southlake was lacking in products based on a density model and were focused on addressing demands that we had received from clients about downsizing options for empty nesters who did not want to leave this town that they love but also did not want to worry about extensive lawn maintenance. So, with suggestions and help from our client base, we came up with the WillowTree Gardens community, which will contain 20 lots ranging in size from 16,000-to-17,000 square feet for larger homes and 6000-to-7000 square feet for villas. This gated community will have entrances and exits from both Carroll and Farm to Market Road 1709. We’re calling it a ‘lock and leave’ community because it enables residents to travel for the summer or retreat to their second homes without worrying about maintenance, as the home and yard will be taken care of in their absence.
“Through WillowTree Gardens, we give people around Southlake an opportunity to stay in the area even when their children have graduated and moved away. While young families are certainly welcome to live there, the development is primarily geared toward empty nesters due to its close proximity to the town square, major highways and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. This is a unique product that we believe Southlake has been lacking, and we felt that the timing was right, as evidenced by our successful approval from the city council. We plan to begin construction in January and hope to start building new homes by late summer of 2025,” he ends.