New home developments in Franklin, TN: where buying new makes sense in 2026
Home November 12, 2026
Home November 12, 2026
Franklin's housing market moves fast, and finding the right property means knowing where to look. Single-family homes and townhouses behave differently in pricing, days on market, and buyer competition.
Buying new can get you out of the bidding wars that show up regularly in the resale market, depending on which home type you're after. Your options run from master-planned communities inside the city limits to mixed-use neighborhoods just outside town.
If you want a detached house, a new build in an active community like Westhaven gets you out of a single-family resale market where roughly 19% of homes sell above asking. If a townhouse gives you enough space, you have more negotiating power: attached homes in Franklin sit far longer and rarely draw bidding. Price any new townhome against resale ones before you accept a builder's number.
You're deciding whether a newly built home in or near Franklin is worth it compared with resale, and which home types and communities belong on your shortlist.
Buying new in Franklin is a home-type decision before it's a community decision.
Single-family resales are the competitive end of the market, with about 3.5 months of supply and a median 50 days on market. Expect competition on resales, which makes a builder's list price the calmer path for detached homes.
Townhouses are a different story. They sit for a median of 82 days, and only about 5.5% sell above list price, at nearly the same price per square foot: roughly $316 versus $332 for single-family homes. A townhouse costs less because it's smaller, not because it's a bargain per foot. Divide each median price by its median price per square foot and you get an implied size of roughly 1,950 square feet for townhouses against 2,920 for single-family homes.
With attached homes, a resale already gives you negotiating room, and any builder's price should be measured against that. The market data covers all Franklin sales and doesn't split new from resale; the at-a-glance list below shows resale medians. Review Franklin housing market trends and understand condos vs townhomes to see the broader picture.
Start by deciding if you need a detached house or if a townhouse's smaller footprint works for your plans. Detached buyers should focus on new single-family developments to sidestep the competitive resale market. Townhouse buyers can look at new townhome and mixed-use developments, factoring in the negotiating room covered in the market section above.
Next, figure out whether the address has to be inside Franklin city limits. If yes, Westhaven and Berry Farms are your starting points. If a Nolensville or Thompson's Station address is acceptable, add Bent Creek and Tollgate Village to the list, and confirm the municipality on the parcel record.
Your timeline matters too. If you need to move within a few months, you're looking at quick move-in homes, already under construction or finished, with builders often pairing them with financial incentives to close quickly. If you can wait, a build-to-order house opens up more choices. And if a specific school district is a factor, check the district address lookup before you go any further: Franklin has two districts, and the boundaries don't follow obvious lines.
Detached resales are the competitive segment of the market, with buyers regularly facing multiple offers. In Franklin's single-family resale market, roughly 19% of homes sell above asking, so a builder's fixed list price is the calmer path for detached buyers.
Franklin and its surrounding towns have several large-scale neighborhoods with active construction phases. They differ in location, amenities, and how far they sit from the city center.
Westhaven is a master-planned community inside city limits and the most likely place to find detached new builds in later phases. The neighborhood has a private 18-hole golf course and a walkable Town Center with a grocery store, restaurants, and medical services. As of 2026, active builders include Ford Classic Homes, Legend Homes, SLC Homebuilding, Stonegate Homes, Zurich Homes, and Reserve SLC Homes.
New construction within standard Westhaven phases typically starts around $1,050,000. Southern Land Company's Westhaven Active Adult section lists quick move-in and floor plan pricing starting from roughly $1,232,455 to $1,627,450 for available plans.
New lots are usually in later phases, which may sit farther from the Town Center than the original streets. Check the walking distance from the specific lot you're offered, and ask the HOA for current dues and any transfer or capital-contribution fee charged at closing.
Bent Creek is marketed with Franklin but sits in Nolensville. It's the out-of-city alternative for a newer detached home, with a community pool, walking trails, and pocket parks. As of 2026, standard single-family phases here have a median sale price of about $742,500.
The Franklin market figures on this page don't describe this neighborhood's specific sales data. What you give up is the Franklin address: town services, the property tax bill, and the school district all differ from an in-city location. Confirm the municipality on the Williamson County parcel record and check the district lookup before you reserve a lot.
Attached homes present a different buying environment. Condos currently show 12 months of supply and a 6.5% decline in median price, based on only 20 condo sales, so treat that trend with some caution.
The practical consequence is that attached buyers have room to negotiate on resales. A new townhome's price is something to compare against existing inventory, not a final number you have to accept.
Berry Farms is a 600-acre master-planned mixed-use community at the I-65 and Peytonsville Road interchange in Franklin. It places townhomes alongside detached houses and integrates them with a large commercial core. At full build-out, the project is planned to include 3 million square feet of office space, 1.8 million square feet of retail, and 1,100 residential units.
It's the in-city place to stack a new townhome against resale townhouses. The trade-off is that buying during an active build-out means living near construction for a while. Ask the developer which residential and commercial phases are still planned near your lot and on what timeline.
Tollgate Village has a Thompson's Station address south of Franklin, mixing townhomes and detached homes around an open-air village center. The Town Center has dining and retail tenants including Mojo's Tacos, Ace Hardware, and White Shepherd Coffee. Tollgate Village Town Center, built by Regent Homes, has new townhomes under construction with a price range of roughly $389,900 to $599,900.
Phillips Builders is also actively building new construction homes in the broader community as of late 2026. The obvious give-up is proximity to Franklin: it sits outside the city, so the drive to Cool Springs and Franklin's employment centers is longer. Check commute times at rush hour and confirm the municipality on the parcel record.
When you purchase a new home, the final cost often reflects local development charges. The City of Franklin's Engineering Department maintains a Road Impact Fee program for new development, authorized by the Tennessee Legislature.
Developers must also pay plan review, permit, and tap fees, with exact amounts determined upon plan submission. These fees are typically paid by the builder and built into the home's price, so factor them into your budget.
These properties are already underway or finished, targeting buyers on a short timeline. Builders often pair them with financial incentives to get the sale closed quickly.
Ask whether the incentive requires using the builder's preferred lender, then compare the net cost against an outside lender's quote. The trade-off is straightforward: the lot, floor plan, and most finishes are already decided, so you're exchanging customization for speed.
Building to order lets you choose the lot, floor plan, and upgrades. The contract price is set at signing, and upgrades are where the total climbs. Arrange independent inspections before drywall and before closing, even on a new home.
The risk is timeline. A long build can outlast a mortgage rate lock. Ask how long the builder's lender will hold your rate and what an extension costs if construction runs late.
No single official government source lists all active builders. Local market coverage indicates Franklin's new construction market has more than 23 active builders at any given time. These include Toll Brothers, Meritage Homes, Drees Homes, Carbine & Associates, Celebration Homes, and Gregg Homebuilding Company.
Franklin's new-construction price points as of 2026 range from the low $300,000s to well past $2 million. That's a market-wide range, not a single builder's published starting price for a specific community. The at-a-glance list above shows resale medians by home type.
Yes. As of October 2026, the active new-construction 55+ community is the Westhaven Active Adult section, where age-restricted new homes are selling now. The adjacent Astor Club & Residences, an age-restricted rental building, is slated to finish by fall 2027. Explore 55+ and retirement communities for costs and older resale options like Reid Hill Commons and The Villages of Morningside.
Yes, but many builders require the agent to be registered or present at your first visit to the sales office. Ask the builder's registration policy before you tour the models. Bill Diebenow can register as your buyer's agent before a model visit.
Most custom homes in Middle Tennessee take 10 to 18 months to build from start to completion, depending on home size and finish complexity. This 2026 estimate doesn't include the pre-construction design and permitting phase. Ask the builder for the estimated completion date in writing and what happens if it slips.
Franklin addresses can fall under the Franklin Special School District (K-8) or Williamson County Schools, depending on the exact location. The Franklin Special School District boundaries cover most but not all of Franklin. Review schools and school districts to learn more about the boundaries, and check the official address-based zoning map lookup tools provided by both districts to confirm your school zone.
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Bill Diebenow | November 12, 2026
Bill's real estate experience spans residential and commercial transactions as an agent, buyer, seller, investor, tenant, landlord, and cross-county corporate relocation. Bill looks forward to understanding your needs, building your trust, and helping you successfully sell your existing home, find your new home, or add to your real estate portfolio.
Bill Diebenow
3990 Hillsboro Pike Suite 320 Nashville TN 37215