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New Construction for LDS Families: The Utah Builder Guide
New construction LDS Utah: Ivory Homes, Hamlet Homes, Woodside, Richmond American, PulteGroup. LDS floor plan must-haves: basement, food storage, 5+ bedrooms, RV pad. Builder incentives 2025-2026 include rate buydowns and lot premiums. $420K-$800K new construction in LDS Utah communities. Own Luxury Homes® 12-Point Agent Integrity Audit™.
Home — LDS Real Estate — New Construction for LDS Families: The Utah Builder Guide
New Construction for LDS Families: The Utah Builder Guide
Ivory
Ivory Homes — Utah’s largest homebuilder — building in LDS community areas across the Wasatch Front
Basement
The basement is the most important floor plan feature for LDS families — food storage, ADU, flex space
5+
5+ bedrooms: the LDS family floor plan standard that most new construction communities offer as an upgrade option
Incentives
Builder incentives in 2025-2026 include mortgage rate buydowns, lot premiums, and design center credits
Utah is one of the most active new construction markets in the United States. LDS families disproportionately buy new construction for a specific reason: new construction allows customization of the features that matter most. The basement configuration, the bedroom count, the food storage pantry, the RV pad — these are choices in new construction that are already fixed in resale. The buyer who starts with a blank floor plan gets the home designed for their family’s actual life.
Own Luxury Homes® 12-Point Agent Integrity Audit™
Every Latter-day Saint community specialist is verified for genuine knowledge of LDS community character, temple districts, ward dynamics, tithing-adjusted budgets, and the full range of needs that LDS families bring to the real estate decision.
Major Utah Builders and Their LDS Market Communities
(1) Ivory Homes: Utah’s largest homebuilder by volume. Builds across the Wasatch Front and into southern Utah. Known for family-sized floor plans with basement options. Active in Utah County, Davis County, Salt Lake County, and Washington County. The Clark Ivory family has deep LDS community connections and the company builds consistently in LDS-concentrated neighborhoods. (2) Hamlet Homes: Utah-founded builder with significant presence in Utah County and Salt Lake suburbs. Strong on semi-custom options including basement finishing. (3) Woodside Homes: active in Utah, Nevada, and Arizona markets. Good presence in Gilbert, AZ LDS communities and Utah County. (4) Richmond American Homes: national builder active in Utah and Arizona LDS markets. (5) PulteGroup: returned to the Salt Lake City market in 2024 after nearly two decades. Initially focused on Jordanelle Ridge near Heber City.
LDS Floor Plan Checklist for New Construction
| Feature | Why It Matters for LDS Families | What to Ask the Builder |
|---|---|---|
| Full basement | Food storage, ADU potential, flex space for large family | Is the basement included? Full vs garden-level? Walk-out option? |
| 5+ bedrooms | Average LDS family size requires 5+ bedrooms in growth years | Can bedrooms be added? Loft conversion options? Bonus room? |
| 3-car garage | Third bay for RV, storage, or extra vehicle | Is 3-car standard or upgrade? Width of third bay? |
| Food storage pantry | Dedicated pantry beyond standard kitchen pantry | Walk-in pantry size? Basement storage room option? |
| RV pad or side-yard access | LDS youth activities require large vehicle storage | HOA restrictions? Side-yard gate width? Concrete pad standard? |
| Seminary access | Proximity to released-time seminary building | Which high school serves this lot? Seminary building adjacent? |
New construction allows these to be specified before framing. Resale requires renovation.
Builder Incentives in 2025-2026
The elevated interest rate environment of 2022-2024 has continued to prompt builder incentives that significantly improve buyer economics: (1) Mortgage rate buydowns: builders have been offering 2-1 buydowns and permanent rate reductions using their preferred lenders. A 1% permanent rate reduction on a $500,000 loan saves approximately $300/month. (2) Design center credits: $15,000-$50,000 in upgrades at the design center, including flooring, cabinets, and fixtures. (3) Lot premium reductions: some builders are waiving lot premiums on slower-moving inventory. (4) Move-in ready discounts: completed spec homes may be priced below their base+options equivalent. The specialist who has active builder relationships knows which incentives are currently available and negotiable.
Ryan Brown, Principal Broker & CEO Own Luxury Homes®
“The LDS family that builds new construction and specifies the basement, the food storage pantry, the 3-car garage, and the five bedrooms before the foundation is poured is living in the right home from day one. The one that buys resale and then spends $60,000 on renovations to get to the same place has paid more and waited longer. New construction in Utah’s LDS community markets is often the better financial and functional decision.”
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which Utah builders are best for LDS families?
Ivory Homes (Utah's largest, deep LDS community presence), Hamlet Homes (semi-custom, strong basement options), Woodside Homes (Utah and AZ LDS markets), Richmond American, and PulteGroup (returned to SLC market 2024). All build in LDS-concentrated communities.
What floor plan features should LDS families prioritize in new construction?
Full basement (food storage, ADU, flex space), 5+ bedrooms, 3-car garage (third bay for RV), dedicated food storage pantry, RV pad or wide side-yard gate, and seminary building proximity. New construction allows all of these to be specified before framing.
What builder incentives are available in Utah in 2025-2026?
Mortgage rate buydowns (2-1 buydowns and permanent rate reductions through preferred lenders), design center credits ($15K-$50K in upgrades), lot premium reductions on slower inventory, and move-in ready spec home discounts. Active builder relationships determine what's actually available.
"The introduction Own Luxury Homes® makes is to a specialist with documented closing history in your specific market — not the county, not the metro, the submarket you're actually selling or buying in. That's the standard we verify before your name goes anywhere."
— Ryan Brown, Principal Broker & CEO, Own Luxury Homes® (FL License BK3626873)