The Way To 200K: Meritage Homes Celebrates 40th Anniversary
National homebuilder commemorates its four-decade history with the milestone of delivering 200,000 homes since 1985
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Dec. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- , the fifth largest public homebuilder in the U.S., is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2025. Founded in 1985 by Steven J. Hilton and William W. Cleverly, Meritage started as a semi-custom luxury builder and pivoted to focus on affordable entry-level homes in 2016. Today, Meritage is a top five public homebuilder in the U.S. with more than 300 communities across 12 states.
“We have been on an incredible journey over the past four decades from the first home we built in Arizona to now having delivered the 200,000th home this year,” said Steven J. Hilton, executive chairman of Meritage Homes.
Strategic Evolution to Top Five Builder
The Company began as an Arizona homebuilder and transitioned to a regional player in the Southwest and California within the first two decades of operations through a strategic merger, start-up opportunities and acquisitions. The Company further diversified its geographic footprint and became a national homebuilder over the last 20 years via acquisition and greenfield expansion across the Southeast and sunbelt states.
In 2009, coming out of the Great Recession, Meritage strategically added an energy-efficient construction focus, a critical driver of its growth story. By providing homeowners greater comfort and lower monthly utility bills, the Company differentiated itself in the market.
After more than 30 years of offering a variety of homes to serve a wide range of buyers, Meritage implemented a new strategy focused on entry-level homes to address lower-priced demand in 2016, and recently enhanced its go-to market strategy—including a 60-day closing commitment—to provide buyers certainty of close and better compete against the largest residential homes competitor, the resale market. The Company’s strategy and the team’s disciplined execution positioned Meritage to grow market share and become a top five public builder in the U.S. since 2022.
Delivering a Life.Built.Better.®
Meritage is committed to delivering a Life.Built.Better.® to all of its stakeholders, including its customers, vendors, realtors, and those in the greater communities in which it operates. By providing quality product and superior customer experiences, the Company routinely receives best-in-class scores from (formerly Avid), a third-party customer satisfaction survey provider, and is a three-time recipient of the AvidCX Cup Award for Production—ECI’s highest honor for homebuilders.
As a people-first organization that fosters a workplace where employees feel empowered, included and proud to contribute, investing in Meritage’s employees’ career development and wellbeing is paramount. In addition to the flexible workplace model that employees value, the Meritage Cares Assistance Fund is an employer-sponsored relief fund providing tax-advantaged financial assistance to eligible employees for financial hardship. Meritage has earned ® Certification™ status for the past three years.
Start with Heart
Meritage demonstrates its core value of ‘Start with Heart’ by giving back to the communities it serves. The Company established the Meritage Cares philanthropic foundation in 2014 and has contributed nearly $22 million through 2024 to charitable organizations chosen by employees to make a meaningful impact in local markets. Across all levels of the organization, employees give back by contributing thousands of volunteer hours each year to support charitable organizations. Meritage was recognized by its peers with the honor of the Hearthstone Builder Humanitarian Award in 2023 for demonstrating a lifetime commitment to public service.
“As we reflect on 40 years of growth and transformation, we are incredibly proud of delivering a Life.Built.Better.® for so many customers, employees, partners, and shareholders,” said Phillippe Lord, chief executive officer of Meritage Homes. “With our proven business model and best-in-class team members, we are committed to continuing to deliver quality homes and customer satisfaction for many decades to come.”
Learn more about Meritage Homes’ legacy and impact .
About Meritage Homes Corporation
Meritage is the fifth-largest public homebuilder in the United States, based on homes closed in 2024. The Company offers energy-efficient and affordable entry-level and first move-up homes. Operations span across Arizona, California, Colorado, Utah, Tennessee, Texas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
Meritage has delivered over 200,000 homes in its 40-year history, and has a reputation for its distinctive style, quality construction, and award-winning customer experience. The Company is an industry leader in energy-efficient homebuilding, an eleven-time recipient of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year for Sustained Excellence Award and Residential New Construction Market Leader Award, as well as a four-time recipient of the EPA's Indoor airPLUS Leader Award.
Contact:
Emily Tadano, VP Investor Relations and External Communications
(480) 515-8979
