KB Home
An American homebuilder focused primarily on building and selling new homes to first-time and move-up buyers.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
KB Home is an American residential construction company headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Donald Bruce Kaufman and Eli Broad founded the business in Detroit, Michigan, in 1956 as Kaufman & Broad. Their initial strategy was to make newly built homes affordable to first-time purchasers by simplifying construction, eliminating basements, using carports instead, and pricing homes so that monthly mortgage payments could compete with apartment rents. The first model, known as the Award Winner, generated strong early demand, helping the company build hundreds of homes in the Detroit suburbs within its first two years. The company relocated to Phoenix in 1960 to reduce its dependence on the Detroit automotive economy and expanded into California in 1963. In 1967, it became the first American homebuilder to expand into France. Its international operations later formed part of a broader diversification strategy, although the French division was sold in 2007. The company also expanded through acquisitions of regional builders, including Opnel Jenkins in New Mexico, Rayco Homes in San Antonio, Estes Homes in Tucson, and Colony Homes in Southern California. Kaufman & Broad became a public company in 1986 and was known as Kaufman and Broad Home Corporation for many years. In 2001, it adopted the shorter KB Home name. Its business centers on acquiring and developing residential land, designing communities, constructing homes, marketing and selling those homes, and providing related customer service. Its portfolio has primarily included detached single-family homes, although it has also built townhomes and other forms of attached housing. The company has generally emphasized affordability, practical design, buyer choice, and energy-efficient construction, with first-time buyers as a particularly important customer group. KB Home has used demonstration homes and partnerships to promote new approaches to residential construction. Examples include a 1997 full-scale replica of the Simpsons house, collaborations with Martha Stewart, The Walt Disney Company, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and technology-focused demonstration projects. Its GreenHouse and ZeroHouse 2.0 concepts showcased net-zero-energy design, solar generation, and efficiency measures. In 2011, the company partnered with SunPower to introduce a community in which solar power was a standard feature. Later initiatives included the KB Home ProjeKt, a 2019 demonstration home combining sustainability, smart-home technology, and features intended to support occupant wellbeing, and a partially customizable KB Home Office package introduced in 2020 for remote workers. The company has also faced legal and governance controversies. In the early 2000s, homeowners in an Arlington, Texas, subdivision sued after discovering that the development had been built over a former military practice bombing range; the dispute was settled and remediation involved the Army Corps of Engineers. In 2006, chairman, president, and chief executive Bruce Karatz resigned after an internal investigation into the alleged backdating of stock-option grants. KB Home also announced the departures of senior human-resources and legal executives in connection with the matter. In 2016, the company reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with the Florida Attorney General's Office concerning defective construction and repair work. Environmental performance has become a prominent part of KB Home's public positioning. The company issued its first sustainability report in 2008 and has promoted Energy Star, WaterSense, solar, all-electric construction, battery storage, and net-zero-energy concepts. It has received repeated Energy Star Partner of the Year—Sustained Excellence and WaterSense Sustained Excellence recognition, as well as other corporate and environmental distinctions. In 2022, it announced an all-electric, solar-powered, battery-backed microgrid community in California. KB Home continues to operate as a publicly traded American homebuilder, with communities concentrated in selected U.S. markets and a stated emphasis on affordability, energy performance, and buyer personalization. The company has announced plans to relocate its headquarters to Tempe, Arizona, in 2027.
History
KB Home traces its origins to Detroit in 1956, when Donald Bruce Kaufman and Eli Broad began developing modest homes for a growing population of first-time buyers in the city's northeastern suburbs. Their early model reduced costs through standardized construction, the omission of basements, and the use of carports. The resulting Award Winner homes were priced to make ownership economically competitive with renting a two-bedroom apartment. Seventeen homes reportedly sold during the first weekend, and the company built approximately 600 homes in the Detroit suburbs during its first two years. Concerned about Detroit's reliance on the automobile industry, Kaufman and Broad moved to Phoenix in 1960. The company entered California in 1963 and expanded internationally into France in 1967, becoming the first U.S. homebuilder to do so. Over the following decades, it developed a multi-market operating model and acquired regional builders to enter or strengthen local markets. Acquisitions included New Mexico-based Opnel Jenkins in 1995, San Antonio-based Rayco Homes in 1996, Tucson-based Estes Homes in 1998, and Colony Homes of Upland, California, in 2003. The French division was ultimately sold in 2007. The company completed an initial public offering in 1986. It operated for many years under the name Kaufman and Broad Home Corporation, before shortening its name to KB Home in 2001. The renamed company continued to concentrate on residential land development and the construction and sale of new homes, especially homes aimed at first-time and value-conscious buyers. Its geographic footprint and delivery volumes have varied significantly with housing-market conditions. During the mid-2000s housing boom, it delivered close to 40,000 homes and reported revenue exceeding $9 billion in 2005. By fiscal 2012, after the housing downturn, deliveries had declined to 6,282 homes and revenue was slightly above $1.5 billion. KB Home's history also includes highly visible promotional and design initiatives. In 1997, it built a full-size replica of the Simpsons cartoon house in Henderson, Nevada. Later collaborations included Martha Stewart in 2005, The Walt Disney Company in 2008, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2012. These projects helped the company present home design, personalization, and lifestyle concepts to a broader public. The company experienced significant governance and legal events in the early 2000s. In 2001, homeowners in an Arlington, Texas, development brought a lawsuit after discovering that the site had previously been used as a military practice bombing range. The litigation was settled, and federal remediation work was undertaken. In November 2006, chairman, president, and chief executive Bruce Karatz resigned after an internal accounting investigation concerning alleged stock-option backdating. KB Home also announced the departures of human-resources chief Gary A. Ray and chief legal officer Richard B. Hirst. Jeffrey T. Mezger succeeded Karatz as chief executive in 2006. Sustainability became a more formal component of the company's strategy in the late 2000s. KB Home published its first sustainability report in April 2008 and subsequently continued annual reporting for many years. It built its first net-zero-energy home, the GreenHouse, in January 2011. Designed by KB Home and Martha Stewart, the Windermere, Florida, house was presented as an Idea Home at the International Builders' Show. The ZeroHouse 2.0 concept followed in 2011, combining efficiency measures with solar panels. Demonstration homes were later built in Tampa, San Antonio, Austin, and Waldorf, Maryland, where a 4,000-square-foot model included a 40-panel SunPower system. In March 2011, KB Home and SunPower introduced a community in which solar power was included as a standard feature. The company subsequently promoted Energy Star and WaterSense-certified construction, all-electric homes, battery storage, and smart-home systems. It received repeated WaterSense Sustained Excellence recognition and earned its twelfth Energy Star Partner of the Year—Sustained Excellence Award in 2022. In 2019, KB Home and Builder magazine created KB Home ProjeKt in Henderson, Nevada, as a technology and sustainability demonstration home. In 2020, the company introduced KB Home Office, a partially customizable package for remote workers, and built a mortgage-free home for wounded U.S. military veterans with Jared Allen's Homes 4 Wounded Warriors. In 2022, KB Home announced an all-electric, solar-powered, battery-backed microgrid community in California and stated that it would develop homes in California, Nevada, and Arizona designed to meet EPA WaterSense specifications. In 2023, it announced plans for 800 homes at San Jose's Communications Hill. In 2026, Robert McGibney became president and chief executive officer after nearly 26 years with the company, while Jeffrey T. Mezger became executive chairman. KB Home has also announced plans to move its headquarters to Tempe, Arizona, in 2027. The company remains an active publicly traded U.S. homebuilder focused on new residential communities, buyer choice, affordability, and improved environmental performance.
- 2026
Robert McGibney becomes CEO
[1]Robert McGibney succeeded Jeffrey T. Mezger as president and chief executive officer.
- 2022
All-electric microgrid community announced
[1]The company announced an all-electric California community supported by solar generation, batteries, and microgrid infrastructure.
- 2019
KB Home ProjeKt demonstrated
[1]KB Home and Builder magazine presented a Henderson model home combining sustainability, smart-home technology, and occupant-wellbeing features.
- 2011
Solar-standard community introduced
[1]KB Home and SunPower introduced a community where solar power was provided as a standard feature.
- 2008
First sustainability report
[1]KB Home published its first sustainability report, formalizing public reporting on environmental, social, and economic sustainability.
- 2001
Name shortened to KB Home
[1]Kaufman and Broad Home Corporation adopted the shorter KB Home name.
- 1986
Initial public offering
[1]The company completed its initial public offering and became publicly traded.
- 1967
Expansion into France
[1]The company became the first U.S. homebuilder to expand into France.
- 1963
California expansion
[1]Kaufman & Broad expanded its homebuilding operations into California.
- 1960
Move to Phoenix
[1]The company moved to Phoenix to diversify away from Detroit's automobile-centered economy.
Products and positioning
A large American production homebuilder positioned around attainable new housing, buyer personalization, energy efficiency, sustainability, and technology-enabled home design, with a strong historical focus on first-time purchasers.
Entry-level detached homes · 1956
Award Winner
The Award Winner was the early standardized home model developed by Kaufman and Broad in Detroit. Its design reduced construction and ownership costs by omitting a basement and using a carport. The model was aimed at first-time buyers and was priced to make monthly mortgage payments comparable with rent for a two-bedroom apartment. Its early sales demonstrated the company's affordability-led production-building approach.
Net-zero-energy demonstration home · 2011
GreenHouse
The GreenHouse was KB Home's first net-zero-energy home, completed in Windermere, Florida, in 2011. Designed by KB Home and Martha Stewart, it was presented as an Idea Home at the International Builders' Show. The project showcased energy-efficient construction and renewable-energy concepts intended to demonstrate how a new home could substantially reduce or offset operational energy use.
Energy-efficient and solar home · 2011
ZeroHouse 2.0
ZeroHouse 2.0 followed the GreenHouse as a KB Home concept combining energy-efficiency measures with solar panels to target net-zero energy use. Initial models were built in Tampa, followed by examples in San Antonio and Austin. KB Home later introduced the concept in the Mid-Atlantic region with a large model in Waldorf, Maryland, equipped with a 40-panel SunPower system.
Smart and sustainable demonstration home · 2019
KB Home ProjeKt
KB Home ProjeKt was a model home developed with Builder magazine in Henderson, Nevada, in 2019. It was designed to display sustainability features, connected-home technology, and construction approaches intended to support residents' physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. Examples cited for the project included circadian-cycle lighting, antimicrobial paint, and smart air purifiers.
Home-office package · 2020
KB Home Office
KB Home Office is a partially customizable home-office package introduced in 2020. It was developed in response to the growth of remote work and gave buyers a defined way to incorporate workspace into a new home. The offering reflects KB Home's broader emphasis on personalization and adapting floor plans to changing household needs.
Residential communities · 2011
Solar-equipped and energy-efficient communities
KB Home develops residential communities that may incorporate solar power, Energy Star and WaterSense specifications, all-electric systems, battery storage, and other efficiency features. In 2011, the company and SunPower introduced a community with solar as a standard feature. Later initiatives expanded the concept toward all-electric construction and community-scale microgrid technology.
Controversies
2016
Florida construction-defect settlement
KB Home settled a multimillion-dollar lawsuit with the Florida Attorney General's Office relating to defective construction and repair work on homes.
2006
Stock-option backdating investigation
An internal accounting investigation examined alleged backdating of stock-option grants. Chairman, president, and chief executive Bruce Karatz resigned, and KB Home also announced the departures of senior human-resources and legal executives.
2001
Arlington bombing-range subdivision lawsuit
Homeowners in an Arlington, Texas, subdivision sued after discovering that the development occupied a former military practice bombing range. The dispute was settled, and remediation involved the Army Corps of Engineers.
Marketing campaigns
- 2020Homes 4 Wounded Warriors partnership
United States
KB Home partnered with Jared Allen's Homes 4 Wounded Warriors to build a mortgage-free home for U.S. Air Force veterans who sustained combat-related injuries in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Outcome. Charitable home donation.
- 2012The Ellen DeGeneres Show collaboration
United States
KB Home participated in a homebuilding promotion associated with The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Outcome. Consumer-facing promotional exposure.
- 2008The Walt Disney Company collaboration
United States
The company engaged in a homebuilding promotion with The Walt Disney Company.
Outcome. Publicity and lifestyle-marketing collaboration.
- 2005Martha Stewart collaboration
United States
KB Home partnered with Martha Stewart on home-design and promotional initiatives, including the GreenHouse concept developed later in Florida.
Outcome. Extended the brand into lifestyle-oriented home design.
- 1997The Simpsons house replica
United States
KB Home built a life-sized replica of the Simpsons cartoon home in Henderson, Nevada, as a promotional and design-focused project.
Outcome. Demonstration and publicity project.
Brand decisions
2026
Appoint Robert McGibney as CEOOtherBackground
Jeffrey T. Mezger had led the company since succeeding Bruce Karatz in 2006.
Action taken
KB Home appointed long-serving executive Robert McGibney as president and chief executive officer and moved Mezger to executive chairman.
Aftermath
The transition preserved substantial internal experience while changing the company's operating leadership.
2022
Develop an all-electric microgrid communityStrategyBackground
KB Home had expanded its sustainability work from individual energy-efficient homes to community-level infrastructure.
Action taken
The company announced an all-electric California community supplied by solar generation and battery-backed microgrid technology.
Aftermath
The project became a prominent example of KB Home's strategy to combine electrification, renewable power, and storage in new communities.
2020
Introduce KB Home OfficeProduct launchBackground
Remote work increased demand for dedicated residential workspace.
Action taken
KB Home introduced a partially customizable home-office package.
Aftermath
The offering extended the company's personalization strategy to work-from-home requirements.
2019
Develop KB Home ProjeKtProduct launchBackground
The company sought to demonstrate how sustainability, smart-home systems, and occupant wellbeing could be combined in a new home.
Action taken
KB Home and Builder magazine built a model home in Henderson, Nevada, featuring technologies such as circadian lighting and smart air purification.
Aftermath
The project served as a demonstration of the company's technology and sustainability direction.
2011
Make solar a standard community featureProduct launchBackground
KB Home was developing energy-efficient and net-zero-energy housing concepts and had partnered with SunPower.
Action taken
The company introduced a community in which solar power was included as a standard feature.
Aftermath
The initiative reinforced KB Home's sustainability positioning and preceded later solar, all-electric, and battery-storage projects.
2001
Adopt the KB Home nameStrategyBackground
The company had operated under the longer Kaufman and Broad Home Corporation name following its public offering.
Action taken
It shortened its corporate and customer-facing name to KB Home.
Aftermath
The shorter name became the company's continuing brand identity.
Recent events
KB Home opens Sandstone community in North Las Vegas[3]
Reported:
KB Home opened Sandstone, a new residential community in the Tule Springs area of North Las Vegas. Local officials and members of the Latin Chamber of Commerce joined the builder for a ribbon-cutting.
- Unconfirmed
KB Home upsizes and prices $390 million senior notes offering[4]
KB Home announced that it had upsized and priced an offering of $390 million in aggregate principal amount of senior notes due 2031, an increase of $90 million from the previously announced proposed offering size.
- Unconfirmed
KB Home announces Heartland Ranch grand opening[5]
KB Home announced the grand opening of Heartland Ranch, a new single-family-home community in Coolidge, Arizona.
Sources6 sources
- 1KB Homeen.wikipedia.org
- 2KB Home official websitekbhome.com
- 3KB Home在北拉斯维加斯开设Sandstone社区963kklz.com
- 4KB Home扩大并确定3.9亿美元优先票据发行定价itbusinessnet.com
- 5KB Home宣布Heartland Ranch社区开业itbusinessnet.com
- 6KB Home Announces the Grand Opening of Roberts Ranch, Its New-home Community in Hollister, Californiaitbusinessnet.com
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