Touring Kartchner Homes? What to Know Before You Visit (Idaho Falls, Ammon, Rigby, Rexburg)

Short answer: Kartchner Homes is a locally owned production builder that has built in East Idaho and northern Utah since 1996. Around Idaho Falls it builds in five communities: Crow Creek Estates (Idaho Falls), Simplicity (Ammon), Hailey Creek (Rigby), Summerfield (Rexburg) and Teton Island Estates (Sugar City), and it also builds on lots buyers own. On October 9, 2026, Kartchner's website listed 30 Idaho homes for sale from $342,900 (a Rigby townhome) to $594,900, and 29 of them were still under construction.

The builder pays your Realtor, so you can have your own agent from the first visit at no cost to you. And because nearly every Kartchner inventory home is still being built, the questions to ask before you tour are about the finish date, what's included and the warranty.

I'm Jacob Marcovitz, an independent REALTOR® with Keller Williams Realty East Idaho in Idaho Falls. I'm not employed by Kartchner or any builder. I help buyers purchase new homes from local builders, and this is the checklist I go through with buyers before they visit a Kartchner community. For the builder overview, see my Kartchner Homes page and the full list of local builders on my new construction page.

Where does Kartchner Homes build around Idaho Falls?

Kartchner's Idaho communities page lists five communities plus a build-on-your-lot option. Its Idaho office is at 1075 S Utah Ave in Idaho Falls. The home counts and prices below come from Kartchner's Idaho homes-for-sale list and each community page, as I checked them on October 9, 2026. The schools are the ones each community page names.

Crow Creek Estates

• City: Idaho Falls
• Homes listed (Oct 9, 2026): 1 (complete)
• List prices: $549,900 (shown reduced from $560,900)
• Schools Kartchner lists: Summit Hills Elementary, Rocky Mountain Middle, Bonneville High

Simplicity

• City: Ammon
• Homes listed (Oct 9, 2026): 6 (under construction)
• List prices: $438,900 to $529,900
• Schools Kartchner lists: Bridgewater Elementary, Rocky Mountain Middle, Bonneville High

Hailey Creek

• City: Rigby
• Homes listed (Oct 9, 2026): 12 (under construction): 8 townhomes, 4 single-family
• List prices: Townhomes $342,900 to $352,900; single-family $418,900 to $583,900
• Schools Kartchner lists: South Fork Elementary, Rigby Middle, Rigby Senior High

Summerfield

• City: Rexburg
• Homes listed (Oct 9, 2026): 10 (under construction)
• List prices: $436,900 to $535,900
• Schools Kartchner lists: Burton Elementary, Madison Junior High, Madison Senior High

Teton Island Estates

• City: Sugar City
• Homes listed (Oct 9, 2026): None on the community page
• List prices: One Sugar City home on the Idaho list at $594,900 (ask which community it's in)
• Schools Kartchner lists: Not listed (the page says Sugar City High School is close by)

A few things the community pages point out:

• Crow Creek Estates advertises large lots and is a few blocks from Summit Hills Elementary. Kartchner says it's minutes from Hwy 20, Hwy 26 and the shopping on 17th Street.
• Simplicity has a community playground and a covered pavilion. Kartchner says it's close to the College of Eastern Idaho. The Simplicity section of Kartchner's features sheet also lists full landscaping (sod, sprinklers and a flower bed), secondary water, and fiber internet through the City of Ammon.
• Hailey Creek is Kartchner's first community in Rigby, just east of town near Highway 48. Townhome residents get a private park and sports courts.
• Summerfield in Rexburg has the most amenities: a clubhouse with an exercise room, an indoor pool and a hot tub. Outside there's a central park with a playground, sport courts, a pavilion, walking trails and a dog park. Burton Elementary is across the street.
• Teton Island Estates is on the edge of Sugar City, and Kartchner highlights the Teton views.

Before you assume a home is in a certain school's boundary, check the address with the district. Bonneville High and Rocky Mountain Middle are Bonneville Joint School District 93 schools, and Rigby's schools are in Jefferson County School District 251. My Eastern Idaho school districts guide covers both. Summerfield's schools are in the Madison district in Rexburg.

Trying to decide between the towns? Start with Idaho Falls vs Ammon and my guide to Rigby, Iona, Ucon and Shelley. My Eastern Idaho new construction map shows where Kartchner's communities sit next to the other builders'.

How much does a Kartchner home cost in 2026?

On October 9, 2026, Kartchner's Idaho homes for sale list had 30 homes from $342,900 to $594,900:

• Lowest: Stonehaven townhomes at Hailey Creek in Rigby, $342,900 to $352,900. Each is 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths with a 2-car garage, at 1,619 to 1,762 sq ft.
• Typical single-family: most homes in Ammon and Rexburg were listed in the $430,000s to the $530,000s. That range covers plans like the Princeton (4 bed, 1,897 sq ft), Highland (4 bed, 2,137 sq ft) and Richmond (4 bed, 2,496 sq ft).
• Highest: Willow plans (5 bed, 2.5 baths, 4-car garage) at $583,900 in Rigby and $594,900 in Sugar City.
• Price cuts: eight homes showed a struck-through original price. Seven in Summerfield were each $5,000 lower, and the Crow Creek home was $11,000 lower.

The range has moved since September, when my Kartchner page showed posted inventory from $302,900 to $549,900. Builder price lists change week to week, so I re-check the number on any home with you before you write an offer.

Kartchner's floor plans page lists 15 single-family plans and six townhome plans. The single-family plans run from the Fairview (3 bed, 1,575 sq ft) to the Willow with an unfinished basement (5 bed, 4,691 sq ft). That page covers both Idaho and Utah, so ask which plans can be built in the community you like. The plan pages don't show prices. If you want to build a plan instead of buying an inventory home, ask the sales rep for a written price for that plan on that specific lot.

To see how these prices fit a whole budget, read my Idaho Falls cost of living guide and property taxes and HOAs explained.

What's included in a Kartchner home?

Kartchner publishes an included-features sheet for each product type on its Included Features page. Its Idaho single-family community sheet (dated 11/2025) includes:

• An LG appliance package with a gas range, dishwasher and over-the-range microwave
• Granite or quartz countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms
• 9-foot ceilings on the main level, plus LVP flooring in the main living areas
• Air conditioning, a 95% high-efficiency furnace and an Ecobee3 Lite WiFi thermostat
• Blown-in R-50 attic insulation and a passive radon mitigation system
• Seamless aluminum rain gutters, a concrete patio and faux wood blinds (except on the stairwell window and sliding door)
• A Kartchner Homes 2-year warranty

The Hailey Creek townhome sheet (07/2026) adds common-area landscaping with maintenance included, and a private fenced patio on front-load units. That sheet also notes that some homes were started before the current features list, so ask which sheet applies to the home you're looking at.

The single-family sheet doesn't list fencing, and only the Simplicity section lists full landscaping. Before you compare a Kartchner price to another builder's, ask what the yard, fence and window coverings will cost on that lot.

What warranty does Kartchner Homes offer?

Kartchner's Idaho features sheets for community homes, townhomes and build-on-your-lot homes all list a "Kartchner Homes 2-year warranty." The sheets don't spell out what's covered or how to submit a request. Ask for the written warranty document before you sign, and ask how warranty requests are made and how quickly they're usually handled. I help my buyers document items at the final walkthrough and set a reminder before the warranty ends.

Can Kartchner build on my lot?

Yes. Kartchner's Build On Your Lot page lists Ammon, Iona, Idaho Falls, Rigby, Rexburg, Ucon, Ririe and Sugar City, "and more." The lot must be reachable by standard construction equipment, zoned for residential use, able to connect to water, power and sewer or septic, and it has to pass a site evaluation. Kartchner says every request is reviewed on lot conditions, utilities, zoning, soils and topography.

Its Idaho On Your Lot sheet (08/2026) lists what's included on a scattered lot:

• A $15,000 allowance for permits, impact fees and utilities
• Up to 50 feet of utility hookups, up to 20 feet of sidewalk, and a driveway up to 30 feet long and 18 feet wide
• Fill based on a flat lot, and a slab foundation height up to 3'2"
• Construction loan expenses

Anything past those limits (a longer utility run, a sloped lot, more fill) is a question for the sales rep, and the answer should be in writing. If you're still shopping for land, call me before you buy it. Some lots that look cheap cost a lot more to build on.

How do I research Kartchner Homes reviews?

Kartchner's homepage says it was "Voted Best Home Builder in Northern Utah & Southeast Idaho," and its testimonials page has homeowner quotes. The builder picks those quotes, so they're a starting point, not the full picture. Here's how I suggest buyers check a builder's reputation:

• Read Google reviews for Kartchner's Idaho Falls office, sorted by newest, and look for patterns rather than single stories. Warranty response is the thing to watch.
• Tell apart reviews of the Utah operation (Logan area) and the Idaho one, since Kartchner builds in both.
• While you tour, talk to neighbors who already live in the community. Ask how the build went and how warranty items were handled.
• Ask the sales rep for the warranty request process and who your contact is after closing.

I can tell you what I've seen working with local builders, but I won't quote ratings here, because they change.

Do I need my own Realtor to buy a Kartchner home?

You don't have to have one, but it costs you nothing. The builder pays your Realtor. The sales agents on Kartchner's team page work for Kartchner, which is normal and fair. Having your own agent just means someone at the table is working only for you. On a Kartchner purchase, I:

• Review the builder's purchase contract, deposits and deadlines, especially the estimated completion date on homes still under construction. I'm not an attorney, and I'll point you to one for legal questions.
• Get price reductions, incentives and anything promised in writing.
• Set up an independent inspection. On a home that's still being built, we ask whether a pre-drywall inspection is possible. Either way we do a final walkthrough with a punch list.
• Check grading and drainage around the foundation before closing.
• Help you get pre-approved with the lender you choose.

Text me at 208-821-6217 before your first visit, so I'm involved from the start. That's my advice, not a Kartchner rule. If you're moving here, my out-of-state relocator guide explains how to buy from a distance, and you can read more about me here.

What should I ask on a Kartchner tour?

• What's the estimated completion date, and what happens if it slips?
• Which included-features sheet applies to this exact home?
• Does the price include landscaping, fencing and window coverings on this lot?
• What are the HOA dues, and can I see the CC&Rs? Kartchner's site links HOA questions to Premier Community Management, which says fences, sheds and RV pads need HOA approval first.
• Is there an HOA reinvestment (transfer) fee at closing?
• Is there secondary water for irrigation here, and what does it cost?
• Is a current price reduction or incentive available, and can it go in the contract?
• Can I use my own lender, and how big is the earnest money deposit?
• Can my inspector come before the drywall goes up?
• Which schools serve this address?

More guides for new-construction buyers

• Touring Rockwell Homes? Read this first: the same checklist for another local builder.
• INL relocation guide: neighborhoods and logistics for Idaho National Laboratory families.
• INL commute guide: Highway 20, park-and-rides and the motor coach. It helps if you're comparing Rigby, Rexburg and Sugar City with Ammon.
• All Idaho Falls-area builders: production and custom builders, with where each one builds.

Prices, incentives, floor plans, included features, HOA fees and availability change often. Figures on this page come from kartchnerhomes.com and Kartchner's published features sheets as of October 9, 2026. Always verify current pricing and availability directly with Kartchner Homes. Jacob Marcovitz is an independent REALTOR® with Keller Williams Realty East Idaho and is not employed by Kartchner Homes or any builder. Nothing here is legal advice.

Jacob Marcovitz, REALTOR®, Keller Williams Realty East Idaho, 3525 Merlin Dr, Idaho Falls, ID 83404. Call or text 208-821-6217, or connect with me here.