builder filesfile 20 of 42built here c. 1971–2000sboyenga team at compass
Shapell homes
Nathan and David Shapell and Max Webb founded Shapell in Los Angeles in 1955, and its Northern California division was based in Milpitas. Resale listings credit it with homes across Milpitas and in Berryessa and Evergreen in San Jose. Toll Brothers bought the company in 2014. Here’s what the records confirm and what the homes resell for.
- builder
- Shapell Industries
- founders
- Nathan and David Shapell and Max Webb, 1955
- first name
- S&S Construction, per the company
- norcal office
- Milpitas
- owner
- Toll Brothers, since February 2014
- family company
- Shapell Properties, commercial and rental real estate
- listings say
- “Shapell,” “single-story Shapell”
- sales on record · live…
- median $/sq ft, last 2 yrs…
- for sale now · live…
- homes built in California, per Toll Brothers70,000+
where they are
Where listings place Shapell homes
We found no tract maps naming Shapell here, so most of these areas come from resale listings; trade and press sources are noted where they exist.
| community | city | years | homes | notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berryessa single-story homes | San Jose | 1972–1977 (listings) | — | Hostetter Rd, Morrill Ave, Oak Flat Rd, Trudean Way and Middleborough Cir. Listings describe 4-bedroom single-story plans of about 1,994 and 2,082 sq ft. |
| East Milpitas | Milpitas | 1970s (listings) | — | Kizer St, Belbrook Way, San Andreas Dr and N. Hillview Dr, with a 1971 build year on Kizer St, per listings. |
| Hillcrest | Milpitas | 1988–1993 (listings) | — | In the east foothills: “Hillcrest Executive” single-family homes on Fieldcrest Dr and Galindo Ct, “Hillcrest Villas” on Farmcrest St and “Hillcrest Terrace” townhomes on Calle Vista Verde and Calle Mesa Alta, per listings. |
| Evergreen Specific Plan | San Jose | 1990s–2000s | — | An engineering firm lists Shapell Homes as its client for about 100 acres, the plan’s first phase. Listings place Shapell homes on Avignon Ln, Casabella Ct and Mosher Dr. |
| Town Center Villas | Milpitas | — | — | A newspaper model-home feature lists Shapell Homes as developer, on the site of a redeveloped Milpitas retail center. |
| Laurie Meadows | San Mateo | 1987 (listings) | — | Single-story homes on Woodbridge Cir and Vailwood Way; one listing names the tract Lauriedale. |
| Eagle Ridge | Gilroy | 2003–2006 (listings) | — | Homes in the gated golf community, including former Shapell models, per listings. |
Listings name Shapell often, but we found no tract map or city record naming the builder for these areas, so treat them as unconfirmed. Outside our area, Shapell built thousands of homes in San Ramon and Danville, per local press.
the homes
What the homes are like
From resale listings, trade sources and local press; we found no published plans for these tracts.
- 1970s
Single-story four-bedroom plans
Berryessa listings repeat two single-story, 4-bedroom plans of about 1,994 and 2,082 sq ft, which suggests a few standard floor plans.
- 1988–93
Named collections
Milpitas Hillcrest was sold as three collections: Executive single-family homes and Villas and Terrace townhomes, per listings.
- approach
Big planned communities
Shapell bought ranch land and spent years on entitlements, according to local press, and in Evergreen it took on planning and engineering for the Specific Plan’s first phase.
- base
A Milpitas office
Its Northern California division worked from Milpitas, per 2008 local press, which helps explain why so many listed Shapell homes are there.
- myth check
Shapell and Toll Brothers
Toll Brothers bought Shapell’s homebuilding business in 2014, but Shapell homes here predate the sale, and the Shapell family company now owns commercial and rental property.
the sales ledger
Every recorded Shapell sale
Each dot is a sale whose listing names Shapell, mostly in Milpitas and San Jose. Hover a dot for the address, date and price.
- sales on record…
- median price…
- median $ per sq ft…
- latest sale…
one recorded salemedian for the yearprice per sq ft = sale price ÷ listed living area
| sold | address | price | $/sq ft | bd / ba | sq ft |
|---|
Shapell homes don’t always sell with the builder named, so the ledger undercounts them. Sales come from the MLS records available to us and include every sold listing whose description names the builder, so a few homes may be labeled by the listing agent rather than confirmed from tract records. Sold data is shown with the listing brokerage. Price per square foot uses the living area in the listing. Ask us for a full comparable-sales report on any address.
on the market
For sale now
Active listings whose description names Shapell.
Checking active listings…
owning one today
Owning one today
- Homes from the 1970sMany listed Shapell homes here date from the 1970s, so roofs, windows, electrical panels and drain lines may be original. Our Inspection Decoder covers what to order.
- HOAs in the newer collectionsMilpitas Hillcrest Villas and Terrace homes have homeowners associations, per listings. Ask for the CC&Rs, budget and reserve study.
- Special taxesSome newer Evergreen neighborhoods pay special taxes. Check the property tax bill for community facilities district lines.
- Warranty and SB 800California’s Right to Repair Act generally limits defect claims to 10 years after completion, so Shapell homes here are past that window.
the nerd check
Buying or selling one
What we check when you buy
- Confirm the builderWe check the deed and permits, since listings credit Shapell with more homes than records confirm.
- Which plan?We match the home to its plan and year, which sets the comparables.
- InspectionsRoof, windows, panel and drain lines on a 1970s home. Our Inspection Decoder covers what to order.
- The right comparablesWe compare against the same plan in the same neighborhood first.
How we market one when you sell
- Name the builderBuyers search for Shapell homes by name, so we confirm it and say so in the listing.
- Show the planWe photograph the layout that buyers ask about, like the single-story four-bedroom plans.
- Prep with a planOur Prep Lab budgets repairs and refresh before you list.
- Price from real salesWe price from recent sales of the same plan nearby.
questions
Questions we hear
Who founded Shapell?
Brothers Nathan and David Shapell and their brother-in-law Max Webb, in 1955, per Toll Brothers’ 2014 announcement. The company says it started as S&S Construction.
Did Toll Brothers buy Shapell?
Yes. Toll Brothers completed its purchase of Shapell Industries on February 4, 2014, for about $1.6 billion, according to its SEC filing. The Shapell family company continues in commercial and rental real estate.
Where are Shapell homes here?
Listings credit Shapell with homes across Milpitas, in Berryessa and Evergreen in San Jose, in San Mateo’s Laurie Meadows and in Gilroy’s Eagle Ridge. We haven’t found tract records naming the builder, so confirm with the deed and permits.
How many homes did Shapell build?
More than 70,000 in California, according to Toll Brothers’ 2014 announcement.
sources
Sources
SEC filings, local press and company pages, checked October 2026.
- Toll Brothers 8-K: Shapell acquisition completed (2014)Closing date, price and sellerwww.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000794170/000079417014000003/toll-2014xshapell_loanagre.htm
- Toll Brothers press release (2014)Founders, 1955 and more than 70,000 homeswww.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000794170/000079417014000003/tol-02052014pr8k_exh991.htm
- Shapell: community building and lasting impactFounding and today’s business (company)shapell.com/community-building-and-lasting-impact/
- Danville San Ramon: Truebridge, Shapell Homes honored (2008)The Milpitas-based divisionwww.danvillesanramon.com/news/2008/05/15/truebridge-shapell-homes-honored/
- Pleasanton Weekly: The end of a home building era (2013)Land strategy and the Toll dealwww.pleasantonweekly.com/blogs/2013/11/12/the-end-of-a-home-building-era/
- HMH: EvergreenShapell Homes as client for the Evergreen Specific Plan’s first phasehmhca.com/projects/evergreen/
- SFGate: Model home, Town Center Villas in MilpitasShapell Homes as developerwww.sfgate.com/realestate/article/Model-home-Town-Center-Villas-in-Milpitas-3224905.php
- California Civil Code § 94110-year limit for construction-defect claimscalifornia.public.law/codes/civil_code_section_941
builder files
Every builder file, by era
Bars show the years each builder was building here. See all builders or the home styles field guide.
- Fernando Nelson1880–1920s
- Gellert (Sunstream)1922–1972
- Birge Clark1922–1970s
- Stoneson1920s–1960s
- Doelger1927–1960s
- McKeon1927–early 1970s
- Gardner Dailey1930s–1960s
- William Wurster1930s–1960s
- Rousseau1931–1933
- Bohannon1936–1955
- Cliff May1950s
- Stern & Price1951–1953
- Mackay Homes1950s
- Mardell1955–1959
- Hayman Homes1960s–1970s
- Ditz-Crane1962–1984
- Brown & Kauffmann1960s–1981
- Bahl1968–1986
- Ponderosa Homes1970s–1990s
- Shapell1971–2000s
- SummerHill Homes1976–today
- Pinn Brothers1976–today
- Robson Homes1989–today
- Pacific Peninsula Group1989–today
- Barry Swenson Builder1990s–2010s
- Classic Communities1990s–2010s
- Warmington1990s–2020s
- DeNova Homes2000s–today
- City Ventures2011–today
- Trumark Homes2012–today
- Dividend Homes2010s–today
- KB Home1980s–today
- Brookfield1990s–today
- Pulte Homes2000s–today
- Shea Homes2000s–2010s
- Lennar2000s–today
- Toll Brothers2000s–today
- Taylor Morrison2007–today
- D.R. Horton2010s
- Tri Pointe Homes2012–today
- K. Hovnanian2014–2018
- Meritage Homes2010s
talk to a property nerd
Own a Shapell home?
We can match it to its plan and value it against recent sales of similar homes nearby. Commissions are negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what’s included.
