Ahwatukee · AZ
Upper Canyon, Ahwatukee
The largest new residential development Ahwatukee has seen in decades, opened in 2026.
New construction in Ahwatukee, which has not happened at this scale in decades
Upper Canyon is a 373-acre gated master-planned community on former State Trust Land, running along Chandler Boulevard between 19th and 27th Avenues in the Ahwatukee Foothills, just west of Club West.
The plan is roughly 1,050 single-family homes plus townhomes and multifamily, around 1,500 units in total, at an estimated $300 million. Three builders are involved: D.R. Horton, Pulte Homes and Blandford Homes.
For a community where the housing stock has largely been fixed for years, this genuinely changes the options.
Questions about your move? I'm glad to help.
Three builders, three different products
Upper Canyon is not one product. Each builder does things its own way, and the differences go well beyond price.
D.R. Horton has the lowest starting prices of the three and about 462 homesites, according to its sales team: Tradition Series single-family homes, plus all of the duplexes and the multifamily parcels. Its homes come with set packages rather than a design center, so the price you see is close to all-in, and standard features include 10-foot ceilings, 8-foot doors, a tankless water heater, front yard landscaping and a smart home package. That suits a buyer who is worried about costs creeping out of their price range. D.R. Horton has also been the fastest of the three to build.
Pulte has 337 homesites across its Meadow, Cactus and Canyon series. To me, Pulte's models feel the most spacious of the three, with the most usable space in their layouts. You personalize through its design center, which gives you more choice and more ways for the price to grow. Pulte also offers its AllGen suite, a separate living area inside the home: it comes standard on the Avelino plan and is an option on the Coventry II and Novara.
Blandford has just over 220 homesites across its Vintage, Keystone and Craftsman collections. According to Blandford, it bought the land and brought in the other two builders. Its standard features include 2x6 exterior framing, 10-foot ceilings on single-story plans and brick driveways, with personalization through its design studio.
Now that the roads and utilities are in, homes are taking about five to six months from contract to move-in, down from roughly a year in the early phase.
Pricing moves constantly on new construction, so I have deliberately not put figures on this page. Ask me and I will tell you where each builder is today rather than where they were when this was written.
I've walked every model in Upper Canyon
Upper Canyon is the only new-build community in Ahwatukee right now, and nothing else offers quite this: brand-new construction with a small-town feel, close to downtown Phoenix, Sky Harbor and Chandler.
I've walked through every model home here, and when a floor plan sold here only had its model in another community, I went and walked that one too. I'm also building my own home here, so I've been through this process as a buyer, not only as an agent. So I can tell you:
- The price points, options, strengths and weak spots of each community
- What D.R. Horton is building here, compared with Pulte and Blandford
- How the lot premiums work
- Which options are available, and which ones are worth paying for
- Which floor plans suit which purposes and stages of life, and what the home really costs once it is all said and done
- How each builder has laid out its lots, which way they face, and how the sections are broken up
The builder's sales team works for the builder. You need someone who does not, who knows this community this well, and who represents you from the first visit all the way to closing.
The Canyon Club, and how it's coming along
The heart of Upper Canyon is the Canyon Club, the community clubhouse. The plans call for a beach-entry pool, a fitness studio, and a community room with a catering kitchen and room to get together.
Here's how it's coming along. The clubhouse building is up, the pool is under construction, and the playgrounds are in under their shade sails, with South Mountain right behind them. The builders estimate the Canyon Club will be finished by the end of 2026, and I'll update this as it fills in.
What else is planned
Gated, with a resort pool, spa, fitness center, pickleball and basketball courts, a playground, a 3.5-acre central park with South Mountain views, a botanical garden and trails.
Fire Station 74 is open on Chandler Boulevard near 19th Avenue, right across from Upper Canyon. It opened on May 30, 2026, with the first helicopter landing pad in the history of the Phoenix Fire Department. I wrote about what it means for buyers here.
South Mountain out your front door
Upper Canyon sits right at the foot of South Mountain. Step outside and you're minutes from the trails, the open desert and some of the best views in Ahwatukee.
You don't give up convenience for it, either. Take Chandler Boulevard to 17th Avenue, or Liberty Lane, and you're on the Loop 202 in under five minutes. That puts the West Valley within easy reach too, not just Chandler and the East Valley.
The trailhead is right across the street. The Pyramid Trail starts at the City of Phoenix's Area 620 trailhead, 15441 S. 19th Avenue, just across Chandler Boulevard. From there you're into South Mountain Park/Preserve, with more than 100 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. Here's the city's South Mountain trail guide and its printable trail map.
Schools
The assigned schools are Kyrene de los Cerritos Leadership Academy, Kyrene Altadeña Middle School and Desert Vista High School, in the Kyrene School District and the Tempe Union High School District.
Assignments can change during a build-out this long, so check a specific home with each district: Kyrene enrollment and Tempe Union attendance boundaries.
New build against established Ahwatukee
You gain a warranty, current layouts and the amenity package. You give up mature landscaping, a settled resale history, and the larger lots the older custom communities offer.
There is also a practical point people underestimate: living in a development that is still being built means construction traffic and noise for a while. Worth knowing rather than discovering.
One thing worth saying plainly: the builder's sales representative works for the builder. Having your own means somebody is reading the contract on your side. In this market, the builders here have offered to pay the buyer's agent every time I have worked with them, usually as long as your agent is with you on your first visit. Negotiating my fee with the builder is part of my job, so bring me to that first visit and I'll handle it.
What builders are offering right now
Competition between communities is real, and many buyers have been sitting on the sidelines, so the builders are working for your business. Here is what each one was advertising for Upper Canyon in mid-October 2026:
- Pulte is advertising savings of up to $160,000 on select homes that are ready now and must sell by October 31, plus special financing on select quick move-in homes.
- D.R. Horton does not list a community-wide offer for Upper Canyon. Financing incentives through its own lender appear on individual homes.
- Blandford does not advertise an incentive for Upper Canyon right now, and is pre-selling homes.
Beyond what is advertised, I have seen incentives toward closing costs, toward upgrades, and rate buydowns when you use the builder's lender, especially on quick move-in homes. Offers change month to month and come with conditions, and the best one on paper is not always the best one for you. Ask me what each builder is offering this week, and I will help you compare them on what they actually save you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is building at Upper Canyon?
Three builders: D.R. Horton, Pulte Homes and Blandford Homes. Each is offering different floor plans and sizes, and they are at different stages of release.
How big is Upper Canyon?
373 acres, planned for roughly 1,050 single-family homes plus townhomes and multifamily, around 1,500 units in total. It is the largest new residential development Ahwatukee has seen in decades.
Do I need an agent to buy new construction?
You do not need one, but the builder's representative works for the builder. Having your own means someone is reviewing the contract, the upgrades and the timeline on your behalf. Most new-build communities pay the buyer's agent as long as your agent is with you on your first visit, and negotiating my fee with the builder is part of my job.
Where exactly is Upper Canyon?
On Chandler Boulevard between 19th and 27th Avenues in the Ahwatukee Foothills, just west of the Club West neighborhood, on former State Trust Land.
Buying in Upper Canyon
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How we do it in Upper Canyon
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