Built By Ward: A Black-Owned General Contractor Serving Dallas-Fort Worth

Built By Ward is a Black-owned general contracting business based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, founded and run by Jalen Ward. That's a factual detail about the business, and for a lot of homeowners searching for a Black-owned contractor to support, it's relevant information — so here it is, stated plainly.

What "Black-owned" means here, and what it doesn't

Being Black-owned is an ownership fact, not a quality tier. It doesn't mean a different standard of licensing, insurance, workmanship, or accountability — Built By Ward is held to the same standards, inspection requirements, and contract expectations as any other general contractor operating in Texas. What it does mean is that the business is founded, owned, and led by a Black entrepreneur, and that when you hire Built By Ward, that's who your money is supporting.

For homeowners specifically looking to direct their business toward Black-owned companies, that's the piece of information this page exists to confirm directly, rather than making you dig for it.

Why supporting Black-owned businesses matters locally

Black-owned businesses remain underrepresented in the construction and skilled trades industry relative to their share of the population, both nationally and in North Texas specifically. Access to capital, bonding, and industry networks has historically been harder to come by for Black entrepreneurs starting a contracting business — which is part of why intentional support for Black-owned businesses has a real, measurable effect on local economic outcomes: it helps build capital, track record, and generational business continuity in communities where that's been harder to establish.

This isn't an abstract talking point for Built By Ward. It's the direct context the business operates in, in Dallas-Fort Worth, today.

A path some Black-owned businesses pursue: MBE certification

In North Texas, the North Central Texas Regional Certification Agency (NCTRCA) is the regional body that certifies minority-owned and woman-owned business enterprises (MBE/WBE) for companies operating across the DFW area. Certification through an agency like NCTRCA is a formal, verifiable way for a minority-owned business to establish that status for procurement purposes — it's commonly used by businesses seeking to work with municipalities, larger general contractors, and public-sector projects that have supplier-diversity requirements.

Whether or not formal certification is something Built By Ward has pursued, it's worth homeowners knowing that this kind of regional certification body exists and is the real, verifiable path for confirming minority-owned business status in North Texas — as opposed to less formal directory listings that don't carry the same verification standard.

Same standards, same accountability

To be direct about it: nothing above changes what you should expect from the actual work. You should still verify insurance, still get a written scope of work, still check references, and still hold Built By Ward to the same bar you'd hold any general contractor to in Dallas-Fort Worth. Being a Black-owned business is a fact about who owns and runs the company — it's not a substitute for due diligence, and it shouldn't need to be. See our guide on how to vet a general contractor in DFW for that checklist, and apply it here the same way you would anywhere else.

Get in touch

If you're looking for a Black-owned general contractor in Dallas-Fort Worth for roofing, restoration, fencing, or broader general contracting work, reach out directly.

Contact: email roofing@builtbyward.com.