Centex Homes Reviews in Sarasota Bradenton, FL

Many electrical issues and roof leaks

Stressful experience to build a new house.

Our experience at first was really good as Shawn kept us informed about the house. After we moved in we were told we would have a new house manager, but was never given his number. Shawn said that Scott had been too busy to meet with us, as he is meeting with other homeowners. We are homeowners and he should have met with us. We have lived here almost 2 months and nothing has been fixed on our move in list.

Although Shawn, our building manager, had his hands tied a lot, I feel he did the best job he could for us. Contractors do seem to be the lowest bidders though. Often not showing up when they say they will. Centex had no contingency plan in place when their HVAC contractors quit on them. This lead to a couple of months delay. Holiday Pools refused to communicate with me about the project. Closing was delayed two weeks because the pool was not complete. This caused us to extend our stay at a local hotel and increased our out of packet expenses. Drywall has several splatters and the painters simply painted over them. Gloss paint for crown molding was overlapping the ceiling flat white in many areas. Had to reorder some tile and they used a different color grout when finishing. I see a few tile spacers still stuck in the grout. Our bathtub has to be refinished after contractors used ladders in the tub and scuff up the tub badly. Date of refinishing is estimated to be 4 months after closing! One window was broken at closing and has been repaired, but two windows are still missing trim that covers the installation screws after 40 days! I had a great experience at the design center with Daniel. Highly recommend him. ... More

My wife and I had to micromanage much of our home build. There were numerous mistakes that had to be corrected, throughout the process and at the last minute as well. Our closing date was pushed twice. There were issues still getting corrected after closing. Not a quality build.

Grout, paint, drywall taping, cabinet installation and general cleanliness are just awful. I am so disappointed I am shocked. Friends have Pulte homes and were top notch. Mine is just awful. No pride of workmanship and no supervision of work done. My tubs are not usable due to gaps, bubbles and voids in caulking around tubs. And this is after it was pointed out during walkthrough. Cabinets were drilled with visible holes where handles are mounted. Tile grout is uneven and there are dozens of splotches of grout on tiles. Carpet is dirty and has drywall powder and even white crunchy stains in it from work being done after installing carpet. Every day I wake up to find yet another thing wrong. I have owned 2 prior new homes from lesser builders and never had issues like these. Not happy! ... More

The quality of the inside finish wasn’t good. There were lots of flaws in the drywall (eg nail holes, gouges, mortar spatters, rums in the paint etc). The doors were hung with large gaps on the bottom of the frames. The dryer vent wasn’t connected and the dryer vent on the roof was plugged because a screen was left on the vent by the roofers. The dishwasher drain wasn’t connected properly and caused damage to the cabinets. There are dents on the refrigerator, dryer and oven. The coaxial cable from the outside of the house to the inside was defective. There is a dead tree by the driveway that was dead long before we closed (it still hasn’t been replaced). There is a swale behind our rear fence that is a mosquito breeding, unsightly mess. ... More

I appreciated the communication throughout the build and understand Hurricane Ian throwing a monkey wrench into an already complicated supply chain, but I do understand the motivation to lie to me. Making arrangements to live while the build was completing would have been easier if I was told the truth instead of trying to make me feel better with overly aggressive time lines. We all knew it was going to take three times longer than I was told, so what is the motivation to lie to me? Finally, we had concerns on the finish of the walls and paint that we were instructed were normal finishes for these houses. We come to find out from the 30 day quality inspection that paint and dry wall is embarrassing and never should have been released in this condition. It was obvious that either the damage from the hurricane was patched up instead of done correctly and/or was rushed, and now we have to manage a work crew redoing 1/2 the drywall and paint while all of our belongings are in the house. I would expect this from buying a cheap house and getting a cheaply made product, but we paid above average pricing and got a below average job on fit and finish. I have nothing bad to say about the quality of how well the house is sealed or the strength of construction. I still have trust that that was done correctly having been walked through the house during construction and seeing the final product. We will eventually be happy after corrections are made, but this all could have been avoided with less marketing BS and more honesty up front. ... More

The attention to detail throughout the house was disappointing. The door frames, baseboards & trim, backsplash, electrical outlets, drywall around windows are not quality work and appliances were damaged when installed by builder. The trim around interior doors is separating, there are dings and painted over damaged areas in the baseboard trim throughout the house, electrical outlets are not flush with the walls in many areas, drywall and paint around window frames is damaged. Expected a lot more attention to detail.

The house itself is built decently. Obviously I know that there will be little things here and there and it is a process to get things sorted out over the course of a couple months while the house settles but the trades companies that this company employees to handle electricity, HVAC and tiling/drywall make me believe that they have no idea what they are doing. We have had so many issues related to trade work its not funny. While issues are being sorted out along the way the fact that we moved into a "New" home and had light switches not work or missing floor boards and sinking floors is inexcusable. I understand that cosmetic things like tiles uneven and shotty paint work is expected and that is ok but having your HVAC system not working correctly in FL is something I would expect to have sorted out. All in all the house and CENTEX did a good job but my issues lies with their outsourced work. ... More

Follow each step of the building process to the fullest. Check ever area on details before closing.

We were really excited to get into our new home as it was really beautiful and had the space and many upgrades we were looking for. However, upon move-in about a month ago, we began to notice and experience many issues and we have now started to worry about the quality of the build and the customer service when there are issues. We noted two major concerns during our final walk through, and only one issue has been fixed to date. We haven't heard anything or a timeline on when the other issue will addressed. Additionally, after closing we came in to find drywall paint and dark stain in several spots on our brand new carpet from some of the issues we had asked to be repaired prior to closing - no update on this and what, if anything, will be done. Carpet and padding already worn down on the stairs because carpet was installed too early. Also, I ran my dishwasher one time after moving in - it was fine. Second time I went to start it, I received an error code and it never worked again. Per the Whirlpool warranty with Pulte, I contacted the service folks and it took 2 weeks before a service person was available to come out. When they did, he said the dishwasher has a bad panel and the panel needs completely replaced. Still waiting for parts to arrive so they can fix (and hopefully it does actually fix it). I asked for a new one, as it is clearly a lemon - no response. It has been almost a month now that I have not had a dishwasher in a brand new house with a family of four. Additionally, our irrigation system has not run since we moved in and no one has responded to our concern about this. Our sod is brown, and there are tons of tall weeds growing in the grass. Additionally, the grout is already cracked in the upstairs bathroom, the doorbell does not ring properly, we are missing screens on some of the windows that should have them - just to name a few issues. Though we did get a lot of house for a reasonable price, I am glad we didn't pay more because the quality is just not there and neither is the service. Also, don't rely on information provided to you about the home on paper alone. We did a quick sale and during the process we were told our home had a 4 foot garage extension, we signed paperwork with our offer that showed it was included and then we discovered it did not actually have this option, which was one of the reasons we had made an offer on the home. If you are thinking about buying, I would encourage you to visit in person and ask lots of questions and verify things (especially sizing of rooms, garages, etc) yourself. If all of the issues were addressed and in a timely fashion, I may feel differently - but as a brand new home buyer, it's apparent that the company puts up so many homes, and right on top of one another, and their focus is quantity/making money. I haven't experienced that they care about quality and good workmanship. I don't think they care if their buyers are happy after move-in.... they are on to the next home and sale. Overall, the entire process has been stressful and we have more questions than answers or help, unfortunately. ... More

Home was not ready to be moved in by closing date, yet they still had us close on home and have tons of stuff to fix while we live in it, and they are dragging out fixing everything

I recently purchased what is now my second centex home, the first one had very minor issues, but this recent purchase, which we closed on 10/27/2023 has been a major disaster. We were in the home less then 48 hours when we found out the builder never installed the clothes washer correctly which led to a major water issue into the walls. We further found out when warranty came to look that the tile had never been fully completed under the washer which allowed the water to escape and go from the second level to the first as the water leaked for over 24 hours unnoticed behind the unit into the walls. Further issues, punch list items which were promised to be rectified by the end of the closing weekend still haven't been corrected, our issued house keys, which we were asked not to use until the punch list was completed so workers could access the home, don't work and the only reason we found that out is because our power went out and blew the breaker when we plugged a single TV into a spare bedroom, which led to no power in multiple rooms, a bathroom, foyer, exterior, or garage for almost 3 days. Now about 20 minutes ago when I turned the light on in the master bedroom, the power again shorted out the home, and when I reset the breaker box sparks and flame shot out the switch and tripped the breaker again. No power once again. We have been in the home less than a month and nothing but problems and excuses. Not to mention other issues like the home the morning of walk through not having been cleaned and even when we moved in the next day, still not having been cleaned. Another issue is a trade did come to fix tile in master bath, and left a blood trail from the shower to the sink, and it permanently stained the shower, when we called we were told to use bleach, well it didn't work. 3vweeks in we have cracks in dry wall in garage corner connecting to concrete block. Have found nails and screws sticking through carpet. Paint splatter on bathroom tile floor and window that was never cleaned up. I will never recommend or build with this company again. I would love to know who inspected the home, because the multiple inspections the company completed were obviously rushed or over looked. The best line of all throughout this from the building supervisor "I don't have time to sit at your home and fix it because I have 20 other homes to complete." This evening over 30% of the home lost power again when circuits shorted out from turning hall lights on and no way to reset it since nobody from Centex or the electric company will not respond. Guess no power for us again for the second weekend in a row. ... More

Well the sales rep Jermey was great but now I still don’t have hurricane fabric that should have been in the house before I moved in back in mid October. My construction manager Jake keeps saying he’ll get with the contractor but still no fabric. Thankfully it’s past hurricane season.

The initial process with sales person was great. He was very helpful and answered my many questions. Unfortunately after I signed the purchase contract things started to go down hill. I needed house insurance that process went through the team, not a good experience. everyone wanted to help but that did not happen. The left hand did not know what the right hand was doing. As far as repair requests and promises That did not always happen. I was told one thing and that did not get done or got forgotten. There were many things that did get done but not easily. workmanship on the detail inside work was of poor quality. Some of the team were great, but not easy to get things done if everyone is not on the same page ... More

Sloppy work, and dozens of issues from the moment we moved in. Project manager Reuben scared my wife by showing her a picture of an alligator he saw on the lot after I told him she was afraid of alligators. We showed him some issues and he didnt apply the fixes to the house. We still have a big stack of extra boards they haven't taken away. Cracked bricks, ungrouted areas letting bugs in, warped doors, unfinished screens, unpainted areas, scratched mirror holes in the drywall, cracked garage door support, messed up landscaping, no peep hole installed, doors not latching properly, dozens of nails scattered throughout the mulch and the list goes on. I was also told the home would have hurricane windows and it didn't happen. Happy with Brittany and Ryan and the work they did, but I'm not happy with the workmanship, or effort of the project manager or construction team. I saw when the house was going up that the work being done by other project managers was better, so I'm really disappointed. I'm happy with Brittany who is working to resolve, but I wish she didn't have to. ... More

Everywhere you look you find something new that needs attention or fixing. Great response in the beginning. Then you give them a 10 as a rating and then it all disappears. Can not get a schedule for getting the fixes you identified and handed in. No follow up from anyone in the company. Poor craftmanship on just about everything. No pride in any of the work/craftmanship. Too much to complain about, and it has been weeks and if you don't reach out to say something you will never hear anything. Every day is something new. It is a terrible feeling that you bought a house and are on your own. After such a short time. Learn to fix it yourself, you will be better off. ... More

Not up to par

Very frustrating to work with the people running this operation. Communication is very poor and follow through is like pulling teeth. They wait until the last minute to make repairs and you have to continually remind them to get it done. The workers are sloppy and create more problems when fixing one thing. They are a cookie cutter operation and only care about moving on to the next house. If it’s not done by closing, good luck with warranty. Everything is done by email and there’s no care about customer service.

Never got proper keys or mail box keys. Made me pay for it without ever receiving. Salesman said 370 on house deal. Then they flipped back to 375. Leak in bathroom upstairs. Still havent dry walled the ceiling back in. Brand new air conditioning issues. 3 man holes out front that no one has addressed. Very disappointed.

What they say and what they do are two different things.

Will never recommend any Pulte product. Multiple issues involving workmanship, quality of materials, communication, follow up, deadlines, and the list goes on. We are still waiting on multiple items months after closing. If considering building with Pulte….don’t!

Centex Homes responded: We are so sorry to hear that your experience has left you feeling stressed out and disappointed in us, especially since moving into a new home should be such an exciting time. We’d like to see what we can do to help alleviate some of the stress. Would you mind sending an email to customersupport@pultegroup.com with a brief description of your concerns and your address so we can get in touch with you?

Centex always places blame on suppliers and vendors, never taking responsibility. They do no hold suppliers and vendors accountable. Workmanship flaws and Centex is not concerned because they have a deposit and contract and move to the next potential buyer.