Del Webb Reviews in Minneapolis St. Paul, MN

Construction phases all went smoothly and our construction manager was SUPER to work with. Loan application and mortgage process was very frustrating. Worked with multiple people each asking for the same things over and over again. Process started earlier than expected and seemed to go on and on to the very last minute. Closer was refreshing in that she felt our pain and understood the difficulties working with Pulte in Colorado.

The overall experience with the builders was a 10. The Pulte mortgage company was a terrible experience worked with them for 10 months for a no we can’t find the mortgage. The new mortgage company we got funded in 2/5 weeks.

Overall the house was built to our specs. The lot and area are as advertised. We understand that these homes are constructed several at a time, and this sometimes can cause rush jobs that may not be as good as could be. We understand that and accept that. But...we feel the workmanship with things such as caulking, cleanup, door hanging, tile floor installation, and other issues did not meet our expectations. And, we feel it was not up to the quality Pulte Homes advertises.

The schedule provided about two months after signing the Purchase Agreement was reasonably accurate all things considered - weather, shortages of building materials, etc.

The sales process was enjoyable. The salesperson was honest and knowledgeable. The design process was somewhat tedious but the consultant was a skilled designer, patient and helpful. Options and upgrades are limited and changes not allowed after selection. This is annoying but explained as necessary. We are very happy with the quality of the materials and workmanship. Some finishing have yet to be completed and timely attention to our issues has been spotty.

Jim was remarkable in making us feel comfortable in our new home. He was always available to answer questions and address our concerns. We consider him a valuable asset as we go further into our Pulte Home experience.

Nick was great. He was very responsive to all issues as the house was being built. He handled everything in a timely manner and was very professional. Scott helped us get the lot we wanted and was on top of things and very responsive. Pulte policies are very restrictive as even minor requests were denied if it didn’t fit their rigid guidelines. Many requested upgrades were not available and simple asks were denied because it was “policy” to not honor. Quality and workmanship was a definite downgrade from last home which was twice as big and cost the same as this. The biggest difference is that the builder of last home, which was not custom, was very accommodating to address our asks that were within reason and materials were much higher quality. We understand that we are paying for the community more than the house, but quality of materials and some of the workmanship are not as good as advertised or expected. ... More

While we are still happy with our decision to build a new home with Del Webb (Pulte), the experience has been eye opening in terms of overall quality and the role the new home owner must play to push the builder to make things right. I am not a construction expert so why do I need to find things for them to fix? They have the expertise to see things that need attention.

The biggest issue is that our address does not appear on google and we have had nothing but problems with changing our address and getting deliveries. Currently important medication has been delayed by Fed Ex and may still be delayed because our address does not show up. Del Webb should put all street names in computers and systens before selling homes. Overall the home is very nice.

There were a lot of minor workmanship issues with our home. Contractors have had to come back and fix a lot of small things. I believe it may be that the builder was putting up so many home in such a short time that contractors were rushing to get everything done. To their credit, the builder has been easy to work and responsive with in getting issues resolved. We are in a new development and communication could be slightly better for approximate timelines on certain completion items as we want to add a patio but need better timelines on when sod/irrigation/landscaping will be done before we can start project. ... More

We had to build our house virtual because we were living in Florida and didn't want to travel because of COVID. The initial experience with our salesperson wasn't what we expected. Once the building experience started and we worked with Daryl (the project foreman) everything went smoothly and Daryl couldn't have helped more. He was awesome and responded to my questions in a timely matter.

Because of Covid-19 restrictions, we were not able to visit our home during the build. We first saw it on the final walkthrough. The shower border had been missed by all involved in that process. It was a key design feature of our home, so we did ask that it be added after closing. A couple crucial mistakes were made in the first redo, one which was corrected and one that could not be. There are multiple ridges in the grout where new grout was put over a bad initial grouting. Had more border tile been obtained at that time or even now, that could be corrected, but we were told it was not easy to get. There was not even one extra pebble of tile. A couple "I'm sorries, and that is the best we can do" do not make me feel better about how our $5,000 shower looks. My advice is that if you cannot be present frequently during the build, give a copy of your final change order to a close friend or family to stay on top of every part of the building process. Do not assume that what you ordered and have in writing will necessarily happen. We learned the hard way, and I have no sense this will ever be resolved to my satisfaction. ... More

Overall pleased with the house and design selections. Would have liked to be able to customize a bit more. Communication from the Construction Manager was not always prompt or complete. Better communication would have made the entire experience more enjoyable and pleasant.

The house is great and we are excited to have moved in. After living in the house for a bit we have noticed shortcuts that were taken as well as lesser quality products. It is also very hard to be in a new home while they are building homes on all sides. Lot of disruption with construction of those new homes. Can't wait fot that to die down.

The home buying experience, as a whole, was very good. Our sales person was very good - helpful, responsive and always cheerful and ready to be of help! We encountered some problems early on in the building process, and they were rectified. The building process was generally painless, and our project manager was great in responding to any concerns we had (always with a smile!). After we moved in (6weeks ago) we have been noticing quite a few deficiencies in the quality of workmanship. We are in the process of addressing them with the builder, so the jury is still out! Here again, the Pulte ,We do like our neighborhood and the community personnel are very helpful and great to work with. Even though I don’t think the house itself is a very good dollar value, I do think we are going to enjoy living here for our senior years. ... More

Mostly good quality. The process for changes before closing was mostly not an option and too complicated and somewhat confusing after closing. Making changes after closing if at all possible, in our opinion, takes too long to get a response from the management board. Good attention until closing. Slow response and communication after closing. The phone numbers for help with problems after closing that is placed on the inside of the doors below the sink, are too low and not convenient for older people to see and access. They should have been place at a higher level and more convenient place, eg. inside an upper cabinet door. ... More

The buying process was straightforward. Our salesperson, Bob, was phenomenal. As expected, with a national builder, the opportunity to customize was limited, but Bob did an excellent job of explaining what options we did have. He was very prompt in his follow-up and he didn't pressure us at all. My only complaint about the buying process was the method Pulte used for selling our lot. A blind auction? C'mon, just tell me the price so I can decide if I want to buy it or not. During the construction phase, Bryan was also top notch. He allowed us to make a few non-structural changes that saved us a lot of money. He was always very prompt about returning phone calls and emails and, in general, did an excellent job of communicating what was happening throughout the construction process. The one thing I am disappointed with - and the reason I gave only 2 stars for responsiveness to issues, has to do with the utility box placement - specifically the cable box. Obviously utility boxes are necessary but the cable box is right in the middle of my front yard. There are other, less conspicuous locations where it could be placed but no one seems to want to help address this issue. And not only is the cable box in the middle of my front yard but the box itself is bigger than every other cable box in the development. I am very disappointed in Pulte's response to this issue and their willingness to work together to find a solution. ... More

The build process went very smoothly and the responsiveness of the construction management team was excellent, but the end result of the house was not to the level we expected for the amount of money that was spent. This feedback is regarding the Martin Ray Estate series. Here are some issues to watch for during the design, build and the pre close walk thru: 1. The location of doors when they are opened is very poor. a. There are three doors in the owners’ suite bath that are trying to occupy the same spot. b. The door in the laundry room opens directly into the front of the utility sink and reduces access to the sink. 2. The short walls that frame the front entryway are bowed due to inadequate shimming during the sheetrock process. 3. There is a significant amount of deflection (bounce in the floor) around the center island in the kitchen. This is very noticeable when seated at the center island and someone is walking around. 4. Make sure to verify the cabinet sizes between the electrical blueprint and the design center blueprint. The electrical blue print shows 21” cabinets on either side of the sink. The design center blueprint shows 18” cabinets. The 18” cabinets were installed which limits their usefulness for storing dishes. A suggestion would be for the Pulte design consultant to highlight the different size cabinets and provide the client with an option to purchase the 21” cabinets. 5. During the pre-close walkthrough, the poor quality of the interior painting job was very evident. We must have marked over 100 spots that needed to be touched up as well as overspray paint removed from the floor. In addition, a bucket of paint in the basement had leaked and was not cleaned up before our walkthrough. 6. Drawer pulls in the kitchen were crooked which was a result of drawers not being installed correctly. Sliding drawers in the cabinet were not installed level. These items were corrected shortly after closing. Overall, the inspection by the Pulte team should have caught a number of these items before having our walkthrough. As a buyer, beware of some of the design issues with the house. ... More

Concept is good, workmanship is very poor.

The purchasing process was very good. The decoration center was great to work with. Selection of colors of various elements was good as long as you like grey, white or black. Not a lot of choices outside those colors. Quality of paint, doors, windows etc. was below expectations. Pulte has been responsive to issues.

We're happy for the most part with our purchase. There is buyer's remorse when it comes to having some of the warranty work scheduled as well as the amount of items that needed to be addressed. That said, the workers who do come out for the vendors are very good thus far. Some of the work has a shoddy quality to it. There was also a lack of care to protect flooring during work with paint, etc. left on the floors for us to clean or try to clean off. We do love the Brickstone Club amenity center and happy hours. Plus not having to do yard work or snow shoveling is great. The 55+ community is wonderful here. ... More

Overall positive. Some instances of poor workmanship.

Estates construction took precedence over garden and classic models. Delays and excuses from construction team from start to finish. The lowest level of paint was used in the interior. We had to purchase a refrigerator on our own. Pulte credit covered 60% of the cost. We regret the decision to build with Pulte.

Inflexible builder for a custom built home.

The project managers were awesome. Always able to answer questions and listened to our concerns. We appreciated being able to come and see the progress whenever we wanted.