Pulte Homes Reviews in Chicago, IL

Our journey with Pulte to build our first home was good if not great. From the first step the Sales consultant was a huge help in getting us to know about the community and the house. There were a couple of instance where he did not notified us about a couple of things which may have been better if we would have known about it. The design center appointment also went. There were a few hiccups during our closing and after few calls we were able to solve it with Pulte's team. Pulte's loan team was also nice and helped us in every possible steps. Once we moved in, construction manager was also very helpful with all the questions we had. The landscaping and driveway works seems to be taking longer than expected and we hope it will be done sooner rather than later. ... More

Be wary of what is or is not included in upgraded features. For example, we paid a ton of money for a walk-in shower with a spa package but we can now not fully use the jets without soaking the drywall outside of the shower because the upgrade didn't come with a shower door. The frustrating part is that the standard shower comes with a door so why wouldn't the upgraded one. No one will answer me.

Once you move in stay in home you will notice lot of things like finishing doors touch up holes on hardwood floor and walls nails... you will notice so many issue... when you invested half million with smart home option, pulte did not provided me second garage opener and never communicated. Pulte just change their polices but never communicate with home owners.

When we purchased the home , wife and I were put a very slow , non- communicative, treadmill, moved in with no information or instructions or any normal helpful tips.

Not great for the price point! You would be paying 500k or even above but wont get the quality befitting the money.

One coat of paint on all of the walls is hardly even the minimum and several spots were completely missed, leaving bare drywall. One supply duct per room and the zoned system not being fully realized is unfortunate to see as I am a DDC specialist. There was no pull string for the ISP to pull their wire to the Low Voltage panel in the basement through the chase pipe even though the plan states that there would be. The speaker wires were done incorrectly along with other cost cutting measures by Procom. Rushing to close even though the outdoor work wasn't done yet was a red flag indicating that Pulte cared more about finances than the homeowner's ease of moving in (the FAQ provided stated that in most cases the driveway should be done upon closing). The gas and 120V outlet in the garage were installed IN THE CEILING 10 feet away from where we discussed installing them IN THE WALL with Anthony, the original construction manager. This is most likely due to our construction manager changing between three different people within the course of 6 months. ... More

Every single person is a model of friendliness and warmth. That said, several errors on their end led to missing or inaccurate customization builds. Very disappointing to walk into your new home and find that something isn’t what you selected. Also, I was given a lengthy sheet of structural options just 24 hours before final selections were due because the sales agent just forgot to share it with me over the two months I had already been working with her. Seems like these simple issues could be solved with tighter processes for people in these sales roles.

Pulte built a structurally sound home. Buying process was painful. Design Center was a great experience. Quality of workmanship was mixed (example; floor and tile work were great, Paint and finish carpentry not so great). Overall, a builder's grade quality home. Optional design choices offered are very overpriced. Staff is responsive to issue resolution.

Buying a home with Pulte was a bit of a challenge. I think the product is nice and a good value, but they definitely oversell what they provide. For instance, we got the smart home package which on their website claims to include a video doorbell. We only found out this apparently no longer includes that feature weeks before our closing? Even though the website still states the smart home package includes a video doorbell...? Also, our builder Garrison was pretty arrogant and insecure during many occasions. For instance, he assured us the baseboards that were installed 1 week before closing were correct only to find out after our closing all baseboards had to be re-installed because he was actually wrong...? Also, we had a family friend come with us for a pre-drywall walkthrough since my wife and I are not aware of what to look for in these situations only to be told that we COULD NOT bring anyway with us at our final walkthrough. This seems odd since we are paying a lot of money for a house but we can't bring in any counsel to help us keep Garrison and his team accountable and to give us peace of mind? We also know of other homes in our development where there is constantly trash littered within the home, some shotty worksmanship, and even things such as hot plates with ground beef scattered all about the home. Pulte really tries to sell their quality and first class product and service which just did not measure up to reality. However, all in all, the house does look great and after a couple of weeks in, my wife and I are happy so far. So little situations or annoyances aside, we do believe that Garrison and his team did build a nice house that we are looking forward to making our home for years to come. ... More

The two weeks leading up to closing and now the weeks following closing have not been good. Communication has lacked, follow through has been non existent. Punch list items from final walk through are still not done and we’ve been in the new how over a month now.

Lack of trades work being checked for quality. It seems the area lacks the labor force to meet deadlines. I would reconsider if I could. Get sod in back because the other option is all weeds. The area was strewn with garbage and nails and old wood throughout process. They try but to much going on.

Design experience in a digital world should be digital. Not read a PDF with all your options. Should be a digital model of one’s home which allows for an immersive experience to put in options and lighting that gives you transparency in cost and choices vs. a rushed feeling when you get to the design studio. Trades are challenging and carpentry at times are a miss. The way they care for your home should be with more care and awareness of where and how they place things that are already built by other trades.

Working with the sales consultant was great for the most part, until the very end when communication basically stopped. For your sake, I hope you don't have any issues because getting them addressed is time consuming and getting someone to actually help you is difficult. You pay a lot of money for not great service. I continue to notice poor craftmanship in my home and the interior paint job has tons of issues. It simply wasn't possible to catch everything during our walk through and now what was missed we are stuck with. My floor creaks all over my bedroom. Overall, I love the look and design of my home, but for the money I paid, I would have expected better work. ... More

Get your issues resolved prior to closing

This is our second Pulte home. Our previous one, built two years ago, showed a much higher quality of finish. At first glance during our walkthrough, the home seemed striking. Of course, your heart is racing at the reveal, and there is so much to see, that it is difficult to see everything. Once we furnish and accessorize the home it will look beautiful. However, being our second Pulte home, we are disappointed at the use of MDF (like cardboard with a nice plastic finish) as a trim material. It is difficult to repair should it get dinged or gauged. We noted several of these dings and gouges during our walkthrough, and the painter had a very difficult time repairing those so they did not show. Also, we closed at the end of December. Though we expressed no hurry to do so, Pulte Management appeared to put tremendous pressure on every Pulte employee from "Sales to Closing" to finish the home by the end of the year (for Pulte's benefit). We found several issues after the walkthrough. The drywall is kind of "wavy". If you place a two foot level on it to hang a picture, the level often rocks back and forth. The "wavy-ness" also shows up in the baseboards. As you sight down the baseboard you can see it dip in and out pretty severely in a few places. You can clearly feel dips/rises in the floor at certain places as you walk through the home. Most of what we did catch during the walkthrough was taken care of quickly. We still have some nail heads that show around the kitchen cabinet area, and you can see light leaking under the center of the front door. The (gray) wall paint is either a cheap grade of Sherwin Williams paint, or only one coat, but just the slightest contact with it seems to leave a mark. There is a large paved patio included with the home, but we are disappointed that the neighbor's AC Compressor is literally right at the end of the patio. Of course, this an architectural/design issue, not a build issue. (We cannot imagine sitting next to the AC unit during the warm summer months.) We are pleased with the efficiency of the home. It seems to be well sealed and insulated. There is a full unfinished basement below the living area that is trimmed out very cleanly. Winter weather did not allow for the outside trim to get a final coat of stain. Landscaping will be completed as weather permits. We are hoping to resolve as many of the above issues as possible before our one year warranty terminates. ... More

The 10 yrs warranty thay they mention at the time of marketing is ONLY for the structural and not for the entire home. Quality of product or workmanship is ok.

You buy a box, nothing is included! basic base selection is dull therefore you have to upgrade and pay more! by the time you add all the necessities to beautify your place, you add & pay $80,000 more. Paint job not very good!

The house is basically a kit so, the fundamentals are good. But the finishing is poor. Exterior and interior painting is poor. Interior trim is poor. Front door does not fit. Basement window well is littered with construction materials. They cut corners everywhere they can. We have built 3 homes and this is the most expensive and the poorest quality. I have requested things to be fixed and so far nothing.

ceiling needs repairs bad and they have still not corrected it. Been 3 months now.

Our experience started out wonderfully but we ignored the fact this is not a custom builder. They are a first off quantity builder, meaning they build as many as possible as quickly as possible. They have a system that helps them achieve this. The home is delivered partially built to the site and put together like a puzzle. You cannot make changes, upgrades or choices outside of their guidelines. Quality is satisfactory but not outstanding, also craftsmanship varies according to quality of crews hired to work. We have lived in a custom built home where the builder took pride in his product, Pulte builds communities with houses that look nice. In order to get issues handled you have to submit them to a site, they forward to the apporioate person, you wait for that person to contact you to make an appointment to address your issue. If not an emergency you are asked to wait until your 11’th month walk through. Most of the people we worked with did their jobs well but they couldn’t do them extremely well because corporate rules/guidelines/regulations tie their hands. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, watch the process as closely as possible, and don’t expect your home to be perfect. We waited over 6 weeks for the foreman to bother to get around to taking care of our celebration walk through list and that’s only because we had to complain otherwise we’d still be waiting. ... More

We were excited that we booked our custom home with Pulte but it was not a greatest experience. Below are few areas we had issues with: 1. Since beginning there were delays. Delays to get the permit, could be Govt issues or may be Pulte didn't submit the details correctly. 2. Due to Permit delay, construction wasn't started for approximately 2 months. 3. Once, the construction started, they dig the foundation way back on the lot(lot size more than 10K sq ft). For such a big lot, we didn't have much space in the backyard. We complained and after too many back and forth communication, Pulte finally agreed to move the foundation only 10 feet forward, even though it can go more, but they didn't. They also didn't give any reason why they can't move further. 4. Due to the foundation issue, again the construction was delayed by month or so. 5. Finally construction started, but I think they lack planning the construction phase. I think they need to focus more on the weather and phase of construction. For example, if the house is ready for the roof shingles and it is going to rain heavily next week, please don't wait for the rain to ruin the wooden floor, plan ahead and get the shingles done before the rain. 6. Finally, the home was completed and we moved in. Now, we are finding more issues in the house, for example - Floor is cracking, too loud water gushing sound(no or less sound insulation on pipes), annoying noises from the house, etc. Overall, I am not satisfied with the Pulte homes. They can do better for the amount they are charging. Thanks! ... More

Quality of materials used is concerning. There are mold in basement which is not covered with in warranty. Radon level is high which is also not covered in warranty.. Any cosmetic damage that you see post closing is also not covered under warranty.. So basically you are taking the same risk when you buy from any ordinary builder except you pay premium price here..

If they run into a shortfall they rush that part of the build...grout over dirt, chipped trim, paint on hardware, etc. These are things that appear in my bath where the doors were late in delivery so it was the last room finished and things were hurried. Other areas showed lack of craftsmanship. Front door remains with a gap at the bottom letting in cold and hopefully nothing else.

Some of the products are not of high quality, such as the paint and hardwood floors. There are some slight dents in the cabinets as well. The ComEd service cannot be switched to my account, and I have to track it with a Comed representative for days to get it resolved. Normally, the builder should talk to Comed first to provide all the meter details and everything else setup before I call them for my account activation

House was not ready to close but we closed anyway. More than 40 follow-ups. 29 left 8weeks past close.