Pulte Homes Reviews

Pulte offered an amazing home design that was extremely functional for our family. Throughout the process we were told how Pulte goes above and beyond industry standards to ensure a high quality home is delivered. However, that was not the case. The building process with Pulte was awful. While our Field Manager was great, the quality of workmanship across was sub-par. We moved into our home with a long list of repairs still outstanding. As we move forward after the 1 month follow up, we find ourselves finding more things that need to reworked then before. Pulte is more set on getting these homes off their books then an delivering quality homes to their customers. I was apprehensive to build with Pulte to begin with, and I can say I will never consider building with them again. ... More

Sales and Mortgage Teams were the most helpful, and without them I would have rated 1 star or less. My home was not even complete by closing date, that was over a month ago and I still don't even have my refrigerator. Too much to list, but wouldn't do this again.

11 months to build. Was told 8-9 months. The quality of the workmanship is horrible. Closed a month ago and still have outstanding items inside and outside that have not been provided or fixed as promised

The entry door to the unit has gaps. I have reported it several times and not received a response other than we are going to get another company to look at them. The gap is very annoying with light coming in. The paint that was used on the walls was cheap paint it marks easily and flakes. The secondary door from the outside slams shut and have been woken up many times. It was looked at but has not gotten any better. The size of the dogs was supposed to be no more than 10 pounds but there are some very big dogs in the building. The response from the HOA is minimal sometimes non-existent. ... More

Not happy with the finish product, Some workmanship was very poor.

Pulte bites off more than they can chew, meaning they don’t have the time to dedicate to their customers. We’ve had multiple issues and reached out to pulte representatives, only to receive a generic response of “your concerns have been noted and will be addressed in the order they were received.” Very disheartened by the whole process.

Sales agent during sale was less than enthusiastic when showing the house. Not too much of an issue though because we loved the location, and the house looked great at first. There were some problems during closing because of lack of communication between the sales agent and the closing office and we didn't actually get the keys to the house until the day after closing. After moving in, this is where things get difficult. We've noticed some structural and build quality issues including for example a leaking ceiling, doors that won't close properly, missing fixtures, and loose shelving that creates an unsafe environment to live in specially with younger kids. Submitting a warranty request was easy enough through the online portal. Getting someone to speak with and come take a look at the issue is a huge problem though. It's been over a month and no one has come to look at some of the issues yet. Warranty manager claims the issues are responsibilities of the field construction manager and refuses to handle this as a warranty repair. Field construction manager on the other hand has been unresponsive for more than a month. So now it's been more than a month and I still have sections of the house that are unusable because of the safety risks, and it's preventing us from finalizing our move and organization of our property. I am now looking into filing official complaints and taking legal action. Warranty contract says issues will be examined within 30 days, so I guess they're already in breach of that contract. If they continue to claim that these are construction and not warranty issues, as per the purchase contract, any construction concerns will need to be completed within 3 months, so I guess I'll let them know they have less than 2 months left. In any case a BBB complaint is coming their way at the very least. Besides the warranty process horrors, there's also a lot of build quality issues that looked ok at first, but are problematic after further inspection. These are specially evident in areas that are not easily noticed. For example out of all the windows on the house, only 3 have level window frames. So I'm mounting window blinds and they're all crooked. There's also hidden things like the gang box cutouts for lights and outlets being cut crooked making it impossible to cleanly install smart lights/outlets or replacing the face plates. Also the strike plates for the door locks were poorly installed and provides no security from intruders at all. Then things like unleveled floors where I had to adjust the fridge and washer/dryer to the extremes just to get the appliances level, and I still have horrible vibrations coming from the washer because of the unleveled floor. ... More

Seems like you need to upgrade everything or you get cheap materials. All can lights in house flicker. Electrician saud it is the lowest quality bulbs. Nothing they can do. Just one example. They red tape stuff during walk thru but, seems later just remove tape and say it got fixed.

Not worthy for the cost of the home

Felt like the home was rushed a lot of cracks and side boards look rushed. Paint on the outside of the house is still not finished like I was told.

Chose to pick a ground-up construction choosing my own options. All was fine during design process. Not many options or customizable IMO. The build process was a full-time job that I was not expecting. I was there 3-4x a week spending 30-45mins each visit to ensure the structural portion was built correctly. Pointed out many issues and received a ton of push back from the Field Manager. At one point, had to contact the Field Manager's Boss to get resolved. They will make changes to the floor plan without informing you and also take shortcuts throughout the build-out. Luckily for me, there were two other houses with the same floor plan being built at the same time that I could compare to and point out to the Field Manager. Timing of the complete build was on-time. Quality of the build is a 6 out of 10. I would rate it a 4 out of 10 had I not been persistent on having them fix issues such as paint drips, poor alignment of switches and canned lights, uneven entry ways, sloppy grouting, and sloppy staining of handrails that bled onto paint. Had to delay closing date cause they were rushing to finish the touch ups, but were still sloppy. Overall, I'm satisfied with the house as it was completed to the "best of their ability". Price was okay considering its a new build. ... More

Wish that builder would be more responsible.

I should be “in love” with my new Pulte home, but I am not! I’ll start with my salesperson Dave. He was all about getting us to sign the contract, no matter what it took. Our contract was contingent on 2 things: 1) 4’ bump out on the master bed room & the sale of our old home. Even though we mentioned this to Dave several times if not 100 times, he did not add the sale of our home to the contract. This became a problem when Pulte set up closing. While my husband & I worked it out, Pulte Mortgage was just awful! Moving on to the 4’ bump out, instead of the 4’ bump out, Pulte/Dave offered a 2’ bay window. The decision on the type took approximately 30 days & Pulte/Dave tried to blame the city & the plot plan, saying the lot was not big enough to allow the bay window. I escalated to both the city & Dave’s senior management. Finally Pulte agreed to allow the bay window, but not without me paying for it upfront! Dave told me afterwards, that I may have won that battle, but I would not win the next. The other option we wanted was 4’ extension on the garage. Dave told us we could not have it! Imagine my surprise (AFTER) moving in, that there was/is enough clearance to have added the extension on the garage. I will give Dave credit for always remaining professional (except that comment about the battle). He always claimed to ask “corporate” but the reply was always no! I believe Pulte sends employees to Dale Carnegie’s class “How to say no & still when friends & influence people”. The other issue with Dave was that he did not give us the “Design Center Catalog” before our appointment. We went in without knowing what was available & we were overwhelmed! Tips for New Pulte buyers: • You want to be “in love” with your new house! Don’t settle! And don’t rush! This is a 30 year decision! • Wait for the lot you truly want. The salesperson will tell you the price will go up! Yes, the price might go up, but it might not! You don’t want to “shoulda, woulda, coulda” on the lot! • Pulte won’t make all the lots available! Wait for the lot you truly want! • Ask for the plot plan to determine what options are available (ie: sunroom, garage extension. • Double-check the contract for sale of your home contingency! • Ask for the Design Center Catalog before your design visit! And don’t rush! • If the options are easily replaceable, go with builder grade (shower heads, water facets)! If it’s costly replacement later, upgrade now, but don’t expect the “midgrade” upgrades to be the very best! • Visit the construction site often! Be mindful small things: the placement of thermostats on the wall, lights in the closet, lights centered in the ceiling! Pulte is notorious for wasting space, so be mindful of opportunities to turn a nook into a closet! • Repeating: “You want to be “in love” with your new house! Don’t settle! And don’t rush! This is a 30-year decision! No one will live it, but you! ... More

Purchased a very expensive lot well over $225,000 and was told that my screen porch would have the perfect view of the lagoon. Nope, they were putting it on the other side facing other homes and not the lagoon. Quote “the buyer does not get to determine what side the porch is on”. I had to get my realtor and others involved and it took months to agree to flip. Every little thing they made extremely difficult to work with. The interior of the home is just okay, workmanship. The tile floor in the bathroom is terribly grouted. The septic system backed up on the first night we stayed here and they had to dig up my front sidewalk to correct it. My hot water heater tank broke within the first 30 days came to fix it several times and finally had to replace it. My sprinkler system leaks. Told by Pulte that it was a town issue, got the town to come out and the said it was not at the meter and that Pulte was responsible to repair. The heating strip on the furnace did not work and had to be replaced. The linen closet door in the master bathroom would open all the way it hit the door jam. Builder told me that’s the way it was designed that’s the plan. I wasn’t goning to let that go. THEY FIXED IT AT THE VERY LAST SECOND BEFORE CLOSING. KitchenAid glass cooktop was cracked and had to be replaced. When you spend $870,000 on a home, it should have been a MUCH BETTER experience and MUCH BETTER crafmanship. This is NOT the first house we have built, it is however is the most expensive with terrible craftsmanship - I would never ever build with this builder again. ... More

If you buy a home from pulte make sure you get the ALL the punch list items on the list. The project manager said yes to numerous things as we walked through and blue taped and said he would take care of it... but only did the items we wrote down. When I got the key to the house here was still about 10 blue taped tags on the wall and items. He must of barely walked through the house. He would make a great used care salesman. Now those damaged item Pulte will not address because it was not on the walk through list. I sent 42 item list with photos within 3 weeks after moving in and now I have to replace these items on a brand new house.. But I guess that's all you get when you spend 3/4 of a million dollars these day. Pulte is a number game and the customer is only a number. The contractors they use are total pigs. I watched the house go from ground level up and the amount of trash they leave laying around shows the level of workmanship your getting. ... More

Cold air is flowing into the room, no proper insulation. Even after repeating request issue is not addressed for months.

I was continuously reassured that Pulte upholds the highest regard for quality and customer service and that was not my experience unfortunately. Many issues were left overlooked and dismissed even when brought to their attention, poor craftsmanship and skills to treat and handle higher quality materials, it felt like a wash at at point when subcontractors don’t know how to properly install, handle, or work with better materials. Disappointing customer service and evident flaws in internal communications and protocols across various Pulte departments, which intimately falls on the customer and the lack of accountability, acknowledgment, and resolution. For the premium price you’re paying for the Pulte name and product. I was sorely disappointed throughout the entire process, and after receiving my keys. My friend purchased a new Pulte build in another community (locally) during then same time and experienced similar issues, and we both had water damage and exposure to the structure and cabinetry even before moving into our brand new homes. Yet it was dismissed as “part of the process”, really upsetting. Amateur electrical work, poor (to no) attention to detail for paint lines/edges, covering nails in moldings and baseboards, uneven drywall (evident when fitting for curtains, <3” difference from the top and bottom of the windows, etc. I feel bad for other buyers and neighbors who didn’t regularly check in during the bill process and don’t know what’s behind their walls. I lost a lot of trust in Pulte to do the right thing and deliver a quality product. They made evident that they had a little regard to my home buying experience and the product that they promised to deliver. ... More

The process of buying/building a home with Pulte has been disappointing. Things started after the contract was signed. Design center options were no longer available despite being offered on the website. Designer did not take into consideration any of the on-line choices that were made. Pulte Mortgage's lack of communication was challenging; asking for documents over and over despite those documents having been uploaded. When we asked questions, they often were not answered, but if we were late in responding to any of their questions, we received regular "nag" emails (even if they had been responded to). The Mortgage company took a somewhat questionable step in modifying the closing documents AFTER we had signed and with no notice. This negated a refund of over $600 to us and was deducted from the "incentive" that Pulte provided as a part of the sale. When walking the house prior to closing, we were handed blue and green tape to mark defects - and the construction manager walked away. We spent the next three hours placing tape for all of the issues we could find - over/under cut drywall and quartz throughout the house, deplorable painting on interior and exterior, miss-wired thermostats, and a plethora of issues that should have been caught by a walkthrough of the home prior to our walkthrough. After move-in, many of the defects had been resolved, but now the fairly expensive LVP had paint drops throughout the home and the floors and home had not been cleaned. We needed to purchase a steam cleaner to get the floors to a level of cleanliness that should have been there on move-in. Sawdust in cabinets, windows streaked with paint, and other issues showed that the "cleaning" process was less than desired. We are now preparing an extensive list of "warranty" items that are to be addressed - there is concern that the level of workmanship will not be up to the standards that Pulte so proudly promotes. We had hoped that Pulte's reputation was better than other home builders - in the end, nothing has changed from other "new build" experiences - shoddy construction, questionable practices, and lack of an attention to detail - oh, and the constant detail of empty beer cans throughout the home. ... More

We would not recommend others to buy.

I don’t have time to write some elaborate review, let’s just say make sure everything is perfect before you move in. If there are any issues after the fact they do everything but honor their warranty and workmanship. Things that were identified before we moved in or the week after we moved in have still not been fixed and I am starting to get a feeling that they won’t. Huge disappointment.

When I was shopping for my home I was shown the model homes that were immaculate. The sales representative was cordial and appeared friendly on the surface. After waiting months for my home to be built what I received was far from the immaculate model shown. My home was lacking the basics that should be offered with the purchase of a new home. First thing noticed was a lightbulb stuck up in the ceiling where clearly a light fixture should be. When I asked the field representative in charge of construction about it I was informed that I hadn’t purchased a light package. This was odd as I was never offered a light package nor informed that what is considered a spec home did not come with basic light fixtures. All upgrades that I had requested prior to moving in was denied and not allowed as I was informed this home was a spec home. Builder had already picked out all material to be used. No modification allowed. I made note that the master bathroom had been prepped for two light fixtures but was changed to one cheap fixture placed in the center. The previous prep for two fixture was drywall repaired. There are no towel racks in any of the bathrooms. That was also not an option. On the rear left side of the house there is damaged trim work. There is blue tape on the outside of the rear door where intended repairs were to take place but never completed. My rear sprinkler system was placed on the wrong side of the property line. Noted by the company hired to do a fence installation. There are nails and such left on top of the roof. When looking out the bedroom window it’s very noticeable that clean up wasn’t a concern. After waiting a month I finally will receive a mailbox key and gate stickers. This is unfortunate because builders should be more vested in establishing well built communities so that hard working family’s who more than likely are infesting a large portion of their life savings can be proud to call home. ... More

We thought we trusted the brand name, but unfortunately, we did not receive what it was worth even though we paid for higher options.

I really wish I could include pictures. The craftsmanship of my home is embarrassing. Corners are not 90 degrees (I was told this happens in every Pulte home). Front door doesn’t close/latch properly. The ceiling texturing doesn’t do all the way to the wall in some areas. My floors are uneven. None of the molding on the corners are smooth and the wood trim everywhere I looks like I plastered and painted over it. Interior doors are peeling at the top and bottom. So many fixtures are crooked. There is paint all over the floors. Carpets peel up at the corners (I was told this happens in ever Pulte home). My back door is not sealed properly and I can see light coming in therefore cold air and warm are will get in as well. So much caulking is messed up. My curtains move when the windows are closed due to a draft. Three issues I made tickets for have yet to be addressed (master bath temp/pressure, ac issue, and flooring). I don’t have the time to schedule everything. I expected more from Pulte. I had a really positive experience working with Allison on design. Please tell your buyers the slope of the lost when they select a lot. Had I known our backyard would be sloped like this I would have selected another lot. ... More

Poor communication during buying process. Excellent in on line communication however difficult to talk to a person. Sales staff say No to every request without an explanation. Had to speak to upper management several times for simple requests. Walk through was very unfriendly and so impersonal. Follow thru during first days of moving in was ignored by all. Had a burning smell in Microwave and asked in writing if they could look at it. Wanted them to pull the oven out so it could be unplugged. No response Had a fire in microwave 3 days later with the fire department at my house at 1130 Pm( microwave was not in use at the time of incident) Pulte is very poor on follow up, customer service and communication ... More

I was told all issues would be taken care of before closing. They were not. I have been here a month and am still waiting