Shea Homes Reviews in Orange County, CA

House built very nicely Equipment must be tested before final delivery

The overall buying experience was great. What I do think could have been improved is the oversight of the contractors. For our particular home there were some serious plumbing issues that had to be resolved right after closing. I understand that they work with a lot of contractors, but these types of things need to be caught and addressed before closing ideally. The sales team were amazing and always diligent in responding back to our questions/concerns. We never felt pressured to buy or forced to buy and they were always transparent of the entire process. Including discussing easements, what the HOA covers, important timelines, closing handouts, etc. ... More

Overall my home buying experience was great. I love the home and community. Jacqui and Mei in the sales office were amazing, helpful and very responsive. They continued to update me as the home was being built on progress and would send photos of the house. If I asked them a question, they would always get me the answer in a timely matter. All of the on-site construction staff and management were great as well. I had a few meetings/walkthroughs with them and they explained everything to me in detail. I decided to hire my own private home inspector and I was so happy to hear that my inspection went well and only 1 minor item needed to be fixed. I did have one large hiccup that caused a huge issue and headache. We met with our designer Chrissy and the initial meeting went well. Went went over all our design selections and then were sent our contract to sign. A few months passed and we went to the house to view the progress. We immediately noticed that the grout in one downstairs bathroom shower and was incorrect. We had requested the same grout and tile pattern as our model home bathroom. This grout that was installed was the wrong color. After going back and forth with two different managers, not getting email responses for 3 weeks after I followed up and management refusing an in person meeting to discuss this issue, they offered to stain the grout the correct color. This whole design experience really turned me off with Shea Homes and my overall experience. I was just shocked to be refused an in person management meeting to discuss. In the end the grout was stained white and hopefully that will last well. ... More

The entire process from the sales office to construction completion and punch list was excellent.

Given the price point of the home and Shea’s reputation I would have expected much better workmanship from those various trades that did work on our home. The fit and finish on the home was really lacking. We have seen issue throughout our house with the attention to details including paint, tile work, cabinetry and windows to name a few. We know that trades do this work but there needs to be better oversight from Shea. We regards to materials it is definitely clear that the best materials weren’t used. From the faucets to the exhaust vents these weren’t the best quality or the most appropriate for a home of this price. The kitchen exhaust vent didn’t have the correct damper and causes loud noise when it’s windy. The Moen fixtures feel very cheap and low quality. The toilets are below the quality we expected, they don’t even have soft close seats. This is minor but iemblematic of the lack of attention to detail that should be fitting of a house at this price point. When compared to our previous new construction with a different builder the materials are definitely not up to par. Another example of the lack of attention to details would be the HVAC system. For a house of this size there was no zoning. It immediately caused issues with cold and hot spots in the house. Even though the issue was corrected, I think there should have been planning to address this during design and construction. Overall given how these homes were positioned in the market and the price point the trades really disappointed with the quality of work. The materials and attention to details were extremely lacking. As a homeowner this puts the responsibility on our shoulders to try to work after move in the figure it out. Even though this is expected in any new home, the amount of issues that needed attention seems extraordinarily high. ... More

Bad quality on cabinets, windows, tile finishing, because of rush to sign the contract.

We have chosen this home mainly for community and proximity to our parents. Unfortunately the quality of workmanship and material was way below what we expected for such a high price!

Would never buy a shea home again, worst experience from start to end

Shea limited site visits to only once per month, seemingly to avoid us (and others) from pointing out various issues, like missing insulation, or missing options, or incorrect placement of options. They like to blame the trades for these issues, but they don't seem to manage their trades very well, and are more concerned about meeting schedule than delivering quality.

Generally speaking, I have good experience with the home purchase. Shea delivered the home on-time. However, there are lots of issues in the home. Just mention a few examples, such as air conditioning did not work because someone turned off the switch and we don't know where it is; doors are not properly polished and crooked, which we are still work with customer service to make correction; there are big holes under carpet, which just have been corrected. Paint needs to be touched due to either incomplete painting or have defects. I like your customer service personnel, who works with us closely to overcome the issues. Your continuous support is important to make the home cosmetics and functional right. ... More

We just purchased a new home at Cetara by Shea Homes. The handover process was extremely disappointing, so much so that after 2 months of moving in we are still chasing to have almost everything fixed/ repaired/ replaced. The list is too long, but it includes flooring, shabby painting, poor workmanship, electrical issues, almost felt like we purchased from amateurs. Not a happy customer.

Many defects, poor workmanship by the crafts. Many things pointed out prior to close were not addressed. Hurry up and sell mentality. Terrible customer service manager who doesn't pick up or return my calls from me.

The Shea Team for my transaction is very professional and efficient. Robin, Amna, Matt, Rickey, Salvador are all very professional and respond almost instantly on issues during the transaction and after the sale. They care about the homeowners very much!

We closed on our home over 2 months ago and our solar panels still are not in working condition. When they were installed there was an issue with the wiring so as a result we’re on the hook for something that was supposed to be in working order at the time of closing. Might be another month before they can be fixed.

We had a great experience in buying our Shea home. The communication was great throughout the process from sales, construction and customer service. Shea included a lot of nice features so we were able to stay within our budget when selecting options. The workmanship and attention to detail was impressive. We love our new home.

I don't even know where to begin. 1. False advertisement. 2. Shea Mortgage - difficult to work with and does not follow up or follow through. 3. Design Center - did not really help, they just agree to what you say so they can get you out of there. 4. Quality and workmanship was just overall poor. Month three and vendors are still in and out, like my house is still under construction. 5. Worst purchase I've ever made.

Proud to say this is my second Shea home!! Well my first brand new home and Chino never needed any repairs whatsoever this new one has a few very very minor issues which I understand is probably more normal. From the sales team to customer service they are very attentive and we are super excited about our purchase!!

Excellent service and communication all from start to finish! Love our Shea home!

The sales people Anne Marie and Jim were the best! Helpful, caring, and communicative throughout the process!

Top notch service from the sales team (Anne Marie & Jim)! I would rate them 6 star if I could. But the quality of the house built, especially the workmanship was at an extremely low level. I'm a bit disappointed by Shea Homes on that part.

Made a mistake of buying a model home and paying for all those upgrades at high prices. Being a model home, the builder only kept up with the house to make sure the lights and AC were working for other to see. There were so many issues with the house like appliances not work, missing parts, lack of explanation/manuals for the options included in the home price, etc. Getting things reported and being taken care of is another stressful process that no homeowner should go through. Shea home should have been more responsible to ensure that a decent and working home is sold and delivered to the new homeowners...not after the homeowners to move in and have to deal with so many things to be repaired and serviced. I have to spending probably 30% of my time in the first month we moved in to wait for the repairs or service reps to come by. I bought several homes including new homes and this is the absolutely the worst experience of all. It has been 2 months since we moved in and still have thing not resolved from the walk-through inspection findings. ... More

Great experience with the sales staff at the location where we bought, they truly go above and beyond to make this a one of a kind experience. Highly recommend this builder.

Professional and hardworking, able to solve the problems in time.

Too many poor workmanships to mention but one that stands out the most is horrible fit and finish on painting. Just the worst.

From Sales Team to Super to follow up we've been impressed with the team at Shea. Very responsive to all.