Shea Homes Reviews in Ventura, CA

Excellent attention to move in process and quick response to questions

It’s so hard to say this but the walls are much thinner and the quality of the products used is less than average. It is not the Grove quality. We really miss having a convenient light switch in the kitchen and that is just a basic item on a builders to do list. We can hear neighbor talking and can feel cold air coming through the walls.

We are Realtors and have just purchased a home in Ventura, CA from Shea. Every person we have dealt with has been exceptional. From Kathy, the amazing sales rep, to Vince, the construction supervisor, to Will, the warranty specialist, the care and responsiveness have been unmatched. The home is beautiful. The community plan is thoughtful and charming. This has been a 10+ experience.

Buying your first home is supposed to be stressful and it was a little, but all the people at Shea Homes made the process as easy as possible and quite enjoyable.

I want to share my experience with Shea Homes, highlighting both the positive aspects and the areas where communication and transparency could be significantly improved. From the beginning, I encountered challenges in selecting a floor plan. One of the most frustrating aspects was the lack of explanation as to why a balcony was not included in the design for the location I had chosen. I specifically wanted a balcony, but it wasn’t offered—and this important detail was never clearly communicated during the selection process. Another major concern arose when I discovered a $6,000 charge for a three-panel sliding glass door I did not request. It was automatically included in the home’s price, despite the absence of a balcony. Paying for an upgrade that serves no functional purpose felt unnecessary and unjustified, and again, there was no prior discussion or approval from my end. During the first walk-through, I identified numerous construction issues. Fortunately, the builder addressed them promptly, and I want to commend Vince, the superintendent, for his responsiveness and professionalism. However, the final walk-through was poorly communicated. I was not clearly informed about the timing or process, which left me confused and unprepared. After moving in, I was disappointed to discover the water in this area is extremely hard. I later learned—on my own—that Shea Homes offers a water softener installation during the building phase. Unfortunately, I was never informed of this option. Had I known, I would have absolutely included it, as hard water has a long-term impact on plumbing, appliances, and daily comfort. This lack of proactive communication resulted in a missed opportunity that continues to affect my home experience. Additionally, the post-move-in requirements from the Homeowners Association (HOA) added an unexpected layer of stress. I found it odd and somewhat unreasonable that homeowners are required to complete their yard landscaping within six months, yet the HOA’s own design approval process takes more than four weeks. On top of the delay, we were required to pay an additional fee for architectural design approval. The communication around this process was not smooth or supportive—it came across as demanding, without offering clear guidance or flexibility. I believe this process could have been handled more collaboratively to reduce unnecessary pressure on new homeowners. On a more positive note, I want to highlight the outstanding support I received from Mr. Will Duke, the warranty representative. He went above and beyond to resolve several post-move-in issues, including improperly installed bathroom drainage, water heater concerns, and electronic problems. His responsiveness, professionalism, and genuine concern for my satisfaction made a meaningful difference. I truly commend him for his dedication and customer care. Overall, while there were positive elements to my experience, including some helpful individuals along the way, I feel that several important details were either omitted or poorly communicated throughout the process. The lack of transparency around the balcony design, sliding door charge, water softener installation, and HOA landscaping requirements significantly impacted my overall satisfaction. I hope Shea Homes and its partners will take this feedback seriously and improve the level of transparency, communication, and homeowner support moving forward. ... More

But communication was very poor. They communicate mostly by email. Many times they are sending you documents to sign without anyone explaining to you what this new document is and if/or why you need to sign it. The local team was mostly accessible to answer questions or meet with me to go over things at my request. Particular thanks to Patti at the main office who was a gem, and helped me and my realtor tremendously.

Good quality and great customer support

Shea nickle and dimes you to death with charges for every single thing. This was my 2nd time having a home built in a community. My first experience included a lot of options in the purchase price with levels of upgrades, but Shea doesn't really give you a single option in the base price. You're stuck with everything basic, not even a choice of paint or flooring color differences. For a price $1M+ for a new home, you'd think it would include all the lighting, a landscaped backyard, high quality paint, window shades/coverings, smart home technology everywhere; however, none of this was included and all of it was additional costs. The $1M+ for the base price literally includes the four walls and base materials. ... More

My experience with Shea Homes as a first time new home buyer went extremely well. Information was provided efficiently and all the staff is knowledgeable and available. Emails are responded to quickly and the home delivered on time. The quality is great and any need with the construction is timely solved. The people who have moved in around us are happy as well.

This was our 3rd time buying a new home (previously bought from Pulse and City Ventures) and I would say probably the best experience so far. The entire Shea team is organized and they do an outstanding job of communicating with each other and with us. This is a nice house and nice neighborhood - the whole development is just well done. We really appreciated how Shea gave us a move-in date - and they stuck to it. Moving is never fun but Shea made it a great experience. Highly recommend.

The inside of the home is very nice, and I'm happy with it; however, and it's a BIG ONE. When I walk to my back yard, my neighbors and I can see 100% of everyone's yard. There is zero privacy. They could have raised the fence or at least told me because had I known, I would not have purchased this condo.

We love Shea Homes. From the sales to the warranty work. All is excellent. The only difficult experience was the person at the title company. We paid with cash and his timeline was to tight. Getting funds from an investment company takes time. I was begging him several times. For the escrow account info and a timeline. It was like pulling teeth. I get it. He has the market for Shea. He will do what he wants. The business is flowing into computer. He doesn't need to communicate to us. And his assistant never did. Which is very unusual...

the team was very helpful and informative.

everyone has been great so far - Will responds immediately and does his best to solve problems as soon as possible - Jeanie and shannon are always available to help. great support and customer service so far!

I love the design and the selling service and the warranty service. This is the best house in CA. But please talk to HOA management company and do not control too much.

The house is great and they built it pretty quickly. But as with any multiunit that supposed by the deadline to please buyers the workmanship suffers and the result shows it. The warranty is great but certain things can’t be fixed since you already live in the house and it is hard to get people to come out to fix things.

Pros: quality of work is good. Shea builds good solid homes. I think this is developing into a really good community. They have been responsive to issues, and they are fixing. The warranty specialist is super friendly, does a good job making his rounds and getting things fixed. Value for price is good for this area and only getting more expensive. Has a community pool and developing pocket parks. The folks in the model home offices are very nice friendly and helpful, even after you move in, they are there to assist if you have any questions. Has an HOA Cons: Water heater is electric which is fine, but it is really noisy as the built in fan has to run for an hour or more every time you take a shower or use hot water. And the water heater is situated near the bedrooms or next to an office which will run at night or morning and makes it difficult to work or you have to have your bedroom door closed in order to relax in your room or sleep. Note that you cannot have a full salt soft water system installed which is tricky to keep your appliances and faucets clear from hard water deposits. You have to maintain and or eventually replace faucets which is really unfortunate. Would be nice if they could add sport courts such as pickle ball/tennis courts etc. as there are not many things to do in the area that are walking distance. Has an HOA I would give it 5 stars if it wasn't for the water Heater and not being able to set up a full salt soft water system. ... More

The whole process of buying our townhouse went smoothly. Patti and Philippe were amazing.

The quality of work and attention to detail is seriously lacking. For a nearly 1,000,000 dollar home you’d expect a lot more in terms of finishing. The baseboards bow inward in some areas, the staircase where the dry wall meets the flooring is atrocious, and nearly all the downstairs light dimmers are making a buzzing noise. There are multiple areas where the drywall seams are noticeable and even lumpy. The tile work in the bathrooms is horrible in some areas and the master bath shower glass is scratched. Also there is unique touch at the top of the stairs beneath the newel post where the 3/4 inch trim, baseboard, and newel post corners all point in different directions. The tile work in the master bath shower is also horrendous. ... More

Everything gets an A, good experience.

Very positive experience Only suggestion is a formal checklist

Shea Home is a state of the art home - if you can build updates with good design style, sky is the limit! You can arrange a great home build set up with Shea Team! Great Professionals! Thanks for our new Home!

All in all, Shea was great. The only negative aspect is the White Gloves Service was very poor in that they did not take enough time to explain all the smart home apps and how, to use them. Very Poor.

We recently purchased a home built by Shea Homes. They were very professional, and have gone above and beyond to ensure our satisfaction with the process. They have responded to every small punch list item in a timely fashion and have taken care of everything. My in-laws purchased a home through Shea and they also had a seamless experience. The home was built on time, and it is clear they care about their customers and their work. The value was very good in comparison to what else was on the market. We would buy a Shea Home again.

Staff has been responsive and timely in fixing issues.