Highland Homes Reviews

We've now worked with 3 Construction Managers (CM) after firing the first (refusing to work with him) after he lied to us about a sealing issue in our roof that our personally hire inspector found. Our 2nd day in the house we were awakened at 2am to substantial leaking in 2 bathrooms, hallway, walls, roofs, etc. because there was so much water on the ceiling it set off the smoke detectors. Since then, we found out they only used primer w/o a coat of paint on most of the house, we have white paint stains ALL over our house, including all over our brand new (and expensive) woof floors, in additions to nicks and scratches. Dozens of things around the house weren't sealed correctly, if at all. Mirrors were not secured, we have a big dip in our wood floors in the kitchen that they didn't even try to fill in or cover up. They just added the wood planks over the gap and said nothing. There poor landscaping also flooded our front yard garden area, they made changes to the houses layout without even consulting us!! because they "had it when they were a kid". The painted our brick the wrong color, they didn't stain our fence as per our contract. The paint was blotchy, uneven and sparse all over the house. We've been here for 2 months and there literally has not been 1 day when we haven't found something else wrong and the majority of those days we've had workers and CM's in and out of our house to fix things. Except they either don't show up when scheduled, show up randomly unannounced and unplanned, invite themselves over (the CM Clint), they have big packages mailed to our house w/o telling us they're coming, what they are and what they're for and they put them in the middle of our driveway or blocking our front door or in the mud. Speaking of yards, they put a porta-potty in our front yard - yes they put a portable toilet that workers were using in the middle of our front yard. We had to move out a week because they had so much to fix and when we came back less than half of what we were told would be done was done. They lied about replacing drywall in all of the areas effected by our huge leak in the roof and they've had workers come to fix things that either don't show up, don't fix anything, make it worse or fix it but create another problem. And I'm only telling you part of it after 2 months. The biggest slap in the face is that they've offered absolutely nothing for all of the trouble. No upgrades, no discount, not a single thing. Oh but they did give us $200/day for the week we got kicked out of our house that was supposed to cover lodging and food for a family of four - with a 3-yr old and 5-yr old. And boy do they lie. We even have them on tape and video to prove it. My hand is tired, otherwise I could keep adding things for hours and I'm not kidding or exaggerating. So I would say don't use them maybe :) ... More

*For perspective, I have 24 years in the building industry (sales side) and built my last 2 homes in another state with other builders. My comments below are beyond the normal issues all new build have. What is not included is the lack of follow up, attention to details and planning. This home build with Highland has been rough. Tears, frustration, unease and distrust all flowed thru my family….but we went thru the build because we had no other options because we moved from out of state. Currently about 2 months into the home and we still have major repairs going on, here is a quick recap in the current state, I am grouping it by locations. Inside: General -curved walls due to bad framing. -holes were punched into the Sheetrock all around the home to find a bad wire because the power in the bath would not turn on….the breaker was tripped. Now have variations in the wall texture because no one looked at the breaker box before punching holes into the wall. -paint issues all around the home, painter had been back multiple times, just takes the tape off the wall and moves on. If any painting were done, paint drips and splatter ended up everywhere. Outside -had 3 driveways poured. 1 was cracked, 1 was installed with a expansion line that veered off 8” from center. The latest driveway has a significant chunk taken out of it and patched…also tool grind marks are in the driveway. I gave up on having a decent driveway put in and instead asked for a nicer sidewalk for compensation. They will do that…just have been left with no sidewalk, just a hole in the ground for several days. -the front profile of the house was compromised by weather proofing wrapping around the front of the home, unlike the model or other homes….it was just faster for this Sub. They corrected it but left black glue marks on the front brick. -several brick were left off the house and the soffit/gutters were installed leaving a 8”x4” hole in the side of the house. This “passed inspection”. -soffit boards and trim was cut short, leaving 2 more holes at the back of the home. Also passed “inspection”. -3 areas where we had stucco, 3 different profiles. Had to have them replace it to all match -had to redo the fireplace outside on the patio, the firebox was installed crooked. Also had to redo the whole front of the brick and hearth, crooked, cracked and glue was on it. Also needed a new mantel. -new front window was needed, scratched. -needed a new front door, the change order was not followed. -holes in the front porch brick/grout/mortar. Had to have them back twice to correct. -the front of the house had the wrong stain installed, had to get a new garage door and shutters. -shingles had to be replaced, brick debris stained the shingles. Living Room/Kitchen -for the first walk thru before Sheetrock, they had the wrong plans/no change orders. (Also didn’t bring a pencil, I lent mine I had on me). -fireplace was built to the small version, paid for the floor to ceiling and for a floating mantle. Had to tear out the corbels and add the top of the fireplace…5 different grout lines and uneven brick work on top create a wave effect. Had to tear it out to try again, still was poor workmanship (this time there was cracks in the brick from the tear out). Had to tear it all out and reinstall, this one looks good. -Flooring, in the process of the fireplace being fixed, they installed the wood floor and left it u protected, leaving chunks taken out of the floor from falling bricks. -back patio door is not squared up the transom above it, ordered the wrong size door. No fix for this besides hiding it with curtains (this is their current solution) -the wrong cabinets were ordered, the Change Order had no wine cabinets and instead regular cabinets put in. They installed the wine cabinets. -many doors and drawers in the kitchen have touch up not completed after several follow ups. -countertop had a deep gouge. -the top crown above the hutch was stalled crooked due to ceiling issues. -wood floor had oil stains on it from construction. -wood floor had been split, carpet installers nailed into the wood floor. Master Bath/closet -the wrong closet for the master was wrong, did not follow the change order. -once the right one was installed, the profile was not like the model. It was explained that there is 3 versions of this closet that Highland Corp designed and there is no way to know which one will be installed. We not have it corrected with nail holes visible , cut marks and glue painted over in a gloopy fashion. -master bath had a leaking window. -the tile has cut ends in the shower with paint on those ends, already peeling 2 months in. Should have used trike trim Upstairs/stairs -the skirt board on the stairs had 2 profiles, leaving up to 1” holes on one side where the riser and the tread meet. The solution was too stuff carpet into those holes so we wouldn’t see it. Also had a handrail that looked like a ski jump. As if this review, this is still not done. They fixed most of this, but caused enough damage that there needs to be another major tear out. -wrong carpet was installed upstairs. -all the bathrooms upstairs had their shower handles installed incorrectly, there is no fix for this unless the whole bath wall is torn out. -the window upstairs with an arch, had to be redone 3 times. Main floor -wrong tile installed in the powder room, they still installed the sink and toilet on top of it. New tile and grout has left behind stains on the trim. There is so much more , but getting tired of writing. Hope this paints a picture of the issues involved and why a 1 star is justified. ... More

In an effort to keep this review brief, I will only list our general experience. Communication with our construction manager was poor throughout our build process. Our home inspector identified enough items to complete a 30-page report and we nearly walked away due to the severity of some of the issues. A mere two months after closing we have had 18 (yes 18 and counting-with at least 5 more visits pending) repair visits to address/rectify the multitude of problems with the home. Highland has the potential to be one of the, if not the best, builders in the area, however, the quality and workmanship fall short on nearly every level. We fell in love with what this home could be; definitely not what it turned out to be. ... More

Sadly, my experience with Highland has been very unfavorable. I can not recommend them. I’ve been in my home for 2.5 months and am still having workers out every week to install missing items and repairing faulty work.

Almost every issue you could have with a new build. We have had. Having to kick and screen to get issues corrected

Make sure you get a home inspection and do not sign for the home until everything...And I mean EVERYTHING...is fixed no matter what they say or how bad you want the house. Quality of craftsmanship is pretty bad. Work is sloppy. You won't be able to tell until you clean the home really well. A lot of things were broken or broke quickly after moving in. Warranty work is shoddy. It's all patch work to get you to sign for the home, no quality repairs or quality work throughout the house. Unfortunately, all of my neighbors are saying the same thing. Very sad to see.

After hearing great things about highland, I was confident in choosing them as our builder. The entire experience was disappointing and even now (6+ weeks later) we’re having to live in construction - after being delayed for 6+ months. The worst part was the horrible communication and the crappy workmanship. Having to wait 14+ months for a house and to walk in the day before closing to dead bugs in the cabinets, crooked walls, and horribly laid tile?? I was floored.

We signed a contract on a fully framed house at the end of November 2021 to close in April latest May and we ended up closing in mid August, 2022. It’s almost as if they were stringing us along for 9 months hoping that we would back out and sell the home for a higher price. After 9 months of waiting, we are in a “new” home that has electrical issues, AC issues, and a bunch of things done in hurry that looks unfinished. One AC vent started to rattle so loud in under a month it’ll wake me up at night. The driveway looks like it took some damage and they just threw concrete at it and didn’t even smith it out. Everyone on the block (including those with the same home design) has an additional side garden and we don’t. There is only one spigot attached to the home and it’s not even conveniently placed near the garden or back. Maybe it’s for the neighbor to use. Not thoughtful at all. They cut a lot of corners and it shows. ... More

Had a horrible experience with Highland being a first time buyer. The construction manager assigned neither provided any status updates nor picked up the calls. He also never responded to numerous emails and texts sent. There were numerous issues during the house built and even after 2 months of closing, Highland is still working on resolving those. Had to escalate every single time and I essentially worked as a construction manager to supervise my house built. Construction manager also made racial comments saying "which part of English I don't understand" after I asked him on the status update after house closing. He got agitated as he lost the affidavit containing the list of issues signed during closing. Highland is now trying to make things better and also did some damage control around the closing time by involving the division manager. However, its not the experience anyone would have hoped for, especially from a reputed builder like Highland. Would recommend persistently asking to change the construction manager if one is not happy with him/her even after the push back from builder. ... More

Will never again trust this builder

Not the best experience for first time home buyers. Unprofessionalism from sales agent to the builder.

My highland home that I thought would be my dream home, not so much. The home as so many issues and still currently trying to get fixed almost 2 months later. Half million dollar home should of went for a lesser home and got better quality. Very disappointed

Highland Homes prides themselves on quality of construction. The construction of the home was horrible. There were over 50 discrepancies in our home when we purchased it. The craftmanship was terrible. The home reminded me of a habitat for humanity home which was put together by volunteers who were not experts in construction. After nearly 2 months in the home we are still dealing with repairs and have a long way to go.

Not a pleasant experience at all. Cabinets have been one of the worse experiences we have so far in this house. Workmanship is not good at all. Backyard has issues with leaking water. None of the issues post closing have been addressed so far. It’s like they want to wait for a year, so we even run out of 1yr warranty. 1. BACKYARD : a. When they installed the SOD looks like someone has walked with heavy boots and the backyard is uneven. My cousin has already sprained her ankle just by walking in the backyard and we have stopped using it. b. Our side yard is always damp. They tried installing some drain but nothing seems to work so far. It still DAMP. May be a leak or something. c. There is more weed than the grass and was very disaapointed to see so much weed in the first month after we moved. They have already done one weed treatment and looks like that didnt help much. 2. CABINETS : It has been a pain to work with ACW cabinets. The doors were never aligned properly. There were few things that were broke and needed to be addressed . They already showed up twice and we are still waiting for things to be addressed completely. a. Oven needs to adjusted correctly to cover the gap. b. pot drawer needs to be adjusted, looks like the gas pipe is causing some issues here. There are some doors in the kitchen with adjustment issues and were never addressed. ACW has already given up on this. c. some replacement items in kitchen island and master bath. ACW showed up like 2 months ago and they said they are placing order for new parts and they never came back. 3. Other minor issues which shouldnt take time but still pending. a. one of the chandeliers has a broken globe. b. Garage insulation has a hole from inside. c. one of the plates needs to be adjusted near water heater. ... More

The finance part of our home buying was fantastic. No complaints there, but the construction part of the home buying is horrible. The workmanship of our house is very poor and the value for the price paid is not worth it. The response to issues is a joke. I have purchased homes before and this is by far the worst experience I have ever encountered. Highland should be ashamed of presenting their homes to buyers like this. Truly a lack of customer service. Customer service is what makes America great. I am an unsatisfied home buyer and I will never purchase from Highland again in the future or recommend anyone to do so either. ... More

I've had 4 builds in under15 years and this has been my worst experience. (My previous builders were Lennar, Castle Rock, and Long Lake Ltd...wonder builders, experience, and quality of work) COVID-19 and logistics had no bearing on oversight/quality of craftsmanship. (Excuse used "TRUST THE PROCESS" it will be corrected in the end...I can't trust the process when I don't have experienced Project Management/Oversight). I've been in my home 90 days and still have unfinished work. Highland Meridiana will be receiving a poor BBB Report to make customers aware... Foundation: Blueprints not followed I even told the PM prior to them pour the foundation yet they had to tear-up bust bathroom foundation to move tub plumbing. Foundation poured on raining misty day my back porch and garage are horribly finished due to weather conditions. Driveway: Poorly done cracks/major breaks (redone because I requested it. Structure: Poor Material Used damaged lumber used (identified by me and external inspector) Dry Wall had severe waives in master bedroom I Identified and had them redo. Craftsmanship: Rework/Sloppy work, unable to make proper 45 degree cuts to form 90 degree angles. Front window over garage was not level (spouse identified...PM swore it was taping...yet after putting a level on it it was deemed un-level. Arched windows were not insulated properly...I identified prior to dry walling, Door Frames broken in 3 rooms they attempted to just paint over or add caulking to hide again I identified and had them correct the issue. Second story floors not screwed securely squeaky/sounded like paper when walking on them. Carpet not properly stretched seams in most notable places Dripping paint....redo, loose stair treads redo; bad cabinets redo, as you can see it a theme of poor quality work with constant rework. Front door unlevel insects able to enter through top. Water sprinkler system two zones failed, rewire. Lights flicker in home when AC or Vacuum turns on, Garage door, squeak tremendously with large knocking sound. Dishwasher repaired 3 times, then finally replaced. Vent hood installers 3 separate trades 90 days still not installed...(Parts on back order...etc ordering wrong parts...lack of oversight) $700K Lemon...I wish there was a Lemon Law for Homes I would give this one back if SO! Very disgruntle customer. ... More

I purchased it recently and found the water leakage in the two-bedroom and still working on and not yet finished the work. so many defects in the home.

We should be compensated for having to manage the completion of our home, post closing. This is our third new home in four years and this is by far the worst experience. The build process, the attention to detail, the finished product upon delivery at closing was despicable. Had interest rate‘s not been rising we would have made them complete it but my gut is they’re impotent when it comes to fine detail and quality as they were known a few years ago. Three months in our kitchen is still unfinished, we are still pressing the construction team to complete items every day. We have been managing a spreadsheet of simple things. I understand that the tradesmen are a major issue but Highland should add more staff or employed directly to obtain the level of completion and detail that we expect on an $800,000 house. It is so bad in our new neighborhood that a group of Highland owners gathered in the street and talked about a class action lawsuit because of the quality, workmanship, and issues that we are finding in the property. Add to the mix all the homes under construction, the beer cans the trash, the trash, the trash and it’s obvious why our homes are not finished. When you walk a property in there are alcohol containers inside or on the outside such as our house and our neighbors house that is a clue. We feel like educated, experienced, reasonable buyers since we’ve done this with two companies over three new homes across for years. This process that is still unfinished three months after closing Has been the worst nine months in our marriage because we have argued in battles over should we stay or should we go and that continues on a daily basis and that is all due to Highland lack of attention to detail or respect for customers. We will never buy from them again and every person that I talk to I tell our experience and advise them to avoid Highland homes. I feel for their local sales reps and construction lead, the main organization should do more to help the employees serve the customer. I likened our experience to their previous manager when I said have you ever stood on the assembly line of your new dodge pick up and made sure that the corporation was putting every piece where it needed to go, every fit and finish with perfect? Do you get frustrated when you have to take your vehicle back for a recall? We have purchased something that is 14 times the value of your truck and yet on a daily basis we are having to manage the construction and completion of this home and you would never go for that for your new pick up. Overall a horrible experience, and I don’t get angry as I look at my kitchen countertop that is still incomplete, missing molding, while I make coffee Everywhere in this house to include barn doors that are 2 inches too small for the opening is a reminder that unless we argue, push, fight for what we paid for Island homes will do their best to take advantage of us. ... More

Worst customer service evern I have seen in my life

I was so excited to have my family's home built by Highland, but the experience just got worse and worse as time passed. About 8 months into build, Highland moved the construction manager working on our home to another site and that's when everything went downhill. The new manager was not responsive to my concerns. Especially in regard to green paint being spilled and splattered all over the first floor of the home. I noticed it the week it happened and reported ASAP. It still sat for months, going ignored; it just seemed really disrespectful to the fact that this was going to be our home and they didn't care to clean it up. I understand accidents happen on construction sites, but it was as if someone took a gallon bucket of paint and threw it from across the room, at the back kitchen wall. To this day, (three months post move-in), we are still finding green paint stains in the wood flooring and on cabinets. In addition to the home completing more than 3 months late, everything wasn't completed by closing; in fact, Highland wanted to push closing because they weren't ready. The house had major issues upon closing and we had to add an addendum to the contract that held Highland responsible for finishing the items they weren't able to, before closing. In addition to this, two-weeks after closing, we had a major flood in the bathroom, which lead us to discover a leak that had been ongoing since before we took possession of the house. This lead to two-weeks of major construction of my octogenarian grandparents' portion of the home. It completely destroyed the floors, walls, etc. While Highland was responsive to the issue, they did not go above and beyond to reconcile this issue that was due to their negligence. There is blue board missing behind tile and it has already sunk-in; we continue to have issues with the irrigation leaking, although we've asked for it to be addressed several times. It's just not the experience we expected when choosing Highland. I would not recommend them as a builder to any family or friends. ... More

Worst buying home experience ever. Quality of home is horrendous

Bad paint job. Paint/stains all over floors and doors. Garage concrete is completely stained and chipped. Construction did not follow design and preconstruction design notes. Floors lifted by trim. Doors don't close right. Drawers slides are not smooth. I think my expectations were to high choosing Highland, should of known something was off when the sales rep took us to tour a house and they couldn't believe how much trash there was. I do believe more supervision should be done over the construction crew not only in design but in constructability.

Work was very rushed. Very disappointed with the purchase. I'm still dealing with issues on repairs to be completed that should have been done before forcing me to close just to make a year end number. Worst experience I've had ever buying a new home.

To mention a few issues, The home was not ready to be delivered on the day of close with construction taking place the day off closing, tile pieces and dust all over master bathroom, supplies left throughout the home, and countless issues to follow. The home is still not complete 2 months post closing.

I closed on my home on 12/27/2021. The condition of the home when I received it should not be something Highland is proud of. The carpet was not completed. There was an entire closet that wasn't carpeted, the carpet on the stairs was loose, and carpet was sticking up in several corners. I received the wrong stove and I am still waiting for the correct one. My bathrooms are still missing mirrors and the master bath does not have the shower door, vanity lights, or the glass to separate the shower and bathtub. I have closets that don't have the rods to hang clothes. I have paint on railings and paint isn't complete. The little square pieces at the bottom of the railing are all loose. The sprinkler system does not work properly. We have not received our chandelier yet but the unfinished home next door has their's. Also, the unfinished home next door seems farther along than my home. I just think it's crazy that the house was turned over in the condition it was in. The back yard was a mess and there was urine on a toilet seat. Just didn't seem much pride or priority was taken in building my home. We aren't a priority. Also, why isn't there insulation in the interior walls? The toilet in the master bathroom sits right against the living room wall and you can hear everything. As first time home buyers we entrusted Highland to build our dream home and Highland has failed us. Highland hasn't reached out in an attempt to right the wrongs. It's been a miserable experience. I can go on and on but it shouldn't be like this. ... More