Pulte Homes Reviews

Generally good but several quality issues with cabinets.

In an overt effort to mass produce moderate-quality homes, the builder is absolutely rigid in making changes that would save them costs of materials yet they are overtly willing to guide you toward upgrades with 600% markup margins. The only smart move with builders such as this is to purchase the home at near base price, do diligent homework on acquiring upgrade estimates outside of closing and then decide how to proceed with the builder. For us, those moves were an as-build base kitchen, base carpet, base tiles, base paints and no structural wire upgrades. Builder wanted nearly $200k for a home we desired but we were able to achieve that after close for $45k and a little extra dust. It’s your money and generally the largest purchase people make in their lives. Suspend emotion and be smart. ... More

Make sure you check your home carefully before pulling the trigger. Workmanship was lacking.

Too many surprises. HOA is non-responsive. Monthly fee is too high for the service provided. Salespeople and building supervisors are very nice and the exception to the rule. Home itself has numerous minor issues. Phone service is spotty which is a real problem. Internet service has issues.

We love the idea of our new townhome. It suits our lifestyle and we look forward to new releases;ationships with our neighbors. We are disappointed in the build quality. We kept hearing that what we bought was builder quality. Our construction manager was great giving us walk throughs but was unreliable responding to our email and suggestions. This was very disappointing as we were told to of their being available for us, but then ultimately basically ghosted us. The ceiling upstairs sheetrock and finish is cracking and falling off the ceiling. We are told that it's normal settling but having holes in the ceiling the first month feels like workmanship overall was low end at best. There was a crack in our kitchen cabinets that we wanted replaced but was just covered over and we were told it was "normal". Our garage door had to be serviced 3 times to get the panels of the doors to seal properly to keep the outdoor elements from blowing in. Our front door handle is loose and needs to be fixed or replaced. Windows feel drafty downstairs and in some places upstairs. So much so the blinds appear to move when it's windy outdoors. Deep cleaning was needed post closing as the cleaners brought in prior were not very thorough. We have learned that we will just have to be aggressive with our warranty needs this first year. There are parts of our home that feel like they were just thrown together. But in time, either through warranty or just improvement on our part. we hope to make this home feel more quality than what we feel we were believe we were sold. ... More

We bought the home at Highpointe due to location and the attractive models we visited. We were pressed for time due to work relocation and time-limited rental, so we welcomed a speedy purchase, but perhaps we should have had a deep look into the actual quality of materials and tradesmen workmanship. It begins with having to have window frames corrected. There were various windows that we installed crookedly and had to be remedied, followed by toilet paper dispensers that were poorly mounted and could not be used, followed by a shower door that scraped the floor and had to be addressed by three visits, followed by realizing that the appliances were all bottom level buys. The appliances do not match the pretense of the price of the home. Cheap appliances will need to be replaced soon. Kitchen ergonomics were not a concern. The most recent discontent occurred last night when the smoke detector alarms sounded for the second night in a row. The fire dept came both times. I call the Pulte Emergency number and they could not help me, as I needed the name of the vendor who installed the electrical system/wired smoke detectors. There was no sticker in the electrical panel listing the electrician. Also, why is there not a way to silence the alarms after a false alarm? There is also the issue of the irrigation head that sprayed the back windows with intensity, and after it was supposedly addressed, it was simply pointed to another part of the back of the hous. It seems that quality control is very poor. ... More

For a half million dollar house, I am greatly disappointed. I had high hopes that Pulte would build us a quality home and what we have encountered thus far is the opposite of quality. There are sections of our drywall that look like a toddler was set loose with mud and they called it a good day. Paint haphazardly applied (literally, it appears as though somebody spilled a substantial amount of paint on the floor in our downstairs powder room and couldn’t be bothered to clean it all up- I am still scraping paint out from in between my floor boards). Some of the worst finishes especially when it comes to smooth corners in drywall. The plumbers couldn’t be bothered to install the master shower pan correctly, so we had to call them out to repair the horrendous creaking and CRACKING when we tried to shower. The tile in the master shower has so many chips, like a sharp saw blade wasn’t available in our tile install day. And don’t get me started on the masonry outside. The mason on duty that day apparently was absent on the “make sure you mix pallets so that color variations blend” day because we have a 5-foot stripe running right down the middle of our house. I will never purchase another Pulte home again. ... More

new build in a hot neighborhood so excited about the value overall but the build/workmanship was mediocre at best

Overall, I do like the home itself, but my experience with Pulte was disappointing. The option-selection process lacked transparency, and several important details were either not clearly explained or were outright misrepresented. I was told certain features could not be done, only to later see those same features included in nearby homes. For example, I requested basic wooden steps off the back slider and was told this was not an option, yet a quick-build home next door received them. I was also told a side entry door for the garage was not possible, despite multiple surrounding homes having one. These inconsistencies were frustrating and eroded trust. Additionally, within a week of moving in, a window seal began leaking moisture. When colder weather arrived, the window cracked. Nearly two months later, the issue remains unresolved. While the house itself is nice, the overall experience left me feeling misled. If I had to do this again, I would choose a different builder. ... More

What started as a very positive experience with sales and the design studio became more challenging once construction began. We encountered ongoing issues with follow-up, communication, and workmanship throughout the build. As a frame of reference, this is our third home and first new build. We selected most upgrades offered in our model and through the design studio. Despite being actively involved throughout the process, the overall quality did not fully meet our expectations, an experience we have since learned is shared by other Pulte homeowners in the area. While we are happy to be settling into our new home, we feel the value did not align with the investment. ... More

A number of issues came up after I closed. At first the construction manager took care of the immediate corrections. i.e breaker replacements, electrical door panel, switches malfunctioning among other numerous items. Then on the weekend following my move, I was left with no outlets working in the kitchen and the gas stove not operating because it had no power to ignite the burners. The construction manager turned me over to customer service on a Thursday only to be told that an electrician would not be available until Monday. I told the agent that was not acceptable but I was totally ignored by the cavalier customer service agent (that would not give her name). The electrician showed on Monday morning and fixed the problem. Defective breakers again. I contacted customer service again about my garage door opener via the service form and email, It did not match the manual that was left. 4 days later a customer service person called to tell me that the garage opener is correct and my house does not match the model home because the model is upgraded. There is no garage in the model since it is the office. She said she would check further and let me know. i never heard from anyone. I basically feel that Pulte left me the minute I close. Customer service will give boiler plate answers according to their schedule. Bottom line, inspect your house carefully before you sign off. ... More

Construction manager is always busy and he is not responsible. He never keeps his words.

Don't pay for upgrades not worth the value.

This builder requires the homebuyer to use only the contractors and subcontractors originally engaged in the construction of the house. After closing, as the homeowner, if I wish to have ceiling fans or wired security cameras installed, I am obligated to use the same electrical service company employed by the builder. If I choose to use another licensed electrical company, my electrical warranty will be voided. This restriction should have been disclosed upfront, as it directly impacts a buyer’s ability to make an informed decision about proceeding with the purchase under such limitations. While I understand the builder’s need to hold contractors accountable, I believe that work performed by any licensed electrical company—provided it complies with the current NEC, NFPA, and local codes—should be recognized without jeopardizing the warranty. Furthermore, I have received a quote that I find excessive: • Installation of seven ceiling fans throughout the house — $1,115.00 • Prewiring and installation of two customer-supplied flood lights — $688.00 I respectfully submit that these restrictions and costs raise significant concerns regarding fairness, transparency, and homeowner choice. ... More

Pulte could have a better construction manager who has higher standards regarding workmanship of the house. They tried to squeeze everything in the last week of closing.

The quality of workmanship leaves a lot to be desired. Further, for a brand new home, the place was very dirty upon move-in. Lacking an attention to detail for sure. We have daylight showing beneath main doors to the outside and between the siding slats in the attic. This can't be energy efficient as advertised.

I believe what we got is a spec home, sold as is built as someone dropped. We faced number of challenges since we moved in and customer service personnel seem to be more of a co-ordinator rather than owning up to service the needs. Issues identified on hardwood flooring was coordinated with manufacturer who apparently said they don't cover the issues reported although it was acknowledged as an issue. An AC sensor along with thermostat that was supposed to be installed was never done, so the cool/heat is inconsistent. AC service company visited thrice to fix basement issues correcting issues caused by previous service person settings. And other issues reported were addressed with delays. For a such price and supposedely a premium offering, I was hoping Pulte would do its best (this is my second Pulte home). I strongly feel like many of those specifications were dropped since the original buyer dropped and hence we are the mercy of now relying on this service model to report, fix each and every single thing. I am not sure how to escalate or report this to Pulte management team.. ... More

The sales agents in the community were very helpful. I feel as if the quality of the townhome and the value is well below the experience I had in 540 Townes (Apex) in 2018. I really like the location and floor plan. The overall experience was not the building manager's doing as I felt he tried his very best to do what he could do getting called in to complete the project right before my closing. The walls need significant repair and the noise level that can be heard from neighbors is very disappointing. It has much more of an apartment feel than a half million dollar townhome.

Our experience with Pulte has been mixed. While the design and community are appealing, we’ve run into several issues that have made our first months as homeowners more stressful than expected. Communication around landscaping was especially frustrating—no clear plan was ever provided, and our feedback was not incorporated. Additionally, the mortgage rates offered through Pulte’s preferred lender were significantly higher than current market rates, which created unnecessary financial pressure. We’ve also had several construction-related problems, including a plumbing failure that required us to escalate concerns in writing, a roof leak that caused damage to our bathroom, and ongoing gate access issues in the community. These are not the types of problems you expect to deal with in a brand-new home. On a positive note, the warranty process has been solid so far. Most of our issues have been addressed or are in the process of being repaired through warranty claims, and communication from the onsite team has been timely and professional. It’s reassuring to know the problems are fixable, even if there have been more of them than we anticipated. Overall, while the warranty support has been good, the number of early issues has made the new-home experience less smooth than we had hoped. We’re hopeful Pulte will improve quality control and communication for future homeowners. ... More

This is my first and last new build as this house is now my "forever" home. I am still waiting for many issues to be resolved. Most of it could have been avoided if the subcontractors cared about workmanship and quality. Too much of a rush to just get it done no matter if the outcome was obviously sloppy or neglected. Not allowed enough time to really inspect the house before closing. The construction manager trying to get issues addressed on the actual closing day! The newly assigned warranty manager is a positive as he took the time to listen and spend time going over all the remaining issues that need to be resolved. ... More

I'm talking about my house. The quality of the material is standard or less than standard. After just 2 weeks of moving into the house, the kitchen windows were loose and couldn’t be closed. The roof between the stairs and the living room / kitchen is too low to the extent that the furniture company could not carry the standard size sofa into the living room and I had to return it and buy Love seat instead. Stranger people park directly Infront of your home because it's considered public parking and most of the time you end up parking far from you home because other people are parking directly Infront of your home and (they call it public parking). I cannot open the window because stranger people parking directly Infront of my home and they sit in the car waiting for their friends or family members to come (and they call it Public Parking". I complaint to the office but unfortunately, they said that they can't do anything because it's PUBLIC PARKING. Parking directly Infront of other people's houses considered public parking!!!! there is no visitor parking. The area needs more lights to be safe. The entrance to the community is very narrow and unsafe, the road to leave the community is unsafe too because it's very narrow and there is a fire stand where you exit the community, the way is located is very unsafe to the drivers. In general, driving in and out of the community is uncomfortable/ unsafe for its narrow. I hope you take my concerns seriously and fix all the issues because I like our community to be the best. Thank you ... More

check the workmanship thoroughly before closing

Don't just sign the contract and take things for granted until the pre-closing walk-thru. We visited the site on a regular basis and asked our construction manager a ton of questions about things that did not look right even to our untrained eye. Fortunately, he was diligent and responsive and did his best to set things right, in spite of being overworked with 14 houses under construction to supervised at the same time. Initial workmanship on framing, drywall and trim finish were below par. Be sure to engage your own building inspector. We paid for independent inspections for both pre-drywall and pre-closing stages and it was well worth the expense as it uncovered a number of major and minor deficiencies in overall build quality. The builder's internal quality control is superficial and inadequate in our opinion. ... More

This home was ‘technically’ finished for closing after 6-8 months. However, multiple work issues remained unfinished after closing. Pulte states they inspect contractor work throughout the build process, but that was not the case. Most neighbors, like myself, had to contact Pulte multiple times after closing regarding pending work. It wasn’t until 2 months after closing that all my contractor issues were completed. Quality of work is questionable. I do not believe Pulte monitored or inspected all contractor work before signing off on progress. I recommend any future buyers inspect their homes DURING the build process. ... More

We have not had a great experience this time around. It’s our second pulte home. So many problems and very difficult to get things fixed in a timely fashion. Our last Pulte home was better quality. This time it feels slapped together.