When searching for your dream home, choosing the right builder is a crucial decision. This guide provides a comprehensive, impartial comparison of two leading national homebuilders – Pulte Homes and Taylor Morrison. With a legacy spanning over 70 years, Pulte has built over 500,000 homes.
Founded in 1936, Taylor Morrison has constructed over 200,000 homes across America. We analyze the key similarities and differences between these builders across locations, product offerings, home customization, quality, sustainability, warranties, and customer satisfaction.
By evaluating the pros and cons of Pulte and Taylor Morrison using research-backed insights, you can determine which builder best fits your new home needs and priorities.
Side-By-Side Comparison Table
| Factor | Pulte | Taylor Morrison |
| Locations | Over 40 major metro areas across the U.S. | Operates in over 20 states nationwide |
| Home types | Single-family, condo, townhome | Single-family, condo, villa |
| Brand names | Pulte Homes, Del Webb, Centex, DiVosta Homes | Taylor Morrison, Darling Homes, William Lyon Signature Series, Christopher Todd Communities |
| Number of homes sold in 2021 | Over 25,000 | Over 18,500 |
| Price range | From entry-level to luxury | From affordable to luxury custom |
| Communities and amenities | Pools, parks, trails, clubhouses | Pools, playgrounds, fitness centers, event spaces |
| Construction practices | Emphasis on energy efficiency | Focus on sustainability and energy efficiency |
| Customization | Personalization Studio for home design customization | Design Studio for customized options |
| Warranties | 10-year structural warranty | 2-10 Homeowners Protection & Quality Commitment warranty |
| Customer satisfaction rating | No recent data available | Taylor Morrison earned a 92% customer satisfaction rating for new home closings in 3Q 2022 according to a survey by Zonda |
Detailed Comparison of Pulte And Taylor Morrison
Here is an in-depth feature-by-feature comparison looking at how Pulte and Taylor Morrison stack up across categories like locations, product types, customization, sustainability, warranties, and more:
Locations
- Pulte operates in over 40 major metro areas across 23 states, primarily focused in the Southeast, Mountain West, Texas, and Midwest regions. Recent expansions include adding new communities in Idaho, Utah, and South Carolina.
- Taylor Morrison has a presence in over 20 states but its operations are more concentrated in its core regions like the Southwest, Southeast, Mountain West and Midwest. Some of its largest markets include Phoenix, Dallas, Tampa, Denver, and Chicago.
- For homebuyers focused on specific locations, Pulte will offer more geographic flexibility. But in its key states, Taylor Morrison also provides extensive community options.
Home Types and Brands
- Pulte builds single-family detached and attached homes, townhomes, and high-rise/low-rise condominiums. Homes range from entry-level to luxury across the Pulte Homes, Del Webb, DiVosta, and Centex brands.
- Taylor Morrison constructs single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums, duplexes, villas, and high-rise units. They target a range of buyers via brands like Taylor Morrison, William Lyon Signature, Darling Homes, Christopher Todd, and Maracay.
- Both companies build a diverse range of products from first-time buyer to luxury so buyers have options across price points.
Number of Homes Sold in 2021
- For 2021, PulteGroup reported 25,095 new home closings. This ranked them #2 among the country’s largest builders behind only D.R. Horton.
- Taylor Morrison closed 18,558 new homes in 2021, ranking #7 for home closings among national builders last year.
- While both builders are producing homes in the tens of thousands, Pulte maintains significantly higher sales volume.
Price Range
- Pulte homes start around $200,000 for more affordable options like townhomes. Their luxury custom designs can top $1 million. The average Pulte new home sold in 2021 was $470,000.
- Entry-level homes at Taylor Morrison such as townhomes and condos start under $300,000. High-end custom estates well over $1 million. The average price for a Taylor Morrison new home in 2021 was $525,000.
- Both builders offer a wide pricing spectrum. Taylor Morrison’s average sales price is higher.
Communities and Amenities
- Pulte communities feature amenities like playgrounds, parks, trails, pools, sports courts, fitness centers and clubhouses. Certain active adult communities have private restaurants, classes, activities.
- Taylor Morrison offers similar amenities like pools, trails, fitness centers, lounges, playgrounds. Some communities feature beaches, boating access, golf courses, equestrian facilities, and more.
- Homebuyers can expect robust community amenities from either builder. Taylor Morrison highlights unique lifestyle activities in select communities.
Construction Practices
- Pulte homes feature quality materials and modern building techniques. They incorporate GREENGUARD certified products for indoor air quality and energy efficient features to reduce costs.
- Sustainability is a focus for Taylor Morrison including goals to reduce waste, energy/water use. Their Quality Production System aims for consistent build quality.
- Both utilize quality construction methods and prioritize efficiency. Taylor Morrison aggressively targets environmental goals.
Customization
- Pulte allows homebuyers to personalize their home through their Personalization Studio. Options include finishes like flooring, lighting, cabinets, hardware.
- Taylor Morrison’s extensive Design Studio provides even more ways to customize like cabinetry, countertops, fixtures. Flexible home designs accommodate buyer modifications.
- Taylor Morrison edges Pulte when it comes to personalization through their robust Design Studio experience.
Warranties
- Pulte protects homes with their 10-year limited structural warranty. Additional 1-2 year coverage protects workmanship, systems, appliances.
- Taylor Morrison offers structural coverage for 2-10 years based on region. Their Quality Commitment provides 1-2 years of systems/workmanship protection.
- Pulte offers longer standard structural warranty coverage compared to Taylor Morrison’s region-dependent policy.
Customer Satisfaction
- Pulte does not report official customer satisfaction ratings from surveys. Online reviews show a mix of positive and negative homeowner experiences.
- Taylor Morrison earned a 92% customer satisfaction rating for new home closings in 3Q 2022 based on independent surveys conducted by Zonda.
- Taylor Morrison provides transparency on buyer satisfaction through published survey results that indicate very high satisfaction.
This side-by-side comparison shows that while Pulte and Taylor Morrison take similar approaches to homebuilding in many regards, some differences emerge when you look more closely. Now let’s highlight the specific advantages and potential drawbacks of purchasing from each builder.
Key Benefits of Building a Pulte Home
Pulte Homes has certainly earned its place among the nation’s elite homebuilders. Here are some of the top benefits Pulte offers homebuyers:
- They build popular, proven floorplans – With decades of experience designing homes for American families, Pulte follows formulas that work for creating livable, in-demand layouts.
- You gain peace of mind from a longstanding brand name – The Pulte reputation provides confidence in the homebuying process compared to lesser known builders.
- Their wide reach provides buyers geographic flexibility – With a presence spanning over 40 metro areas, Pulte gives buyers ample choices across the country.
- Energy efficiency features help reduce utility bills – Pulte homes come equipped with items like programmable thermostats, efficient insulation, and high-performance windows to curb energy costs.
- Del Webb delivers resort-style active adult living – For older buyers, Pulte’s Del Webb communities feature unparalleled amenities tailored for the 55+ demographic.
- Personalization Studio allows home feature customization – The pre-construction design center lets buyers tailor their home with finishings and fixtures to suit their lifestyle.
- Homeowners praise Pulte’s post-sale customer service – While not perfect, many buyers report responsive follow-up from Pulte addressing any concerns after moving in.
- Pulte homes retain value and sell quickly – Strong consumer awareness of the brand keeps demand high for resale listings in most markets.
For buyers who prioritize the benefits above like proven designs, brand familiarity, customization, and resale value, Pulte may be the ideal choice. However, there are some potential downsides to weigh as well.
Possible Drawbacks of Buying From Pulte
While a widely respected industry leader overall, Pulte Homes doesn’t necessarily come out ahead of Taylor Morrison in every category. Here are key disadvantages buyers may encounter building a Pulte home:
- As a mega-builder, quality suffers at times – Constructing tens of thousands of homes annually inevitably leads to occasional quality problems both large and small.
- Home designs aren’t very unique from community to community – Buyers sometimes complain about similar or repetitive floorplans used across multiple Pulte developments.
- Less flexibility for buyers to make structural customizations – Pulte doesn’t facilitate major home modifications as readily as semi-custom builders.
- Their warranty response draws frequent criticism – Some buyers report chronic headaches getting Pulte to respond quickly and appropriately to warranty repair requests.
- Resale supply is high in some markets – In areas with extensive Pulte communities, resale competition from other Pulte homes may hamper values.
- Not an industry leader in sustainability – Despite energy efficiency efforts, Pulte lags behind in green building and eco-friendly construction practices.
- New phases in communities sell out fast – Hot real estate markets see Pulte’s most desirable neighborhoods and lots get snatched up very quickly.
For buyers who want a more customized home, flexible builder, greener building methods, or less common floorplans, Pulte won’t always deliver on these fronts compared to other national or local builders.
Why Choose Taylor Morrison?
Taylor Morrison has earned its standing as a top national homebuilder in its own right. Here are the key upsides that give Taylor Morrison an edge over much of its competition:
- Outstanding customer satisfaction – Taylor Morrison goes above and beyond keeping customers happy, reflected in their sky-high satisfaction surveys.
- Respected quality commitment – Rigorous quality assurance initiatives ensure defect-free construction, reflected in fewer warranty claims.
- Unique and thoughtful home designs – Creative floorplans reflect how real families live with smart storage, open concepts, and other valued features.
- Smooth and professional homebuying experience – Excellent customer service makes the process of buying and building with Taylor Morrison low-stress from start to finish.
- Unparalleled customization through Design Studio – With seemingly endless options to personalize, their design centers help buyers tailor homes to their lifestyle.
- Industry leader in sustainability and green building – From solar and insulation to water conservation, Taylor Morrison goes further to limit environmental impact.
- Vibrant master-planned communities – Resort-style amenities like pools, parks, trails, beaches, boating access, sports courts, and more enrich community living.
- Great resale value and demand in their markets – Quality construction and desirable communities ensure Taylor Morrison homes hold value and sell quickly when it comes time.
Homebuyers who want a highly customized home aligned with their needs and priorities would be smart to consider Taylor Morrison. Their focus on quality, service, sustainability, and lifestyle amenities provides a stellar overall package in the communities where they build.
Potential Taylor Morrison Downsides
However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows when it comes to buying a Taylor Morrison home. There are some disadvantages to weigh as well:
- More limited geographic availability – With a presence concentrated on their core regions, Taylor Morrison is only an option in certain parts of the country.
- Inconsistency in quality between different markets – Build standards are not uniformly excellent across all Taylor Morrison branches in each state.
- Amenities in new communities often delayed – Pools, clubhouses, playgrounds promised at sale are sometimes not usable for a while after move-in.
- Some cookie-cutter designs – As a large builder, some common plans get replicated rather than customized for each community.
- Smaller resale market in regions outside core states – Where Taylor Morrison has less established history, resale support lags national brands.
- HOA fees can be high – Maintaining all those fancy community amenities results in homeowners association dues higher than average.
- Echoes of past financial instability – Lingering memories of the company’s bankruptcy and stalled developments during the recession turn off some buyers.
For buyers highly sensitive to community history, leery of HOA fees, or hoping for access to amenities immediately, Taylor Morrison will not always deliver the ideal experience.
Weighing The Pros And Cons Of Pulte And Taylor Morrison
Let’s recap how the major benefits and drawbacks of Pulte and Taylor Morrison stack up:
Pulte Homes
Pros
- Trusted national brand since 1950
- Homes in over 40 metro areas
- Proven floorplans meet buyer needs
- Del Webb active adult communities
- Home personalization options
- Strong resale demand
Cons
- Quality and service issues due to large scale
- Limited customization flexibility
- Slow warranty response times
- High resale competition in some areas
- Lacks custom home uniqueness
Taylor Morrison
Pros
- Outstanding customer satisfaction
- Quality construction materials and methods
- Unique architectural designs
- Robust Design Studio customization
- Eco-friendly and sustainability focus
- Resort-style community amenities
Cons
- New communities have fewer locations
- Inconsistent quality between regions
- Amenities sometimes delayed at new developments
- HOA fees higher than average
- Smaller resale market outside core states
Wrapping Up
In summary, both Pulte and Taylor Morrison offer excellent new home options with great amenities, quality construction, and desirable communities. For broad geographic reach and brand familiarity, Pulte excels. If customization, unique designs, sustainability, and outstanding service matter most, Taylor Morrison is likely the better fit.
By weighing each of your must-have home features against the strengths of these builders, you can make an informed decision on the ideal partner for your next home purchase.