When it comes to choosing a new home builder, Toll Brothers and Lennar are two of the biggest names in the industry. Both companies have been building homes across the United States for decades and offer potential homebuyers thousands of floorplans and customization options.
But there are some key differences between the builders that are worth considering. This article will provide an in-depth comparison of Toll Brothers and Lennar, looking at factors like home types, locations, pricing, amenities, customer satisfaction, and more.
Read on to learn which builder may be the best fit for your new dream home.
A Brief Comparison Table
| Category | Toll Brothers | Lennar |
| Year Founded | 1967 | 1954 |
| Headquarters | Horsham, PA | Miami, FL |
| Home Types | Luxury single-family homes, condos, urban low- and mid-rise communities | Single-family homes, townhomes, condos, urban communities |
| Locations | Over 20 states across the U.S. | Over 20 states across the U.S. |
| Average Home Price | $1M+ | $300K – $700K |
| Home Personalization | Design studio with interior finishes, fixtures, appliances | Design center with structural options and finishes |
| Green Homes | Built to LEED certification standards | Built to national green standards |
| Warranty | 1-year limited warranty, 2-year systems warranty | 1-year limited warranty, 2-year limited warranty for electrical, plumbing, HVAC |
| Customer Satisfaction | 3/5 stars | 3.5/5 stars |
Now let’s dive deeper into the details on each of these key comparison points.
In-depth Differences Between Lennar And Toll Brothers
- Home Types
Both Toll Brothers and Lennar construct single-family detached homes, townhomes, condominiums, and apartment communities across a variety of markets.
However, there are some differences in their target buyer demographics and home types:
Toll Brothers focuses primarily on building luxury homes, targeting move-up, empty-nester, and second-home buyers. They are best known for large, high-end homes with premium finishes and amenities.
Typical home styles include estates, manor homes, and country club homes ranging from 2,000 to over 10,000 square feet. In urban markets, they construct upscale condo and apartment buildings.
Lennar offers homes across a wider spectrum of price points, from entry-level to move-up buyers. They focus on primary single-family homes for young families and professionals.
Lennar home styles tend to be smaller and more affordable than Toll Brothers, typically ranging from 1,500 to 4,500 square feet. Their townhomes and condos also target a more mainstream buyer.
So in summary, Toll Brothers caters more to the high-end luxury market while Lennar offers greater diversity for buyers at different life stages and budgets.
- Locations
Both builders operate in over 20 states across the U.S. However, there are some differences in their geographic footprints:
Toll Brothers has a presence across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Southwest, and West. Some of their largest markets include California, Florida, Texas, and the metro areas around New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. They build more heavily in higher-cost suburban areas.
Lennar has a similar nationwide footprint but is especially dominant across the Southwest, Southeast, and Texas. Some of their largest markets are in affordable high-growth areas like Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, and Orlando.
While both companies construct urban mid- and high-rise communities, Toll Brothers has more projects in major metropolitan cities like New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, while Lennar focuses more on secondary markets.
So Toll Brothers targets more coastal and urban luxury locations, while Lennar has strength across inland suburbs and affordable metro areas. But both builders give buyers options across the U.S.
- Pricing
There is a clear distinction between Toll Brothers and Lennar when it comes to home pricing.
Toll Brothers is positioned as a luxury home builder, with average home prices over $1 million nationwide. Their homes often list from $800,000 up to several million dollars. These luxury houses come with premium features and customization.
Lennar offers much more affordable pricing for the first-time and move-up family market. Their average home prices range from $300,000 to $700,000. While their homes are not as high-end as Toll Brothers, Lennar offers value with quality construction and livable floorplans.
For buyers on a budget under $300,000, Lennar may be the better choice. But for luxury home buyers with bigger budgets, Toll Brothers caters specifically to that high-end market. The price you can afford will likely determine which builder has more appropriate options in your area.
- Home Personalization
A major part of the home buying process with both Toll Brothers and Lennar involves customizing and personalizing your new home.
But each builder approaches the design process a little differently.
Toll Brothers has luxury design studios where buyers can meet one-on-one with a professional designer.
Clients can select from a wide range of interior finishes like flooring, lighting, cabinets, countertops, bath hardware, and more.
They can also upgrade appliances, fixtures, smart home technology, and audio-visual systems. This white-glove design experience caters to their luxury target market.
Lennar has more structured design centers focused on selecting structural options and interior finishes from preset packages and catalogs. Their process offers flexibility but within defined limits to keep costs controlled.
Options include flooring, cabinetry, countertops, paint colors, and tile. Buyers can also often upgrade appliances and fixtures.
While both builders allow ample customization, Toll Brothers offers a more bespoke high-end design experience compared to Lennar’s more formulaic options process. But Lennar still provides sufficient personalization for most buyers.
- Green Homes
Green building and sustainability are becoming higher priorities for today’s homebuyers. Here is how Toll Brothers and Lennar compare when it comes to energy-efficient and eco-friendly construction:
Toll Brothers has a strong commitment to sustainability. They target certifications like LEED and ENERGY STAR for all their homes and communities. Features include ENERGY STAR appliances, LED lighting, programmable thermostats, electric vehicle chargers, water conservation fixtures, and more.
Lennar also builds their homes according to the latest national green standards. Their eco-smart features include insulation and air sealing for efficiency, water-conserving faucets and toilets, HEPA filtration, and environmentally-friendly materials. Lennar offers some solar options in select markets as well.
While both Lennar and Toll Brothers construct efficient and Earth-friendly homes, Toll Brothers seems to have made green building more central to their brand identity and construction practices. But Lennar also delivers energy savings and sustainability for buyers.
- Warranties
When spending so much on one of the biggest purchases of your life, a strong home warranty brings peace of mind. Here are the coverage differences:
Toll Brothers provides a 1-year limited warranty covering defects in materials and workmanship. They also include a 2-year limited warranty on electrical, plumbing, heating, cooling, ventilating, and other mechanical systems.
Lennar offers a 1-year limited warranty on defects from materials and workmanship. Their 2-year limited warranty covers electrical, plumbing, and mechanical systems.
So both builders provide 1 year of general construction defect coverage, as well as 2 years for home systems. This limited warranty protection is standard across most major builders. Toll Brothers and Lennar offer fairly comparable coverage during the first couple years in your new home.
- Customer Satisfaction
With big ticket purchases like a new home, customer service and satisfaction ratings can provide helpful insight into the builder.
Here is how Toll Brothers and Lennar compare:
Toll Brothers earns a 3 out of 5 star rating based on reviews across sites like Zillow and Consumer Affairs.
Positive feedback cites high-end quality and beautiful homes. But some negatives include long delays, poor communication, and shoddy workmanship requiring repairs.
Lennar earns slightly better ratings with a 3.5 out of 5 stars. Reviews praise great value, beautiful designs, and a streamlined process. Downsides include some quality or service issues requiring post-move fixes. But problems seem less prevalent than with Toll Brothers.
While buyer experiences can vary locally, Lennar seems to offer a smoother customer experience overall. But larger luxury home projects from Toll Brothers likely carry more potential for delays or defects. Both builders receive decent but not glowing satisfaction ratings.
Pros and Cons of Toll Brothers And Lennar
To recap the key differences between the builders:
Toll Brothers Pros:
- Luxury, high-end home styles and premium details
- More unique customization with bespoke design studio experience
- Focus on sustainability and green building
- More options in coastal markets
Toll Brothers Cons:
- Much higher prices, often $1M+
- Reports of delays, poor communication, and defect issues
- Less flexibility for buyer customization
Lennar Pros:
- Excellent value and quality for the price point
- Streamlined customization process
- Strong service ratings and customer satisfaction
- Ideal for first-time or move-up buyers
Lennar Cons:
- Less high-end luxury options
- More formulaic design center experience
- Can have some quality issues requiring post-move repairs
Which Builder Is Right For You?
With this comprehensive comparison, you hopefully have a better feel for your options. Here are some key questions to ask yourself when deciding between Toll Brothers and Lennar:
- What is your budget? Toll Brothers caters to luxury buyers with multi-million dollar budgets. Lennar offers better value under $700K.
- What size and style home do you need? Buyers wanting 5,000+ square foot estates will appreciate Toll Brothers. Those looking for reasonably-sized family homes may prefer Lennar.
- How involved do you want to be in customization? Toll Brothers provides a more customized design studio experience for those wanting a bespoke home.
- Where will you be living? Toll Brothers has more options in coastal suburbs while Lennar dominates inland sunbelt markets.
- How important are environmentally-friendly features? Toll Brothers makes sustainability a priority.
- How much do customer service ratings matter? Lennar tends to have higher satisfaction across their processes.
Weigh your priorities across these factors as you narrow down which national home builder best fits your lifestyle and goals for your next home purchase and ownership experience.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Toll Brothers’ biggest competitor is likely Lennar, as two of the largest national production home builders competing in many of the same suburban markets across the country. Other major competitors include D.R. Horton, PulteGroup, and KB Home.
Toll Brothers has a reputation as a leading developer of luxury homes. They are known for quality construction and spectacular estate home designs. However, they do have a higher rate of customer complaints about issues like construction delays and post-move repairs compared to some other top builders.
As one of the largest mortgage lenders focused on home buyers, some of Lennar Mortgage’s biggest competitors include: Rocket Mortgage (Quicken Loans), loanDepot, Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation, Guaranteed Rate.
These nationwide mortgage lenders compete with Lennar Mortgage on rates, service, and convenience for financing home purchases, especially among their respective home builder partners.
Wrapping Up
In the end, choosing between Toll Brothers and Lennar depends on your budget, lifestyle needs, preferred home style, and location priorities. For move-up luxury home buyers with bigger budgets wanting a custom estate, Toll Brothers is likely the winner.
But Lennar offers an exceptional value proposition for mainstream buyers wanting reasonably priced family living in growing metro markets across the country.
Carefully weigh the pros and cons for your situation. Visit model homes, speak to local reps from each builder, and evaluate your options before making this major purchase decision. With thousands of floorplans between Toll Brothers and Lennar nationwide, pay close attention to the details to find your ideal home.