Dissatisfied Pulte and Del Webb Homeowners Release Study on Construction Defects at Nevada Contractors Board Meeting

Homeowners Vent Frustrations to Board that Includes Pulte Homes VP

WASHINGTON, March 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — This morning, Las Vegas-area Pulte or Del Webb homeowners addressed the Nevada State Contractors Board about issues including faulty construction and non-responsive customer service.

The homeowner testimony is consistent with survey data released in a new report by Building Justice* entitled “Poorly Built by Pulte, No Different at Del Webb.” The report is based on surveys from 872 Pulte and Del Webb homeowners from Nevada, Arizona and California. Highlights include:

• Sixty-three percent of respondents reported their homes had construction defects.
• Forty-three percent of respondents reported they would not buy another Pulte or Del Webb home.

The full report is available for download online at: http://www.poorlybuiltbypulte.info.

For example, a Henderson, Nevada, homeowner from Del Webb’s “Sun City Anthem” presented his view that the company was not willing to make necessary repairs and listed what he believed to be major, unresolved defects. A Phoenix, Arizona, homeowner from Pulte’s “Stetson Valley” tract also testified regarding what he described as defects including bowed walls, broken roof tiles, damaged baseboards, sloppy paint, chips and unpainted areas in the block wall, faulty AC, cheap windows, a sagging front door and issues with his cabinets and countertops.

The Vice President of Construction for Pulte Homes/Del Webb in Las Vegas, Nathaniel Hodgson, III, was appointed to the Board by Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons on Nov. 1, 2008. Some homeowners expressed outrage that Pulte Homes is represented on a Board that is entrusted with ensuring quality construction within Nevada’s building industry.

“We’re not surprised by the results of the survey,” says John Smirk, Business Manager, District Council 15 of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades. “Workers tell us they are pressured to complete homes very fast. They work through breaks, lack adequate drinking water and safety equipment. Also, many workers report that they are not paid correctly for their work and morale is low.”

*Building Justice, a partnership that includes the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, the Sheet Metal Workers International Association and the AFL-CIO, is uniting with Las Vegas-area Pulte and Del Webb homeowners to demand corporate accountability for their poorly built homes.

SOURCE AFL-CIO