Report: Construction Defects Common in Pulte and Del Webb Homes

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/01/25/report-construction-defects-common-in-pulte-and-del-webb-homes/

A report out today details construction defects in Pulte and Del Webb homes—and traces them to the poor working conditions of the major homebuilders’ low-wage workforce. Katrina Blomdahl, AFL-CIO Voice@Work communications specialist, has more here.


The Building Justice campaign releases the report on Pulte homes in Phoenix today.

Homeowners in newly built Pulte homes are outraged about nearly every aspect of their homes, from faulty electrical wiring, to peeling paint, to bad air conditioners, according to a new study released at a press conference today at the Arizona State Capitol. John Smirk, business manager of Painters and Allied Trades of District (IUPAT) Council 15, said at the Capitol today:

We’re not surprised by the results of the survey. Workers on these jobs tell us they are dealing with unpaid wages and pressure to work through break times as well as a lack of drinking water and proper safety equipment.

The Building Justice campaign researched the report, “Poorly Built by Pulte,” after union organizers suspected poor working conditions likely would result in problematic homes. Their fears were confirmed when 59 percent of 411 surveyed homeowners cited defects in their homes.



The release of today’s report coincides with the launch of a new website, www.poorlybuiltbypulte.info. The site will enable Pulte and Del Webb homeowners to participate in an expanded survey, participate in forums, share photos, and post YouTube video links. Nevada Pulte and Del Webb homeowners will be the focus of a future report.

FULL story at link.

[ursi]

1. Yep, Nevada has alot of those homes ...this is interesting

thanks for posting!

[madrchsod]

2. holmes of "holmes on homes"

was talking about this yesterday...when you put down hundreds of thousands on a new home spend a few hundred and get it throughly inspected. some of the homes on his show are new or near new construction.

[MindPilot]

4. One of the best shows on television.

I'm always astonished at some of the stuff I see on that show. In some cases it would have actually been easier and cheaper to do it right. And as you mention a lot of the homes are brand new. For example why would someone build a roof that slopes the wrong way? It makes no difference in the construction cost which way it slopes and knowing that water should flow away from the structure is not not some obscure trade secret. Apparently cheap labor is stupid labor or maybe not and it's a bit of retaliation from an abused workforce.

"It's all coming down."

[angrycarpenter]

3. this has been a problem everywhere

Large construction companies with mostly immigrant workers push for ever greater production. So instead of Twenty or thirty nails in a window you get four. Instead of a fully tested electrical system you get wiring faults that are preventable.

Haste makes waste is never truer than when a builder tries to speed-up a project. They will end up blaming the work force but most of them would rather take their time and do a good job. I know I do.

I have worked punch-out before. It is where all you do is go behind workers and repair mistakes. Some jobs are so faulty that the management has to be the culprit but they always blame the workers.

[NMDemDist2]

5. exactly! my neighbor had a 'custom home' built in PHX in 2003

he was going to the job site daily and caught them installing the bath tub before the drain pipes were in!!

:banghead:

[angrycarpenter]

6. I saw one where the sliding glass doors were installed upside-down

Hiring cheap labor has run much of the experienced labor out of the market.
If I had any other trade I would go.

[MindPilot]

7. I bought a new house in Denver in the late seventies

on the day of move-in I discovered someone from the construction company had decided to "borrow" a few windows to complete another house. Fortunately it was summer, but it was a few weeks before my upstairs windows were anymore than holes in the wall.

I'll never again buy a new house. The place I have now was built in 1927; it has problems, but I knew going in this is as bad as it is ever going to get.