Avoid stylecraft homes

[91cavgt]

This is precisely why I GC'd the construction of my home. I wanted complete control of who would, and sometimes more importantly, who wouldn't be working on my home and exactly what materials would be used. I'm in the lumber/building materials business and had many great contacts & working relationships so it was much easier for me that what it would be for someone outside the industry but things have gone great for us. All I can says is for those of you looking to buy new is do your homework. Don't just go by how a builder's completed home looks. Ask questions of their past clients. Find out all you can about their subs what grade of materials they're using. There are good ones that have very good quality tradesmen, treat them fairly, and use them house after house and there are terrible ones that screw everyone that works for them and have a revolving door of low bidders that are seldom high quality, and buy the cheapest materials on the market. Buyer beware

This is some solid advice for a new buyer. Hind sight is 20/20.





The plumber just left. He was on time and the new shower pan has been installed. I have no problem with the contractors coming in to do this work as I know she to what has happened, all of the delays are due to stylecraft. Shotty workmanship when the house was first built is another issue, but if you want a repair to be done right you don't criticise the contractors.

[91cavgt]

My wife just got off the phone with the tile guys. They are not coming in to start rebuilding the shower until Monday! They said everyone is already off work for Christmas.

[Dusty Britches]

Did you ever talk to your realtor? They have a fiduciary responsibility to you to check up on these warranty deeds.

[91cavgt]

Did you ever talk to your realtor? They have a fiduciary responsibility to you to check up on these warranty deeds.

I talked to her a couple of months after we bought the house, and the only thing that had gone wrong at that time was the carpet on the stairs.

[Turtlewax]

I have to say I have seen much worse new construction. That said, go look at the framing on almost any house. It will make you cringe. It looks like they lost their tape measure, broke their pencil, and cut the studs, rafters, and such with a dull saws-all. Then they scab on 2" long chunks of 2x4 to make a stud fit because no one is looking, no one catches it, and no one can find the stud stretcher.

You must have been in my house with me during my remodel. I seriously thought about tracking down the superintendent that built it to have a chat about common construction practices. Im a GC and i would have never tolerated what i found behind my sheetrock. Exactly as you described.......no good mates on end cuts and scabs everywhere. My attic looks like a torture chamber with all the bracing and wild nails. I beat them back whenever i come across them but sheeet.......learn how to use that nail gun.

OP you have good cause to rattle their cage.....keep the pressure on. They warranty that house for a year. Take advantage of that. Call them as soon as they open then once at lunchtime and another towards 2 or 3. Do this for a day or two then step up the frequency. I will call someone every 10 minutes on the mark if im ******.

The foundation issue is a scary one. I would ask them for all information as to what the problem was, what wasdone to rectify it and whats the warranty. You may be able to get out of that house citing non disclosed structural issues. Not sure though.

[Turtlewax]

My wife just got off the phone with the tile guys. They are not coming in to start rebuilding the shower until Monday! They said everyone is already off work for Christmas.

Thats garbage....christmas is sunday and most of the texas construction labor force works it anyways unless they went home to mexico.

Get mean with them OP. Squeaky wheels get the grease. Tell them you have company coming over and need your shower.

[Eagle19]

This past February, my wife and I bought a brand new stylecraft home. Once again, this was a brand new, never lived in home before we bought it. We loved the floor plan and the price was right. Before we bought the home, we had good service and all of our concerns were addressed. However, after the sale was complete, warranty claims have been horrific.

1. Carpet started pulling away from the verticle boards on the stairs. A week after I submitted a warranty claim it was repaired.

2. I'm late spring, I let our dog out in the back yard when I noticed standing water. I followed the water around the house to the front yard. A check of the water meter confirmed there was a major water leak. I submitted a warranty claim in the middle of the day on Friday. Sunday afternoon came around and I had still not heard from anyone. A few phone calls later raising some cane and a plumber was on their way. The main water line coming into the house had sprung a leak just 2 feet from the foundation.

3. In multiple places upstairs, the floor had already started creaking and popping when walking around. 2 weeks after the warranty claim was submitted somone came out and shot screws through the carpet to hold the boards in place.

4. I submitted 2 warranty claims on October 30th. One was for a nail that for some reason has backed out of the sheet rock and is sticking out about 1/2". This problem has still not been fixed nearly 2 months later.

5. The other warranty claim that was submitted on October 30th was for a cracked shower pan in the master bathroom. All they have done on this is torn out the old, cracked shower pan. I discovered what looks like mold under the pan so I treated it and am now waiting on the new pan to be installed and our shower to be put back together.

6. I'll be submitting a warranty claim in today because upstairs in the master bedroom my wife discovered about a 5 foot long crack in the vaulted ceiling where 2 sides meet.

7. I'm Friday, I was walking past our bathroom when I heard the toilet running. After digging into it I discovered the water valve had failed. Because of stylecraft's slow and pitiful warranty service I plan on fixing this myself.


Our warranty with stylecraft expires in February. Due to all of the problems we have already had, and the poor excuse for warranty service, I don't know what we are going to do or what options we might have.

So if you are looking to buy a new home, steer clear of stylecraft.

As someone who builds houses most of this is normal...minus the cracked shower pan. Cracked shower pan was an accident I'm sure. The leak in the main could've been caused by paint thinner that had been soaked in the ground or a weak spot in the pvc. Floor creaks, nail pops, and Sheetrock cracks are normal because of the wood settling(nothing to do with your foundation(most of the time)).

Stylecraft is known for its more affordable homes, but they use cheap products. If you just want someplace to live, stylecraft is for you. If you want a nice home that's going to last, be ready to pay a good chunk of money. Or you can get a construction science degree and build it yourself. With that said, after a year-2 years settling should stop.

I remember somebody in a neighborhood forum wanted to sue stylecraft because their 10 year old fence fell over.

I've heard of a lot worse builders than stylecraft, just saying.

[91cavgt]

As someone who builds houses most of this is normal...minus the cracked shower pan. Cracked shower pan was an accident I'm sure. The leak in the main could've been caused by paint thinner that had been soaked in the ground or a weak spot in the pvc. Floor creaks, nail pops, and Sheetrock cracks are normal because of the wood settling(nothing to do with your foundation(most of the time)).

Stylecraft is known for its more affordable homes, but they use cheap products. If you just want someplace to live, stylecraft is for you. If you want a nice home that's going to last, be ready to pay a good chunk of money. Or you can get a construction science degree and build it yourself. With that said, after a year-2 years settling should stop.

I remember somebody in a neighborhood forum wanted to sue stylecraft because their 10 year old fence fell over.

I've heard of a lot worse builders than stylecraft, just saying.

Well, the settling should have stopped by now. The house has been built for right at 2 years now. It remained unsold for almost a year before we came along and bought it.

[91cavgt]

Well, it has been a full week now and no one has contacted me in regards to the cracked ceiling. So much for the 24 hours before someone calls me. Regardless if this is normal or not, Stylecraft's poor excuse or lack of customer service has no excuse.

[91cavgt]

The tile guy showed up today and installed the tile in the shower. 20 years ago I worked laying tile and, as I told my wife, if I would have done the same job that this guy did I would have been fired. I took pictures and will post them up in the morning when I'm on my lap top.

[stevieray54]

Sounds like time for a lawyer, i would dig into why they busted out the slab.

[TX_Kevin]

At this point there is no reason for Stylecraft to provide a person to do shoddy work. That's just a shame.

[DapperDan]

Palm Harbor as in manufactured home? I'm on the coast.

They build wind zone 2 homes. I know of one that was in Sabine pass and made it through Ike with only a hand full of shingles lost.


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[WItoTX]

You should be contacting your HOA if these things are happening to everyone who buys this type of home. Your HOA would, if it finds that all these issues are out of the ordinary, hire a consultant, which will then do testing to verify in fact these are serious issues. Once the consultant confirms it's a builder caused problem, they will take the builder to court or litigation, and eventually you get money back. I work for a consulting firm which does just that.

That being said, aside from the water line break and the toilet, I have had all the same issues you mention in a brand new build home (Pulte). I consider it normal, as new homes have issues too, just different issues then older homes. Its a PITA to get the stuff fixed, but it happens.

[cbd10pt]

Palm Harbor as in manufactured home? I'm on the coast.

I assume you are on pilings?

The excess sheetrock repair you're going through is due to the metal strapping required by windstorm

Metal straps don't dry out and shrink but the wood they are attached to does