Shea Homes

Shea Homes ranks number four on the list of top performing builders in the Phoenix market. Shea builds homes in a variety of price points, ranging from $200,000 entry-level homes to $1 million luxury houses. It built about 2,500 homes in 2005 and looks to finish 2006 with about 1,750 — a reflection of the softening market in Phoenix affecting virtually all builders in the area. The company uses home buyer surveys to improve and check if it is meeting customer expectations.

Shea aims to meet customer expectations by communicating and setting realistic expectations up front. After home buyers sign purchasing agreements, they are invited to a construction orientation meeting in which superintendents walk them through the different stages of construction. For attending, home buyers are given $500 — which Shea considers money well spent.

The builder also schedules home buyer meetings one month after escrow to refresh them on the orientation and offer tips on maintaining their homes. Similar meetings are also scheduled five and 11 months after escrow to make sure customer satisfaction remains high throughout the warranty period.

Homeowners can request warranty requests online or by phone. They have the option of having a repair taken care of immediately or waiting until one of the three post-escrow meetings.