United Built Homes
reviews and complaints

New home completed 1 yr ago and now that it is time to do warranty work on anything we had a problem with they refuse to do it and just keep lying to us about make no repairs.We pointed out probs as soon as we moved in and they promised all would be taken care of after 1 yr So house could settle.I have cracks in Sheetrock.Poor painting on interior(we complained from jump Cuz we witnessed painter diluting expensive paint with water and then using spray gun to apply instead of using roller and paint only).This is out of their Kendleton Tx office.

Think I will rent a billboard on the side of the interstate and advertise this horrible in counter. Lies everyday, more then 3 months still not dried in i'm having to delay other work that i'm having done (septic, electric from pole to meter because there is no meter yet) and the home building meterials is lying on the ground rotting, in the way of septic. How is it that ubh gets away with this crap I will make it a point to detour any and all from choosing ubh from being there home builder in my area.. Freedom of speech..

Had UBH built our home on our land, worst decision we made in our lives. We go out there every week and every time we would let them know of things we were unhappy with. Window broken, locks on front and back doors not working, wrong cabinets color which they indicated needed a change form that were never provided with one and yet indicated they had one for the cabinet style and also never provided a copy to us. Communications was lacking, Never return our calls reference for septic allowance and have not heard from them since. As we continue to call the office, we are constantly told they are busy with clients. There are still many corrections that need attention. Due to all these, we are unable to move in to our home. We still do not have any information as to who financed our home and/or what to do. They have literally abandon us. Our entire complaints have fallen deaf ears. Will explain further corrections needed with whom this may concern, need desperate help.

I do not even know where to start. One lie after another after another. From the NORTH Houston office to the higher up. Almost 5 months later we are still not in our home and we are calling daily to have the sloppy cheap work fixed (all contracted out). We had items WE bought to install in our home stolen from our new home. The response from ERIC "oh that wasn't part of the build". NO door locks on the property until last week after numerous calls. And you know what Eric you were right "it wasn't your problem" as we had to repurchase the items. Apparently your contractors are as big of Crooks as United is! I have tons of pictures and conversations and a lot of info. BEFORE you consider these crooks please talk to us first and view the proof! Oh and CEO Mr. Pitts, Donald or Donnie, I'm still leaving messages for you to contact me.

Last year we bought a ubh home that had been foreclosed on. This has been the worse experience i have ever had. We had ubh carry the note, so we could clean up some minor credit issues. This year we sought refi on the house to lower the interest rate and get away from ubh which has been a total nightmare in dealing with them.

Imagine my surprise when we found out that the house we were buying and been paying on for over a year did not have a clear title.

Imagine my surprise when i found out that what we had, according to ubh was a title that could not be transferred.

So now, we are headed to court, because ubh does not want to get this straight. Of course if we stop paying and vacate the house, then our credit will be shot big time. Not to mention that we like the house.

But i am sure surprised at ubh and their attitude toward helping getting this resolved.

I know we will win in the future, but the hassle right now is very aggravating. Has spoiled the christmas spirit for both my wife and i.

I will never refer ubh to anyone. Not even my worse enemy.

Hoping to get this resolved before interest rates go up, and we have to pay higher interest than what we were locked in 60 days ago during the refi.

Thank you ubh. I hope you get everything that is coming to you.

Where do I start in January 2009 they began building our house shortly after we moved in it around May we had a lot of cracks in our ceiling, due to the house settling they would send this older gentleman out to just paint over it basically this went off and on until about five years lot of condensation in the windows right after don't really know much about that, then around September 2015 I noticed soft spot in my floor call The builders about it. They sent someone out in October he took pictures and looked at it said they would get back with me I called and called finally the end of January someone else came out he looked at it call me back to let me know that it was not covered and how I could fix the problem . When our house was built they insulated under our house it is pier and beam is bricked down there was mortar in between the so-called ventilation or cinder blocks on the other side ventilation. So we got under the house and removed all the insulation and's start removing mold from all the moisture up under the house. Oh by the way because we had an open deck around back and flowerbeds in the front that's what caused the moisture problem that we would should have called them before we build a deck, or had flowerbeds around our house. Good excuse for them ! we have been putting in new vents, actual vents, laid plastic under the house to keep the moisture down fans under the house to dry replaced lots of beams, rotten beams and I now we are going to have to rip the floor out of our living room, kitchen and our laundry room and replace all of it because they use OSB once it dries it's just rotten and our floor that we paid a lot of money for on top of that, they did not put a sub floor. There is literally spots if you step in it you're going to go through the floor all against the wall under around the kitchen cabinets and in the middle of the floor .according to everybody we have talk to, is nothing we can do about it out of warranty and out-of-pocket expense .That the major problem and alots of minor problems that we should not have with a house that was built in 2009. do not have this company build a house for you and if you choose to. I suggest you hire an inspector to inspect your house before five years is up .and I'm sure they'll still find someway to get out of anything that needs to be fixed.

Our nightmare started last year in November 2015. After spending countless trips going back and forth to the United Built Homes office meeting with Brian Odom, we finally decided to sign a contract in November 2015. It was the biggest mistake of our lives. This guy was telling me that everything will be as we wanted with our house. After signing the contract he assured us that it will only take 4 no more than 5 months from start to finish. We should’ve been worried when they finally broke ground in late February 2016. They say it took that long to get permits from the city. WOW. In March they started the building process and promised us the house would be ready by May at the latest. (lie#1) I doubt if you can finish a house in 2 months. Next, May had come and went on into June and at this point it was time for my payments to start. I spoke with Brian Odem and he apologized about the house taking so long to finish and that he would push back the start of the payments for 2 months because of their mistakes. (lie#2) He only pushed it back for only one month. At this stage we demanded a meeting with his boss about our problems and why the house is not done. Finally here comes “The Lone Ranger” Doyle Brown the supervisor over all the projects in the south region of Texas. He also assured me that things were about to get done the right way because he is taking over the project. (lie#3) We had a meeting in late June, we showed them all the mistake that had been done in the home and these were things that had been brought to their attention way before this meeting. When we ended the meeting, Doyle Brown told me and my wife in front of everyone else in the room that “We (UBH) don’t fix there mistake” WTF? After showing them all that they messed up and they admitted it. WOW! Doyle then promised us that they will be done by the end of July. Again, another lie. We found out during this process a worker named Justin Horsley was fired who was originally over the project and Brian Odom was demoted. Now here it is in August and still not done with the house. I just couldn’t understand why there were taking so long to finish this small one story house and then I found out. These guys have been failing inspection after Inspection for months! They can’t get anything to pass because they didn’t have a clue what they were doing! OMG I’ve been paying on a mortgage for 3 months because of their stupidity! At this point it is unacceptable and I demanded to speak with the Regional manager to voice my concerns. When I talk to him who is also named Brian Glass, he told me that they would only do what was on the contract that I signed and only that. I explain to him that all the things Brian Odem and I discussed, and Brian assured me that they would get done has not been done. So again another LIE! By this time they have hired someone named David and he didn’t help much either. He could only do what they allowed him to do. Finally it’s the end of September and the house is still not done because of inspections failing again. After that last inspection it ended up being October 2016 when we could finally move in.
After countless lies and empty promises all I can tell anyone is to Run very fast if you see UBH coming your way. They are a full of lies, tricks, and scams to get you to sign that contract by telling you more lies. If anyone is looking to build in Houston or anywhere for that matter, PLEASE find someone else to build your home. Now I see why they were so thankful for us allowing him to build in the Houston area. They probably had so many other complaints that they were ran out of the Houston area before. What a waste of my time and money! Ladies and gentlemen, there is something sneaky about them telling you no payments for 6 months. That’s because they won’t be done for at least 10 months, that’s so they can get most or all the money back that was put in starting the building process. Buyer Beware! Don’t ruin your dreams with this company!

Attached is an example of failed inspections:
Plan Check Comment Information

Project Number: 1513958*
Description: 1 STORY S.F. RES W/ ATT GARAGE (1-1-5-R3-B) 2006 IRC
Address: 12802 L****** W**

1. Incorporate into your floor plans and ceiling joist framing plans the
location of the attic pull-down stairway in accordance with the following
code requirements:
Attic (Access) R807.1 2006 IRC
Attic access shall be provided in buildings with a combustible ceiling or
roof
construction. An attic access opening shall be provided to attic areas that
exceed 30 square feet and have a vertical height of 30 inches or greater. The rough opening shall not be less than 22 inches by 30 inches.
- Attic Access Appliances (Pull down stair) M1305.1.3 2006 IRC Amendments
Attics containing appliances shall be provided with a pull down stairway with
a clear opening not less than 22 inches in width and a load capacity of not
less than 350 pounds.
2. The plan set shall include complete drainage plans verifying compliance with the following code requirements:
- Drainage (Lots) R401.3 2006 IRC (Effective June 6, 2012)
Lots shall be graded to provide a positive drainage path away from the
foundation. The fall shall be a minimum of 6 inches in the first 10 feet (5%
slope). The site plan shall depict the slopes.
- Drainage (Lots) R401.3 Exception 2006 IRC Amendments (Effective June 6, 2012)
If a swale or drain is used due to a physical barrier or lot line the plans
must indicate the positive drainage details. Impervious surfaces within 10
feet of the building foundation shall be sloped a minimum of 2% away from the building.
3. Finished Floor Elevation R401.5 2006 IRC (Effective June 6, 2012)
The finished floor elevation shall be 12 inches above the nearest sanitary
sewer manhole or 4 inches above the crown of the street when allowed.
Note: When the City Flood Plan Ordinance requires a greater elevation, that elevation shall be required.
401.5.1 (PLANS & APPLICATIONS) All construction plans and applications
submitted for construction, sewer connections or septic systems shall reflect the elevations of the finished floor of the building and the elevation of the nearest manhole or crown of the street, whichever is applicable.
The 4 inch above the crown of street rule only applies when SEWER IS NOT AVAILABLE.
The majority of the projects in the city have available utilities so unless
is has a septic system, the manhole elevation is required.
* Provide the actual or the assumed elevations for the finished floor
and the nearest sanitary sewer manhole rim on your site plan.
4. Site Plan R106.2 2006 IRC
Provide a fully dimensioned site plan showing distances to property lines.
The site plan shall show all easements, building setback lines, buildings,
structures and impervious cover.
5. Ceiling Height (Habitable Rooms) R305.1 2006 IRC
Provide a cross section that shows ceiling height and roof framing. The
minimum ceiling height shall be not less than 7'-0".
6. Energy (Additional 15% Efficiency) 2009 IECC
Provide one of the following software's demonstrating that the residence
exceeds the City and State adopted 2009 IECC by a minimum of 15%: IC3
form, REScheck or REMrate (Energy Star). Otherwise fill out a 2009 City of
Houston Energy Conservation form (# CE-1246) and select a prescriptive option (form CE-1274) to comply with the new Energy Code requirements that became
effective February 7, 2014. (When using REScheck to comply with the 15%
better than code requirement, use the 2009 IECC Code on the drop down menu).
7. Engineer (Structural Designs) R106.1, R301.1.3 2006 IRC and R301.2.1.1
2006 IRC Amendments
Plans shall include engineered structural designs by a Texas licensed
Engineer. The plans shall be sealed, signed and dated. The design shall be
for all structural ceiling, floor, roof framing, walls and details designed
for a 110 mile per hour wind speed with a 3 second gust factor.
- Engineered Drawings (Firm Number) Texas Engineering Practice Act; Section 137.77
All engineered plans and documents submitted to the City of Houston Code Enforcement offices require the firm name and number of the registered engineering firm.
8. The plan set shall include general notes / structural comments verifying
compliance with the following code requirements:
- Garage (Separation) 309.2 2006 IRC Amendments
The garage shall be separated from the residence and its attic area by not
less than 1/2 inch gypsum board applied to the garage side and 5/8" Type X gypsum board where the separation is a floor/ceiling assembly.
- Garage Separation (Door) R309.1 2006 IRC
Openings from a private garage directly into a room used for sleeping
purposes shall not be permitted. Other openings between the garage and
residence shall be equipped with solid wood doors not less than 1 3/8 inches in thickness, solid or honeycomb core steel doors not less than 1 3/8 inches thick, or 20-minute fire-rated doors all of which shall be self-closing.
9. Smoke Detectors R313.3 2006 IRC
Plans shall include notes stating smoke detectors shall be hard-wired and
inter-connected with battery backup.
10. Smoke Detectors Location R313.2 2006 IRC
Smoke alarms shall be installed in the following locations: (1) In each
sleeping room, (2) Outside each separate sleeping area in the immediate
vicinity of the bedrooms, (3) On each additional story of the dwelling.
* Incorporate into your electrical plans one smoke detector outside the
immediate vicinity of the master bedroom in accordance with R313.2.
11. Provide an electrical legend delineating smoke detectors and mechanical exhaust, etc., in accordance with the following:
- Exhaust
In lieu of natural ventilation, provide an exhaust fan in all new water
closets and utility rooms
12. Square Footage (Fees)
Provide a breakdown of the total square footage of the structures. Include
everything under cover.
13. Wall Section (Wind Bracing) R602.10.3 2006 IRC
Provide a wall detail showing wall bracing at each corner of the building.
Wall shall be fully detailed from foundation to the roof. The details shall
include all material type, size, spacing and grade of lumber.
13. Windows (Escape and Rescue) R310.1.1, R310.1.3, R310.1.2 and R310.1.
(Exception) 2006 IRC
Plans shall clearly indicate that all escape or rescue windows from sleeping
rooms have a minimum net clear opening of 5.7 square feet. The minimum net
clear opening width dimension shall be not less than 20 inches, and the
minimum net clear height dimension
shall not be less than 24 inches. Grade floor openings shall have a minimum
net clear opening of 5 square feet.
14. Floor Surface R309.3 2006 IRC
The area of floor used for parking of automobiles or other vehicles shall be
sloped to facilitate the movement of liquids to a drain or toward the main
vehicle entry doorway.

Written Response

A written response on a separate sheet of paper must be included with the

corrected plans stating where the corrections may be specifically found.

In early 2015, we bought a foreclosed home from UHB. When we were first contacted with what the monthly payments would be, we were told a price that was more than our budget would bear and we stated such. Trey, the sales person said he would work on the numbers and get them down. The next day, Trey called back and the number were within the limit that we had set down for the monthly payment. Guess I should have asked how he did that, but I did not.

Come to find out, he had lowered the escrow on the annual property taxes to a rate that had not been seen in over 10 years. (since they were the original holder of the mortgage immediately prior to our purchase, they knew exactly what the taxes would be).

We signed the paperwork and have been happy, until this year, when we received a notice that our escrow acct was being upped to over $200 over what we had agreed on. That was early this year, and when I called UHB, I was told that they were going to look into it and get back with me. This was done repeatedly, and the only call backs we got were that we owed on the escrow, and when I explained to them and even sent them the current tax statement they said they would look into it and get back with us.

ON August 31, I got a notice from my credit monitoring site telling me that UHB had reported us being over 60 days late, We had never missed a payment and had never been over 30 days late, I was furious. I called them and was told so many stories that included they had not received a July payment, but when I told them the date that the payment was made, I was then told that the payment was not for the full amount of the current mortgage payment and escrow and that they had not been crediting the payments we made until the payments received were equal to the monthly payment.

When I sent them once again, the current estimated tax statements they did lower the escrow payment and it was then, when they sent me the new lower payment schedule which was $90 less than what they had been wanting, that I found that we were an amount short in the property tax. We had never received notification of being that money short and would have paid it.

So due to the shoddy bookkeeping system of UHB, even though we made all our payments on time per contract, they worked the system to destroy our credit by saying we had a late payment and owe back penalties for late payment. Even the 3 credit reporting agencies, showed that our payments were on time, up to the current month, which is information provided by UHB on a monthly basis. When we filed our rebuttal with each of the three credit agencies, then UHB took that opportunity to then go back and replace the monthly payment history to show that we were no longer paying on time, but rather were now missing payments.

When I tried to explain on the phone, all I hear is that they hold payments until the full amount of mortgage and escrow can be credited to the account in full. Rather than sending me notice that I was short on the tax escrow for last year, due to the shoddy way of business to lower the payment that was within our budget, with UHB knowing the payment would rise to the higher payment the next year AFTER we had signed the contract for the house, they just put it into our raised escrow payments, pushing it past the amount we could afford.

UHB should remove the negative credit statement on all of our credit reports for both my wife and I as we performed our obligations in good faith, by making our agreed upon payments in a timely manner.

By lowering the payments, finally, from the elevated rate that they set, we have reached a payment that will be $40 more than what was originally signed for, instead of the over $200 amount they raised it.

We acted on good faith, believing that UHB would look into this, as they repeatedly stated they would, when in fact, they did nothing but continue to hold funds we sent, using the funds for their benefit, without crediting our account when the funds were received.

We were also told at time of signing, by Trey, at the UHB office in Texarkana, that we were obligated to having the insurance provided by UHB for the first year, even though we expressed a desire to use our own insurance company. That was a false statement as well.

UHB seems built on lies in many different aspects of things. They do not even do electronic payments. This is the 21st Century, so the only reason we can figure for not doing electronic payments is to assist their questionable record keeping system of not immediately applying payments to accounts when the money is received, even though they are using the funds for their goal. I wonder about the legal aspect of that move.

One can look at my credit report for the last few years and see that we have not been delinquent on any bills.

We are not asking for anything that don't belong to us, but we also want what is right and honest.

united bilt saying 3 monyhs behind in payments, lot of nerve lird, to me when we bought the house just to make sure they could sell it.
going in to my bank account without authorization, calling fifteen times a day, then give false information about facts. thats from their
so-called vp alan gauldin

My family of 5 bought a home from them, and they sugar coated everything.! They lied about everything about the house, Age, amount of payment, remodel, insulation, back up sewage and before we knew it, The house was falling apart.. And we was told by the neighbors that the house was 30 yrs. old! Visit [redacted].com and read more compliants about them.. Dont waste your time and money on these people, They are not worth it..