Supplemental Guarantor Information (Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss)) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Homebuilding
Home sale revenues	$ 1,088,158us-gaap_HomeBuildingRevenue	$ 1,088,015us-gaap_HomeBuildingRevenue
Land sale revenues	17,542us-gaap_LandSales	5,984us-gaap_LandSales
Total homebuilding revenues	1,105,700us-gaap_RealEstateRevenueNet	1,093,999us-gaap_RealEstateRevenueNet
Financial Services	27,598us-gaap_FinancialServicesRevenue	24,895us-gaap_FinancialServicesRevenue
Total revenues	1,133,298us-gaap_Revenues	1,118,894us-gaap_Revenues
Homebuilding Cost of Revenues:
Home sale cost of revenues	841,145us-gaap_HomeBuildingCosts	828,603us-gaap_HomeBuildingCosts
Land sale cost of revenues	13,378	5,011
Total cost of revenues	854,523us-gaap_CostOfRealEstateRevenue	833,614us-gaap_CostOfRealEstateRevenue
Financial Services expenses	22,541us-gaap_FinancialServicesCosts	3,322us-gaap_FinancialServicesCosts
Selling, general and administrative expenses	161,312	144,887
Other expense (income), net	1,136us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense	13,831us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense
Interest income	(1,099)us-gaap_InvestmentIncomeInterest	(1,111)us-gaap_InvestmentIncomeInterest
Interest expense	187us-gaap_InterestExpense	213us-gaap_InterestExpense
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	(1,107)	(5,891)
Intercompany interest	0phm_IntercompanyInterest	0phm_IntercompanyInterest
Income (loss) before income taxes and equity in income (loss) of subsidiaries	95,805	130,029
Income tax expense (benefit)	40,834us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit	55,210us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Income (loss) before equity in income (loss) of subsidiaries	54,971	74,819
Equity in income (loss) of subsidiaries	0phm_EquityInIncomeLossOfSubsidiaries	0phm_EquityInIncomeLossOfSubsidiaries
Net income	54,971us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss	74,819us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss
Other comprehensive income	21	40
Comprehensive income (loss)	54,992us-gaap_ComprehensiveIncomeNetOfTax	74,859us-gaap_ComprehensiveIncomeNetOfTax
PulteGroup, Inc.
Homebuilding
Home sale revenues	0	0
Land sale revenues	0	0
Total homebuilding revenues	0	0
Financial Services	0	0
Total revenues	0	0
Homebuilding Cost of Revenues:
Home sale cost of revenues	0	0
Land sale cost of revenues	0	0
Total cost of revenues	0	0
Financial Services expenses	187	201
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0
Other expense (income), net	(5)	8,568
Interest income	(3)	(121)
Interest expense	187	213
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	(5)	(2)
Intercompany interest	7,723	253
Income (loss) before income taxes and equity in income (loss) of subsidiaries	(8,084)	(9,112)
Income tax expense (benefit)	(3,072)	(82)
Income (loss) before equity in income (loss) of subsidiaries	(5,012)	(9,030)
Equity in income (loss) of subsidiaries	59,983	83,849
Net income	54,971	74,819
Other comprehensive income	21	40
Comprehensive income (loss)	54,992	74,859
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Homebuilding
Home sale revenues	1,088,158	1,088,015
Land sale revenues	17,542	5,984
Total homebuilding revenues	1,105,700	1,093,999
Financial Services	0	379
Total revenues	1,105,700	1,094,378
Homebuilding Cost of Revenues:
Home sale cost of revenues	841,145	828,603
Land sale cost of revenues	13,378	5,011
Total cost of revenues	854,523	833,614
Financial Services expenses	(168)	77
Selling, general and administrative expenses	160,828	144,724
Other expense (income), net	1,297	4,981
Interest income	(1,102)	(971)
Interest expense	0	0
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	(903)	(5,802)
Intercompany interest	(5,422)	1,944
Income (loss) before income taxes and equity in income (loss) of subsidiaries	96,647	115,811
Income tax expense (benefit)	41,097	52,727
Income (loss) before equity in income (loss) of subsidiaries	55,550	63,084
Equity in income (loss) of subsidiaries	4,337	20,887
Net income	59,887	83,971
Other comprehensive income	0	0
Comprehensive income (loss)	59,887	83,971
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Homebuilding
Home sale revenues	0	0
Land sale revenues	0	0
Total homebuilding revenues	0	0
Financial Services	27,598	24,516
Total revenues	27,598	24,516
Homebuilding Cost of Revenues:
Home sale cost of revenues	0	0
Land sale cost of revenues	0	0
Total cost of revenues	0	0
Financial Services expenses	22,522	3,044
Selling, general and administrative expenses	484	163
Other expense (income), net	(156)	282
Interest income	6	(19)
Interest expense	0	0
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	(199)	(87)
Intercompany interest	(2,301)	(2,197)
Income (loss) before income taxes and equity in income (loss) of subsidiaries	7,242	23,330
Income tax expense (benefit)	2,809	2,565
Income (loss) before equity in income (loss) of subsidiaries	4,433	20,765
Equity in income (loss) of subsidiaries	52,063	60,216
Net income	56,496	80,981
Other comprehensive income	0	0
Comprehensive income (loss)	56,496	80,981
Eliminating Entries
Homebuilding
Home sale revenues	0	0
Land sale revenues	0	0
Total homebuilding revenues	0	0
Financial Services	0	0
Total revenues	0	0
Homebuilding Cost of Revenues:
Home sale cost of revenues	0	0
Land sale cost of revenues	0	0
Total cost of revenues	0	0
Financial Services expenses	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0
Other expense (income), net	0	0
Interest income	0	0
Interest expense	0	0
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities	0	0
Intercompany interest	0	0
Income (loss) before income taxes and equity in income (loss) of subsidiaries	0	0
Income tax expense (benefit)	0	0
Income (loss) before equity in income (loss) of subsidiaries	0	0
Equity in income (loss) of subsidiaries	(116,383)	(164,952)
Net income	(116,383)	(164,952)
Other comprehensive income	0	0
Comprehensive income (loss)	$ (116,383)	$ (164,952)

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Amount after tax of increase (decrease) in equity from transactions and other events and circumstances from net income and other comprehensive income, attributable to parent entity. Excludes changes in equity resulting from investments by owners and distributions to owners.

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The aggregate costs of real estate land sales including administrative paperwork, real estate brokerage, title, and property management operations.

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Amount of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations.

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