<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0201</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>
<periodOfReport>2003-08-21</periodOfReport>
<notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000038570</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>ORLEANS HOMEBUILDERS INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>OHB</issuerTradingSymbol>
</issuer>
<reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0000936767</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>GOLDMAN BENJAMIN D</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>3333 STREET ROAD</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE 101</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>BENSALEM</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>PA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>19020</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>0</isDirector>
<isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
<isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
<isOther>0</isOther>
<officerTitle>Vice Chairman</officerTitle>
<otherText></otherText>
</reportingOwnerRelationship>
</reportingOwner>
<nonDerivativeTable>
<nonDerivativeTransaction>
<securityTitle>
<value>Common Stock</value>
</securityTitle>
<transactionDate>
<value>2003-08-21</value>
</transactionDate>
<deemedExecutionDate>
</deemedExecutionDate>
<transactionCoding>
<transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType>
<transactionCode>G</transactionCode>
<equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
<footnoteId id="F1"/>
</transactionCoding>
<transactionTimeliness>
<value>E</value>
</transactionTimeliness>
<transactionAmounts>
<transactionShares>
<value>3000</value>
</transactionShares>
<transactionPricePerShare>
<value>0</value>
<footnoteId id="F2"/>
</transactionPricePerShare>
<transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
<value>D</value>
</transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
</transactionAmounts>
<postTransactionAmounts>
<sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
<value>542939</value>
<footnoteId id="F3"/>
</sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
</postTransactionAmounts>
<ownershipNature>
<directOrIndirectOwnership>
<value>D</value>
</directOrIndirectOwnership>
<natureOfOwnership>
<value></value>
</natureOfOwnership>
</ownershipNature>
</nonDerivativeTransaction>
<nonDerivativeTransaction>
<securityTitle>
<value>Common Stock</value>
</securityTitle>
<transactionDate>
<value>2003-08-22</value>
</transactionDate>
<deemedExecutionDate>
</deemedExecutionDate>
<transactionCoding>
<transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType>
<transactionCode>G</transactionCode>
<equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
<footnoteId id="F4"/>
</transactionCoding>
<transactionTimeliness>
<value>E</value>
</transactionTimeliness>
<transactionAmounts>
<transactionShares>
<value>3000</value>
</transactionShares>
<transactionPricePerShare>
<value>0</value>
<footnoteId id="F2"/>
</transactionPricePerShare>
<transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
<value>D</value>
</transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
</transactionAmounts>
<postTransactionAmounts>
<sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
<value>539939</value>
</sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
</postTransactionAmounts>
<ownershipNature>
<directOrIndirectOwnership>
<value>D</value>
</directOrIndirectOwnership>
<natureOfOwnership>
<value></value>
</natureOfOwnership>
</ownershipNature>
</nonDerivativeTransaction>
<nonDerivativeTransaction>
<securityTitle>
<value>Common Stock</value>
</securityTitle>
<transactionDate>
<value>2003-08-21</value>
</transactionDate>
<deemedExecutionDate>
</deemedExecutionDate>
<transactionCoding>
<transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType>
<transactionCode>G</transactionCode>
<equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
<footnoteId id="F1"/>
</transactionCoding>
<transactionTimeliness>
<value>E</value>
</transactionTimeliness>
<transactionAmounts>
<transactionShares>
<value>3000</value>
</transactionShares>
<transactionPricePerShare>
<value>0</value>
<footnoteId id="F2"/>
</transactionPricePerShare>
<transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
<value>A</value>
</transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
</transactionAmounts>
<postTransactionAmounts>
<sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
<value>3000</value>
</sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
</postTransactionAmounts>
<ownershipNature>
<directOrIndirectOwnership>
<value>I</value>
</directOrIndirectOwnership>
<natureOfOwnership>
<value>By wife</value>
</natureOfOwnership>
</ownershipNature>
</nonDerivativeTransaction>
<nonDerivativeTransaction>
<securityTitle>
<value>Common Stock</value>
</securityTitle>
<transactionDate>
<value>2003-08-22</value>
</transactionDate>
<deemedExecutionDate>
</deemedExecutionDate>
<transactionCoding>
<transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType>
<transactionCode>G</transactionCode>
<equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
<footnoteId id="F4"/>
</transactionCoding>
<transactionTimeliness>
<value>E</value>
</transactionTimeliness>
<transactionAmounts>
<transactionShares>
<value>3000</value>
</transactionShares>
<transactionPricePerShare>
<value>0</value>
<footnoteId id="F2"/>
</transactionPricePerShare>
<transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
<value>D</value>
</transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
</transactionAmounts>
<postTransactionAmounts>
<sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
<value>0</value>
</sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
</postTransactionAmounts>
<ownershipNature>
<directOrIndirectOwnership>
<value>I</value>
</directOrIndirectOwnership>
<natureOfOwnership>
<value>By wife</value>
</natureOfOwnership>
</ownershipNature>
</nonDerivativeTransaction>
<nonDerivativeTransaction>
<securityTitle>
<value>Common Stock</value>
</securityTitle>
<transactionDate>
<value>2003-08-22</value>
</transactionDate>
<deemedExecutionDate>
</deemedExecutionDate>
<transactionCoding>
<transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType>
<transactionCode>G</transactionCode>
<equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
</transactionCoding>
<transactionTimeliness>
<value>E</value>
</transactionTimeliness>
<transactionAmounts>
<transactionShares>
<value>6000</value>
</transactionShares>
<transactionPricePerShare>
<value>0</value>
<footnoteId id="F2"/>
</transactionPricePerShare>
<transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
<value>A</value>
</transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
</transactionAmounts>
<postTransactionAmounts>
<sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
<value>6000</value>
</sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
</postTransactionAmounts>
<ownershipNature>
<directOrIndirectOwnership>
<value>I</value>
</directOrIndirectOwnership>
<natureOfOwnership>
<value>By trusts</value>
<footnoteId id="F5"/>
</natureOfOwnership>
</ownershipNature>
</nonDerivativeTransaction>
</nonDerivativeTable>
<footnotes>
<footnote id="F1">This transaction represents a gift to the reporting person&#039;s wife who shares the reporting person&#039;s household.</footnote>
<footnote id="F2">As a bona fide gift, no consideration was paid or received.</footnote>
<footnote id="F3">In the reporting person&#039;s Form 4 filed on April 3, 2002, the amount of securities beneficially owned following the reported transactions should have been reflected as 545,939.</footnote>
<footnote id="F4">This transaction represents gifts of 1,000 shares to each of three irrevocable trusts, each of which benefits one of the reporting person&#039;s children. None of the reporting person&#039;s three children shares the reporting person&#039;s household.</footnote>
<footnote id="F5">2,000 shares are held by each of three irrevocable trusts, each of which benefits one of the reporting person&#039;s children. The trustee for each of the three trusts is an immediate family member of the reporting person who does not share the reporting person&#039;s household. See Remarks. </footnote>
</footnotes>
<remarks>While none of the reporting person&#039;s children or the trustee shares the reporting person&#039;s household, the reporting person is reporting the indirect beneficial ownership of the shares because the trustee is a member of the reporting person&#039;s immediate family.  The reporting person disclaims beneficial ownership of these securities, and this report shall not be deemed an admission that the reporting person is the beneficial owner of the securities for purposes of Section 16 or for any other purpose. </remarks>
<ownerSignature>
<signatureName>Banjamin D. Goldman</signatureName>
<signatureDate>2003-11-05</signatureDate>
</ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>

