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Shareholders' Equity (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)
Share data in Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified
3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Sep. 30, 2014
Jun. 30, 2014
Mar. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Sep. 30, 2013
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Class of Stock [Line Items]                  
Cash dividends declared (usd per share) $ 0.08us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareDeclared $ 0.05us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareDeclared $ 0.05us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareDeclared $ 0.05us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareDeclared $ 0.05us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareDeclared $ 0.10us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareDeclared $ 0.23us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareDeclared $ 0.15us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareDeclared $ 0us-gaap_CommonStockDividendsPerShareDeclared
Dividends declared             $ 86,370,000us-gaap_Dividends $ 57,530,000us-gaap_Dividends  
Stock Repurchase Program, Authorized Amount 750,000,000us-gaap_StockRepurchaseProgramAuthorizedAmount1           750,000,000us-gaap_StockRepurchaseProgramAuthorizedAmount1    
Stock repurchases             253,019,000us-gaap_PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock 127,661,000us-gaap_PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock 961,000us-gaap_PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock
Share repurchase plan [Member]                  
Class of Stock [Line Items]                  
Remaining value of stock repurchase programs authorization 738,500,000us-gaap_StockRepurchaseProgramRemainingAuthorizedRepurchaseAmount1
/ us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis
= phm_SharerepurchaseplanMember
          738,500,000us-gaap_StockRepurchaseProgramRemainingAuthorizedRepurchaseAmount1
/ us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis
= phm_SharerepurchaseplanMember
   
Shares repurchased under authorized repurchase programs             12,900us-gaap_StockRepurchasedDuringPeriodShares
/ us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis
= phm_SharerepurchaseplanMember
7,200us-gaap_StockRepurchasedDuringPeriodShares
/ us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis
= phm_SharerepurchaseplanMember
0us-gaap_StockRepurchasedDuringPeriodShares
/ us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis
= phm_SharerepurchaseplanMember
Stock repurchases             245,800,000us-gaap_PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock
/ us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis
= phm_SharerepurchaseplanMember
118,052,000us-gaap_PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock
/ us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis
= phm_SharerepurchaseplanMember
0us-gaap_PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock
/ us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis
= phm_SharerepurchaseplanMember
Shares withheld to pay taxes [Member]                  
Class of Stock [Line Items]                  
Stock repurchases             $ 7,200,000us-gaap_PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock
/ us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis
= phm_ShareswithheldtopaytaxesMember
$ 9,600,000us-gaap_PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock
/ us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis
= phm_ShareswithheldtopaytaxesMember
$ 1,000,000us-gaap_PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock
/ us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis
= phm_ShareswithheldtopaytaxesMember