Supplemental Guarantor Information (Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
ASSETS
Cash and equivalents		$ 734,153	$ 1,292,862	$ 1,221,817	$ 1,580,329
Restricted cash		25,942	16,358
House and land inventory		5,240,932	4,392,100
Land held for sale		85,130	101,190
Land, not owned, under option agreements		102,548	30,186
Residential mortgage loans available-for-sale		270,658	339,531
Securities purchased under agreements to resell			0
Investments in unconsolidated entities		41,509	40,368
Other assets		637,962	513,032
Intangible assets		113,440	123,115
Deferred tax assets, net		1,549,304	1,720,668
Investments in subsidiaries and intercompany accounts, net		0	0
Total assets		8,801,578	8,569,410
Liabilities:
Accounts payable, customer deposits, accrued and other liabilities		1,987,455	1,756,932
Income tax liabilities		50,906	48,722
Financial Services debt		107,508	140,241
Term loan		500,000	0
Senior notes	[1]	1,584,104	1,818,561
Total liabilities		4,229,973	3,764,456
Total shareholders' equity		4,571,605	4,804,954	4,710,409	4,648,952
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity		8,801,578	8,569,410
PulteGroup, Inc.
ASSETS
Cash and equivalents		0	7,454	862	262,364
Restricted cash		0	3,710
House and land inventory		0	0
Land held for sale		0	0
Land, not owned, under option agreements		0	0
Residential mortgage loans available-for-sale		0	0
Securities purchased under agreements to resell			22,000
Investments in unconsolidated entities		88	74
Other assets		26,073	34,214
Intangible assets		0	0
Deferred tax assets, net		1,541,759	1,712,853
Investments in subsidiaries and intercompany accounts, net		5,222,327	4,963,831
Total assets		6,790,247	6,744,136
Liabilities:
Accounts payable, customer deposits, accrued and other liabilities		83,632	71,874
Income tax liabilities		50,906	48,747
Financial Services debt		0	0
Term loan		500,000
Senior notes		1,584,104	1,818,561
Total liabilities		2,218,642	1,939,182
Total shareholders' equity		4,571,605	4,804,954
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity		6,790,247	6,744,136
Guarantor Subsidiaries
ASSETS
Cash and equivalents		688,224	1,157,307	1,169,490	1,188,999
Restricted cash		24,942	1,513
House and land inventory		5,240,932	4,391,445
Land held for sale		84,096	100,156
Land, not owned, under option agreements		102,548	30,186
Residential mortgage loans available-for-sale		0	0
Securities purchased under agreements to resell			0
Investments in unconsolidated entities		36,955	36,126
Other assets		516,775	421,145
Intangible assets		113,440	123,115
Deferred tax assets, net		13	15
Investments in subsidiaries and intercompany accounts, net		286,642	967,032
Total assets		7,094,567	7,228,040
Liabilities:
Accounts payable, customer deposits, accrued and other liabilities		1,715,283	1,514,954
Income tax liabilities		0	(25)
Financial Services debt		0	0
Term loan		0
Senior notes		0	0
Total liabilities		1,715,283	1,514,929
Total shareholders' equity		5,379,284	5,713,111
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity		7,094,567	7,228,040
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
ASSETS
Cash and equivalents		45,929	128,101	51,465	128,966
Restricted cash		1,000	11,135
House and land inventory		0	655
Land held for sale		1,034	1,034
Land, not owned, under option agreements		0	0
Residential mortgage loans available-for-sale		270,658	339,531
Securities purchased under agreements to resell			(22,000)
Investments in unconsolidated entities		4,466	4,168
Other assets		95,114	57,673
Intangible assets		0	0
Deferred tax assets, net		7,532	7,800
Investments in subsidiaries and intercompany accounts, net		6,100,670	6,359,441
Total assets		6,526,403	6,887,538
Liabilities:
Accounts payable, customer deposits, accrued and other liabilities		188,540	170,104
Income tax liabilities		0	0
Financial Services debt		107,508	140,241
Term loan		0
Senior notes		0	0
Total liabilities		296,048	310,345
Total shareholders' equity		6,230,355	6,577,193
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity		6,526,403	6,887,538
Eliminating Entries
ASSETS
Cash and equivalents		0	0	$ 0	$ 0
Restricted cash		0	0
House and land inventory		0	0
Land held for sale		0	0
Land, not owned, under option agreements		0	0
Residential mortgage loans available-for-sale		0	0
Securities purchased under agreements to resell			0
Investments in unconsolidated entities		0	0
Other assets		0	0
Intangible assets		0	0
Deferred tax assets, net		0	0
Investments in subsidiaries and intercompany accounts, net		(11,609,639)	(12,290,304)
Total assets		(11,609,639)	(12,290,304)
Liabilities:
Accounts payable, customer deposits, accrued and other liabilities		0	0
Income tax liabilities		0	0
Financial Services debt		0	0
Term loan		0
Senior notes		0	0
Total liabilities		0	0
Total shareholders' equity		(11,609,639)	(12,290,304)
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity		$ (11,609,639)	$ (12,290,304)

[1] The recorded carrying value reflects the impact of various discounts and premiums that are amortized to interest cost over the respective terms of the senior notes.