Fair Value Disclosures Fair Value Disclosures (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Disclosed at fair value:
Debt Instrument, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 3,375,564	$ 3,098,665
Other Notes Payable	40,098	53,381
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Disclosed at fair value:
Cash and equivalents (including restricted cash), fair value	2,632,235	1,251,456
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Disclosed at fair value:
Financial Services debt, fair value	411,821	326,573
Land [Member] \| Fair Value, Nonrecurring [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Measured at fair value on a recurring basis:
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	582	8,092
Measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis:
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	582	8,092
Residential Mortgage [Member] \| Fair Value, Recurring [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Measured at fair value on a recurring basis:
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	564,979	508,967
Measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis:
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	564,979	508,967
Interest Rate Lock Commitments [Member] \| Fair Value, Recurring [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Measured at fair value on a recurring basis:
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	16,161	8,202
Measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis:
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	16,161	8,202
Forward Contracts [Member] \| Fair Value, Recurring [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Measured at fair value on a recurring basis:
Financial and Nonfinancial Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	5,436	(1,073)
Whole Loan Commitments [Member] \| Fair Value, Recurring [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Measured at fair value on a recurring basis:
Financial and Nonfinancial Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	498	596
Land Held For Sale [Member] \| Fair Value, Nonrecurring [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Measured at fair value on a recurring basis:
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	0	4,193
Measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis:
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure	$ 0	$ 4,193

Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Non-Recurring Basis [Abstract]

No definition available.

Name:	phm_FairValueAssetsAndLiabilitiesMeasuredOnNonRecurringBasisAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	phm_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	phm_FairValueDisclosureAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	phm_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Fair value portion of probable future economic benefits obtained or controlled by an entity as a result of past transactions or events.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=117815213&loc=d3e19207-110258

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AssetsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value portion of currency on hand as well as demand deposits with banks or financial institutions. Includes other kinds of accounts that have the general characteristics of demand deposits. Also includes short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value portion of debt instrument payable, including, but not limited to, notes payable and loans payable.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 10
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121572278&loc=d3e13433-108611

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueAssetsAndLiabilitiesMeasuredOnRecurringAndNonrecurringBasisAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Fair value of financial and nonfinancial obligations.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LiabilitiesFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value portion of contractual arrangement with a lender under which borrowings can be made up to a specific amount at any point in time.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LinesOfCreditFairValueDisclosure
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of long-term notes payable classified as other.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120398452&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(22))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120391452&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(a)(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120400017&loc=d3e572229-122910

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherNotesPayable
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel1Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByAssetClassAxis=us-gaap_LandMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis=us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsNonrecurringMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel3Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_ResidentialMortgageMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis=us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_InterestRateLockCommitmentsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_ForwardContractsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_LoanPurchaseCommitmentsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongLivedAssetsHeldForSaleByAssetTypeAxis=phm_LandHeldForSaleMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: