Here's an unexpected benefit of the housing downturn: The quality of new homes appears to be improving.

Customer satisfaction climbed for the second consecutive year, hitting a record average of 811 on a 1,000-point scale, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 U.S. New-Home Builder Customer Satisfaction Study released Tuesday. It climbed 32 points from last year's 779, a figure that includes workmanship, materials, warranty and price.

With less work to do, it is not surprising that builders' product is improving. Sales levels and prices have plunged, and customers are no doubt thrilled with the bargain-priced inventory that's out there.

Plus, in the past, a buyer would wait and wait for the builder to deliver their new home. Now many new homes purchased are already finished, so there's no buyer rushing the builder along. The percentage of homes delivered complete and on time came in at 76%, up from 2008's 70%.

The battered home builders who survived the bust are even touting the survey's results with press releases.

Back in the boom, builders rushed to meet what seemed to be insatiable demand - more than 2 million homes sprung up in 2005 alone. But with not enough skilled construction workers and quality materials to go around, complaints and lawsuits regarding defective construction flourished. Home owners say they have dealt with issues including mold, cracking floors, separating gutters and jammed windows and doors.

Hurting for raw materials, the busy builders imported drywall from China. That's come back to haunt them, too. Complaints about defective drywall are mounting. That tally is near 1,200, from 24 states, stretching from California to New York, along with Washington, D.C.

According to the survey, this year's chief concerns include landscaping, heating and air conditioning and cabinets.

Public builder Pulte Homes Inc. (PHM), which recently acquired Centex to become an industry giant, led the way for quality in Tampa, San Antonio and Philadelphia. The company hopes quality will help build its brand as the market improves. Competitor Lennar Corp. (LEN) dominated quality in Tucson, while Standard Pacific Corp. (SPF) topped in Austin. KB Home (KBH) led the way in Phoenix.

The 13-year-old survey is based on responses from 26,231 buyers of new single-family homes who provided feedback after an average of four-to-18 months, long enough for most problems to emerge. It was conducted between March and July. Problem rates have declined in 23 markets that were included in last year's study.

- Dawn Wotapka; Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2193; dawn.wotapka@dowjones.com