Modular Home FAQ's

QUESTION: Is a Modular home a poorly constructed home?
ANSWER: Not at all. Today's modular homes are models of efficiency & quality assurance. Most builders use state of the art computer design equipment to help them in planning and customizing the design of the floor plan. The highly engineered structures are then built in sections, called "modules", inside the controlled environment of a manufacturing facility. Finally, each section is shipped by truck to the building site where they are assembled and offloaded by crane. They must conform to the same local building codes as a regular home (often called site-built or stick-built home). Once they are set on and attached to the foundation, they are indistinguishable from the other homes.

QUESTION: What kind of construction is used in Modular homes?
ANSWER: The same or better construction than that used in a traditional site built home. The walls are 2 x 6 with R19 insulation and 2 x 4 partitions. The flooring is 2 x 8 or 2 x 10 depending on the floor span and is topped with tongue and groove flooring, glued & stapled. The roof and ceiling are trussed with R32 insulation and has a 25 year Fiberglass shingles.

QUESTION: Are Modular homes getting more attention in the media these days?
ANSWER: They are becoming more popular than ever as more people find the variety, quality, and cost savings that can be attained with a Modular home. According to the Manufactured Housing Institute (Arlington, VA) figures, the total of all manufactured housing went from 188,172 in 1990 to 353,377 in 1997. People's attitudes have changed. Gone are the days when Modular homes were confused with smaller, rectangular, temporary, poorly built homes such as "mobile" or "single wide" or "double wide" homes that were placed on small narrow lots.

QUESTION: What is the difference between the terms "Manufactured Home" and "Modular Home"?
ANSWER: Manufactured homes, often referred to as "mobile, single or double wide homes", are constructed to a different building standard. The standard is the Federal Construction Safety Standard or HUD code. Unlike conventional building codes, it requires manufactured homes to be constructed on non-removable steel chassis. Many communities have restrictions on where (and if) these homes can be located. Modular homes (even though it is "manufactured") and site-built homes on the other hand, are constructed to the same building code as required by your state and local authorities. Building and zoning regulations do not therefore restrict where they can be constructed.

QUESTION: How does the construction process for Modular homes differ from site-built homes?
ANSWER: Basically there is no difference between the overall construction process for a Modular home and a site (or stick) built home. The steps involved are the same as a site-built home. Before the Modular home is delivered the builder or agent has to consider such details as surveys and permits, water and electrical hookups, foundation, and septic if required. After delivery and the modular home is set on the foundation, there are such things as final finishing work, water, electrical, and plumbing hookups, and finish landscaping.

QUESTION: What does a Modular home look like?
ANSWER: Today's Modular home looks like any other house on the street. In fact, you can't tell them apart. Modular builders can build almost any style home from a simple Ranch to a highly customized Contemporary. Modular producers are also building office buildings, banks, school, motels and other structures. You may have been in one and not even realized it.

QUESTION: How does a Modular home save time in the construction process?
ANSWER: When your Modular home arrives and is set on the foundation it is usually over 90 percent complete and has most of the things already in it that you have chosen. The floor coverings, the wall and ceiling finish, outside siding and shutters. The kitchen cabinets, sink, refrigerator, stove and dishwasher are there thus reducing move in time. Another plus is that the bathrooms are finished except final hookup. All this work has been going on simultaneously with work at the home site during the permitting, surveying, grading, and the building of the foundation phase. This is not possible with a site built home.

QUESTION: How does the cost of a Modular home compare with a site-built home?
ANSWER: Modular homes traditionally are less expensive than a similar site-built home when you add up all the labor, material and time savings inherent in the Modular process. You will also have yearly savings, as the built in energy efficiency of your Modular home keeps heating and air conditioning bills lower. It would be extremely difficult to give a cost estimate here do to changing prices of material and labor, the style and size of home, the options chosen, and a large number of other factors. However, as a very rough rule of thumb you might consider a price range for a Modular of $30 to $50 per square foot, whereas the site built would be more like $70 to $80 per square foot. This does not include the price of the land.

QUESTION: Is financing a Modular home a problem?
ANSWER: No. There is no distinction is made between a modular and site built homes as far as appraisal and financing is concerned. Most Banks and lending institutions treat both types the same. The same thing applies to insurance companies..

QUESTION: How long does it take to build a Modular home?
ANSWER: Of course, this depends on the size of the house and the number of modules used to construct it and the manufacturer. With consistent quality and speed being one of the advantages of this type construction, a home consisting of two modules can be manufactures in about two to three weeks. Once this is complete, the finished modules are transferred to the building site and set on the foundation. The final completion, which is usually handled by a local builder or contractor who does the final finish work and utility connections and can often by completed within about three weeks.

QUESTION: Can I save money by building a modular home?
ANSWER: The modular manufacturer buys building materials inlarge quantities saving money in bulk purchases. Similar savings can be had in appliances and fixtures. Because the home is built using various jigs and fixtures in a factory under close supervision, they are built with less labor hours and there is less need for highly skilled craftsmen for all the various trades used. This "engineered" approach also results in savings in material and waste. Also, because the home is built inside there are no weather related delays and schedule inefficiencies that occur at a site-built home. There is also no vandalism costs so prevalent in today's world. Finally because of the time saved there is a corresponding saving on loan interest during this process.