Manufactured Housing News

Pre-built homes quickly emerge as a solid housing alternative to traditionally constructed homes. Purchasing a manufactured or pre-built home is becoming an option that will help consumers realize their dream of home ownership without the prohibitive cost of traditional houses built onsite.

Once you have decided to purchase a home that isn’t site-built, it can be easy to get bogged down in the terminology of non-traditional housing options. You can choose manufactured, mobile, and modular homes when opting for a pre-built house. But what are the differences between these types of homes? This article will cover some major differences between manufactured, mobile, and modular homes.

Construction Methods

The major difference between manufactured, mobile, and modular homes is how they are constructed.

Manufactured homes are constructed in a factory and transported to the home site. Once they arrive at their destinations, they are indistinguishable from site-built homes. They are not usually moved again. This allows the entire process, start to finish, to be overseen with consistency and accuracy, which cuts down on many of the delays and disruptions in traditionally built homes. They are built according to federal construction codes from Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Modular homes are also built in factories but are governed by local state building codes (although sometimes states will adopt the federal code). Modular homes are either built on a permanent chassis or a temporary one. Homes built on a permanent chassis are referred to as “on-frame,” and those built on temporary ones are referred to as “off-frame.” Whether a home is built on- or off-frame will affect how it is assembled at its destination site.

Mobile homes are any manufactured home built before June 15, 1976. Due to HUD policy changes in 1976, they are now obsolete and have since been replaced by modern manufactured homes.

Home Design and Options

When considering purchasing a manufactured home versus a modular home, most of the changes are structural. Both manufactured and modular homes have made great strides in recent years in terms of home design options.

Plenty of cosmetic and design options are available, depending on the financing options and particular building company a buyer chooses. Homebuyers can choose from various building options, including exterior building materials and cosmetic features. Because one factory is responsible for the construction from start to finish, consumers have more options to customize a manufactured or even modular home. Modern manufactured and modular homes are nearly indistinguishable from site-built homes now.

Safety

Safety is one of the most common concerns for homebuyers looking at manufactured and modular homes. Both of these home options are constructed offsite, which can lead many to distrust their safety. However, these fears are unfounded. There is no significant difference between the safety of homes built on or offsite.

Manufactured homes are produced according to the Federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) safety standards. These unified national safety standards help ensure that manufactured homes are as safe as site-built homes.

Manufactured homes are built in one controlled environment and transported to the home site. Red certification labels from HUD are affixed to the exterior.

Modular homes are constructed according to local and state safety regulations based on the destination site. Sometimes, these standards are the same as the HUD standards, as some states adopt the federal code. Each state and governing authority has its own safety certification attached to modular homes.

Both modular and manufactured homes are further inspected upon installation at their sites to ensure complete safety for the home occupants.

Cost

Manufactured and modular are all significantly more affordable than site-built homes. The primary reason that these homes are constructed in one place is that it allows for controlled production costs.  They are constructed inside a factory and, therefore, are also typically constructed in a fraction of the amount of time a site-built home is. There are fewer delays and unforeseen costs. The savings on construction costs are passed on to the consumer. This allows many consumers the chance at home ownership that they otherwise wouldn’t have.

Manufactured, Mobile, or Modular: Choosing the best option for you

While the options for pre-built homes have come a long way in all categories, manufactured homes, as well as modular homes, have several clear advantages.

Manufactured homes and Modular homes have:

• Design customization options available for consumers
• The safety advantage of being inspected and constructed in one place, with consistency and efficiency
• The low cost associated with being built off-site

These reasons are why manufactured homes are emerging as a great option for new homeowners.