The ModularHomes.com staff has been in the modular housing industry for years and we understand what it’s like for new home shoppers. The idea of buying a modular or manufactured home can often be a scary and confusing process. If you feel like you’re searching for answers and coming up empty-handed, don’t worry! We’re here to help.
We’ve hand-crafted a collection of resources to help new home shoppers and existing modular home owners. Find answers to questions related to prefab home financing, building and quality standards, purchasing options, pricing, and more.
A modular home is simply a home built offsite, in an indoor factory setting, to a local state code. These homes are often called “factory-built,” “systems-built,” or “prefab” homes (short for prefabricated). Modular homes start as sections, or modules, that have been built in a climate-controlled factory environment and then transported to the building site and assembled.
Manufactured homes are often thought to be synonymous with “mobile homes,” which is a misnomer. The truth is that since the Federal Construction and Safety Standard Act passed in 1976 by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, what people think of as “mobile homes” have ceased to exist. The HUD Code lays out strict and rigorous standards for design and construction, fire resistance, wind safety, energy efficiency, and overall quality. That means prefab homes ar required by law to be just as safe and durable as any stick-built home.
Some home shoppers use the terms “manufactured” and “modular” interchangeably. However, it’s important for customers to know the differences before finding modular home prices and shopping for a new home. The main difference between the two is that manufactured homes are built to federal HUD Code and modular homes are built to state-level IRC Code. However, there are key construction differences as well.
Why buy a prefab home? This is a question we get asked a lot. Simply put, the decision to buy a modular or manufactured home as opposed to a traditional “stick-built” home makes sense for three core reasons — price, time, and customization. Factory-built modular homes are built for less money, can be built much quicker, and give customers an overwhelming advantage when it comes to personalizing their living space.
There are many factors that affect the final cost of a modular home. Rather than try to address every possible option, we’ll break down the total price for an average modular home. These costs are estimates meant to give you a general idea of the prices associated with each stage of the home building process. The amount you end up paying can and likely will vary.
Prefab homes are just as diverse and unique as any traditional stick-built home, and share many of the same styles you may already be familiar with. Some popular and easily recognizable styles include Ranch homes, Chalet, Colonial, Contemporary, and many more.