Buying a house is likely to be the most costly purchase you’ll ever make. But due to escalating costs of building materials, labor, and property values, some home prices have skyrocketed beyond the reach of many home buyers. A manufactured home could be an attractive option.
What is a “manufactured home”? This is actually an industry term that refers to any single-family house that has been built in a factory. The category includes four distinctly different types of factory-built homes: pre-cut, panelized, modular, and mobile. Pre-Cut Homes: This category, which includes kit houses, log homes, and dome houses, refers to the type of house that is built from materials that are factory-cut and prepared for on-site assembly. This type of manufactured house is often the easiest and least expensive to ship but requires more on-site labor than other types of manufactured homes.
Panelized Homes: With this type of system, entire wall sections are manufactured in the factory. The resulting panels, which contain doors, windows, and electrical wiring, are clad with exterior siding. They are relatively easy to transport, and±for experienced fabricators—quick to assemble on site.
Modular Homes: With a modular home, most of the work is done at the factory. The modules consist of pre-built rooms (or groups of rooms) that can essentially be plugged together to form a finished house. Many types of systems are available. A modular home is very quick to assemble on site.
Mobile Homes: Manufactured homes built before 1976 are still called mobile homes. They are essentially the same as modular homes, but a mobile home built prior to 1976 was built according to voluntary, not mandated, standards.
Since 1976, American manufactured houses have been required to comply with federal construction and safety standards (the HUD Code). This code, which the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) administers, standardizes home design and construction, energy efficiency, fire resistance, transportability, strength, and durability. It also mandates performance standards for the electrical, plumbing, air conditioning, thermal, and heating systems.
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