Manufactured Homes
DEAR TIM: My wife and I are looking at new housing and are suffering from sticker shock. It appears that we might have to choose to live in a factory built home. We looked at several types and fortunately, some don't appear to be simple boxes. I assume you have constructed nothing but site built homes in your career. Would you feel comfortable living in a factory built home? Are there different types? Phil C., Tyler, TX
DEAR PHIL: It sounds to me like you are unsure with your housing choice. I hope I will be able to help relieve your anxiety. Manufactured or factory built housing is one of the most exciting fields in home construction today. If I am able to convince you to purchase a manufactured home, you will not be alone. 33 percent of the new homes sold in the USA in 1996 were factory built!
This segment of the nation's housing industry is positioned for explosive growth. The nation's largest builders - by volume - are those that build manufactured houses. Many well known national traditional site-builders are beginning to offer manufactured housing in their developments. Erase the image of the single wide or double wide homes perched precariously on concrete blocks from your mind. Numerous manufactured homes available today offer moderate to steeply pitched roofs. Some houses can also be lifted and attached to permanent concrete foundations. Because these houses have to resist the rigors of transportation, they are often stronger than traditional stick built site houses. I would absolutely reside in a new modular manufactured house.
I can see why you were attracted to manufactured housing. When you compare apples to apples with respect to size, materials used, fixtures, etc., it is not uncommon for a manufactured home to cost 20 to 35 percent less than a site built home.
Many of these savings result from the economy of scale implemented in the factory building process. Significant price savings result from materials that are purchased in large quantities and shipped to one location. Controlled, consistent environments within the factories help to hold down costs. There are no weather delays. Labor productivity is high because workers do not work in searing heat or bitter cold. These same conditions minimize and/or eliminate building material damage, waste, theft, and vandalism. All of these savings are passed on to you.
Manufactured houses can also help to minimize your utility bills. It is not uncommon for these houses to have high performance windows, doors, and heating / air conditioning equipment. Manufactured housing of any type must meet the latest building and energy codes. In some instances the houses have to meet the stringent Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards code. If this code does not apply, manufactured housing must comply with state, local, or regional building and energy codes.
There are 4 basic types of factory built housing. The manufactured home is one that is constructed completely within the confines of the factory. Most people still refer to these homes as mobile homes although this name is now reserved for any factory built home constructed before June 15, 1976. Modular homes are perhaps the most exciting. These multi-section factory built homes are built to meet local or state codes. The modules or sections are transported to the building site on trucks and assembled like building blocks. This is the type of manufactured home that looks identical to a site built home.
Factory built component houses are also available. A panelized home is very common. These house have their wall and floor assemblies built in a factory. The pieces are connected together at the jobsite. Pre-cut homes represent the most basic form of manufactured housing. The basic building material components are factory cut and transported to the site. These houses require the most on-site labor to construct. Examples of these are log, kit, or dome homes.
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Related Column: Modular Homes Surpass Stick Built Homes
