Modular or Manufactured Housing?

Modular or Manufactured Housing?

First, some distinctions: Site built and stick built home usually refers to a traditional single-family residence that is built at the same site on which the finished home will stand.

Next, mobile homes are now called “manufactured” homes. The Manufactured Housing Institute defines a manufactured home as "a single-family house constructed entirely in a controlled factory environment, built to the federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards, better known as the HUD Code" with a permanent chassis for transportability. This is the lowest cost stand-alone residence available. You can purchase a brand new single-section manufactured home for less than $29,000.

However, many communities do not allow manufactured homes and insurance is potentially costly.

Like manufactured houses, modular homes are built in a factory and quality inspected every step of the way. Unlike manufactured homes, the pieces (“modules”) of the house are transported to the building site where they are put together by a local building contractor, and they have no chassis or wheels. Also, modulars must conform to building codes in your specific location.