Modular homes are built in a factory (often on an assembly line) usually in large, three-sided sections with windows, doors, cabinets, electrical and other features in place. The sections are trucked to the home site, lifted by crane onto a pre-built foundation and fastened together.
Although some modest modular homes are similar in appearance to double-wide mobile homes (manufactured houses), upscale modular homes can be customized in almost any architectural style and can be two or more stories high. Once built there's no easily visible difference between high quality modular and more traditional homes constructed on-site .
Typical costs:
It's estimated that modular construction costs 5-25 percent less than traditional homes built on-site, although some companies claim savings of up to 50 percent. Prices start around $50,000-$60,000 for an 800-900-square-foot home (1 or 2 bedrooms, 1 bath) but can go as high as $500,000-$1 million for large, customized, high-quality homes. And that's without the land, foundation or other site work.
A rough estimate for a 1,600-square-foot home [1]($89,000 base price) with modular garage ($20,000) plus permits, utility connections, site prep, foundation, engineering and survey work is $167,500 total cost.
An upscale 3,200-square-foot modular home[2] delivered in eight pieces in Maryland had a base price of $300,000 but the extras, including a basement, septic fields, porches, a driveway, permits and other charges, bumped the total to about $560,000.
No matter where the factory is located, modular homes are designed and built to meet state and local building codes at the home construction site. Modular sections are generally quite sturdy, because they're built to travel to the home site, and are usually fairly air-tight and energy efficient.
One advantage of modular construction is that the process is much faster than with more conventional onsite home-building methods. Building the modules in the factory can take two weeks to three months; assembling them on the foundation can take several hours or several days. However, inspections and on-site work can add another 30-90 days to the construction process.
The Modular Building Systems Association provides a brief guide to residential modular construction[3] and a modular homeowner in the St. Louis, Missouri area shares his experiences and expenses[4] .
Additional costs:
Landscaping your new modular home is an additional cost to be factored into your budget.
Shopping for a modular home:
Decide what size and style home interests you. Check out local manufacturers -- the farther the modular sections have to travel to reach your home site, the higher the transportation costs. Request and check references.
The Modular Building Systems Association (MBSA) provides tips for selecting a modular home dealer[5] , financing details[6] , links to modular home manufacturers by state[7] .
When hiring a general contractor, check to be sure the company is properly insured and bonded, and licensed in your state[8] . For the manufacturer, dealer and any contractors you hire, check if they have any complaints with the Better Business Bureau[9] .
10 Most Popular Cosmetic Procedures Before the Holidays With reunions and other get-togethers scheduled during the holiday season, most people want to look their best at this time of year. For some, that means filling in those wrinkles with a bit of botox, or having a nip and tuck down here and there. || Posted November 23 2013
2004 Clayton mobile home 16x80.3 bedroom,2 bath,8 rooms. Living room,dinning room, laundry room,master bedroom, master bathroom,go down hallway to first room on left bedroom, next room on left is full bath then straight ahead big bedroom with bay windows and they are 3 separate windows.Big closest in that room,the other room has closet decent size one window in that room.No Windows in bathroom between the two rooms.Has 2 Windows in living room with ceiling fan, dinning room has one window above sink,then the other on the other side of room.Back door is by the laundry room have 2 sets of steps out at the back door with rails.Has big window in master bedroom, one window in materials bath (but has the dog glass on it). Has ice cold central air, hot heat, New microwave, stove,fridge,dish washer,washer and dryer all stay with it. My number is 513-371-9228 my name is Chris clean and clear title. I also just put new electric at pole and a New meteter,New concert padio 10x30 concert steps
DO NOT TELL HOW MUCH YOU QUALIFIED FOR!!! Found what I WANT. Discussed Approx Cost Before Pre-Qual. Added 10K to the discussed amount. After the Pre-Qual the guy Jacked the Price to the MAX!!!
CostHelper is based in Silicon Valley and provides consumers with unbiased price information about thousands of goods and services. Our writers are experienced journalists who adhere to our strict editorial ethics policy.
CostHelper Community
Bat bite Paid: 0.00 On October 25th I was bitten by a bat during mid morning, animal control told me to get the rabies shots due to the fact that several rabid bats had been found in the area... [more]
7 stitches to shin Paid: 371.00 My son had 7 Stitches to his shin he fell in the woods and was cut by a old fence. They were super nice in and out, in about one hour. 155.00 for the visit and the remainder was for the Stitches ... [more]
Commercial Real Estate Brochure Paid: 200.00 Quick turn around time! 4 revisions with PDF and hyperlinks embedded. Website management available too... [more]
Fairly priced Paid: 0.00 My baby boy choked on some food this evening. While we were on the phone to the emergency services the blockage cleared. Ambulance was sent anyway to make sure everything was ok... [more]
Ripped Off Paid: 46.00 I asked the nail technician how much for a full set. He said he will let me know as soon as he gets the nails on my fingers (WTH?) ... anyway on the board the price said $28 and up...... [more]