Q–My wife and I are looking at new housing and we’re 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?
A–It sounds to me like you are unsure with your housing choice. I hope I can help relieve your anxiety.
Manufactured, or factory-built, housing is one of the most exciting fields in home construction today. If you decide to purchase a manufactured home, you certainly won’t be alone. In 1996, 33 percent of the new homes sold in the U.S. 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.
Forget any preconceptions you might have of flat-topped, single-wide or double-wide homes perched precariously on concrete blocks. Numerous manufactured homes available today offer moderately to steeply pitched roofs. Some of these houses can be lifted and attached to permanent concrete foundations. Because manufactured 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.
Much of the savings stems 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, these houses have to meet the stringent Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards code.
There are four 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 technically reserved for any factory-built home constructed before June 15, 1976.
– “Modular homes” are perhaps the most exciting. These multisection, 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 houses have their wall and floor assemblies built in a factory. The pieces are connected together at the job site.
– “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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Have questions about the remodeling process? Write to Tim Carter, c/o The Chicago Tribune, P.O. Box 36352, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236-0352. Questions will be answered only in the column.
For a list of factory-built housing manufacturers and associations and other related statistics, send $2 and your name and address to Tim Carter at the above address. Ask for Builder Bulletin No. 201.
Ask the Contractor can also be accessed via the Internet at http://www.chicago.tribune.com/homes/articles/askcon.
