Frequently Asked Questions
What is a modular home?
A modular home is a type of prefabricated housing that is constructed in segments or modules within a controlled factory environment. These segments are then transported to the home site and pieced together on a foundation. Unlike mobile or manufactured homes, modular homes are built to conform to the same local building codes as traditional, site-built homes. Upon completion, they typically blend seamlessly with homes constructed entirely on-site.
Here are some key features of modular homes:
- Factory-built: The modules are constructed in a controlled environment, which helps ensure consistent quality and efficiency.
- Customizable: Buyers often have a variety of floor plans and styles to choose from, and the homes can be tailored to individual needs.
- Cost-effective: Due to the efficiency of factory construction, modular homes can sometimes be more affordable than traditional homes.
- Quick assembly: Because much of the construction is done off-site, the on-site building process is often quicker than with traditional homes.
- Durability: Modular homes are built to meet local building codes, making them as durable and safe as traditional homes.
Why Should I Choose Titan Construction?
What are the advantages of modular homes?
Modular homes are built to the same building codes as a site-built home. The advantage is that portions of the home, called modules, are built inside a facility and protected from the elements during the building process. No wet lumber or construction delays due to inclement weather. But that is just one advantage to building modular. Because the modules are delivered to your site on carriers, they are built to withstand transportation over a variety of roadways. Adding to this the several stringent quality controls during construction, modular homes become much more durable and resilient than site-constructed houses.
And the advantages of building a modular home don’t stop at just the building process. When you visit a model center, not only can you look through many floorplans and customize those floorplans to fit your individual needs, you can also choose your décor and other options all at once, making the whole process easier for busy families. You may also modify your home (modular or site-built) in the future by adding new modules, easily expanding your house according to your needs.
Because the process is streamlined, modular homes typically cost less than a comparable site-built home and appraise at the same level as a site-built home. Despite this fact, they can still be financed through conventional means, making it possible to use the most profitable funding option available.
So generally, with modular homes, you get the same quality as a site-built home that’s built faster due to fewer delays, at less cost but with the same value. That’s a lot of advantages.
Is a modular home a trailer?
While modular and manufactured are often confused, modular homes are built to the same local and state building codes as a site-built home. They are transported to your site, removed from the carrier, and placed on a permanent foundation.
Manufactured homes, often referred to as mobile homes or trailers, are built on a permanent steel frame and moved using wheels and axles on that steel frame. Because the steel frame is integral to its construction, a manufactured home can be moved to another location.
Modular homes, like a site-built home, are permanent to the property and appraised as such.
Do you offer land home packages?
How do I get financing?
What are HUD coded homes?
Manufactured homes are constructed to meet or exceed the national code called HUD code (United States Department of Housing and Urban Development). The HUD code regulates the home design, construction, strength, durability, fire resistance, and energy efficiency. The HUD Code also prescribes the performance standards for heating, plumbing, thermal and electrical systems.
These homes are built on a steel framework that is part of the home structure. This frame cannot be removed and is permanently affixed to the house, providing a great deal of its structural integrity. This frame allows the home to be set on jacks or concrete blocks or placed upon a simple type of foundation type structure. Most HUD homes are located in Mobile home parks and communities. This type of home frequently is a single section home. However, two and three section HUD homes have been built.
Manufactured HUD homes are identified by a HUD code label that is on the outside of the house. It is a light metal and is usually a reddish color and will always have the term ”Housing and Urban Development” within the text. Within the home, you typically will also find a Data plate located in one of the following locations. Sometimes this on the water heater/furnace area, under the kitchen sink of the master closet attached to the wall. This data plate can be identified by a map of the United States showing wind loads and snow loads for the home. There should be additional information about the home furnace and other appliances also present. Keep in mind the steel frame under the house is typically a good indication that the home is built to HUD code.
What are modular, IRC & UBC homes?
At Titan Construction, IRC, and UBC coded homes are constructed to meet or exceed the regional, state, and or local building codes. These homes are built in a factory controlled environment. These sections are transported to the site on a carrier frame where they are lifted off and placed on a permanent foundation. This type of construction is quickly assembled to give minimal exposure to the weather and allowing a quicker move-in date.
Modular, IRC, and UBC homes must be placed on a foundation; therefore, there is no distinction between a modular IRC and a site-built home. Your financing and insurance will be the same as any other site-built home at a fraction of the cost per square foot. We have seen that Modular, IRC, and UBC construction has become the preferred building method for those individuals that are concerned about a quick construction time frame and top quality all at a lower price per square foot.
Modular, IRC, and UBC coded homes are built in sections. You will see that double and triple section homes are the most common. But we have seen homes of four individual sections come together to form one large structure in a fraction of the time as on-site construction.
What services to you provide?
How Much Does A Modular Home Cost?
A breakdown of the cost for modular homes. Discover what you can expect to spend for a prefab and what that money pays for.
The average cost of modular homes is $75 to $175 per sq. ft delivered and installed. It is important to remember that prices can vary greatly depending on the home site location and accessibility. A builder inspection of the property will be required for final pricing. Building a Modular Home costs include site preparation of the land, utility connections, driveways and walks, and landscaping. On average the final cost of a 1,200 sq. ft. home will be between $90,000 to $210,000. Modular Homes can come in varying styles and features and most often there is a home for any budget.
OVERVIEW
Let’s say you receive a job offer that will require you to move to Bethel, Connecticut. It’s an average town with a population of 18,584, where the median household income is $78,358. You’ve spoken to your bank and have $250,000 to spend on your house. You then choose a one-story modular ranch design with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and 1,250 square feet of living space.
EXPENSE BREAKDOWN LAND – $14,000
Land value may vary greatly, depending on its location. In some places, an acre of buildable land may cost as little as $1,000 or as much as $100,000.
BASE HOME PRICE – $94,000
The manufacturer’s base price for this home is $94,000. Unfortunately, this doesn’t include any additional customizations you’d like to make to the home.
CUSTOMIZATIONS – $31,000
While the modular home design is very close to what you’re looking for, it lacks the personal feel that customizing the home will give us. Your spouse insists on a two-car garage, and you want hardwood floors and upgraded kitchen appliances. You’d also like to go “green” with higher-grade insulation and higher quality doors and windows. The garage is going to be the most expensive, with a price tag of $24,000. These custom options very based on what the manufacturer and local builder have to offer.
SITE PREP – $7,500
Luckily, the costs to prepare the building site are fairly low. The property is already mostly flat and doesn’t have many trees in the building area. You will have to remove a few old tree stumps and level some land at the rear of your property so proper drainage wouldn’t be an issue.
FOUNDATION – $21,250
Because we performed proper due diligence of the land beforehand, we identified a rock ledge that would have cost a few extra thousand dollars to dig through. Instead, we just moved the home to a slightly different location, allowing us to avoid the hassle altogether. Since we want extra space for storage and the option to add more living space in the future, we went for a full basement instead of a crawl space. Placing the modular home on a crawl space would have been equally sound structurally and only half the price, but the utility of a full basement is a worthy investment.
TAXES, FEES, AND FREIGHT – $11,906
You’ll need to pay the delivery costs for the house, which cover the trucks that carry the individual home modules. You’ll also need to pay for the flag cars that drive behind and in front of the trucks to alert other drivers to the oversized truckloads. Every state has different taxes and fees associated with building homes, and these are separate from permit costs.
FINISHING WORK – $15,000
Once the home was all set, the finishing work began. Without counting additional site work or on-site construction, the price of finishing your modular home ran just under $15,000.
UTILITIES – $2,500
We’re lucky that our building site is very close to the street. It only cost $2,500 to connect to town utilities. We considered the self-sustaining route and installing a well and septic system for $18,000 but with minimal land available, we decided against it.
PERMITS – $2,462
The costs of permits vary greatly by municipality. This is not only because the cost of the permits is different, but also because some regions have an entirely different list of required permits than others. You can acquire a different list of required permits and their costs from your town office, but this is a breakdown of the required permits for our home in Bethel, and their costs.
- Building permits – $1,919
- Mechanical permits – $503.06
- Pre-plan review fee – $20
- Certificate of Occupancy – $20
- Total Fees – $2,462.06
TOTAL COST – $199,618
The final price of your new modular home comes to $199,618. That averages out to just around $112 per square foot of living space and includes a two-car garage, a welcoming porch, a full basement, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a beautiful kitchen, and attractive hardwood floors. Now that your new modular home price has been established, contact Titan Construction and get price quotes!
What Are The Differences Between Manufactured Homes And Modular Homes?
Manufactured vs. Modular
Some people use the terms “manufactured home” and “modular home” interchangeably. However, customers need to know the differences before shopping for a new home. The differences between manufactured & modular homes, where manufactured homes are built to the HUD code, and modular homes are built to the IRC code by the same manufactured home manufacturer are similar. Features and construction quality are near equal with modular pricing being slightly higher due to code requirements. We will, therefore discuss the differences between a HUD manufactured home and an IRC modular home built by a modular only builder.
MANUFACTURED HOMES (HUD)
Manufactured homes are built in a climate-controlled building facility utilizing assembly line construction technology. Manufactured homes are completed in sections, usually two or three, on a steel frame and chassis, then are transported (towed) to the home site with no assembly required at the site except mating of the sections, hooking up to utilities, carpet installation, etc. Modular homes are shipped via flatbed trucks in sections called modules and assembled by a builder on site, often requiring crane service to lower modules onto the foundation. Manufactured home sections are a maximum width of 16 to 18 feet and 70 to 80 feet in length with height restrictions dependent on highway transport requirements that differ from state-to-state, thereby limiting manufactured homes to single story construction and minimal exterior elevations. Modular homes partially constructed on site are available in any exterior design and configuration.
MODULAR HOMES (IRC)
Modular homes are always built to be attached to private property and classified as real property and therefore qualify for conventional home mortgage financing. On the other hand, manufactured homes are usually placed, but not attached, to private property or sited in land-lease communities, and thereby do not qualify for residential financing. However, manufactured homes installed on private property using an approved foundation system may also qualify as real estate with conventional mortgage financing. Manufactured and modular homes have one fundamental thing in common: each are built to standards equal and sometimes superior to comparable site-built homes, and priced considerably less. Manufactured homes are up to 50% less expensive and modular homes are about 15 to 20% less, after factoring in the on-site assembly expense.