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Modular Homes have been in production for five decades. The cost
of on site building and the high quality of the process and product has provided
the industry with steady growth and innovation. Many people are anxious to learn
more about modular construction and we hope to answer as many questions here as
possible. The questions we get come from those people that are looking at
modular construction for their next home purchase. If you do not see your
question here just e-mail us at:
Modular Home Question?
Modular Home FAQ
Q) What is the difference between modular and mobile?
A) Oranges and apples is the fast answer. A mobile home uses
it's delivery frame as it's foundation and is set right on piers. A mobile home
is designed to be moved at some point in the future as it is generally placed on
leased land. Resale and loan value are generally low on a mobile home because of
it's status as real property rather than real estate. A modular home is a
traditional wood framed structure that sets on a concrete foundation and is a
permanent structure. You can easily build a million dollar modular mansion but
would be pressed to get that same value from a mobile home.
Q) Do modular homes appraise well?
A) I am not sure how well they appraise in the rest of the
country but here in the Northeast modular homes generally appraise better than
stick built construction. There is more lumber in modular homes and better
features that are affordable because of the manufacture's volume buying power.
Face it, if you are buying windows for one house at a time you get the one house
at a time price. Modular companies are buying windows for hundreds of homes at a
time and obviously get a much better price. That means you have a much higher
level of features at a great price.
Q) Does it make sense to build a modular garage?
A) This is a hard one. As part of a total modular home package
it does make sense to do a modular or panelized garage. The delivery, crane and
set crew are already there on site to do the house so the garage becomes an easy
install. To do a garage by itself the equation changes. Now a crane and set crew
are being brought in to build a small structure and the numbers reflect that
cost. Probably a better use of system building is to find a local panelized
garage builder and have it delivered and set up. If the garage is to be fairly
large and have living space over it then the modular thinking is good as the
finished costs in the field generally outrun those of building in a cost
controlled factory.
Q) How much does a modular home cost?
A) We get that a lot. It is sort of like asking how much are red
cars? The "how much a square foot price" thing is also a popular one. To
correctly price up a home you need to know what it is, what it has in it, where
is it going, and finally how much will it be to complete the home. This is why
people get frustrated calling builders for a price. They simply don't know what
you want. Best bet is to pick a house style, have a features list and then ask
the builder what the cost is. You will then get a pretty accurate cost as the
big items are defined. If you have a lot as well the builder will need to take a
look at it to see what work is required to prepare it for your home.
Q) I have heard a two story modular home is better sound
proofed than conventional construction.
A) It is true that a modular home transfers noise at a much
lower rate than stick built homes. This is generally a function of the modular
design and not an active program from the modular manufacturer. In a two story
design this is especially true
because of the type of the structure. Each modular component needs a floor
system to set the walls on. In stick built construction the ceiling of the first
floor acts as the support for the second floor. This can be a 2X10 or a 2X12. As
a result if you drop a book in the hallway upstairs that noise has a direct
contact through the ceiling of the first floor and makes noise. In modular
construction the ceiling for the first floor is a separate structure from the
floor of the second floor. As a result that same book hitting the floor does not
travel through the house.
Q) Why are interior finishes better in a modular home.
A) The modular industry would like to take full credit for this
but the credit is shared between the factory and the on site builder. In a
factory setting the walls are straight, corners are square and cabinets fit. As
good as the factory finish is the final touches come from the onsite builder
when they make the final connections between modules to finish the home. The
better modular manufactures screen their builder base to make sure they do
quality work. A lot of credit does go to the manufactures as well. The better
manufactures have service departments. Those that do, know how expensive it is
to fix something outside of the factory. You need a technician, a service truck,
and a day or two to drive a hundred miles and fix the problem. It is always far
better for the factory to fix a problem at it's source, inside the factory. We
do know of a number of manufactures that have service departments but due to
distance rarely actually go and fix anything. In those cases your builder
becomes the point person. It is his/her job to make sure you get the product you
paid for.
Q) I am frustrated. I am sold on the modular concept but
every option I want in my home the builders says is not available. The
manufacture advertises they are "custom builders" but still will not offer the
custom features I want.
A) You did not give any examples of the features you want so it
is hard to say much in the way of specifics. In this day and age the top five
modular home companies can offer pretty much anything you want. If they cannot
totally install the feature they certainly can make all of the provisions in the
home for that feature so it becomes an easy install for the onsite builder. Some
people selling modular homes today are sales offices and are not true builders.
In those cases I can see where you would have a difficult time customizing your
home as the onsite capabilities are just not there. You may want to shop around
a bit and find a good builder that can build what you want. After all it is your
home and your money. You should get what you want.
Q) There are so many modular manufactures how do I pick a
good one.
A) The easy answer is pick the one that builds the home you like
but this may leave you with a lesser product than what you expected. The best
thing to do is get a copy of the manufacture spec sheet and compare them. If the
specs are better you can be sure the home will be better. In the Northeast our
standard exterior wall is a 2X6. If the spec sheet you are looking at has a 2X4
wall that would be a manufacture to eliminate from your list. Some builders will
tell you the 2X6 wall is available as an option. Given the cost of heating a
home anything less than a 2X6 is foolish. Basically you are going to pay for a
2X6 wall at the start or over time with increased energy bills. So those
manufactures that have it as a standard generally turn out to be the best bet
simply because they are offering what they know is a better value and not trying
to squeeze every dime out of the cost to get you hooked, and then add the
options they know a smart buyer would want to get the higher quality home.
Using 2X6's for exterior walls is a lot more difficult. Favor those
manufactures that have mastered the art of working with these heavier walls will be your best value. Cabinets are always the best indicator of how much
time to spend with one manufacture over another. The industry as a rule uses an
entry level cabinet as it is cost effective and keeps them competitive with the
other manufactures. Those manufactures that build what you want verses what they
want to sell generally will use a high quality raised panel cabinet verses
some low end entry level cabinet. We use Kraftmaid raised panel maple cabinets as
standard. This works well for our customers as they can make numerous choices in
style and finish and still be in the same price category. Finally on the spec
sheet make sure the basic house is spec-ed and priced as a solid starting point.
Some manufactures, in an attempt to have the lowest price, trim back the specs
to the point where you have to upgrade everything. Once you build it back up to
where it should be the price is well above what you should pay.
Q) Why do some of the popular custom builders now offer
modular homes in addition to their custom stick building.
A) Not enough room here to answer that completely but the main
answer is quality of work and profit. The best custom stick builders certainly
can install windows properly. To do this though they require sub contractors or
payroll personal to do the work correctly. Be they subs or payroll employees
none of them only install windows. To be of value they need to be framers,
cabinet installers, roofers etc. In a modular factory each work station is
responsible for a specific task. If it is window installation, doing that day in
and day out, you get pretty good at it. That job becomes a specialty. The benefit
for the custom builder is he gets correctly installed windows every time saving
him labor and material costs but more important, his service costs.
On the builder profit side adding modular construction to the
product line makes it possible for the custom builder to first do more homes but
also frees up time to apply his quality construction methods to all of his
homes. More product, better product and happy customers is what makes these
builders better.
Q) Can I buy a modular home direct from the factory?
A) In the old days the answer was yes. Back in 1985 we were
selling homes to anyone with a check book. As in any industry though there were
a few bad apples that sold homes to people that did not have a clue as to how to
build any home. Although the product in most cases was good things fell apart on
the finishing end. Basement stairs were not installed to code. Plumbing vents
were not connected, electrical connections were missed etc. As a result the New
England states decided that homes were to be sold thorough a network of qualified
builders that had the skill level to do a good job for the end customer. Today
homes are only available from authorized builders. That said you still have the
option of having a home delivered and only partially completed. Sometimes you
can save money doing the work yourself but in other cases the savings going into
the project are far greater than those coming out of the project. Most tasks are
best left to the pros which saves time, money and results in peace of mind.
Q) I am building a home but my builder wants me to sign over
my lot to him during the construction. Do modular builders require the same
thing?
A) Wow I have not seen this since the 70's. This type of
building contract was used extensively back in the day as the builders would put
up all of the money to build the house and did not want to be at risk. At that
time the ratio was 1/3,1/3/,1/3. The land was a third of the cost, the
construction was a third of the cost and the builder profit was a third of the
cost. If you got hit by lightening before closing the builder would own the land
and the house and sell the package to get his money back.
Today those ratios are right out the window. The land in many
cases is more than the house construction cost. It is very rare to find a
builder on a contract build making a 33% profit. The costs just cannot support
that let alone the fact that on a contract build there is no risk to the builder
like back in the old days.
The one that controls the land, has control. No matter if it is
a stick builder or a modular builder keep your land. Get a construction loan and
then build your house with a builder from this century. If you were offered this
"deal" for fifty acres in the Berkshires before calling a new builder call the
police on the old one.
Q) I am working with a builder and he is pushing me to buy a
$125,000 building lot over a $110,000 lot on the same street. Why would I want
to pay more?
A) Certainly you would not want to pay more for a lot but your
builder may be giving you good counsel. The more expensive lot may be ready to
go. The less expensive lot may require a lot of fill, blasting, drainage or any
of a hundred different things. I think the builder, in this case, is trying to
save you money. If he owned the lots it might be a different story but here he
has no stake in either lot but is making his evaluation of both lots based on
development costs. Your email asked a number of other questions and based on
those our advise would be buy the more expensive lot going in and your "keys in
hand" costs coming out will be much less.
Q) Can I do some of the work on my new home myself?
A) Yes, but be careful. Depending on the trades and skills
available to you this can work out fine and result in a cost savings. If you
have an uncle in the concrete business and want to use him for the foundation
that is fine. The work will need to be done to the foundation plan and meet
local and state codes. If you want to build your own forms and pour the
foundation yourself you will probably not find anyone that will sell you the
home simply because the level of success would be low in this situation. Things
like hanging doors, building decks, finish painting are all good things to do to
save money. Plumbing and electrical though should all be done by the licensed
contractors so the building inspector will be sure they are all done to code.
What ever work you wish to contract for or do separately though be prepared to
sign a waiver with the builder. If the builder does the work he has no problem
taking responsibility for that work. He cannot however guarantee someone else's
work. One other thing to mention is to discuss completely what work you want to
do with the builder. One of the big things a builder brings to the table is his
organizational skills to complete your job on time and exceed your expectations.
You may choose to do some task on your house that conflicts with the builders
schedule. An example would be the client that wants to stain their own trim.
Most builders are good with this as it is very time consuming. Letting the
builder know your plan helps him schedule his work so there is no overlap. You
really don't want to be staining trim on the same day the builder has the floor
sanders going.
Q) If modular has better materials how can the cost be less
than site built?
A) Materials and labor are the best answer here. When building a
home on site you start with a deck, then build the walls and the build a roof.
That gets you to the basic shell of the structure in a week or so. In modular
construction the work station concept comes into play to do all of that work in
one day. The decks are built on one side of the factory at the same time that
walls and roofs are built in the other work stations. Paying labor for one day
is always better than paying labor for five or ten days. Now factor in the
weather. On site built, you may get rained out or spend a day cleaning snow
off of the material. In the factory, weather is not a factor so, every day is
productive. In site construction anything that goes into the house must be
brought to the job site, unloaded from a truck and then installed on the house. In
modular those same materials are brought right to the work station so the
craftsmen and women do not have to go chasing after supplies to accomplish their
job task. Given the high cost of transportation these days it is far less
expensive to have windows for ten homes delivered as one delivery than it is to
deliver windows for ten homes ten times. Buying materials in the numbers that modular manufactures do ensure
those materials are the best quality. All suppliers want to make sure their biggest
customers are happy and keep coming back.
Q) I want to build my new home with geothermal heat. Can this
be done with a modular home.
A) Certainly. A well insulated modular home and geothermal heat
will really take the sting out of your heating costs. Construction and hook up
are the same be it stick built or modular. In both cases though get the house up
and all of the heavy equipment out of the way before punching into the ground.
This will ensure that a concrete truck or a modular home crane does not damage
your below grade connections.
Q) The factory built housing industry seems to have a lot of
different names. What is the difference?
A) The names you are referring to are probably modular, system
built, manufactured home or prefab. All are separate parts of the overall system
built industry. "System built" is just that, homes that are factory built with a system
in place to construct a home or component of a home. Within that "System Built"
category you find "modular", "panelized", "manufactured", "pre fab" etc. We never understood why
pre fab hung on so long as a term. Pre fab is not really even a category of
distinction as everything in construction today is pre fabricated. You buy pre
fabricated windows, faucets, and cabinets. Even doors are pre fabricated in a
factory setting and then sent off to the job site or the modular manufacture. So
when you hear "system built" as a construction method it refers to the product
being built in a factory. In the Northeast ( because the terms change from
region to region) we call modular construction "Modular". "Panelized" is any
home that arrives in panels and lacks the interior and exterior finish of
modular. "Manufactured " is basically a mobile home. So when doing you
research like you are here on the internet look for "modular" built homes. There
are some manufactures that try to do both but these prove to be less popular
especially here in the Northeast where we look at value, quality and of course
energy savings.
Q) In our are we see ads all the time for a $45,000 ranch,
$63,000 cape and $89,000 colonial modular homes. We called on a few of these but
these homes do not really exist. What's the story here.
A) Desperate times require desperate measures. We see these too
here in the Northeast. It is very misleading but got your attention didn't it.
That is the entire point of the ad, to get customers through the door. Once you
pick out your $45,000 ranch you find it actually costs $115,000. Your $45,000
price was a house with no features sitting in the factory's parking lot. Add
delivery, set, crane and some decent features and wham, the price jumps.
We often wonder why builders go with this type of marketing.
Trust is 90% of any sale and this marketing pushes that trust level down to 5%.
Builders keep doing it though so it must work on some people.
Q) Can I buy a modular "Shell" and finish it myself?
A) Some manufactures do supply a modular shell that you can
finish in the field. The questions should be why would you want to? Here in the
Northeast the cost of onsite labor is high. Work in the field takes twice as
long as in the factory. Field work requires travel time to the site , then set
up time, then a trip to the lumber yard, then a series of onsite interruptions.
No wonder it takes so long. The entire benefit to modular construction is to get
those labor intensive tasks completed in a factory controlled environment at a
cost that is far less than work done on site. One other item to keep in mind
when building a home is the time factor for yourself. All the while your home is
being built you are paying interest on a construction loan. The longer it takes,
the more you pay. Shorten that time and switch to a well priced conventional
mortgage when the house is done and you save money. If you do want to get a
shell and do the build out yourself the best bet would be a panelized structure.
This will give you an erected shell that you can finish as time permits. As a
rule there is no cost benefit to a modular shell. The decks take up factory
space and the work stations that would be doing the finishes are idle so you
wind up paying for their time even though they do not do any work on your home.
If you find someone to take a shell order they might really need the work more
than they want to provide you with a good value.
Q) Does modular construction require anything special
compared to site built?
A) Yes, a good foundation. In modular construction the home
components are built to the plan. "Make it fit" site built construction does not apply. As
a result the plan that you get for the foundation is exactly the same as the
home that will go on that foundation. Outside of the foundation everything else
is pretty much the same. You need a furnace, a well, a drive way etc. These
costs are the same for both modular and stick building because they are done
locally and are subject to the going rates for this work. The big savings comes
from the shorter completion time and net cost of the modular home ordered.
One thing to
keep in mind on modular construction is the order process. When your order goes
to the factory they immediately do the drawings, schedule
a build date and then start production. You need to have all of your final
decisions made when you turn in the order. This does not mean you need to do it
all in one day. Generally you start with the plan and work though that with the
builder to get it exactly the way you want your home to layout. Then you start
to select cabinets, faucets, light fixtures and such. Take whatever time you
need here to get it perfect or as close to perfect as you want. Your builder
will provide samples of the various products to choose from. If the product
offering is not what you want generally the builder can delete that item from
the factory and do it on site. The cost may be higher than the credit but you
will get exactly what you want.
Q) Is there a size limit on the house modular can
produce?
A) Modular homes can be built to any size. It is simply a factor
of how many modules will be needed to build your home. Most homes are two , four
or six modules. The home in the photo below was eight modules and totaled six
thousand square feet. Some of our larger designs include modular construction,
timber frame and panelized to get the desired floor plan and elevation.
Q) Can I add an addition to my modular home?
A) Yes. Modular manufactures tend to overbuild their product so
it is a bit more difficult to cut through a wall or floor. In addition to metal
fasteners the modular industry is famous for using glue. The best stuff on earth
for construction. The holding power of today's construction adhesives is one of
the reasons for modular homes being so well built. As long as your remodeler is
ready to fight the job a bit to take apart what the manufacture overbuilt any
remodeling job will be possible. Although your remodeler may charge more for
cutting into the home because it is overbuilt that is generally offset by cost
savings because the remodeler does not have to rebuild anything to get it square
and plumb. That was already done in the modular factory. That saves you money.
Q) How do banks work with modular construction?
A) Today, very well. In the early days banks did not understand
or have systems in place to pay for an entire house on set day. Over the years
though banks began to appreciate the fact that the house is 90% complete the day
they pay for it and do not suffer the risk of the builder getting ahead on the
money side and behind on the completion side. So banks now like the security
that their investment is in place, they can take a picture for their file and be good to go. On
site built jobs the builder draw schedule with the bank may get ahead of the
actual work being done which always makes a bank nervous.
Q) I am building a modular home and want a walk up attic. My
builder says this is foolish to do with a truss roof. Am I asking for too much?
A) If this is all you are asking for the answer is "No".
Actually the answer is still "No" no matter what you asked for beyond this. You
might want to interview a few more builders before you purchase the home.
The industry standard is a trussed roof in the base
specification. Trusses are inexpensive, strong and easy to work with both in the
factory and on set day. If you want a walk up attic there are two choices for
you. One is to do a "storage truss". A storage truss is specially designed to
provide open space in the middle of the home. The eves are a lot deeper than in
a rafter roof but still provide plenty of storage space. Your second choice is a
pinned rafter roof. This gets more expensive but provides maximum strength and
open space.
Attic access. If you want a walk up attic for occasional storage
an attic pull down stair is a good solution. If this will be a space you plan to
go to often then it is best to commit the floor space and but in a full run of
stairs with a close off door.
Q) We are moving to the Northeast and will be building our
home with modular components. We are used to radiant floor heat but the
factories we have talked to up there say it is not available in modular
construction.
A) Talk to some more. Radiant floor heat in the old days was a
modular home "no-no". Fortunately with American ingenuity a few suppliers of
radiant floor heat have developed a system that is easy for the factory to
install as part of their building process. It does get a bit expensive but
certainly worth it for those people that want to heat from the floor up.
Q) Can my custom plan be built in a modular format?
A) Today most manufactures have some very talented engineering
departments and can design most homes to be done in a modular format. Some are
more creative than others so if one says "no" to your design pick another
builder. Most times there is a cost associated with drawing plans but the
builder or manufacture can tell you up front if it is workable design for
modular. Then it is up to you to contract for the design services or not.
Q) I want to design my own home. How do I start?
A) This depends on your skill level, knowledge of building codes and certainly a
good background in structure. If you are just doing a floor plan of how you want
the home laid out that can easily be done on graph paper. If there are
adjustments to the plan that need to be done the builder can offer a few options
ways to accomplish your dreams. In modular construction it is best to first pick
a supplier and then follow their specifications. Wall thickness, ceiling
heights, module width all come into play to get a working design. Often when we
are reviewing plans a client has made a pencil line for a wall rather than use
the actual scaled size of the wall. This in many instances requires a total
redraw of the home. Once you add 4" inches here and 6" there you find the
kitchen design, interior trim and bath fixtures do not fit. So where ever
possible go with the wall thickness that apply.
If you want to really get involved in the design process there are a number of
different kinds of software on the market that will give you some very
professional results. If you use this as your design method you should be able
to produce 3D drawings, take interior camera shots and get as close to a real
life view of your home as the software and your skill level allow.
Q) I have a very complicated design ( so I've been told). Do I need an
architect?
A) If you don't already have one wait a bit until you get a critique from a
modular home builder. Generally whatever design an architect comes up with has
not been designed for the manufacturing process. The factory engineering
department will have to re-draw the plan anyway. If you feel you must have an
architect because of some on site design element then first pick a builder and a
manufacture. Then get those folks and your architect to work together. This will
make the process go smoothly, fast, and less expensive.
Q) I have a plan from one supplier but want it built by a
better company. Is this possible?
A) In most cases it is. Some manufactures have plans they paid
to have professionally designed. They certainly do not want to be the unpaid
supplier of nice plans to the industry so you may have a copy right copy. Some
are stamped with a copy right but none actually exists. In home building today
it would be very difficult to find a home that is so unique that it has only
been built once. Generally what ever plan you have has been done by ten
different modular home suppliers. The plan you have although nice will certainly
be modified to apply your personal tastes and features which in fact make it a
different plan. Generally it is the industry norm for plans to be built by
whoever gets the order. Supplier "A" builds a supplier "B" plan one week and the
next it is just the reverse.
Q) I am a builder and have some plans that have been very
successful with my customers for many years. Can I have these priced as modular
designs so I can offer a modular product?
A) Certainly. As the industry matures we are seeing where a
building company's founder is ready to retire and turn the company over to sons
and daughters. Construction is hard work with long hours and more people are
leaving the industry than coming into it. As a result modular takes the "heavy
lifting" out of the business and makes it easier for the next generation to
compete and still provide the quality product that their business was built on.
Q) I have a modular home on order already but want to have a
granite countertop installed that the manufacture does not offer. What can I do?
A) Two things need to be done depending on how far your order
has progressed through the system. If the home is still in the production
drawings stage simply delete the factory countertop but in place of that, upgrade
your floor system in the kitchen to 12" on center (OC). Then when the home
arrives simply have the countertop of your choice installed. Why upgrade the
kitchen floor joists to 12" OC? This will provide a lot more structure to
support the weight of the countertop which will be substantial. If you have a
colonial and plan to put a water bed in the master bedroom upgrading the floor
joists to 12"OC is also a good idea in that application. If you hear "you don't
need to do that" force the issue because overbuilding the floors for these high
live load situations is always a good idea.
Q) Are there things I should look for when ordering my home?
A) Yes. It is a long list but the main things we stress are
phone and TV jacks, more electrical outlets and future wiring chases. We tend to
add a number of dimmer switches for light control. Radon vent pipes are a
standard for us whether you need them or not. The real estate industry is very
aggressive on Radon and the vent pipes are inexpensive but if needed, more than
pay for themselves. Bath fans are something to look at. Most suppliers put in a
budget fan to keep costs down. These work but not that well and tend to be
noisy. We use a higher quality fan with a larger CFM rating and the quietest motor
available today.
If you are doing a whirlpool or Jacuzzi be sure to add some waterproof can
lights as these are never standard. Same thing with closet lights. Under counter
lights are a good idea too so there are no shadows in the kitchen. This list can
just keep going but you get the idea. View the house as if you are already
living in it and go though each room and make sure it has the features that will
be outstanding once you move in. The responsibility to make sure the house is
the way you want, is yours. The builder can help but once you sign the order
and the plan you are locked in. Make sure when you come in the front door that
the light switches are on the correct side of the door. IF not you will soon get
tired of closing the door to reach the switches and the builder can certainly
make that change after the fact but it will cost you more money as in any
construction project.
One other thing worth mentioning when ordering your new home is never pick out siding
and roofing colors inside. A lot of home sales get done at 8:00 at night around
a kitchen table. This is cozy but not the place to pick out colors for features
for the exterior. Best bet is to take those samples and look at them in the
daylight, outside, where the true "live" color is easily seen. This is
especially true for roofing. The small samples are made up of a bunch of colors
with one or two being dominate. In artificial light this may not be apparent so
take them out into the sun and then make your selection.
Q) We are planning our last home and want it to be modular
for energy savings. Can we customize the home for any special needs we may have
in the future.
A) Yes and we encourage you to do so. A great reference for this
is the Universal Home concept. If you anticipate the need in five years for
custom placed grab bars add some 3/4" plywood to the bathroom walls before the
sheetrock goes on at the factory. Then when you need to install those grab bars
you can do it easily and safely. Change all of the door passage sets to a lever
style. You will like this from day one but certainly years down the road when
your arthritis kick up. It is always nice to have 3'0" interior doors. Be
careful of your interior trim choice though. Wider trims need more room. A three
foot door with 3 1/2" trim will be 43" across. That gives you a nice wide
hallway. Rocker switches that can be operated with a closed fist are very neat
and highly functional as well. If there is a special need we tend to get into a
lot more detail but if your needs are undefined right now go with the Universal
Home specifications where possible and you will be all set.
Be sure to let your builder know your desire to have features in
place so when you need to add them you can easily do so. Recently we were called
in to consult on a ramp application. The house was already built but the ramp
was never part of the original layout. The challenge was to get a 28' ramp in a
12' space. The best ramp designs require a 1 to 16 pitch. 1:16) This basically
means for each inch of rise you need sixteen inches of horizontal run.
Fortunately we were able to do the ramp and give the people some more bonus
space. This would have been easier if it was addressed early on so the 28" could
be reduced to 18" saving a lot of materials and labor.
Q) What is the best time of year to build a new home?
A) Depending on where you are building in the Northeast summer
is always the best time of year to build. The days are longer and the weather is
warmer. This goes for homes built piece by piece or for modular homes. Building
in the winter is good in the modular business provided the foundation is poured
before the frost goes into the ground too far. The downside of winter building
is the builder needs to factor in heating the home once it is closed in so the
finish work can be done properly. In modular construction the home is already
closed in on delivery day so that saves a lot of time. The upside of winter
building is the subcontractors needed to hook the home up to the utilities are
more available which shortens the building time which saves you money on a
construction loan. Our preference has been to get the foundation in the ground
in November or December and then have the modular home delivered in late
December or early January. Come March first the home is ready to move into.
Q) My builder says he can build to the exact same specs as a
modular manufacture that I know of if I am willing to pay the price.
A) First he can't and second why would you want to pay more for
him to build a better product when you can get it for less money straight from
the source? I am sure your builder is very talented and can build you a terrific
house but he would not be able to build to the industry standards unless he
built the house inside out. Yes, inside out, as that is how the modular people
get a nice tight fit and consistently produce energy efficient homes. As weather
is not an issue inside the factory the manufacture can frame the house and do
the sheetrock and then go to the outside of the house and run the plumbing,
wiring, electrical outlets etc. before the outside sheathing goes on. This is
important because with this method any opening made for these features can be
filled with a foam sealant which cuts down on drafts and makes your home more
Eco-friendly, less expensive to heat and cool and quieter as well. Add the bonus
of construction adhesive to the mix and the modular product becomes really hard
to beat against a site built home.
Q) I want to have a granite countertop installed in my new
home. My modular builder is advising against that and telling me I am better off
with the factory laminate. We like the solid surface and look of the granite.
A) There seems to be a lot going on here. First, as the
homeowner you should have the countertop that you want. Second a solid surface
countertop like granite or marble is very popular right now so why not do it. It
will make your home more valuable and up to date with today's market trends. The
fact that your builder is pushing the factory laminate top could be either
quality related or budget related. I don't know what your budget has in it for
an expensive countertop so let me go with the quality issue. Check with your
modular manufacture and see if they are using as standard a "rolled" laminate
top or if they are custom making them in the factory. If they are making their
countertops in the factory then that is the issue. A rolled countertop is very
ridged. It is one piece with the rolled front edge and rolled backsplash built
into one structure. It sounds like this manufacture cannot build straight walls
and compensates for that by "custom making" their countertops to fit and
compensate for some waves in the walls. Your builder may be nervous that your
expensive granite will not fit properly. When the granite people "template" your
kitchen they can cut the granite to what ever shape your home has. When they go
to do the backsplash though that is where the problems will crop up. You do not
want to pay for a $5000 or $6000 countertop that requires a tube of caulk to
fill any gaps. If they are using a rolled countertop then their walls are
straight and you should be confident that your granite top will fit correctly.
The "custom made" factory countertops are sort of like the lava lamps of the
kitchen industry. Time to move into this century and just build straight walls,
it is not that difficult in a factory setting.
This is not part of your question but if you are doing a granite
kitchen top then you are probably doing Corian out cultured marble bath
vanities. These are very popular right now. Straight walls are a critical path
item here as well. These solid surface vanity tops are one piece and are square
so be sure your manufacture builds square walls here as well so there is no
caulk in the top to side wall connection. Some manufactures sell you a matching
"side splash" piece to fill the void. We really dislike that as they want you to
pay extra because they cannot build a 90 degree corner. The side splash is an
ugly fix to an easy problem.
Q) I am planning my new home and want a nine foot basement
ceiling as we have a sloping lot and will have a walk out to a patio area. Is
this possible in modular construction?
A) Yes, it certainly is. The nine foot height also gives you
plenty of room for HVAC ductwork, plumbing etc. There are two ways that are
common for getting to your 9' mark. The most common is to simply pour a nine
foot concrete wall, install the sill plate and you are ready for your home
delivery. A less common method, but one we prefer, is to pour a shorter concrete
wall and then build a kneewall in place of the sill plate. Cost is minimal as
the extra lumber is offset by the cost of concrete and custom nine foot forms.
The advantage here is you now have a wood wall that can be insulated, it is
easier to install windows on that level and you now3 have a nailing platform for
your exterior siding installation. Your site topography will come into play as
to what you can do here but the wood kneewall would be our recommendation. It
sounds like this walk out area will be some sort of office or living space. We
are big on Energy Star and would recommend using foundation foam insulation from
grade down to the footings. This will make that area more comfortable and stop
any energy bleed to ground. One last bit of advise, pay big bucks for your walk
out floor. Some basement floors are really good but others not. In this case you
want the smoothest, most level and flat floor you can get. Once the concrete
sets up you are committed to the end result so be willing to pay for the right
guy to do the right job here.
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Modular Homes Frequently Asked Questions
