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Mobile, Manufactured & Modular Home: Is There a Difference?

If you are looking to buy and home and are considering a Manufactured or Modular Home you may have heard reference to the terms trailer, mobile, manufactured and modular or pre-fab and site-built. Your probably wondering what the differences are and what that means for you.

The good news is there is a difference. A big one, and it’s important that you’re aware of these difference as they could affect your purchase when it comes to; purchase price, construction and in some cases re-sale value.

The bad news is that not every retailer may know or explain these differences. So, what is the difference?

Mobile Home:

The term “Trailer” is a dated term yet commonly used to define Factory Built Housing. While a trailer is used for (temporary) housing, it is an R.V. (recreational vehicle) registered through the D.M.V and is easily towed behind a vehicle. Although the Mobile Home evolved from the trailer it was built with a more sophisticated design and state regulated factory building process (single and multi-section homes). These homes were not only more spacious but were not as conveniently moveable; set in both parks and on private property.

Mobile Homes are still in existence however are not actively being built today and do not properly define either Manufactured or Modular Home building process.

Manufactured Home:

After 1976, the “Mobile Home” building process was amended under The Federal Construction Safety Standards Act or the HUD code. This newly mandated and rigorous building process changed the performance of mobile home building. Under the Housing and Urban Development Code (HUD) manufactured homes preempts all local, county and state codes and requires initial and final inspections before being transported. Manufactured homes continued to be built entirely in a factory and delivered to the site where they are set up and constructed on a standard (in park or private property certified tie-down system) or low-profile permanent foundation.

Every home built after June 15, 1976 to present day will contain a red HUD Seal. This label acknowledges HUD standards which confirm HUD construction and safety standards in accordance with; Body and Frame Requirements, Thermal Protection, Plumbing, Electrical, Fire Safety and other aspects of the home.

Modular Home:

There are subtle yet valuable differences in building Modular versus Manufactured. The Modular home, like “stick-built” homes is built to the Universal Building Code or the UBC Code. The UBC code is a national code that conforms to both state and local codes. Each home is modified to comply with specific state and local requirements.

Although there are several types of UBC-type codes each is mandated by the individual state the home will be built in. Each UBC built home is built with standard features (generally upgrades on the manufactured) are transported off steel framing and craned onto foundation on location. These homes will also carry a “Certificate of Occupancy” as well as a state seal. One of the main advantages of building your modular home is that if it is put on the market, it’s resale value is comparable to any stick built.

Factory built housing has many advantages over stick-built construction and you should feel comfortable and confident when you build your manufactured or modular home. Both manufactured and modular homes are affordable, saving you approximately 50% or more of what stick-building costs; are built, transported and completed in half the time of stick-built with quality (inspected) material kept from weather damage and building delays and do not depreciate in value but follow the current Real Estate Market trends in any area.