What Is a Manufactured Home?

A manufactured home was formerly known as a MobileHome. Manufactured houses are built to federal codes that are administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The HUD code is Performance based. That means that the total package must perform to certain requirements.

• The requirements are based on regional snow loads.
• Wind loads.
• Heating and cooling requirements.
• It must have a permanently attached transportation system.
• It will have complete electrical, water supply, and drainage systems.
• It must have all of the components of a House; and meet the regional requirements where the manufactured home is to be delivered and set up.

The manufacturer has the ability to use less material by utilizing engineered materials and designs which will reduce construction cost but still meet HUD Performance requirements when the structure is completed.

It is important to compare Apples to Apples! We suggest a shopping check list. Compare everything! Start at the roof, work down the walls (inside and out) to the interior and right down to the carpeting and floor decking below it. Below the decking is a steel frame which is not only the transportation system, but a major part of the main support structure Everything Rides on It!

If you decide to put your home on a basement, you will need to let your dealer know up front. The dealer can then order a different floor system for that type of installation. The floor system would need to be a truss type system that could span from wall to wall or steel beams would need to be installed in the basement to support the existing structure. Either way it will cost several thousand dollars more to install a Manufactured Home on a basement.

A Manufactured Home is generally less expensive than a Modular Home or a Site Built Home with similar amenities. There are many optional upgrades available, so again, make sure you are comparing apples to apples.