Michael Zenga knows a thing or two about modular homes. After all, he’s a licensed construction supervisor and the founder of ZN Custom Building in Boston, MA. We’ve long been fans of his website and its wealth of useful modular information, which is why we were glad to learn that Michael teamed with ZN Vice President Attila Javor to write “Modular Homes: The Future Has Arrived.”

We like the book mainly for its ability to take a sometimes complicated subject like home buying and make it simple and understandable for readers of all backgrounds. Michael and Attila do a great job of explaining what modular homes are, their benefits, and how they differ from traditional stick-built homes.

Said one Amazon reviewer:

Michael and Atilla do a fantastic job of giving the “30,000 foot view” of the industry, and they do it in a way that clearly conveys their status as subject-matter experts, without ever lapsing into jargon or insider-speak that would make the message harder to understand.

Bottom line: If you’re thinking about building a new home – even if it’s not a modular home – you owe it to yourself to read this book. We purchased a copy for ourselves, but we also bought an extra copy, which we’ll give away as this month’s prize to one commenter chosen at random.

Considering the facts that modular homes are highly customizable, stronger, more energy efficient, and are identical in appearance to regular homes, it may come as a bit of a surprise to know that modular homes may actually cost up to 20 percent less than comparable stick-built homes.

How is this possible you ask? Here’s how:

• All Excel modular homes are built with a process that allows us to save money by purchasing materials like wood and drywall in bulk and passing this savings on to the homeowner.

• The factory assembly line process allows us to create an extremely efficient process, with significantly less material waste than a standard home building site.

• The factory setting also means no weather delays which means no extra labor costs and no extra costs to repair weather damaged materials.

• In areas with high construction labor costs (like many parts of the Northeast), building a home in modules in a factory setting can result in significant savings in labor costs and time.

• Finally, the shorter construction times of modular homes often mean more money saved on insurance during the construction process.

If you’ve got a question for our modular home experts about any step of the modular home building or buying process, feel free to ask us using the “Ask the Experts” feature in the sidebar.

Paul M. asks: “How long does it take to build a modular home?”

Good question, Paul. It’s well known that a modular home can be built in about half the time it takes to build a standard home.

Compared to site-built homes, a modular home can be built, installed on a foundation and made ready for move-in only five or six weeks after the homeowner has secured financing and the building permit. This is, of course, the “fast end” of the modular home building scale. Larger, more customized modular options can take up to 20 weeks to complete, but this is still several months faster than it would be to erect a comparable site-built home.

The reasons for this efficiency are simple. First, the modular construction process is refined and streamlined thanks to a highly trained, specialized crew and advanced manufacturing processes. Second, while the modular crew is busy building the home, work on the site and foundation – a process that can take four weeks or more by itself – can occur simultaneously. Finally, because the modules are built indoors, there are no weather delays and workers can work more efficiently.  

I hope this answers your question!

Harry Odum
General Manager
Excel Homes Liverpool, PA plant

Just like a site-built home, there are a few different ways to make your modular dream come true.  You can either build your own modular home on a plot of land you already own or you can buy a modular home that is already built. There are advantages to both scenarios, but the choice is yours!

That’s the topic of this month’s poll. Would you build a modular home on land you already own (or will own) or would you purchase a modular home that is already built? Feel free to sound off on the right.

Of course, there are pros and cons of each. In purchasing a modular home that is already built, you have the luxury of being able to move in right away, but the disadvantage of having no control over the location of the house and its design (unless you decide to do some building and remodeling).

By purchasing your own land and building a modular home on it, you can choose a parcel of land wherever you’d like and consult with a builder to select and customize a home that suits your needs. Of course, this option does require more time, as the process of preparing the plot of land and building the modular home can take a few months.

But no matter which option you choose, you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing that you’re living in a modular home, which is stronger and more energy efficient than most standard built homes!

The rise in popularity of modular homes has spawned no shortage of reading material on the subject. In August we reviewed a great book called The Modular Home and gave away copies here on Modular Musings. This month, we’re doing the same thing with a book called Modular Mansions. At the end of the month, we’ll send a copy of the book to one commenter chosen at random.

Modular Mansions is written by Sherri Koones, author of another modular book, “Prefabulous,” which we’ll review in December. In Mansions, Sherri takes a closer look at 20 modular masterpieces, from cozy 1,300 square foot California abodes to sprawling 12,700 square foot castles that truly live up to the book’s title.

The book is packed with photos and, while it doesn’t offer the “nuts and bolts” perspective on modular homes that other books have, Modular Mansions is a good introduction to what modular construction is all about and provides many visual examples of how modular homes can beat traditional stick built homes when it comes to design and appearance.

Most people understand what a site-built home is (a house built on-site and outdoors using traditional methods), but when it comes to the differences between a manufactured home and a modular home (like the one on the right), well, that’s where some people have a little trouble. It’s okay though. It’s something the modular home industry has been working on for many years. The good news is, we’re making progress!

Like a modular home, a manufactured home (sometimes known as a “mobile home” or “trailer”) is built in the controlled environment of a factory, sometimes in pieces, and delivered to its final destination. Other than that, the two residences are actually quite different.

1. CODES – Manufactured homes conform to Federal HUD building codes while modular homes are built to the state and local standards as traditional site-built homes (state and local codes often hold new houses to higher standards than federal codes).  
2. VALUE – Manufactured homes may decrease in value over time while modular homes follow the same housing market value trends as site-built homes.
3. APPEARANCE – Manufactured homes – though they’ve come a long way in recent years in terms of options and design – have a distinct appearance (often single story). Modular homes, available in single or two story varieties, are often indistinguishable from site built homes.
4. INSPECTIONS – In manufactured homes, building inspectors check the home but aren’t required to approve it. Modular homes, however, are held to much higher standards, with inspections in the factory and by local inspectors on-site. Modular homes are also built using the same materials as site-built homes.
5. QUALITY - Modular homes typically use 20 to 30 percent more materials (and are therefore even stronger than site-built homes) in order to ensure a safe trip to their final location. FEMA studies conducted after Hurricane Andrew have confirmed that modular homes are indeed stronger than manufactured or site-built homes.

Those are just a few of the ways manufactured homes and modular homes differ. We’ll discuss other dissimilarities in part two of this entry next week.

A few weeks ago in our “Modular Process” series, we talked about the first part of the finding a builder process: how to assemble a list of builders for consideration. In this second part, we’ll talk about what to do with that list once you’ve got it.

As we noted previously (and can’t stress enough), finding the right builder is critical. While Excel Homes builds the modules that will eventually become your home, your local builder is the one who will put the modules together to complete your home. It might only be 10 percent of the home building process, but it’s a very important 10 percent.

In the end, you have to trust your builder, the same way you’d trust a babysitter or a family doctor. Only instead of taking care of your two-year-old or treating an outbreak of measles, your builder will be putting together your dream home. Armed with your list of local builders, here’s what you need to do to determine the best builder to make that dream come true:

1. Call each builder and ask for a list of references.

Once you’ve got three or four references (people for whom the builder has built homes in the past few years), call them and ask some of these questions:

• Was the builder professional?
• Did the project run smoothly and on schedule?
• Did the builder stay on budget?
• Was the builder helpful and responsive if problems arose?
• Have there been any problems with the home since it was built? If so, how has the builder responded to those problems?
• Would you recommend the builder?

2. Check the builder’s industry affiliations and credentials.

Ask builders if they are members of any industry organizations and contact those organizations to inquire about the builder’s standing within the organization and the industry. It’s okay if a builder isn’t a member of one or more industry organizations, but membership helps. Also perform a background check on each builder with the Better Business Bureau.

3. Interview the builder.

Meet with your builder face-to-face and ask the following questions:

• How long have you been in business?
• How many homes do you build each year?
• How much time will you spend supervising the building process, and who will do the supervising?
• How much work is performed by your crew and how much is sub-contracted?
• Have you ever filed for bankruptcy?
• Can you provide a bank reference and a copy of your insurance certificate?
• Have any lawsuits been filed against you by former customers?
• What warranties do you offer and who performs the work under the warranty?

As you can see, finding the “right builder” may not be an easy process (executed properly, it can take several months) but a little extra effort and homework up front could make all the difference in the end. As always, if you have any questions about the process, feel free to use our Ask the Experts feature on the right for more insights.

Not long ago, one of AvisAmerica’s modular homes was built in the small coastal town of Owl’s Head, Maine. The home, a 2,200-square-foot, six-room, two-story, cape/chalet combo, was built by Bay Point Homes of Rockland, Maine.

Maine and the rest of New England is a very active modular market, and one in which we expect to see growth. That’s one reason Excel Homes announced its intention to purchase modular home manufacturer Oxford Homes in Oxford, Maine earlier this year. The deal includes a 40,000-square-foot manufacturing facility capable of producing single-family, multi-family, and commercial building modules.

Here, we see half of the Owl’s Head home on its foundation and the roof raised. The roof is attached at the Excel plant by hinges, which allow it to lay flat during the transportation process before being raised and locked into place on-site. (A photo of the hinges can be seen here.)

In this photo, both halves of the home are in place as members of the builder’s crew put some finishing touches on the roof. This particular home will be even more energy efficient than most modular homes through its use of oil, propane and passive solar energy for heat.

The couple who will move into the home played a key role in customizing its environmentally-friendly features, including choosing superinsulated windows. They also make a few aesthetic changes to the original cape design, customizing their new home with a cathedral ceiling and a 36-foot farmer’s porch.

Last month, we talked about the second step in the modular home buying process, loan pre-qualification, which will let you know how much money you’re qualified to borrow and how much you can spend on your new home. Once you’ve got that magic number, it’s time to find a builder to discuss modular home options in your price range. 

SIDENOTE: We should clarify the relationship between Excel Homes and the types of modular home builders you’ll be meeting with. Excel manufactures the modules (essentially 90 percent of the home) in one of our factories and then ships the module to your home site, where the other 10 percent of the assembly process is completed by one of our builder partners (we work with over 600 builders throughout the northeast United States).  

Finding the right modular home builder is important, and it pays to shop around and ask questions. After all, you’re choosing the company who will build the home you’ll be living in for many, many years. Start with a list of several builders in your area. You can assemble this list in one of several ways:

• Consult the phonebook.
• Ask friends for suggestions.
• Contact Excel Homes. Feel free to email us at the “Ask the Experts” link in the right hand sidebar and we’ll be happy to send you a list of recommended builders in your area. 

With your list of builders in hand, it’s time to start checking references and asking questions. We’ll cover that step in the next installment of “The Modular Process” in about three weeks. If you can’t wait that long, feel free to e-mail us and we’ll fill you in on the details.

After Hurricane Andrew struck Florida in 1992, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) studied the performance and strength of various buildings and found that modular homes stood up to hurricane-force winds much better than standard site-built homes.

The secret to modular homes’ strength lies in the manufacturing process. To help the modules withstand the demands of the transportation process, modular homes are built with an average of 20 percent more materials than regular homes (and often at less cost!). These materials include bigger, stronger wall studs and floor joists, which means a sturdier frame overall.

The stricter inspection process behind each home also contributes to modular’s superior staying power. Not only is each module is inspected prior to leaving the factory, but the home is inspected again by independent local inspectors after it arrives and is placed on the foundation at its final destination.