Modular Home Construction Gets Green, Fancy And More Mainstream

For some reason, the idea of having your new home built in a climate-controlled, systematic factory setting is unappealing to the average consumer.  To many, it conjures up images of assembly lines and cold, factory-like precision and monotony of identical widgets getting packaged and shipped away.  Those who are more open-minded and familiar with the current trends of construction may see that modular construction is a viable alternative to traditional construction methods and is slowly gaining general acceptance in the market place.

Still in its infancy, modular construction accounted for only 3% of the new homes produced in 2009.  More and more modular home manufacturers are popping up even offering green LEED certified homes right off the shelf as it were.  Some are even offering high end luxury modular mansions that can be ordered and assembled in a couple weeks.

The fundamental difference with a modular home construction is the process.  The plan is divided into smaller sections or modules which are constructed separately in a factory using conventional commercial wall, floor, roof and ceiling materials. All major systems including mechanical, electrical, plumbing and finishes are completed prior to shipping and installation on site. From start to finish, it only takes a few days to construct many modular buildings saving months of time.

During the 1980′s and 1990′s mobile homes started looking more and more like regular stick-built homes. Two section and multi-sections homes started appearing with steeper pitch roofs, covered porches and other residential features not normally associated with standard looking mobile homes. The industry decided to drop the term mobile home because it no longer accurately described the new styles and sizes of homes being produced. The term, “Manufactured Home” is now the politically correct term. Terms like; “trailer home,” or “trailer coaches” or just plain “trailer” are no longer used today.