The Home Store's Blog

Tales of a Modular Home Builder

Your Modular Dealer’s Communications

Posted on by

Miscommunications and Misunderstandings with Your Modular Dealer

Miscommunication, and the misunderstandings they cause, is common in construction projects. It may be asking too much to suggest that the problem can be avoided entirely, but there are steps that customers can take to keep it to a minimum.

First and foremost, a customer should have their modular dealer and general contractor put everything in writing. “Everything” refers to much more than an order form and a contract. Many small details get discussed at sales meetings that do not always find their way into these formal documents. Read a contract and you will likely find that it excludes “oral representations,” which is another way of saying that if a detail was discussed and even agreed to verbally, but did not find its way into some form of written documentation, it has no legal validity.

Your Modular Dealer’s Responsibility for Documenting All Details in Writing

The modular dealer is responsible, with assistance from you, for clearly documenting all details in writing. This is the only fair way to commit both you and the modular dealer to a definite set of specifications and prices.

The modular dealer is responsible, with assistance from you, for clearly documenting all details in writing. This is the only fair way to commit both you and the modular dealer to a definite set of specifications and prices.

One way you can learn a lot about a modular dealer’s facility with details is to observe how he documents your conversations with him. Consistent and clear documentation is critical because every meeting between a modular dealer and a customer will generate a lot of discussion about a home’s floor plan, exterior appearance, building specifications, features, and colors. Meetings also will include discussions about the building site, scheduling, banking, and budget. The only way customers can be sure of getting the house they want, on schedule and on budget, is if the modular dealer listens, understands, and documents all decisions, and then follows through on them. Sales meetings can be a bit chaotic, with discussions sidetracked and interrupted, and decisions agreed to and then discarded after reconsideration. Putting all decisions reached during each meeting into writing is the best way to ensure that they do not get lost in the shuffle.

Your Responsibility for Ensuring All Details are Documented in Writing

The modular dealer does not, and should not, bear all of the responsibility for maintaining this written record. The customer has an even greater interest in seeing that each and every detail relating to their new house comes to fruition. Customers can sometimes send mixed messages to a modular dealer, saying they want one option one day, and a different one the next day. A conscientious customer, therefore, is one who never has to say to a modular dealer, “But don’t you remember the conversation we had about . . . ?” If the conversation was important, put it in writing.

Your Modular Dealer’s Responsibility for Communicating Clearly

A modular dealer also has a professional obligation to communicate effectively. He should not resort to industry jargon without making sure you understand it, and he should explain the important details fully. If you find yourself with a modular dealer you cannot understand, even after you ask him to clarify, you should find another candidate. If you ignore this advice and buy a home from this modular dealer, you should be prepared to believe him when he says, “Don’t you remember I told you that?”

Your Modular Dealer’s Responsibility for Managing the Pace of Each Meeting

A modular dealer needs to do a couple of things if he is to protect both of you. Obviously he needs to write down everything of importance. But as the professional, he also has an obligation to you (and to himself) to ask you to slow down and, if necessary, pause a moment so he has the time to finish recording your last point. Many a modular dealer has made a mistake in design or specification because he didn’t want to be impolite to his customer by asking her to hold her thought. You would serve yourself well if you carried a pencil and pad of paper to jot down your questions and comments so you don’t lose your train of thought. A modular dealer would serve himself well if he offered you a pencil and paper and reminded you to do so.

For more information about your modular dealer’s communications, see Selecting a Modular Home Dealer and Selecting a General Contractor in my book The Modular Home.

The Modular General Contractor

Posted on by

The Role of the Modular General Contractor

A modular dealer’s primary job is to design, price, and order a modular home from the manufacturer. The job of turning it into a livable home is that of a modular general contractor (GC). Most dealers also function as a modular general contractor or work closely with a particular modular general contractor, and this is a good route to follow. Acting as your own modular general contractor or working with one who does not have experience with modular homes can be risky, since you and your modular general contractor will not know the particular requirements of a modular home.

The modular general contractor's responsibilities before the set

The modular general contractor’s responsibilities before the set

Hiring an Independent Modular General Contractor or Acting as the GC

Consequently, if you are intending to select an independent modular general contractor, you should ask each modular dealer to identify the specific construction tasks required to complete your home, including the plumbing and electrical hookups, heating installation, and carpentry button-up. (See chapter 7 of my book, my book The Modular Home for a thorough discussion of the modular general contractor’s responsibilities.) The dealer’s written information should reduce the likelihood that you and your modular general contractor will underestimate the scope of work. Should the dealer not have the knowledge to provide this information, you should ask yourself what else he does not know, and who will provide the answers to your modular general contractor’s technical questions.

The modular general contractor's responsibilities after the set

The modular general contractor’s responsibilities after the set

Learning What a Modular General Contractor Must Know

An underlying industry problem is that few manufacturers or other industry professionals have developed systems to educate dealers, general contractors, or consumers about the modular-specific areas of construction, namely scope of work, procedures, and warranty obligations. Only a few dealers have developed their own comprehensive educational programs for consumers who want to act as their own modular general contractor or hire an independent general contractor without modular experience. Several manufacturers and dealers have created checklists to enumerate these issues, but as anyone who has ever used construction checklists can attest, they do not do the job by themselves. For one thing, few dealers, modular general contractors, or customers feel they have the time to study checklists. Second, reading alone is not the preferred method of self-education for most people when they are learning how-to assembly tasks, such as how to finish a two-story vaulted foyer so that movement between modules, and thus future drywall cracks between floors, is minimized. Illustrations, photographs, videos, and, best of all, professional hands-on training, are all better teaching tools. For those modular general contractors who have been building modular homes for several years, the poverty of educational tools is not much of a problem. But if you are trying to teach yourself or a GC new to modular construction without some assistance from a dealer, you will have an uphill climb. You will be much more vulnerable to misunderstandings and mistakes, which are likely to cost time, money, and stress. If you are in this situation, it would be worthwhile for you or your GC to consult with another GC with modular experience. Even if you will not be using your modular dealer as your GC, you should give strong preference to those dealers who have the technical construction knowledge required to assemble a modular home.

For more information about selecting a modular general contractor, see Selecting a Modular Home Dealer and Selecting a General Contractor in my book The Modular Home.

Modular Plans – Exterior and Interior Dimensions

Posted on by

There are a few things you should know about reading and interpreting modular plans from dealers and manufacturers. In this blog I’ll discuss the exterior dimensions, interior dimensions, and square footage of modular plans. Keep in mind that these points apply equally to the house plans marketed by stick, log, and panelized builders.

Modular Plans – Exterior Dimensions          

Modular plans typically list the exterior length and width as well as square footage of the home. The dimensions are almost always rounded-off, especially the widths. It is very common, for example, to list modular plans that are 27’ 6” wide as 28’. When modular plans are not an exact rectangle, manufacturers usually indicate the maximum width and length of the structures as if the modular plans were a true rectangle. For example, when a modular plan includes a 13′ wide bedroom that projects out from a section of a 28′ wide home, the manufacturer may list the width as 41′ even though the plan is only that wide where the bedroom is located.  See the attached plan.

The main section of the home is 28' wide. But the third Bedroom, Foyer, and Covered Porch add another 13' to the width in the middle of the plan. A manufacturer might list the width of this plan as 41', but keep in mind that it is only 41' in the middle.

Here’s an example of what you need to know about the exterior dimensions of modular plans.  The main section of this plan is 28′ wide. But the third Bedroom, Foyer, and Covered Porch add another 13′ to the width in the middle of the plan. A manufacturer might list the width of this plan as 41′, but keep in mind that it is only 41′ in the middle.

Modular Plans – Interior Dimensions           

The interior dimensions of modular plans are always less than the exterior dimensions because of the thickness of the walls. To calculate the usable space you have to take these exterior dimensions into account. A room that is contained entirely within a 13’ 9” wide module will have an interior dimension of 13’ if the exterior wall is 6” thick and the marriage wall (where the modules join) is 3” thick. A great room that is created across two modules that are both 13’ 9” wide will have 26’ 6” of interior space because both 3” marriage walls will be eliminated.

Modular plans typically label the dimensions of irregular shaped rooms the same way they label the exterior dimensions of non-rectangular plans. They use the maximum width and length of the rooms as if they were true rectangles. This tends to exaggerate the size of rooms with jogged entries or closets that jut out from a wall.

Bedroom 3 is a true rectangle that is listed as 12' 10" deep. Bedroom 2 is also labeled as 12' 10" deep. But it is not a true rectangle and it is only 12' 10" deep when you count the space in front of the entry door. The actual useable depth is about 9' 6".

Here’s an example of what you need to know about the interior dimensions of modular plans. Bedroom 3 in this plan is a true rectangle that is listed as 12′ 10″ deep. Bedroom 2 is also labeled as 12′ 10″ deep. But it is not a true rectangle and it is only 12′ 10″ deep when you count the space in front of the entry door. The actual useable depth is about 9′ 6″.

Modular Plans – Square Feet               

Many manufacturers use rounded-off dimensions to calculate the square footage of their modular plans. This will slightly inflate the size of these designs. However, modular manufacturers give accurate dimensions when they complete the drawings they use to build a modular plan.

Modular Plans – Verify What You’re Getting            

The marketing literature for modular plans offered by manufacturers and dealers are is helpful when starting your search for house plans. But given the conventions for labeling dimensions and square footage, you need to take extra care to ensure you know what you’ll actually be getting before you authorize your home to be built.

For more information about calculating the exterior and interior dimensions of modular plans, see Designing a Modular Home and Modular Home Specifications and Features in my book The Modular Home.

Expect Moisture Condensation in Your New Home

Posted on by

Over the years we’ve received a few calls each winter from customers who’ve built a new modular home with us. One reason for their calls was the “ice dams” that had formed on the eave edge of their roofs. I’ll discuss this condition in a later post.  The other reason they called was concern about the moisture condensation on the inside of some of their windows.

Moisture Condensation: The First Heating Season

Moisture condensation often forms on the inside of windows and doors in new homes because of the drying out of the lumber and concrete foundation.

Moisture condensation often forms on the inside of windows and doors in new homes during the first heating season because of the drying out of the lumber and concrete foundation as well as by your daily cooking, bathing, drying clothes, and breathing.

Moisture condensation happens quite frequently at the beginning of a new home’s first heating season. This is true regardless of the type of wood frame construction. As much as a ton of moisture (yes, 2,000 pounds!!!) can be released by the lumber, concrete foundation, and drywall as they dry out. The condensation can appear as fog on the windows and can even freeze on the glass. Moisture condensation is most likely to appear on windows, rather than walls, because glass surfaces have the lowest temperature of any interior surface in a home. When the warm, moist air comes in contact with the cooler glass, the moisture condenses. The same action occurs on the outside of a glass of iced tea in the summer and on the bathroom mirrors and walls after you take a hot shower. If condensation occurs in your new home, you will need to provide ventilation to dissipate the moisture. Turning on the kitchen and bathroom ventilation fans each day or briefly opening a few windows, especially during the first heating season, should take care of the problem.

Moisture Condensation: Daily Living

Moisture condensation can also build up in a home after the first year because of normal living. If the problem continues, you should remind everyone in the family to use the bathroom ventilation fan when they are bathing and the range hood fan when they are cooking. Today’s tight homes are more prone to retain moisture from cooking, bathing, drying clothes, operating humidifiers, heating with fossil fuels, and breathing. Proper ventilation, however, will maintain the right amount of moisture in your home to balance comfort and safety. If an abnormally wet situation exists, use a dehumidifier. Otherwise, problems may result, such as peeling paint, rotting wood, buckling floors, insulation deterioration, mold and mildew, and even moisture spots on walls and ceilings. Remember, you are responsible for any problems caused by improper ventilation.

Moisture Condensation: Exterior Causes

Excessive moisture condensation can also be caused by conditions outside of the home itself, such as high winds during heavy rainfall or a snowstorm. Dampness in the basement, caused by poor exterior grading, a high water table, or other site conditions can also lead to moisture problems in the home. Again, if an abnormally wet situation exists, use a dehumidifier.

For more information about moisture condensation in your modular home, see Warranty Service for a Modular Home in my book The Modular Home.

Modular Home Financing – Important Information

Posted on by

This is part three of a three part blog that explains what you need to know about your modular home financing. In my last post I explained the significance of the final modular home payment and option of paying either COD or by an assignment of funds agreement. In this post I add more details.

Modular Home Financing: Whose Name Should Be on the Check

Some lenders insist on making the final modular home payment in the name of the customer even though it’s owed to the dealer or manufacturer. Others allow the name of the modular dealer or manufacturer to accompany the customer’s name. When the modular home payment is in the customer’s name, either alone or along with the dealer’s or manufacturer’s name, the customer must endorse the check before the dealer or manufacturer can cash or deposit it. Modular home dealers and manufacturers almost never accept a check in the customer’s name alone for an assignment-of-funds payment, and only some dealers and manufacturers will accept a joint check. The reason is that when the customer’s name is on the check, the customer unilaterally gets to decide if and when the dealer and manufacturer are paid, which defeats the purpose of the assignment. Given that the modules will already be on the foundation when the check is handed over, the dealer and manufacturer do not want to allow the customer to have this much control. Accordingly, most modular dealers and manufacturers insist that the assignment-of-funds letter state that the check will be issued in their names only.

If your dealer insists on receiving the modular home payment only in their or their manufacturer’s name, bring this to the attention of lenders before applying for financing. The best way to ensure that a lender and dealer can work with each other’s policies is to ask the dealer to give you a sample of an acceptable assignment-of-funds letter before you select a lender. You can then ask each lender to approve the letter. If a lender asks for some modifications to the dealer’s letter or proposes their own letter, and the dealer is not agreeable, you will probably need to find a different lender or dealer.

There are a lot of modular home financing details to attend to with your lender. For example, who gets paid, when you pay, uncooperative lenders, disbursement schedules, personal funds, additional COD deposits, etc.

There are a lot of modular home financing details to attend to with your lender. For example, who gets paid, when you pay, disbursement schedules, personal funds, additional COD deposits, etc.

Modular Home Financing: What if Your Lender Won’t Make a COD Payment

If your modular home dealer and their manufacturer require a COD payment and you are unable to find a local lender to assist you, your dealer is likely to know which lenders will comply with this requirement. To avoid a misunderstanding, you and your dealer should ask the lender to write a letter committing to pay for the balance owed on delivery.

Modular Home Financing: Are You Vulnerable after You Pay for the Modules

You might wonder whether paying the modular dealer and manufacturer in full on delivery or immediately after the set compromises your leverage should you subsequently find something wrong with your home. You certainly do lose leverage. This is exactly why you should shop very carefully for a dealer and not just buy from whoever is the least expensive. Just as you should never buy a car from a dealer who has a reputation of not providing good warranty service, you should never buy a modular home from a dealer who you are not confident will honor their warranty obligations. Regardless of when you pay a dealer, your warranty is only as good as the dealer’s integrity and competence.

Modular Home Financing: Why the Disbursement Schedule Is Important

In addition to verifying that a lender will meet your dealer’s modular home payment terms, you also need to ensure that it will agree to an acceptable disbursement schedule. This schedule states how much money will be disbursed at each phase of the construction process. Most of the details are worked out by the customer and their GC, since the general contractor will require several separate disbursements, but the customer and dealer are responsible for ensuring that the schedule disburses the full amount at the correct time for the modules.

A lender may agree to an assignment-of-funds procedure but then offer a disbursement schedule that fails to allocate sufficient funds to pay the balance due on the modules. Since the dealer is unlikely to agree to a partial modular home payment, you need to inform prospective lenders about the dealer’s payment requirement before selecting one. If a lender’s schedule does not provide you with sufficient funds at the right time, and you call this to the loan officer’s attention before you sign the loan agreement, a lender will usually adjust the schedule to accommodate your needs. After you sign the paperwork, however, a lender will usually resist changing the schedule, which will likely force you to find a new lender.

Modular Home Financing: Why Using a Lender Takes More Time

Keep in mind that it will take longer to receive your home if you use a construction loan because the modular manufacturer will wait for the lender to write its assignment-of-funds letter before putting your home into the production schedule. And the lender will probably wait to write the letter until you have closed on the loan, which likely cannot happen until you have a building permit. As you approach the closing on your loan, do everything you can to prepare your lender to write the letter immediately after the closing.

A couple of weeks before the delivery and set of your modular home, ask the lender to schedule its representative to inspect and approve the modules and disburse the balance due. The inspection and modular home payment will be required by the lender whether the payment terms are COD or assignment of funds.

Modular Home Financing: Why You Might Need to Pay COD When Using Private Funds

When you use a private source of funds to pay for some part of the balance due on a modular home, the dealer and their modular manufacturer are likely to require you to pay for the modules when they are delivered. A COD modular home payment will need to be made with a bank or certified check made payable to the dealer or manufacturer, as instructed by the dealer. Needless to say, you will not be obligated to pay for the modules if the dealer and manufacturer built you the wrong home, a situation that is very unlikely if you select a reputable dealer.

Modular Home Financing: Why an Additional Deposit May Be Needed If You Are Using Private Funds

If you are paying COD, your dealer may require an additional deposit for each module before they will schedule your home to be built. These additional funds will serve as insurance for the dealer should you fail to pay when the modules are delivered. The dealer will use the additional deposit to defray the expenses they will incur if they have to return the modules to his manufacturer or sell them to another customer at a discount.

For more information about modular home financing, see Financing a Modular Home in my book The Modular Home.

Modular Payment – COD vs. Assignment of Funds

Posted on by

This is part two of a three part blog that explains several things you need to know about your modular home payment.  Part two explains the difference between a COD modular payment and an “assignment of funds” modular payment.

Why Modular Home and Stick Home Payment Schedules Are So Different

When customers construct a stick-built home, they usually do not wait until their home is framed, insulated, drywalled, wired, plumbed, and finished with cabinetry, doors, moldings, and flooring before paying their builder. But that is likely what you will do when you build a modular home. Your dealer will probably obtain a 10-percent deposit from you, but not receive the balance until he has built and delivered your home. As you can imagine, the many thousands of dollars required to manufacture a home makes the final modular payment a very significant event for the dealer and his manufacturer, who must also wait until you pay your dealer.

Although most dealers and manufacturers require a 10-percent deposit before they will build your home, some dealers require a deposit of 25 percent or more for a true custom design, since it could be more difficult to sell than a standard plan should you not honor your contract. Many dealers also require an additional deposit when you are paying with private funds, as will be explained below.

A few modular dealers will give you priority scheduling or offer a small discount if you prepay for the home. But you will only want to take advantage of that if you are sure the company is financially sound. Normally, you would pay off the balance after the home is delivered to your site or set on the foundation.

Why the Final Modular Payment Is So Important to the Manufacturer

When a dealer and manufacturer build a home after having received only a small percentage of the purchase price, they are taking a risk. After all, the manufacturer must pay its vendors, factory production crew, and delivery crew. The dealer must in turn pay the manufacturer, whether or not you pay him, since he will have a contract with the manufacturer.

When a customer does not pay for a home, the dealer and manufacturer are compelled to sell it to someone else, usually at a substantial discount. That is why the dealer and his manufacturer will be very concerned about receiving their modular payment in full for the balance owed on a home as soon as possible after they build it. That is also why all manufacturers prefer to be paid cash on delivery (COD), and many insist on it. Most lenders, however, prefer to make the final modular payment after the home is set on the foundation.

Why the Manufacturer Prefers A COD Final Modular Payment

The manufacturer wants to be paid COD because once the modules are attached to the foundation they are legally no longer considered personal property, which is what they are when they are sitting on their carriers. If you do not pay the dealer after the modules are on the foundation, the manufacturer cannot remove them and take them back to the factory, something the laws for personal property allow with a car. The modules are now real estate, and that difference gives the homeowner a great deal of protection against creditors. The dealer and manufacturer would need to get a court order to remove the modules, and this could take months and many thousands of dollars.

Why the Lender Prefers an Assignment of Funds Final Modular Payment

When using a construction loan to make your modular payment, the lender will need to give the modular manufacturer an assignment of funds letter agreeing to pay for the modular home.

When using a construction loan to make your modular payment, the lender will need to give the modular manufacturer an assignment of funds letter agreeing to pay for the modular home.

Most lenders take an opposing point of view.  They do not want to disburse funds from a construction loan to pay for the modules until they have been set on the foundation. Their view is that they are lending money for real estate, not personal property resting on a carrier.  Many lenders, dealers, and manufacturers have reconciled their conflicting demands by relying on what is known as an “assignment of funds” procedure, in which an authorized official of the lender writes a letter to the dealer or manufacturer committing to pay one of them an agreed upon sum after the modules are set on the foundation and inspected by a representative of the lender. This protects the lender and its customer by making the modular payment contingent on an inspection that the home is correct and properly set. The dealer and manufacturer in turn get the security they need by receiving a written commitment from the lender to pay the dealer or the manufacturer once the inspection is complete. In effect, the dealer and manufacturer are relying on the lender’s obligation to make good on its assignment rather than the customer’s obligation to honor their contract. When done properly, the letter assigns sufficient funds from the customer’s construction loan, usually equal to the balance owed by the customer for the modules, to the dealer or manufacturer and promises to make the modular payment either by wire transfer or with a bank or certified check.

For more information about the difference between a COD modular payment and an “assignment of funds” modular payment, see Financing a Modular Home in my book The Modular Home.

Modular Home Payment – The Construction Loan

Posted on by

This is part one of a three part blog that explains several things you need to know about your modular home payment.  Part one explains why you need a construction loan if you are using a lender to finance the construction.

Financing Construction of a Modular Home

To build a modular home you will need to pay the dealer for the modules and the general contractor for his services. If you do not own a building lot, you will need to purchase it as well. There are three typical sources of these funds. The first is private funds, such as personal savings, an equity loan on another property, the sale of personal assets, or a family loan. The second is a construction loan from a lending institution, usually a bank, credit union, or mortgage company. The third source is the modular dealer or modular general contractor.

Payment for an Existing Home

There is one very significant difference between paying for an existing home and paying to build a new home – whether it’s built with modules, logs, panels, or “sticks”. When you buy an existing home you pay the seller in full before you take possession of the home. If you use a loan to pay for the existing home, you secure the funds with a mortgage.

Payment for Building a New Home

When you build a home, you make periodic payments as work is completed. You cannot wait until the home is completely finished to pay the modular dealer and modular general contractor in full because they need funds to pay for materials and labor as the project progresses.

Modular Home Construction Loan

You need a construction loan when using a lender to finance construction of a modular home. This allows the lender to make payments as work is completed.

You need a construction loan when using a lender to finance construction of a modular home.

When you use a lender to build a home, they provide these series of payments as work is completed through a “construction loan”. This is a short-term loan usually of four- to twelve-months’ duration. Once the local building inspector issues a certificate of occupancy and the lender agrees that the home is essentially complete, the modular lender pays off the construction loan and issues you a mortgage. Note that the construction loan process protects you and your lender should something prevent the builder, in this case the modular dealer and modular general contractor, from completing the home. Receiving compensation as the job progresses also protects the modular dealer and GC should something prevent you from paying for the finished home.

Although you will still need to obtain a mortgage, you will not need to secure a construction loan if the modular dealer or modular general contractor finances the construction. They are more likely to do this if the modular dealer is completing the GC work, but especially if the dealer or GC own the land. Ownership of the land and responsibility for the construction tasks gives them greater control of the project and reduces their risk should you decide not to purchase the finished home. When you purchase a modular home that is funded in full by the dealer or GC, you are in a sense purchasing an already existing home. In fact, you will not take ownership of it until you pay them when they are done. That is why they are likely to require you to provide evidence that you have secured a mortgage or have the personal funds to pay for the finished home.

For more information about paying for a modular home with a construction loan, see Financing a Modular Home in my book The Modular Home. For a detailed schedule of when each of these tasks must be completed, see Building a Modular Home on Schedule also in my book.

Modular Home Designs

Posted on by

Most modular home designs are one, two, or three modules deep and one or two modules high. A few companies build homes three modules high, although they require special approvals from the customer’s state to ensure they comply with the building code. Most homes are two modules wide, with typical widths of approximately 24 feet, 26 feet, 27 feet 6 inches, and 31 feet 6 inches. Three module wide homes typically range from 36’ to 47’ 3”.  The usual practice is to place modules side by side, with the long sides parallel to the road. Some designs, especially when built on narrow lots, turn the modules perpendicular to the road. Modules can also be turned perpendicular to each other to create T-, L-, or H-shaped houses, which is one of many techniques the modular industry has employed to shed its image of making boring boxes.

Here are some of the more typical configurations of modules that create various exterior and interior modular home designs.

There is a surprising number of ways that basic modules can be combined to create various exterior and interior modular home designs. Here are some of the more typical configurations.

Modular Home Designs – Minimum Size

Modular manufacturers will build homes only if they can sell them for a competitive price and still make a profit. The minimum order they will take is a function of the amount of labor and materials required to build the home. Too little labor and materials will make a home uneconomical to build at the factory. This means that small additions usually will not work financially, and neither will larger additions that are essentially empty boxes. For example, a 16 foot by 27’6” foot great room addition is usually too small and devoid of value-added work to make economic sense. On the other hand, a 24-foot by 24-foot in-law addition with a kitchen and bathroom can work nicely.

 

A single room, like a great room, does not have enough labor and materials to be an economical modular home design, while a small in-law apartment does.

With little labor and materials required, the great room (top) is not an economical modular home design for a modular manufacturer to build. The small in-law apartment (bottom) is, since it requires more labor and materials.

Modular Home Designs – Adding Length

Adding length to a modular home is always easy to do from the manufacturer’s point of view, as long as it stays within the maximum production and delivery dimensions. This is also true about adding bump-outs to the end of a module, such as a walkout bay. Making a plan of a given size bigger by adding to the length of the modules is one of the best values in the entire construction industry.

Modular Home Designs – Adding Width

Increasing the size of a particular plan by widening the modules is also a very good bargain. The cost per square foot is often a little more for adding width than length, because the floor system sometimes needs to be beefed up; for example, from 2 x 8 floor joists for a 24-foot-wide home to 2 x 10s for a home with a width of 27 feet 6 inches. Widening a module, like lengthening a home, will always add more equity to a home than it costs.

Modular Home Designs – Adding a Bumpout

Adding a “bump-out”, such as the walk-out bay, to a long wall on a module that is already at its maximum width is more involved than adding one to the end of a module. The manufacturer must either build the bump-out as a separate miniature module or ship the necessary materials to the general contractor.

Modular home designs can be enhanced by adding a walk-out bay. If the bay is added on the end of a module, it can be built and delivered by the manufacturer on one carrier. But if the bay is added on the side of a module, it cannot, since the module would be too wide to ship.

Modular home designs can be enhanced by adding a walk-out bay. If the bay is added on the end of a module, it can be built and delivered by the manufacturer on one carrier. But if the bay is added on the side of a module, it cannot, since the module would be too wide to ship.

Modular Home Designs – Using a Saddle or Cricket

Attaching one or more additional modules perpendicular to the long side, as discussed above can also enlarge a standard plan. This will require that a “saddle” or “cricket” be built to join the roofs.

One way to add flair to modular home designs - while enlarging them at the same time - is to turn one or more modules perpendicular to the others and build a saddle to join the roofs.

One way to add flair to modular home designs – while enlarging them at the same time – is to turn one or more modules perpendicular to the others and build a saddle to join the roofs.

Modular Home Designs – Adding a Second Living Unit

Another way to enlarge a home is to attach a separate living unit to the home, such as you might do to create an in-law addition or a two-family unit. The second unit can be designed with either a custom or standard plan.

Modular Home Designs – Additional Delivery Fees

When enlarging a given plan, make sure that any additional delivery fees are included in writing. Increasing the width up to 27 feet 6 inches should incur a relatively small fee. The fee for widening a home to 31 feet 6 inches, however, will be more substantial. Adding length to a home will sometimes require additional delivery carriers, which also can add significantly to the cost. This will happen when the original length of the house calls for delivering two modules on one carrier but the new, longer plan requires delivering the two modules on two carriers. Consequently, the new design will require an additional carrier for each pair of modules. For example, if a manufacturer’s maximum length for shipping two modules on a carrier is 30 feet per module, it can deliver a two-module-wide 28-foot-long in-law apartment on one carrier. However, if the apartment is lengthened by 4 feet, making each module 32-feet long, an additional carrier will be needed. When the original plan is a 28-foot-long two-story that is being lengthened to 32 feet, two additional carriers will be needed.

Additional carriers will also be required whenever lengthening a home makes the modules too long for the manufacturer and general contractor to deliver to a site. For example, a narrow road to the site may make it impossible to for a longer carrier to negotiate the turns. The only solution, other than keeping the home at its original length, might be to have the manufacturer divide each longer module into two shorter modules. The manufacturer will charge more to do this, but it may be the best way to get the home you want.

Modular Home Designs – Additional Option Costs

Enlarging a home will also increase the cost of any options that are affected by the increase. For example, upgrading to a premium siding will cost more when a home is made wider or longer, since more area needs to be covered. Other optional features will only increase in price if a particular room increases in size. For example, a dining room wood floor will only cost more when a home is lengthened if some of the additional length is put into that room. Increasing the size of a particular room can also force you to add windows or doors to meet the building code, which requires a minimum amount of “light and vent” for each room.

For more information about modular home designs, see Designing a Modular Home and Modular Home Specifications and Features in my book The Modular Home.

Modular Size: Maximum Length, Width, and Height

Posted on by

A modular home is created when one or more modules are transported to a building site and assembled on a foundation. Each modular section is a semi-independent structural unit, essentially a box that is built to interconnect with other boxes. Whereas “sticks” are the basic building unit in stick construction, and walls are the basic building unit in panelized construction, modules are the basic building unit in modular construction. Modular design, engineering, and construction work because many home designs can be subdivided into modular sections.

Modular Size and Design Constraints

Modular construction, like all construction, has design constraints. The limits to what can be built are a function of modular  size (maximum width, length, and height) and structural capability. The limits are themselves determined more by what can be safely, legally, and economically built and transported than by what a manufacturer can fabricate. It is technologically possible to build almost anything as one or more modules, regardless of size. But delivering two 30-foot by 40-foot modules from the factory to the job site would be another matter, as would lifting it onto the foundation. In spite of these constraints, the design possibilities for modular homes are countless.

Modular size constraints include a maximum length of 72', width of 15'9", and height of 11'.

Modular Size: Maximum Length, Width, and Height

Modular Size: Width

Most modular manufacturers build modular sizes in at least three widths, typically 12 feet, 13 feet, and 13 feet 9 inches. Some companies also build widths of 14 feet 9 inches and 15 feet 9 inches. The widths can vary by a couple of inches between companies, depending on the size of a manufacturer’s production jigs. Maximum widths are determined by the federal and state transportation regulations as well as by each factory’s production system. For special needs, such as an existing foundation or a zoning issue, many manufacturers can build to a slightly different width for a modest charge.

Modular Size: Length

Most manufacturers will build modular sizes up to 60-feet long. Some companies will build up to 72-foot-long modules, although many states will not permit these extra-long modules to be delivered. The production line set-up and the length of a manufacturer’s carriers also play a role in what a company can build.

Modular Size: Height

Federal, state, and local regulations limit the maximum height of any vehicle and its cargo, usually to 13 feet 6 inches. They also regulate the minimum height of any object, fabricated or natural, that overhangs a road, such as a bridge, wire, or tree limb. Any exceptions to the minimum height, such as with an older bridge, have to be clearly posted. These maximum and minimum height restrictions help prevent damage to low-hanging objects, vehicles, and their cargo, including modular homes.

Modular Size:  Folding Hinged Roofs

Complying with these restrictions means that each modular sizes cannot exceed the maximum shipping height. Since the measurement is taken with the module sitting on top of its carrier, the height of the carrier, which is typically 2 feet 6 inches, also counts in the calculation. This limits the actual height of the module to about 11 feet. Those modules that do not contain any part of the roof, typically the first-floor modules of a two-story, seldom approach this maximum height. However, those modules that support sections of the roof must be engineered to comply with the restrictions, since the height of the modules with the roof in an upright position exceeds the maximum restrictions. An essential requirement of most modular engineering is to design the roof systems so they lie flat on top of the module during delivery. Each section of the roof is fabricated into two or more components, which are hinged to the module and each other. Once the module is on the foundation, the set crew uses the crane to lift and unfold the roof to its correct height.

Modules need folding hinged roofs to comply with the maxium total height allowed during delivery

Modules need folding hinged roofs to comply with the maxium total height allowed during delivery

Sometimes the roof design makes the sectional hinging impossible, either because the design cannot be hinged or because the resulting height would exceed regulations. In those situations, the manufacturer will build one or more of the roof components as panels, or it will build a module without any of the roof components installed on top of the module. The roof will then be constructed on site either from sticks, panels, or specially fabricated modular-roof sections.

For more information about modular size, see Designing a Modular Home, Modular Home Specifications and Features, and Finding and Preparing a Building Lot for a Modular Home in my book The Modular Home.

Construction Schedule Delays

Posted on by

There are many types of construction schedule delays that can cause misunderstandings and ill feelings between a customer and their general contractor (GC). Here are five of them.

Construction Schedule Delays:  Situation 1

The GC does not initiate any work on your home the first seven to ten days after the set. You might conclude that the GC has dropped the ball and the entire project will be delayed. The GC, however, might be completing a few other homes that were started before yours. Completing the other homes first will keep him from having to jump back and forth between several homes at the same time. Once the GC starts work on your home, he will be able to make a concerted effort to complete it on schedule.

Construction Schedule Delays:  Situation 2

The GC gets ahead of schedule on one or two construction tasks. You might conclude that the entire project will be completed ahead of schedule. But there will likely be delays before your home is completed. Although it would be great if the GC completed your home early, it is more realistic for you to expect him to complete it on schedule.

Construction Schedule Delays:  Situation 3

The GC falls behind on one or more construction tasks. You might conclude that the completion date will not be met, but the GC’s targeted completion date allows for some delays.

Construction Schedule Delays:  Situation 4

With three weeks left to the projected completion date, the GC appears to have only two weeks of work remaining. You might think that the entire project will be completed ahead of schedule. There are multiple small details, however, including inspections and punch lists, that must be completed during the last couple of weeks of the project, and the crews needed to complete these tasks may not be scheduled for another week. If the project is not completed early, you may feel the GC mismanaged the end of the project. The reality is he is right on schedule.

Construction Schedule Delays:  Situation 5

With two weeks to go, the GC appears to have three-weeks worth of work remaining to be done. You might feel that it is impossible to complete the work by the targeted completion date. For the past few weeks, however, the GC has focused on completing a few other homes that were started before yours. Once he turns his focus back on your home, he will be able to make an all-out effort to complete it on schedule.

The point of these examples is make you aware that things are not always as they seem when it comes to progress on production schedules.  Whenever you have concerns, the best thing to do is talk directly with your GC while keeping an open mind to his explanation.

For more information about construction schedule delays, see Building a Modular Home on Schedule and The General Contractor’s Responsibilities for Building a Modular Home in my book The Modular Home.