What is a modular home?

A modular home is highly engineered.  It is constructed in sections and put together by a builder on your building site.  Modular homes are designed, engineered and built in a factory with a controlled environment according to the North Carolina Residential Building Code..

What's the difference between a modular and a site-built house, besides costing much less?

A modular home is built to the state building code, indoors, under climate controlled conditions, with the same material used in on-site construction.  The only telltale sign is the excellent fit of all the components.  The real advantage of modular home construction is that the entire house is built in a factory with tight quality controls and sophisticated equipment not possible outdoors.  There is no weather damage or varying fits due to shrinkage or damp warped lumber.

What Is A Building System?

Simply put, a building system is a highly engineered method of producing buildings or building components in an efficient and cost effective manner.  The use of building systems is common in many different types of residential and commercial construction.

A modular home is the culmination of one type of building system.  Modular homes actually begin as components; designed, engineered and assembled in the controlled environment of a modern factory sometimes hundreds of miles away from their final destination.  It is when these components come together on your building site and the final finish is completed by your builder, that the components become a home for you and your family.

Quality Control

There are several major benefits to building your home in a factory:

Tell Me More About The Modular Home Construction Process.

Today's modular systems are models of efficiency and quality assurance.  The building process begins at the design phase.  R-Anell uses state of the art computer assisted design stations which aid them in customizing floor plans and producing drawings and material requirement lists.  Once designed, the building process begins.  The quality of materials, care for detail, and same building codes and standards of on site built construction are observed.  So what's different?  Efficiency and quality!  Click here to learn about R-Anell's Materials Quality.

Efficiency begins with modern factory assembly line techniques.  Your home travels to workstations, with all the building trades represented.  Work is never delayed by weather, subcontractor no-shows or missing material.  Quality engineering and modular construction techniques significantly increase the energy efficiency of you modular home.  A quality control process provides 100% assurance that your home has been inspected for code compliance and workmanship.  In-plant inspections as well as independent inspection agencies inspect the home on behalf of your state & local government.

How Long Does It Take To Build A Modular Home?

Speed and consistent quality are two of the many advantages for choosing modular components for your new home.  On the average, a home consisting of two modules will be factory produced in six or seven days.  Once the manufacturing process is complete, typically with interior finish right down to carpets and wall finish, the unit must be transferred to the building site and placed on its foundation.  Final completion is usually handled by a local builder or general contractor and includes connection of utilities to the home, and a short list of finish work.  Normally the home is completed in an average of four weeks.

I Get Confused When I See The Terms "Manufactured Home" and "Modular Home."  What's The Difference?

Manufactured homes, sometimes referred to as mobile homes, are another type of building system and are constructed to a different building standard.  This standard, the Federal Construction Safety Standards Act (HUD/CODE), unlike conventional building codes, requires manufactured homes to be constructed on a non-removable steel chassis.  Many communities have restrictions on where manufactured homes can be located.

Modular and site-built homes on the other hand, are constructed to the same building code required by your state, county and specific locality and therefore are not restricted by building or zoning regulations.  Your new modular home is inspected at the assembly plant during each phase of construction.  Evidence of this inspection is normally shown by the application of a State or inspection agency label of approval.

I Know That Modular Homes Are Built To The Same Codes As Site-Built Homes, But Is Financing Any Different?

There is no distinction between modular and site built homes as far as appraisal or financing.  Banks or lending institutions treat both types of construction the same.  Likewise, there is no difference in insuring the modular property.  See our Financing Page for more information.

One Last Time, Review The Benefits Of Modular Construction For Me.

And One Last Item We Haven't Covered - COST

When you add up all the labor, material and time savings inherent in the modular building process, you will find that the price of a modular home is generally lower than a traditionally built home of comparable size.  You will keep saving money year after year, as the energy efficiency of your home keeps your heating and cooling bills low.