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Modular Construction:

What is a Modular Home?

"Modular construction combines factory technology with centuries-old building techniques to produce a cost-effective, efficient and beautiful home." The National Association of Home Builders, Modular Building Systems Council

National Association of Home Builders Brochure, "The New Face of Home Building."

"Modular homes offer consumers quality construction methods that take advantage of modern technology. Contrary to a conventionally-built home, which is assembled on the home site, piece by piece and exposed to the elements throughout the entire construction process, modular homes are constructed in segments(called "modules") in a climate-controlled factory by skilled craftsmen using precise machinery and methods.

Before a Modular home leaves a factory, it is inspected by an independent third-party agency to ensure it meets your state building codes. Built to withstand the rigors of ground transportation and being lifted into place by a crane, many modular homes are typically built to stronger standards than conventional homes. For example, most modular homes are built with more framing materials and utilize multiple engineered methods to fasten these materials.

Once the main modules of your new home are constructed in the factory, complete with attached walls, floor, ceiling, wiring, plumbing and interior fixtures(not HVAC), they are transported to your home site and placed on a permanent foundation by a crane. Depending on the size/complexity of the home, it could be set on-site and weather tight in as little as one day.

Being constructed in a climate-controlled environment ensures that your new modular home will have consistent, level floors, square frames, and virtually no margin of error in finishing's and trims."

Modular is not Mobile

Modular Houses are many times confused with HUD Code Homes. Mobile Home dealers and Manufacturers advertise their homes as modular. This is misleading advertising. A modular home is built to strict local building codes. It has to meet these codes. They are not restricted by zoning, which HUD code homes are. Modular homes can range in size from 500 SF to 10,000 SF. Many are custom built.

Consider: Currently one of the most publicized naval ships being built in America is the George H.W. Bush, Air Craft Carrier, being built in Newport News, Virginia by Northrop Grumman. This carrier promotes and touts the fact that it is being built employing modular technology. This writer had always assumed ships were built piece by individual piece in a ship-yard, just like a house. A recent Newport News Daily Press feature explained that in the 1970's the ship building industry began to utilize modular construction to spur efficiency. This finished carrier is used for war and travels the unforgiving high seas. If modular technology wasn'tt superior, do you think it would be employed?  These modules weigh as much as 900 tons, and it took 161 modules to assemble the carrier. Modular construction represents strength with quality.

Modular Homes, Stronger than Site Built, FEMA says.

Recently, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) confirmed that modular homes withstood a hurricane far better that site-built housing. "Overall, relatively minimal structural damage was noted in modular housing developments. The module-to-module combination unity appears to have provided an inherently rigid system that performed much better than conventional residential framing." Assessment teams concluded that modular homes withstood the 131-155 mph winds of the Category 4 hurricane Andrew far better than site-built housing. FEMA report, "Building Performance: Hurricane Andrew in Florida"

Benefits:

"What we can accomplish today is pretty damn wonderful," Barry Altman, Quality Crafted Homes. "Years ago I had site builders spitting on my shoes because I built with modulars. Today those same builders are buying homes from me."

Today's modulars incorporate cathedral and tray ceilings, open foyers, hardwood floors, custom cabinetry, built-ins, granite countertops, upscale lighting, Universal Design(what baby boomer isn'tt considering that?), 12/12 roof pitches, cutaways, bump outs, and superior high performance, energy conserving, green building techniques.

The NAHB publication, Modular Homes: The New Face of Home Building, lists 5 specific benefits to Modular Home Construction.

  • Speed of Construction
  • Quality Control
  • Cost Control
  • Design Flexibility
  • Energy Efficiency

Modular Construction means more than Single-Family applications: Traditional town homes, condominiums, mid-rise apartment complexes, schools, offices, and restaurants are only a few of the applications employing modular technology. Modular systems can complete nearly any multi-family or light commercial project conceivable. When time, cost control, quality and high performance matter, modular technology delivers.

Whether you are a home builder, developer, home-owner, light commercial builder, government/non-profit housing agency or affordable housing provider, you are doing yourself a disservice by not evaluating the benefits modern modular construction applications can bring to your building project.

Summary:

The use of modular technology has long been recognized as efficient and practical. Practical meaning it is cost effective and provides superior quality when planned correctly and utilized on-site in the erection of buildings and houses. Innovative applications are being discovered daily.

High Performance, Energy Conserving, Green Building techniques are driving forces behind the rapidly expanded uses of modular construction applications. Building in a controlled environment allows us to pursue our goals of energy efficiency and a healthier indoor environment in a practical, quality controlled, cost effective manner. The scheduling benefits, immediate closure to the elements, and the security provided by the utilization of a modular system are additional priority considerations in our embracement of modular technology.

In our efforts to keep you informed Sticks & Bricks Energy and this web site provide web links that allow you to further research modular technology. The evolution of the World Wide Web provides ready access to research and evaluate modular building systems and their applicability to your construction projects. We invite you to visit the links page.

Builder Bobs blog, in the future, will be a resource for opinions and discussions regarding modular systems and their practicality in building ENERGY STAR and EarthCraft certified housing. It will strive to discuss evolving modular applications in multi-family and commercial applications. We urge you to use the Ask-Bob section of this web site for questions.

Remember: "The most effective way to do it, is to do it." Amelia Earhart, Aviation Pioneer.