Frequently Asked Questions

The framing methods of a modular home are similar to that of site built home. However, modular homes are engineered to be transported to your building site and installed on a foundation. The structural integrity of a modular home is far superior to that of an ordinary site built home.

Modular homes, also referred to as system-built homes, are built using an engineered approach to produce structures in a more efficient and cost effective method.

Instead of the old-fashioned construction method, (stick-built) most of the work is pre-fabricated at an off-site climate controlled factory.

After each section is carefully built to your local code requirements, it is then transported to the building site.

Once on site, each modular unit is carefully fastened together using the same methods that site-built homes use.

Quite often, when people hear the term “modular home”, they automatically think “manufactured home.”

A modular home varies significantly from that of a manufactured, or a HUD home. Today’s modular homes, by law, have all of the same characteristics as that of site-built homes, and must pass the same state and local code requirements as site-built homes.

Both types, of housing, take advantage of climate controlled environment, precision built in fixtures, using all precut materials, and reduced set up time.

Manufactured homes are predominantly single-story. These homes are delivered to the home site in one, two, three, or more sections.

Modular or prefabricated homes can be one or two-stories in height and are delivered to the home site in one or more sections.

Our modular homes can be built from most existing floorplans, or from custom plans generated by you, the customer, and our professionally trained drafting team.

Our manufacturers then use computer generated plans to meet all national, state, and local building standards.

Our modular homes have endless flexibility in terms of design capabilities, floorplans, and the options that are available.

True modular homes are site-built homes constructed in a controlled environment and transported to the job site 90% to 95% completed.

Apart from attractive designs, the modular homes that we offer give you more value.

Our modular homes facilitate significantly faster with more efficient construction, and can often be completed within eight weeks of purchase!

Not to mention, your home will be sure to have excellent energy efficiency and strength.

Modular building systems will typically save 10-15% over the cost of site built or panelized building systems. This savings also applies to multi-family and commercial structures too.

A manufactured home is constructed almost entirely in a factory. The home is placed on a steel chassis and transported to the building site. The wheels can be removed but the chassis stays in place.

A manufactured home can come in many different sizes and shapes. The two major forms of manufactured homes are single-wides and sectionals. Single-wides are sixteen feet or less in width and can be towed to their site as a single unit. Sectionals are typically twenty feet or more in width, and are towed to their site in separate units, which are then joined together. Although not as common as the latter, a manufactured home can also be produced as a Triple-wide.

In general, local building codes do not apply to manufactured homes but are regulated by federal law.

Manufactured homes are built entirely in a protected environment under a federal code set by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It is this national regulation that has allowed many manufacturers to distribute homes nationwide, since they do not fall under the jursdiction of local building authorities. However, there are snow load and wind zones that were adopted by HUD that manufactured home builders must now follow. These newer standards for manufactured homes have greatly increased their durability.

Quite often manufactured houses are placed in one location, on permanent foundations, and left there permanently. However, they can be moved to a different location if need be.

Behind the decorative and protective skirting placed around the home during installation, manufactured homes have extremely durable frames, axles, wheels and tow-hitches.

Most often manufactured houses are placed on a cement slab or frost pier systems, and less frequently, on a basement or crawl space.

Typical manufactured home support systems consist of anchoring equipment such as ties, diagonal ties, straps, cables, turnbuckles, chains, and other approved components, including tensioning devices that are used to secure a manufactured home to their foundation system.

When properly designed and installed, these anchoring systems will help resist the uplift, overturning, and lateral forces on the manufactured home, and on its support and foundation system.

The following diagram, Pier and Ground Anchor Support Systems, shows the type of foundation support system that we, at Alexandria Homes, Inc., most typically use when setting and installing our manufactured homes.