Your Free Modular Homes Guide

by E.S. MacArthur, author of How to Build Your Free House

Better quality homes, more affordable prices...

In this modular guide, you will discover:

What is a Modular Home?
Find out the cost for modular homes... are modular home prices lower than other construction?
Who the best modular home manufacturers are, and where to find expert modular home builders.
Where you can get beautiful modular home floor plans, custom-designed for your dream home.
Bonus: A look at modular log homes... yes, some people build amazing modular log cabins!

What is a Modular Home?

Here is what America's favorite homebuilder says about modular construction:

"Modular homes are like the hybrid cars of the house-building industry. They save money, they make sense, but they haven't caught on yet...

But the word is getting out.

It turns out modular homes are in many ways superior to stick-built homes, and, once assembled, cannot be distinguished from their traditionally built counterpart."

-from Modular Homes Make Sense by Bob Vila

"There's no such thing as a modular home" says an executive at a Pennsylvania-based modular home manufacturer. Technically, he is correct. Modular home construction is a building style... not a different type of house.

Standard (stick-built) homes are houses that are constructed from truckloads of lumber (the "sticks") which are delivered to a building site.

Modular homes are houses that are constructed from multiple sections, or modules, that are partially prefabricated at a factory before being trucked to the building site.

Just like Bob Vila said, once they are assembled, modular homes look just like a "standard" house... only you will know that they are actually better engineered for your comfort!

Play this Modular Homes special from

Watch this fun video now, to see the benefits of modular home construction

Modular Home Manufacturers

The sections (modules) used in modular construction are created in an industrial factory by modular home manufacturers. These factories are all around the world, and each is like a huge wood shop equipped with the most advanced homebuilding and woodworking equipment available today.

At the minimum, modular houses are built to exceed International Building Code standards. This is the template that city, county, and state governments use to create their own local building codes.

Additionally, the modular home manufacturer researchs any specific building codes that are in effect in the jurisdiction of the final homebuilding site. If necessary (or if requested by the new homeowner), the manufacturer will then improve the standard design.

For example, a Florida modular home may be built with additional bracing to withstand hurricanes. California modular homes are designed to survive earthquake damage that would cripple a traditionally built house.

In the factory, certified building inspectors supervise the modular construction, and make sure that all building codes are adhered to during the building process.

Modular Home Builders

Once the modular home sections are completed by the manufacturer, they are then delivered by truck to the homebuilding site. The new modular house is then professionally assembled into your new house, using a crane and a minimal crew of modular home builders.

Compare these top modular home builders, and decide for yourself which is the best choice to build your new dream home:

The full service provided by these manufacturers makes the modular home buying (and building) experience incredibly easy for you.

Modular Home Prices

Modular houses are often priced far lower than their site-built counterparts, so they are more cost-effective to both builders and homeowners. You can reference this example modular home price list from a builder in New Hampshire.

The cost for modular homes is less than the price of traditional construction for many reasons:

Discount pricing for building materials from suppliers. Large-scale modular home manufacturers can effectively bargain for deals, due to their volume purchasing.
These new homes can be constructed in far less time than in traditional construction, directly translating into reduced labor and holding costs.
Very low waste. Manufacturers in a factory are able to use higher-quality precision equipment, that could not be brought to a building site.
While waste from a site-built dwelling may typically fill several large dumpsters, modular homebuilding generates much less scrap.
Indoor modular home assembly is independent of weather, which increases efficiency and avoids damaged building material.
The ability to affordably service remote locations. Building a site-built house in a rural area, or an area experiencing a construction boom, often requires a significant expenditure. Modular homes can be built in the closest town and shipped to wherever they are needed.

Find out more about the cost of modular homes using this consumer review guide. For extra savings, you can even buy modular homes on eBay.

Modular Log Homes

Modular log cabins are another form of modular home. The best modular cabins are built by: