Are Manufactured Homes Built Well?

When you hear the words “manufactured home,” a certain image pops into your mind. Unfortunately, for a lot of people, that image is an outdated one.

If you’re one of those people, you may have asked yourself this question: “Are manufactured homes built well?” You may think that manufactured homes are built poorly and from inferior materials, and that they are bound to fall apart before they’re done being paid for.

But in fact nothing could be farther from the truth. Consider this:

Built to a Higher Standard

Unlike stick-built homes, which must be built to state and local codes that differ across the country, manufactured homes all must be built to the strict standards set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). These standards often are higher than the local and state codes required for stick-built homes.

These high standards include considerations relating to fire safety, egress, load capacity, ventilation, energy efficiency, heating, plumbing and the home’s ability to withstand the rigors of traveling from the factory to the site. In all cases, the focus is on making sure the homeowner is comfortable and satisfied for life.

Several forms of documentation are required by the HUD so a home manufacturer can verify legally that the home meets these stringent standards: a HUD seal affixed to the house, a diagram detailing the structure’s recommended and required placement piers and a certificate detailing the home’s expected heating and energy efficiency and resistance to severe weather.

Built in a Quality-Controlled Indoor Factory

Any home-building contractor will tell you that building a home in the elements can be difficult, time-consuming and potentially damaging to the exposed building materials. Weather can cause major delays in the construction process. Moisture from rain and snow can warp or destroy exposed framing, and fluctuating temperatures can damage masonry.

On the other hand, manufactured homes are built in a climate-controlled indoor factory where quality control experts monitor every step of the process.

Not Just Trailers Anymore

Along with these reassuringly high quality standards comes the equally comforting knowledge that purchasing a manufactured home no longer means buying a trailer. On the contrary, manufactured homes now come in a huge range of eye-catching floor plans and designs.

Although technically movable, over 90 percent of manufactured homes are placed on a permanent foundation and never moved. As a matter of fact, with hundreds of floor plans and exterior designs to choose from, you may very well have been in a manufactured home and never even realized it!

So, if you’re ever asked “are manufactured homes built well?” we can say that the answer is a resounding “yes!”