Factory Built Homes - A Popular Choice

In recent years, more and more homebuyers have become aware of the advantages of owning a factory-built home. With the advantages of modern technology, the industry is overcoming the misconception that factory made homes are all poorly built and don’t measure up to stick-built homes.

In fact, the term "Factory-Built" describes many different things. It can describe homes built on-site using panels- walls pre-fabricated and shipped directly from the factory to the job site. It can also be used to describe the modular housing industry — homes built in sections or modular units in a plant and then attached on a permanent foundation with the use of a crane. And of course, it can describe HUD-code homes, also known as manufactured or mobile homes.

The growing popularity of factory-built housing is no real surprise. The idea isn’t new. Sears Roebuck offered a prefabricated “modern home” in their spring 1908 general catalog, which was shipped by train. The use of production-line techniques really kicked into high gear after World War II and made a sizable contribution to reducing the housing shortage at that time.

Today, 95 percent of factory built homes become permanent dwellings once they are transported from the factory to the site. Today, even conventional stick-built homes are using an increasing amount of factory assembled components. Roof and floor trusses, pre-hung doors and windows, modular cabinets and fiberglass bath and shower units are standard prefab items.