Modular building has gotten a steady flow press in recent years, thanks, in no small part, o the great builders of this product which has made the construction system its darling and Web sites such as www.buildingsystemsnetwork.com . But the modular housing industry itself deserves the lion’s share of the credit for the expansion of its business. One of the fastest-growing segments of the construction industry, modular housing production increased 58 percent from 1992 to 2008, according to the NAHB’s Building Systems Councils.

1 Understand THE MODULAR PROCESS. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s important. The homes are built in a factory in programmed stages from flooring to finished product and then set in place at your jobsite. “Floor treatments, framing, insulation, drywall, roofing, windows, siding, cabinetry, plumbing, and lighting fixtures are all installed and completed by skilled craftsmen utilizing state-of-the-art production technology,” the Building Systems Councils’ Web site says. “The home is then shipped up to 80 percent complete, to the building site and assembled on a foundation

2 ALL MODULAR MANUFACTURERS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL. Use a 3^rd party natural service to help advise you thought the process of selecting a plan, builder and plant try one of these 2 companies. www.buildingsystemsnetwork.com or www.prohomesamerica.com

3 What about the FINISHED PRODUCT. How the house looks when it’s done is fine enough, but your choice of manufacturer should depend on much more. “Choosing a modular manufacturer is a big decision for a builder,” says Jeremy Bertrand, executive director of the Building Systems Councils. “To determine the right company, a builder should consider a company’s geographical reach, their range of designs offered, whether there are protected territories, marketing support, training offered, etc. A builder should not focus solely on how much a company can save them on price per square foot—these other issues are just as, if not more, important.”

4 Always check you site. On a conventional stick-frame home, you can easily make adjustments for foundations that aren’t exactly plumb, level, or square. Because the modular house is built in a factory and brought to the site, you don’t have this luxury. “The foundation has to be perfectly square to within a half inch. Yet another reason to have a service to help guide you through the maze of processes. Look at www.prohomesamerica.com for more information on service they provide.

5 MODULAR MANUFACTURERS CAN DO CUSTOM. You can design almost any type of modular house—from sleek Modernist shrines to quaint cottages and Mediterranean-inspired mansions—but just because you can design anything having a custom design means wise planning is important. Work with the service provider they can help with the design options better then a builder or plant.

6 IS MODULAR ALWAYS BETTER? We understand now that modular is up to 80% complete and contains an average of 30% more building materials and that modular is never in the weather everything stays dry which makes mold less of an issue. But site builders are now using different materials trying to match the weather issues these materials when evenly matched are always more costly. Modular is the most naturally green friendly product going. Green before green was cool…

7 AND IT’S NOT NECESSARILY CHEAPER, EITHER. Once upon a time, modular was seen as the solution to America’s housing problems, a way to provide quality, inexpensive homes to those with modest means. This is true and false. “Modular is not always a cheaper option. Modular’s main benefit is speed of construction, which still affects the jobs bottom line with increased productivity .The bottom line, is that modular “can be as cheap and as high end as you want it.”

8 WHY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MANUFACTURER’S. Many manufacturers in the modular industry are not the same, so it is important to know a company’s strengths. “You need to understand what they do and how to take advantage of their systems. The same goes if you’re doing a multifamily project. They have produced thousands of these types of homes theirs always a fit for every job say Building Systems Network.

9 MAKE SURE TO CHECK YOUR DESIGNS MANY TIMES BEFORE YOU PLACE YOUR ORDER. When you’re building on site , you are free to indulge your whims—within reason—improvising and making changes and decisions on the fly through a very costly change order process. But, it’s a little harder with modular it can be done but it better to hire a service to advise you through the process. Spending a little money on the front will save you more with the outcome. Not easily with Modular Building Doing so go through a checklist carefully. Also, ask your manufacturer how much of the house will be completed in the factory..

10 THE COMPONENTS ARE BUILT; NOW WHAT? Once the manufacturer has built the modules that will become your house, they have to be set on the foundation, and this is a crucial stage. “The modular company builds them well, but it still has to have a really good set crew to follow through “We send someone out to take care of this if the buyer need it says Building Systems Network but not all manufacturers provide it.” So make sure you ask.