WHY CONSIDER A MANUFACTURED HOME?

Increased reliance on factory production has resulted in major changes in the efficiency of housing construction. Even site-builders today are routinely using prefabricated wall panels, pre-hung doors, windows, pre-assembled stairs, roof trusses and cabinets. Advantages of factory construction include better control of building and financing costs, more efficient control of inventory and the ability to better control the quality and performance of products Almost all homes built in Utah today include some factory produced components. Manufactured homes offer all the quality and amenities you want at a price you can afford. Manufactured homes are the only housing in America built to a national building code. A home is probably the single-most important purchase you will ever make in your lifetime. If you have ever shopped for a major investment, you know how important, yet confusing it can be to maximize your purchase while staying within your budget. Shopping for the right house to turn into your dream home is no different. Today’s manufactured home is an investment in your future. Begin building equity rather than pour money down the rent drain. Give yourself the investment and tax advantages that only come with owning your own home.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF FACTORY CONSTRUCTION?

Factory construction creates better value for the home buyer. The key to building high-quality homes is having a well trained, stable work force in a factory setting. There are no independent, uncontrolled, expensive subcontractors. As new methods and technologies improve how the homes are built, worker training can be accomplished easily within the worker groups on the factory floor.

Workers use sophisticated cutting and fastening machinery to ensure accurate, strong assembly. Large items such as roofing structures and walls can be pre-assembled, then placed accurately in position with overhead cranes. In-house shops pre-build kitchen and bathroom cabinets that are done on time and fit right on the first try.

A comprehensive quality inspection process guarantees that value is into every home at each step.

Bringing all the advantages of factory construction together makes it easier to maintain higher and more consistent quality in the building of manufactured homes and at a much lower cost than be done with site-built homes.

HOW DOES THE CONSTRUCTION OF A MANUFACTURED HOME COMPARE TO A SITE-BUILT HOME?

Manufactured homes are the only homes which must satisfy a stringent federal building code. The Housing and Urban Development(HUD) Manufactured Housing Safety and Construction Standards are your assurance of a safe, well-built home. These standards cover structural design, construction, fire safety, energy efficiency, and performance of heating, plumbing, air-conditioning, thermal and electrical system

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MANUFACTURED HOME, A MOBILEHOME AND A “MODULAR” HOME?

A key to understanding today’s manufactured home is distinguishing it from other homes that are, or have been, constructed in a factory. Most homes produced in a factory are comprised of three-dimensional modules. These modules are transported to a home site and installed on a state approved foundations or support systems. Utah law clearly distinguishes the types of homes produced in a factory by the building code to which the home must comply.

  • Manufactured Home
    The manufactured home is constructed to comply with the National Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards, a uniform building standard administered and enforced by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD Code).
  • Factory-Built Homes
    Often called “modular” homes, factory-built homes are constructed to comply with the Uniform Building Code.
  • Mobile Homes
    These homes were constructed to comply with standards enforced by the State of Utah prior to June 15, 1976. when the federal preemptive HUD Code became effective. Mobile homes have not been constructed since this date.
WHERE CAN I BUY A MANUFACTURED HOME?

All new manufactured homes must be sold by a retailer licensed by the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing. For a complete listing of these retailers who are members of IMHA, click Membership Directory – Retailers.

WHERE CAN I PLACE MY MANUFACTURED HOME?
  • Single-Site Occupancy
    Many manufactured homes are indistinguishable from their site-built counterparts in construction and appearance. In Utah, over 80 percent of new manufactured homes sold are sited on lots in urban, suburban or rural neighborhoods. Facilitating this opportunity are state laws which allow manufactured homes to be sited on any residential lots, providing the home meets local development standards.
  • Land-Lease Communities
    Many home buyers site their new manufactured homes in planned developments where they typically own the home as personal property and lease a home site from a corporation or partnership responsible for maintaining the community amenities and services. There are more than 400 manufactured housing communities in Utah offering a wide variety of lifestyles.
  • Subdivisions and Planned Developments
    A growing number of manufactured homes in Utah are being sold in conventional subdivisions and planned unit developments where the land and home are owned and financed as real estate.
ARE YOU IN A DISPUTE? HUD'S DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROGRAM CAN HELP.

The HUD Manufactured Home Dispute Resolution Program is a program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Manufactured Housing Programs that provides the timely resolution of eligible disputes between manufacturers, retailers and installers of manufactured homes regarding responsibility, and for the issuance of appropriate orders for the correction or repair of defects in manufactured homes, (within one year of the installation of the home).

Link to the HUD Manufactured Home Dispute Resolution Program.