Manufactured homes are becoming the wave of affordability and they are built to last.
Sandy: Summertime, summertime. Ah, Tom, summer. You have got to love it. The sun comes out, the temperatures go up, and everyone heads outside to enjoy their favorite warm weather activities, right?
Tom: Yes, Sandy, and often with a refreshing drink in their hand. There is a reason so many great summer songs have been written. In my mind, it is the year’s best season, and with all the backyard BBQing, picnics and camping trips, we need a playlist to crank up during the fun.
Sandy: For sure, Tom, especially this summer, when it looks like we are taking our first tentative steps out of quarantine.
So, Tom, what is your favorite top summer song from your playlist of tunes? I bet you are an old-school fan of summer songs from bands like The Drifters or are you into newbie tunes from the likes of Taylor Swift?
Tom: Sandy, I love “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles. It is pure sunny joy.
Sandy: I love The Beach Boys’ “California Girl” and “Under The Boardwalk” by The Drifters. You can almost smell the suntan lotion and hear waves crashing when you crank up those classics.
Tom: Besides waves crashing, I sure hope we hear raindrops crashing soon. We so need the rain.
Sandy: Everything is so dry. This might be a good time to remind our readers about fire restrictions and hopefully we all will do our part in taking them seriously. We are in Stage II Fire Restrictions. For answers to questions about what you can and cannot do, please call your local fire department.
Tom: Great point. So, now that we have talked about great summer songs, what is on our discussion list this month? What are your most frequent calls these days?
Sandy: Well, I get all kinds of calls, but these past few weeks I have had several calls from owners living in manufactured homes. They are wanting to remodel and are stumped as to where to begin. It seems our contractors are so busy with work that they do not want to take on these types of buildings.
Tom: I get that, but my experience has been that most of us contractor types do not fully understand how the homes are constructed and therefore are reluctant to take on remodels.
The first thing to clarify is terminology. A manufactured home and modular home are two different animals. Manufactured homes are built to HUD standards, while modular homes are built to ICC codes and are tailored to various jurisdictional standards.
Sandy: I have heard of the Manufactured Housing Institute. Here is an organization that is somewhat like YCCA; they are a trade organization representing all aspects of factory-built housing.
Tom: Yes, a good group. So, basically, there are two different codes for the different manufacturing process.
Sandy: I understand that the structural aspects are different in manufactured homes and that the interior walls are integrated and necessary to support the overall building.
Tom: True to some extent. That does not mean you cannot remodel a manufactured home though. The components of a manufactured home are utilized and designed to be a small as they can be in order to meet the code standards that apply to them, which is the HUD code.
Sandy: And that is why they are affordable, which is the goal.
Tom: Yup. We have remodeled several manufactured and modular homes. The process is a little different for each, but the basics are quite similar. Walls can often be removed partially or in their entirety. It depends on the model, the code under which it was constructed and the local regulations for modular homes.
Sandy: The Arizona Department of Housing regulates manufactured homes’ initial placement, but do they also regulate remodels?
Tom: That depends on the extent of a remodel, but generally that has not been my experience. The local building jurisdiction does that.
Sandy: So, with both modular and manufactured homes you need to check with your local building department to remodel.
Tom: While I am not an expert with manufactured homes, that has been what we have done.
Sandy: There are several local companies that focus their business on manufactured and modular homes. I am seeing that they are so busy like everyone else. That is why it is tough to get somebody to work on them.
Tom: I think that holds true across the board. Working on either manufactured or modular homes has its own uniqueness. I think that deters a lot of general contractors from getting involved.
Sandy: It is usually this kind of predicament that attracts the unlicensed people to meet the demand.
Tom: I am more concerned about homeowners getting ripped off under those circumstances. There are some really honest but unlicensed folks out there and I do not know how a person tells the difference without any licensing authority to help.
Sandy: For our readers, let’s share the difference between modular and manufactured homes.
Tom: Good idea. All modular homes are prefab homes but not all prefab homes are modular homes. A prefab home is a type of home that consists of several components, or units, that are built in a factory and that are then assembled onsite to construct a complete home prefabricate.
Sandy: You answered that question so here is another one. Are prefab homes and modular homes the same?
Tom: A manufactured, or prefab, home is a home that is entirely constructed in a factory. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) certifies and oversees these homes. Supported by the sturdy steel chassis, the house is transported wholly to the building site.
Sandy: So, to clarify, modular homes are factory-built, but, unlike manufactured homes, they do not rest on steel chassis. Instead, modular homes are assembled on fixed foundations. A manufactured home, by definition, is attached to a permanent chassis. A manufactured home is sometimes called a “mobile home.” A modular home is built in a controlled factory environment in sections, or modules, and is engineered and built to the state or local building codes where the home will be located. Factory-built modules are then transported to the site, where they are installed on permanent foundations and completed by professional installers.
Tom: Manufactured homes are becoming the wave of affordability and they are built to last. Many people vastly underestimate how durable manufactured homes can be. Not all local zoning laws allow manufactured homes so it is important to check with the local jurisdictions to confirm that a manufactured home can be situated on a lot.
Sandy: We have a local member, Clayton Homes, that crafts manufactured homes and is so involved in our community. If any of our readers have questions, I reach out to the Clayton team. Clayton manufactured homes allow for improved efficiency and energy conservation and they precision-build each home to reduce cost and waste and lowers end costs by buying brand name products in bulk.
Let’s go enjoy our summer days ahead. Tom and I will see you next month.
Thanks for stopping in to read At Home With Tom and Sandy. You are in good company, and we love sharing educational, fun and important information with you. QCBN
By Tom Reilly and Sandy Griffis
Tom Reilly, Architect, Renovations, 928-445-8506 renovationsaz.com
Sandy Griffis, Executive Director, Yavapai County Contractors Association, 928-778-0040
Remember to tune in to YCCA’s Hammer Time every Saturday and Sunday morning 7 a.m. on KQNA 1130 AM/99.9 FM/95.5FM or the web kqna.com. Listen to Sandy and Mike talk about the construction industry and meet your local community partners. Hammer Time is a great way to start your weekend.