PHRC Report#B2: A Consumer Guide to Factory Built Housing

Date: September 1991

Author(s): by P. Adams-B., D. Prowler.

BACKGROUND:

Almost all residential houses less than fifty years old have components produced in factories. Since World War II, millions of new homes have been constructed by production builders on building sites using pre-assembled roof and floor trusses and pre-hung windows. However, these homes are not considered to be factory built. What distinguishes a factory-built home from its traditional counterpart is the degree of prefabrication.

Today, a factory-built home is constructed primarily of either two-dimensional panels or three-dimensional modules that are mass-produced in factories remote from the building site. These elements are then transported to the site by truck where they are assembled. In all cases, some degree of finish work is required at the building site to complete the house.

Pennsylvania is one of the leading states in the nation in the production of factory-built housing. Throughout the central portion of the Commonwealth, dozens of small-to-medium size companies provide employment and low-cost housing opportunities to tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians. The benefits from this industry do not stop at the state line. Houses built in Pennsylvania's factories are shipped throughout the northeast and midwest from Maine to Virginia and from Massachusetts to Ohio as an answer to the affordable housing plight faced by large and small communities alike.

The continued growth of the manufactured housing industry is threatened, however, by a lack of consumer understanding of the products which the industry provides. Many aspiring homeowners are unable to differentiate between stick, panel, modular and mobile construction methods and the advantages and disadvantages of each technology. This confusion leads many home buyers to reject all factory-built options and as a result, spend more of their scarce resources for shelter than is necessary or prudent while others remain "under-housed."

SUMMARY OF RESULTS:

The easily read 23 page "Consumer Guide to Factory-Built Housing" includes a description of the various types of factory-built homes and the advantages and disadvantages of each. The construction process is explained sequentially, taking the reader from the initial design selection through placement and finishing details and the potential for future home renovations. Local code enforcement, zoning and permit requirements are also discussed. The how-to-buy a factory-built home section includes information about the selection of a builder/dealer, contracts and warranties plus financing options. A checklist for consumers is added for comparison shopping convenience. A curriculum guide for teachers was also developed to accompany the "Consumer Guide to Factory-Built Housing" as a means of extending the outreach efforts to the classroom. It is also available upon written request.

WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU:

Consumers, as well as stick builders that are looking for alternative methods of construction that include some aspect of factory-built housing, can receive an important overview of their options by studying this report.

WHAT'S NEXT:

A project that investigates manufacturing techniques to make factory-built housing more energy efficient in winter and summer is a logical "next-step."