We choose Modular.Modular homes are built in a controlled environment. As such, none of the materials used in the construction process have been exposed to the weather. These structures always meet or EXCEED state and local building codes including those in high-wind zones up to and including 160 mile per hour wind-zone requirements. If you are building in a coastal area, you can be comfortable knowing your home is built strong and secure.
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What Is a Modular Home?
Let us clear up some confusion for you!
Modular homes are structures built in a controlled and environmentally protected facility. They are built using precise and efficient construction technology. Modular homes are built to the same local and state building codes as a site-built home, but because they are transported to the home site from the factory, modular homes tend to be much stronger than site-built homes.
Modular homes are structures built in a controlled and environmentally protected facility. They are built using precise and efficient construction technology. Modular homes are built to the same local and state building codes as a site-built home, but because they are transported to the home site from the factory, modular homes tend to be much stronger than site-built homes.
What's the difference between
modular and mobile homes?
The terms mobile home, manufactured home, trailer, modular home, prefabricated, and systems built are often considered synonymous. Yes, all are built off-site in a factory setting, but the similarities stop there. There is a huge difference in the building code and manufacturing processes of each of these types of homes.
Mobile Homes |
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(Sometimes called trailers, or manufactured homes)
Mobile homes are houses that are built on a frame and are designed to be transported to the customer’s home site, hence the name "mobile home." They were originally moved from place to place and were often considered temporary living arrangements. Mobile homes have been around for a long time. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides a nationwide minimum standard specification for mobile homes. One of the requirements that remains to this day is that the frame is an integral part of the structure. The frame is engineered to carry the structural load of the roof and walls. 
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Because of this, the frame must remain under a mobile home and cannot be removed. This nationwide code prohibits state and local authorities from having any jurisdiction over how the home is built. This is not necessarily a bad thing though. When the state and local officials lost authority, so did the homeowner or buyer.
There is zero flexibility in the design of a mobile home. Other than cosmetics, you are not able to make changes to your design. |
Modular Homes
Modular homes are the next generation of manufactured homes. Placing the structural engineering under a state and local code provides a method for the states to control and certify that the home meets their criteria. It allows the buyer to have more choices in the design of their home. It also allows for the removal of the frame by having the structure engineered to transfer the load calculations to the engineered foundation instead of the transportation frame used in mobile homes. The frame no longer has to be an integral part of the construction.
Modular Homes are built to the same building codes as a site-built home, and the only "moving" a modular home will do is going down the line in the manufacturing plant and heading to the site. Modular homes are permanently affixed to their foundation, and they are indistinguishable from their site-built counterparts.
Why do I need a builder?
The manufacturer builds the home and that’s it. That is what they are good at. The manufacturer doesn’t replace the builder. Gulf and Bay provides everything else in the home building process. Because of the distance from the factory, it makes sense to work with a licensed contractor like us who is familiar with the local building codes, local vendors, and local subcontractors that may be needed. We prepare your property, bring in the utilities, build your foundation, and do all final interior, exterior, and site work AND we are here for you after you move in! Building a home is a complex endeavor, and there are a lot of details that, if handled improperly, can be costly to you and your family.
So you've decided to go with a modular home. What's next?
Modular homes can be placed on a crawl space or a raised foundation such as pilings. Since the foundation is built on your lot at the same time that the home is built in the factory, the home can be transported to the site as soon as it is finished. Once there, the modules are placed on the foundation under the guidance and direction of our team at Gulf and Bay and a crane is brought in to place the home on its foundation.
The average modular home can be set and made weather-tight in one day. Once secure on the foundation, Gulf and Bay finishes the home by connecting utilities and completing any model-specific interior and exterior finish work. Additional site work that must be completed such as porches, garages, or any other special additions are done at this time. This process takes us an average of 30-60 days to make the home ready for occupancy.
The average modular home can be set and made weather-tight in one day. Once secure on the foundation, Gulf and Bay finishes the home by connecting utilities and completing any model-specific interior and exterior finish work. Additional site work that must be completed such as porches, garages, or any other special additions are done at this time. This process takes us an average of 30-60 days to make the home ready for occupancy.
Modular Home Set VideoUnlike mobile and manufactured homes, modular homes are set on a foundation, not a transportable frame. This is a video of the setting of one of our partner's on-site model home, the Kingfisher. Take a look and see how modular homes are built!
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