Editing Modular building (section)

==Manufacturing considerations==
The entire process of modular construction places significance on the design stage. This is where practices such as [[DFMA|Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA)]] are used to ensure that assembly tolerances are controlled throughout manufacture and assembly on site. It is vital that there is enough allowance in the design to allow the assembly to take up any "slack" or misalignment of components. The use of advanced [[Computer-aided design|CAD]] systems, [[3D printing]] and manufacturing control systems are important for modular construction to be successful. This is quite unlike on-site construction where the tradesman can often make the part to suit any particular installation.

<gallery mode=packed>
Image:Bulk_Material_Stored_In_A_Modular_Home_Factory.jpg|Bulk materials
Image:Interior_Walls_Set_On_Modular_Home_Floor_System.jpg|Walls attached to floor
Image:Roof_and_Ceiling_are_built_and_drywalled.jpg|Ceiling drywalled in spray booth
Image:Roof_is_set_on_walls_and_floor.jpg|Roof set in place
Image:Roof_is_shingled_and_siding_installed.jpg|Roof shingled and siding installed
Image:Ready_for_shipping.jpg|Ready for delivery to site
File:Two-story modular dwelling.jpg|Two-story modular dwelling
Image:Willow-Exterior.jpg|Pratt Modular Home in Tyler Texas
Image:Willow-Kitchen2.jpg|Pratt Modular Home kitchen
File:Pratt Homes.jpg|Pratt Modular Home in Tyler Texas

</gallery>

===Upfront production investment===
The development of factory facilities for modular homes requires significant upfront investment. To help address housing shortages in the 2010s, the United Kingdom Government (via [[Homes England]]) invested in modular housing initiatives. Several UK companies (for example, [[Ilke Homes]], [[Legal & General|L&G Modular Homes]], House by [[Urban Splash]], Modulous, TopHat and Lighthouse) were established to develop modular homes as an alternative to traditionally-built residences, but failed as they could not book revenues quickly enough to cover the costs of establishing manufacturing facilities.

IIke Homes opened a factory in [[Knaresborough]], [[Yorkshire]] in 2018, and Homes England invested £30m in November 2019,<ref name="Morby-04Nov2019">{{cite news |last1=Morby |first1=Aaron |title=Government pumps £30m into modular house builder |url=https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2019/11/04/government-pumps-30m-into-modular-house-builder/ |access-date=14 March 2024 |work=Construction Enquirer |date=4 November 2019}}</ref> and a further £30m in September 2021.<ref name="Morby-27Sep2021">{{cite news |last1=Morby |first1=Aaron |title=Ilke Homes raises £60m for top 10 house builder plan |url=https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2021/09/27/ilke-homes-raises-60m-for-top-10-house-builder-plan/ |access-date=14 March 2024 |work=Construction Enquirer |date=27 September 2021}}</ref> Despite a further fund-raising round, raising £100m in December 2022,<ref name="Morby-06Dec2022">{{cite news |last1=Morby |first1=Aaron |title=Ilke Homes pulls off £100m record-breaking fund raise |url=https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2022/12/06/ilke-homes-pulls-off-100m-record-breaking-fund-raise/ |access-date=14 March 2024 |work=Construction Enquirer |date=6 December 2022}}</ref><ref name="II-06Dec2022">{{cite news |last1=O'Connor |first1=Rob |title=ilke Homes announces new £100m investment |url=http://www.infrastructure-intelligence.com/article/dec-2022/ilke-homes-announces-new-%C2%A3100m-investment |access-date=14 March 2024 |work=Infrastructure Intelligence |date=6 December 2022}}</ref> Ilke Homes went into [[Administration (law)|administration]] on 30 June 2023,<ref name="Gardiner-30Jun2023">{{cite news |last1=Gardiner |first1=Joey |title=Ilke Homes sinks into administration with most of firm's 1,100 staff set to lose their jobs |url=https://www.building.co.uk/news/ilke-homes-sinks-into-administration-with-most-of-firms-1100-staff-set-to-lose-their-jobs/5123945.article |access-date=14 March 2024 |work=Building |date=30 June 2023}}</ref><ref name="Riding-30Jun2023">{{cite news |last1=Riding |first1=James |title=Modular house builder Ilke Homes enters administration with majority of staff to be made redundant |url=https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/modular-house-builder-ilke-homes-enters-administration-with-majority-of-staff-to-be-made-redundant-82143 |access-date=14 March 2024 |work=Inside Housing |date=30 June 2023}}</ref> with most of the company's 1,150 staff made redundant,<ref name="Morby-30Jun2023">{{cite news |last1=Morby |first1=Aaron |title=Ilke Homes falls into administration |url=https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2023/06/30/offsite-specialist-ilke-homes-falls-into-administration/ |access-date=14 March 2024 |work=Construction Enquirer |date=30 June 2023}}</ref> and debts of £320m,<ref name="Prior-25Aug2023">{{cite news |last1=Prior |first1=Grant |title=Ilke Homes went under owing £320m |url=https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2023/08/25/ilke-homes-went-under-owing-320m/ |access-date=14 March 2024 |work=Construction Enquirer |date=25 August 2023}}</ref> including £68m owed to Homes England.<ref name="Willmore-14Feb2024">{{cite news |last1=Willmore |first1=James |title=Homes England to lose most of £68.8m it is owed from Ilke Homes following collapse |url=https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/homes-england-to-lose-most-of-688m-it-is-owed-from-ilke-homes-following-collapse-85135 |access-date=14 March 2024 |work=Inside Housing |date=14 February 2024}}</ref>

In 2015 [[Legal & General]] launched a modular homes operation, L&G Modular Homes, opening a 550,000 sq ft factory in [[Sherburn-in-Elmet]], near [[Selby]] in Yorkshire.<ref name="Dale-11May2020">{{cite news |last1=Dale |first1=Sharon |title=Head of Legal & General modular homes factory reveals plans for its future |url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/lifestyle/homes-and-gardens/head-of-legal-general-modular-homes-factory-reveals-plans-for-its-future-2849669 |access-date=20 March 2024 |work=Yorkshire Post |date=11 May 2020}}</ref> The company incurred large losses as it invested in its factory before earning any revenues; by 2019, it had lost over £100m.<ref name="Morby-30Nov2020">{{cite news |last1=Morby |first1=Aaron |title=L&G modular homes losses exceed £100m |url=https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2020/11/30/lg-modular-homes-losses-exceed-100m/ |access-date=20 March 2024 |work=Construction Enquirer |date=30 November 2020}}</ref> Sales revenues from a Selby project, plus schemes in Kent and West Sussex, started to flow in 2022, by which time the business's total losses had grown to £174m.<ref name="Morby-03Oct2022">{{cite news |last1=Morby |first1=Aaron |title=L&G modular homes amassed loss deepens to £174m |url=https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2022/10/03/lg-modular-homes-amassed-loss-hits-174m/ |access-date=20 March 2024 |work=Construction Enquirer |date=3 October 2022}}</ref> Production was halted in May 2023, with L&G blaming local planning delays and the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] for its failure to grow its sales pipeline.<ref name="Prior-04May2023">{{cite news |last1=Prior |first1=Grant |title=L&G halts production at modular homes factory |url=https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2023/05/04/lg-halts-production-at-modular-homes-factory/ |access-date=20 March 2024 |work=Construction Enquirer |date=4 May 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/may/04/legal-general-halts-new-production-at-modular-homes-factory-near-leeds|title=Legal & General halts new production at modular homes factory near Leeds|first=Julia|last=Kollewe|date=4 May 2023|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref> The enterprise incurred total losses over seven years of £295m.<ref name="Morby-06Nov2023">{{cite news |last1=Morby |first1=Aaron |title=L&G modular homes foray amassed £295m of losses |url=https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2023/11/06/lg-modular-homes-foray-amassed-295m-of-losses/ |access-date=20 March 2024 |work=Construction Enquirer |date=6 November 2023}}</ref>

===Market acceptance===
[[File:Stoke newington raines court 1.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Raines Court is a multi-story modular housing block in [[Stoke Newington]], [[London]], one of the first two residential buildings in Britain of this type. (December 2005)]]
Some home buyers and some lending institutions resist consideration of modular homes as equivalent in value to site-built homes.{{Citation needed|date = September 2013|reason = Requires reliable, third-party, published source (not from a Modular Homes company's website) to allow for verification of statements.}} While the homes themselves may be of equivalent quality, entrenched zoning regulations and psychological marketplace factors may create hurdles for buyers or builders of modular homes and should be considered as part of the decision-making process when exploring this type of home as a living and/or investment option. In the UK and Australia, modular homes have become accepted in some regional areas; however, they are not commonly built in major cities. Modular homes are becoming increasingly common in Japanese urban areas, due to improvements in design and quality, speed and compactness of onsite assembly, as well as due to lowering costs and ease of repair after earthquakes. Recent innovations allow modular buildings to be indistinguishable from site-built structures.<ref name="hkt00710">{{cite web |last1=fab |first1=ukporta |title=prefabricated structures |url=https://ukportaprefab.com/prefabricated-structures-in-india/ |website=ukportaprefab |date=19 August 2020 |access-date=4 September 2020}}</ref> Surveys have shown that individuals can rarely tell the difference between a modular home and a site-built home.<ref>{{Cite web|title= Factory-Built Construction and the American Homebuyer: Perceptions and Opportunities|url=https://www.huduser.gov/portal/Publications/pdf/Perceptions_of_factory_construction.pdf|website=Huduser.gov|page=9|access-date = 2017-09-10}}</ref>

===Modular homes vs. mobile homes===
Differences include the building codes that govern the construction, types of material used and how they are appraised by banks for lending purposes. Modular homes are built to either local or state building codes as opposed to manufactured homes, which are also built in a factory but are governed by a federal building code.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.drysideproperty.com/mobile%20vs%20manuf%20vs%20modular.html|title=Mobile homes vs Manufactured homes vs Modular homes|last=Solutions|first=Dryside Property – Jennifer Mitchell and Magic Web|website=Drysideproperty.com|access-date=2018-03-09}}</ref> The codes that govern the construction of modular homes are exactly the same codes that govern the construction of site-constructed homes.{{Citation needed|date = September 2013|reason = Requires reliable, third-party, published source (not from a Modular Homes company's website) to allow for verification of statements.}} In the United States, all modular homes are constructed according to the [[International Building Code]] (IBC), IRC, BOCA or the code that has been adopted by the local jurisdiction.{{Citation needed|date = September 2013|reason = Requires reliable, third-party, published source (not from a Modular Homes company's website) to allow for verification of statements.}} In some states, such as California, mobile homes must still be registered yearly, like vehicles or standard trailers, with the Department of Motor Vehicles or other state agency. This is true even if the owners remove the axles and place it on a permanent foundation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hcd.ca.gov/manufactured-mobile-home/index.shtml|title=HCD Manufactured and Mobile Homes|website=Hcd.ca.gov}}</ref>

===Recognizing a mobile or manufactured home===
A mobile home should have a small metal tag on the outside of each section. If a tag cannot be located, details about the home can be found in the electrical panel box. This tag should also reveal a manufacturing date.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}} Modular homes do not have metal tags on the outside but will have a dataplate installed inside the home, usually under the kitchen sink or in a closet. The dataplate will provide information such as the manufacturer, third party inspection agency, appliance information, and manufacture date.

===Materials===
The materials used in modular buildings are of the same quality and durability as those used in traditional construction, preserving characteristics such as acoustic insulation and [[Efficient energy use|energy efficiency]], as well as allowing for attractive and innovative designs thanks to their versatility.<ref>[https://victoryepes.blogs.upv.es/2020/10/02/metodos-modernos-de-construccion-mmc-fabricacion-modular/ Métodos modernos de construcción (MMC): Fabricación modular.] Upv.es. 2020-10-02 Retrieved 2022-09-08</ref> Most commonly used are steel, wood and concrete.<ref>[https://www.hydrodiseno.com/modular-building-construction-materials/ A guide to the latest modular building construction materials.] Hydrodiseno.com. 2021-12-14 Retrieved 2022-09-05</ref>
* Steel: Because it is easily moldable, it allows for innovation in design and aesthetics.
* Wood: Wood is an essential part of most modular buildings. Thanks to its lightness, it facilitates the work of assembling and moving the prefabricated modules.
* Concrete: Concrete offers a solid structure that is ideal for the structural reinforcement of permanent modular buildings. It is increasingly being used as a base material in this type of building, thanks to its various characteristics such as fire resistance, energy savings, greater acoustic insulation, and durability.<ref>[http://www.andece.org/images/BIBLIOTECA/construccion_modular_hormigon_ch.pdf Construcción modular en hormigón: una tendencia al alza (PDF).] Andece.org. p. 53. Retrieved 2022-07-06</ref>

Wood-frame floors, walls and roof are often utilized. Some modular homes include brick or stone exteriors, granite counters and steeply pitched roofs. Modulars can be designed to sit on a perimeter foundation or basement. In contrast, mobile homes are constructed with a steel chassis that is integral to the integrity of the floor system. Modular buildings can be custom built to a client's specifications. Current designs include multi-story units, multi-family units and entire apartment complexes. The negative stereotype commonly associated with mobile homes has prompted some manufacturers to start using the term "off-site construction."

New modular offerings include other construction methods such as [[cross-laminated timber]] frames.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://ca.perkinswill.com/news/prefabricated-housing-module-advances-wood-research-university-british-columbia |title=Prefabricated Housing Module Advances Wood Research at the University of British Columbia &#124; 2017-05-15T00:00:00 &#124; Perkins + Will News |access-date=2019-03-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331202313/https://ca.perkinswill.com/news/prefabricated-housing-module-advances-wood-research-university-british-columbia |archive-date=2019-03-31 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Financing ===
'''Mobile homes''' often require special lenders.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/housing/sfh/title/repair|title=HUD Financing Manufactured (Mobile) Homes|website=Portal.hud.gov|access-date=2016-05-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503104807/http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=%2Fprogram_offices%2Fhousing%2Fsfh%2Ftitle%2Frepair|archive-date=2016-05-03|url-status=dead}}</ref>

'''Modular homes''' on the other hand are financed as site built homes with a construction loan