What’s the Difference Between a Factory-Built Home and a Prefabricated Home?

What’s the Difference Between a Factory-Built Home and a Prefabricated Home? Most people don’t know what the difference between factory-built and prefabricated homes are, which makes it difficult to decide which type of house they want to build. Both types of home are built in a factory setting and then transported to the building site by truck, but that’s where their similarities end. The biggest difference between these two types of home, aside from the way they are constructed, lies in the materials used to build them.

Why buy factory-built?
There are two basic kinds of prefab homes: factory-built (often referred to as manufactured housing) and modular. Both are constructed in a factory environment but they’re very different in many ways. You can’t compare apples to oranges when talking about these two types of homes. The biggest difference is that factory-built homes are permanently attached to their foundations and modulars can be moved from one location to another with ease, given their lightweight design. Both offer savings in terms of cost, construction time and energy usage; however, there are significant differences between factory-built houses and those that have been preassembled at a manufacturing facility…

Is a factory-built home different from an RV or mobile home?
Some people think that factory-built homes are like mobile homes or travel trailers. They’re not! Mobile homes or trailers are designed to be transported by car, truck, ship, or train (they must have axles and a hitch), whereas factory-built houses are meant to be permanent residences. Also, many people think that factory-constructed houses are temporary structures (like tents). Again, they’re not—they’re intended to last for as long as owners want them to.

Are factory built homes cheaper than site built homes?
In a word, yes. Because factory building is faster, cheaper, more efficient and more consistent than traditional site built construction, it allows builders to pass those savings on to their customers in the form of lower prices. It is worth noting that not all prefabricated buildings can be hired though. Many steel structures are manufactured at factories away from your site.

Where do you find factory built homes for sale?
If you’re looking for new home or prefab homes, there are many advantages to finding one through your local factory building company. You’ll get valuable assistance in choosing a home that fits your needs, whether it’s an affordable home or high-end luxury model. Plus, many building companies can assist with construction financing, and some can even offer in-house mortgage loans if needed. The size of your future dream home may be limited only by where you live; be sure to ask about what factory built homes for sale are available in your area before you begin shopping for houses on the market.

Why do some people choose to build their own home instead of buying factory built?
Just as some people choose to build their own cars, trucks or motorcycles, some people feel it’s empowering to build their own homes. Many factory-built homes start at around $100 per square foot or more; when you’re building your own home, you can save money by purchasing materials yourself (or getting them wholesale through trade). Not all prefabricated buildings can be hired though.

How much does it cost to build your own home vs buying one that’s already built?
There are many factors that go into calculating how much it costs to build your own home vs buying one that’s already built. For example, what kind of structure you want to build, where you want to build it, how long do you plan on living there (and therefore how much interest will you earn on your investment if you buy) and how soon can you sell if necessary for whatever reason. Of course, all of these factors change with every person, but here are some basic estimates for building a prefab house vs building from scratch. Let’s say your plan is to build an earthbag home in Colorado; here’s what those costs might look like: $150 per square foot for building supplies plus about $50 per square foot for labor.

How long does it take to build your own home vs building it in a factory then shipping it and putting it on site with local labor (as opposed to someone else doing everything)?
One of your questions was how long it would take to build your own home vs building it in a factory then shipping it and putting it on site with local labor (as opposed to someone else doing everything). The answer will depend on many factors – including construction type, size, components, climate, etc. For example one company can build a house for about $150 per square foot (factory built in Middle Tennessee), while another company can build one for about $225/sq ft … but that is for factory built homes constructed out of concrete panels instead of wood. We ship all over the United States, Canada and internationally from our factory near Detroit to get you closer to where you want to be … Michigan or Tennessee doesn’t matter, we’ll ship there!