Is it less expensive to build with modular or factory-built construction?
In some situations it can be less expensive to use modular or factory-built construction, but not as much as you might think. Factory construction brings the benefit of mass production to the housing industry, but often the real savings come from other choices that the factory makes. In other words, putting a home together on an assembly line has a definite efficiency that results in cost savings, but often it is other choices, such as roof pitch, roof overhang, trim and trim materials, window size, insulation, and finish materials like lighting or bathroom fixtures, that really bring the price down. If a “site-built” project were to include these compromises (and other compromises like no porch, landscaping, sidewalk, driveway or fence, or a pier foundation), there would be less difference between site built and factory built costs.
