Modular home companies

Wreckn1 · 08-18-2008, 08:57 PM

to demolish your exist home call me (Spears Bros. Building Wrecking) we are out of laconia and we do this alot. A couple of things to think about. 1. You can build what you want for the same money or less than a modular, the only advantage to a modular is the time frame. Trust me on this when i built my house we were going to do a Epoch home, we had a 10K deposit and were picking out the colors and what not, abosoutly nothing wrong with epochs but after i did some number crunching i could build it less, which is what i did. I was going through Paul Foriner out of Meredith. I also looked at Winsor homes, the one thing that turned me away was the finish work, i spent about two hours inside one of their models and the finish work was very bad, they used popcorn ceilings and you could see every seem in the sheet rock and the popcorn ceiling is what contractors use to take your eyes off of the imperfections. There was some issues i had with the base and window trim etc, other than that they seemed to be pretty good. Now mind you when i built it was a year ago, when i started planning it was about a year and half ago. What i would do before you sign any contracts is get all your final numbers for the modular. then talk to some builders and see if they can compete, i know alot of builders are slow right now, even the good ones, but if you do decide to stick build, get refrences and check them out, ask around check with code enforcement in the towns they built to make sure they did a good job. Any good builder will show many houses they have done.

Audiofn · 08-19-2008, 07:48 AM

I saw a pro fab unit the other day. It was nice. They have energy star rated homes now from what my friend that sells them was telling me. He builds them with foam block foundations and I guess that makes a huge difference in heating costs.

I am "stick building" a post and beam house currently for myself and man it can be a pain to get people to show up to work. They will show up for a day then vanish for 8. My wife and I keep saying to a friend of ours across the street "one word modular". I know that when my house is done the quality will far surpass that of any modular home but man what a pain getting it there and the costs are going to be MUCH higher.

Firewoodguy.com · 08-30-2008, 08:31 PM

This is an interesting article from Michael Younus, also VP of New England Homes, Inc., Greenland, NH and it seems to relate to all New Hampshire installed Modular Homes.

Regulations sought for modular home installations
New Hampshire Business Review, Oct 26, 2007 by Sanders, Bob
E-mail Print Link No one oversees the actual installation of manufactured homes in New Hampshire, and both the industry and the state fire marshal want to do something about that.

"There is a gap in New Hampshire, no doubt about it, and it needs to filled," said Michael Younus, president of the Modular Manufacturers Association of the Northeast.

Young said the concept of proposed legislation that would certify or would license installers "sounds great," but he still would have to see the details to make sure they are "reasonable."

The state fire marshal licenses modular home manufacturers, and if a defect is found or a part is poorly constructed it can fine the company or pull its license. It can even pull the license of those who inspect the home at the manufacturer on behalf of the state, if the inspector isn't doing his or her job.

But no one inspects how all these pieces are put together, and Fire Marshal Bill Degnan says he gets several complaints a month about that. Some complaints are merely about cosmetic matters, but others are life-threatening, like the roof installed without the proper reinforcements in Wilmot that could collapse under a heavy snow load and the home in Tamworth where the joints were not sealed, allowing air to come in. And the house was so off-line that the structural integrity of the entire building was in question, Degnan said.

But, he added: "There is nothing I can really do."

Rep. Thomas Buco, D-Conway, thought that something had to be done after seeing the aforementioned home in Tamworth. (The owners of that home declined comment because they are suing the builder). Buco's bill would require that homes be inspected at the site, not just at the factory, and that the contractors be bonded.

Degnan favors some sort of certification, not only of the installer, but also of the distributor of the home. Younus, who said several other bills are being considered, wants to model any legislation on Maine's law, which has a board consisting of representatives from all parties to regulate the entire industry.

Younus recognized that additional regulation will add to the cost of modular homes, and the homes' low cost is one of the reason they are becoming competitive. "But if that cost results in a higher level of consumer satisfaction and efficiency, it would be worth it, as long as it is measured and reasonable," he said. He said he was not overly concerned that it wouldn't be.

The important thing, he said, is that those imposing any new regulations listen to industry input so that "there is a clear understanding on how the industry operates and what are the requirements of a smooth operation."

08-30-2008, 08:31 PM	#3
Firewoodguy.com Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Derry NH 03038 Posts: 6 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Modular Homes "GAP" ; Beware of Modular Homes in NH This is an interesting article from Michael Younus, also VP of New England Homes, Inc., Greenland, NH and it seems to relate to all New Hampshire installed Modular Homes. Regulations sought for modular home installations New Hampshire Business Review, Oct 26, 2007 by Sanders, Bob E-mail Print Link No one oversees the actual installation of manufactured homes in New Hampshire, and both the industry and the state fire marshal want to do something about that. "There is a gap in New Hampshire, no doubt about it, and it needs to filled," said Michael Younus, president of the Modular Manufacturers Association of the Northeast. Young said the concept of proposed legislation that would certify or would license installers "sounds great," but he still would have to see the details to make sure they are "reasonable." The state fire marshal licenses modular home manufacturers, and if a defect is found or a part is poorly constructed it can fine the company or pull its license. It can even pull the license of those who inspect the home at the manufacturer on behalf of the state, if the inspector isn't doing his or her job. But no one inspects how all these pieces are put together, and Fire Marshal Bill Degnan says he gets several complaints a month about that. Some complaints are merely about cosmetic matters, but others are life-threatening, like the roof installed without the proper reinforcements in Wilmot that could collapse under a heavy snow load and the home in Tamworth where the joints were not sealed, allowing air to come in. And the house was so off-line that the structural integrity of the entire building was in question, Degnan said. But, he added: "There is nothing I can really do." Rep. Thomas Buco, D-Conway, thought that something had to be done after seeing the aforementioned home in Tamworth. (The owners of that home declined comment because they are suing the builder). Buco's bill would require that homes be inspected at the site, not just at the factory, and that the contractors be bonded. Degnan favors some sort of certification, not only of the installer, but also of the distributor of the home. Younus, who said several other bills are being considered, wants to model any legislation on Maine's law, which has a board consisting of representatives from all parties to regulate the entire industry. Younus recognized that additional regulation will add to the cost of modular homes, and the homes' low cost is one of the reason they are becoming competitive. "But if that cost results in a higher level of consumer satisfaction and efficiency, it would be worth it, as long as it is measured and reasonable," he said. He said he was not overly concerned that it wouldn't be. The important thing, he said, is that those imposing any new regulations listen to industry input so that "there is a clear understanding on how the industry operates and what are the requirements of a smooth operation."

08-18-2008, 08:57 PM	#1
Wreckn1 Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 17 Thanks: 0 Thanked 8 Times in 4 Posts	to demolish your exist home call me (Spears Bros. Building Wrecking) we are out of laconia and we do this alot. A couple of things to think about. 1. You can build what you want for the same money or less than a modular, the only advantage to a modular is the time frame. Trust me on this when i built my house we were going to do a Epoch home, we had a 10K deposit and were picking out the colors and what not, abosoutly nothing wrong with epochs but after i did some number crunching i could build it less, which is what i did. I was going through Paul Foriner out of Meredith. I also looked at Winsor homes, the one thing that turned me away was the finish work, i spent about two hours inside one of their models and the finish work was very bad, they used popcorn ceilings and you could see every seem in the sheet rock and the popcorn ceiling is what contractors use to take your eyes off of the imperfections. There was some issues i had with the base and window trim etc, other than that they seemed to be pretty good. Now mind you when i built it was a year ago, when i started planning it was about a year and half ago. What i would do before you sign any contracts is get all your final numbers for the modular. then talk to some builders and see if they can compete, i know alot of builders are slow right now, even the good ones, but if you do decide to stick build, get refrences and check them out, ask around check with code enforcement in the towns they built to make sure they did a good job. Any good builder will show many houses they have done.

08-19-2008, 07:48 AM	#2
Audiofn Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Bedford, MA/Naples, ME Posts: 162 Thanks: 3 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	I saw a pro fab unit the other day. It was nice. They have energy star rated homes now from what my friend that sells them was telling me. He builds them with foam block foundations and I guess that makes a huge difference in heating costs. I am "stick building" a post and beam house currently for myself and man it can be a pain to get people to show up to work. They will show up for a day then vanish for 8. My wife and I keep saying to a friend of ours across the street "one word modular". I know that when my house is done the quality will far surpass that of any modular home but man what a pain getting it there and the costs are going to be MUCH higher.