A manufactured home is one that is constructed almost entirely in a factory. The house is placed on a steel chassis and transported to the building site. The wheels can be removed but the chassis stays in place.

A manufactured home can come in many different sizes and shapes. It may be a simple one-story “mobile home,” or it can be so large and complex that you might not guess that it was constructed off-site.

Local building codes do not apply to manufactured homes; instead, these houses are built according to specialized guidelines (Federal HUD regulations in the United States) for manufactured housing. Manufactured homes are not permitted in some communities.

ALSO KNOWS AS

Factory-built, prefabricated housing, mobile home.

EXAMPLES

A manufactured home is one type of factory-built housing. Other types of homes that use factory-made building parts include modular homes, panelized homes, mobile homes, pre-cut homes, and other varieties of prefab homes. Factory-built houses usually cost much less than homes that are site-built.