In the modular home building process, the home buyer typically interacts with a modular builder who places the orders for modules and customization from the modular manufacturer. At Durabuilt Homes, the Manufacturer and the Builder are separate companies with separate contractual and regulatory obligations. We work together to create a pipeline that generates a streamlined and cost-effective custom home building experience. The fulfillment of a beautiful, durable, structurally superior, and inherently green home customized for the home buyer, for their particular lifestyle and budget, become the priority for both the Builder and for Durabuilt.
Durabuilt serves a regional area and ships modules to several different states. Our experienced and highly skilled craftsmen produce the individual modules in a controlled factory environment that are shipped to and assembled at the building site. Building codes vary by state and manufacturers are required to produce models that comply with the state codes in which the home will be permanently located. Manufacturers must obtain the appropriate licenses for each state in which their homes will be sited. Our engineering department submits the building plans for approval by the state where the system built components will be shipped prior to production. After the final plans have been approved, production is scheduled in accordance with the Builder’s timeline. States require the Manufacturer to adopt a quality assurance program that ensures code compliance and defect-free production. In addition to our own stringent quality assurance measures, we are also subject to inspections by a third party contracted by the state to verify code compliance and high production standards. When production is completed, the third party inspectors affix a label to the modules certifying that the home meets codes and regulations for the destination state. Modules are then shipped to the job site for assembly. Because of the emphasis on code compliance and frequent inspection, structural problems and code violations are rare in modular homes.
The Home Buyer’s selected Modular Builder is tasked with the technical details of site preparation, module assembly, and final completion of the home. This includes excavation and construction of a foundation on which to set and assemble the modules. The Builder also schedules a crane to be present on site to aid in placing the modules on the foundation. After the modules are shipped by Durabuilt and arrive on site, the Builder, crane operator, and any subcontractors hired by the builder assemble the home and make it weather tight. In subsequent days or weeks, the Builder will finish the home, including installation of additional siding, roof shingles, flooring, interior drywall and any other necessary additions to fully connect the separate modules. Code officers are not responsible to inspect the modular housing components as this inspection has already occurred at our facility; however, the Builder's on site work is inspected by a local code enforcement officer to ensure that the site foundation and other site work complies with the code. The installation and completion of the home is also checked by the enforcement officer to document that the home has been completed properly in accordance with code conformance. After the home is completed and passes final inspection, the code enforcement officer issues a certificate of occupancy which enables the home buyer to move into their new home.