Taxes, Fees, Permits & Freight
Base Home Price
This cost will depend on the floor plan chosen. The base home price does not include any customization required or any other additional facilities and construction such as the drive-through. Hence, one should take into consideration the features that are to be added outside the basic model, what they would cost and the overall charge when everything is added up. This ensures that one has left an allowance for flexibility of costs.
Land and Site Prep
This cost depends on whether the land is already owned or it has to be purchased. Land value varies greatly from place to place and the terrain should be taken into consideration. Some modular house companies have services that include searching for the best piece of land for the house. The next step after purchasing is prepping the land. This includes grading, clearing trees and bush, and stump grinding to ensure there is ample construction space.
Foundation
To set the foundation of a modular home, there are two options to choose from, either a basement or a crawlspace. This does not include a slab foundation. The option chosen will therefore depend on the preference of the homeowner. For a basement foundation, the process will include excavation, backfilling, footers and walls, waterproofing, the floor of the basement, drain tile, sill plates, sump pit, and an egress window. For the crawlspace foundation, most of the requirements are similar except the floor, walls, and egress window and with the addition of access to a door or wall.
Customizations
Most modular homeowners will want a customization of the original modular house plan. This is to suit one’s personal needs and preferences. Examples of customizations that can be made include a garage, hardwood floors, higher-grade insulation, different doors and windows, and modernized appliances in the kitchen and bathrooms. The costs of customization can be quite staggering especially the addition of a garage. They will also greatly depend on the manufacture and the local builder. The advantage to investing in customizations is that the resale value of the modular house will increase.
Utilities
The cost of the utilities is separate from everything else. The HVAC system installation is necessary with the inclusion of air duct installation. Hooking the modular home to the city’s water and septic wells is not an option. For rural areas, a well and septic tank will have to be installed. There is also electricity and gas installation that will need consideration. The modular home company will consider all these factors giving the most profitable advice and guidance.
On-Site Build
There some additional features required that are not possible to do in a factory. These include a porch and a driveway depending on preference. The driveway to be constructed may be made of gravel, concrete, or even asphalt. The location of the home will determine the choice of material to be used. Both the material and size made will determine the cost of this additional feature.
Final Costs
Most of the items that will be charged in the total cost of a modular home have been covered. This however does not mean that other charges will not be incurred. There are costs such as general constructor fees, the gutters, lawns, and other costs that cannot be estimated due to variance but will be in the final cost of finishing
A modular home in the USA, therefore, comes to costing an average of $120 per square foot. Although some of the individual costs such as taxes are dependent on the site in which the building is done, most of these costs can be estimated giving a homeowner a fairly precise estimation of the total costs.