I live in a modular home. In the end, after everything is finished, a modular will cost the exact same as a site built home, because it is exactly the same as a site built home. So if you're looking at modulars thinking they're cheaper, it's not the case.

Having said that.....

Manufactured homes can be built to the same specs as a site built home too. It's just the range of options and prices are much wider with manufactured homes today.

Thank you for doing your homework, Ricardo. I can only speak about 2 brands with any confidence. #1 Avoid Fleetwood on the west coast area, as the California manufacturing facility is routinely decertified by HUD for sub-standard construction. #2 I have never heard anything negative about a Palm Harbor home except the price.

I feel honored that the great cathy has responded :). No but seriously TY for your input. I to have heard a few mentions of the price of palm harbor being a bit pricey. But when i looked at KIT i found them to be absurdly over priced. I just happen to pop into a palm harbor dealer down the road and i fell in love. Also this place will do all the work on site for a down-payment of 500.00 fully refundable prices. And give you a full break down of work required and cost associated before they lift a single shovel. They have a full time crew and if you dont like their prices you can choose another GC. To good to be true? I think i will proceed with palm harbor for now, and i think at least in my mind lol, the extra cost for a modular home is worth it ?

We went manufactured because we did not plan to put the home on our own land, but in a MH park. We did the math, and the break even point of infrastructure investment and taxes against monthly park lot rental exceeded our anticipated lifetime. Modular may be a better choice for you than it was for me. For me, setup in the park was included in the price of the home. But there was no work to be done there, the slab and utility connections already existing. I do like the concept of the dealer doing all the work - no finger pointing over who has to make any repairs or corrections!

Did you check with the BBB? Palm Harbor has complaints in my area, however since your builder and the manufacturing plant would not be the same you would need to check carefully for your state.

I found them to be really pushy at trying to get us to give a deposit. I was very put off by the hard sale tactic. Also they were not open to customization, it was the exact floor plan and finishes or nothing.

Your question was if the cost difference is worth it. That would depend on if you owned your land and what the comps and attitude toward manufactured housing is.

Palm Harbor was acquired by Cavco after the bankruptcy, not Fleetwood. Palm Harbor is known for focusing on the higher end manufactured home, so it's not surprising that they cost a bit more.

Four out of 5 homes sold by Palm Harbor are customized according to the company. Which makes sense because add-ons increase the overall cost and the overall profit. It makes no sense for a dealer to deny a purchaser any customization they want.

There are two things most important before you buy a manufactured home, your dealer, and the company preparing the site and placing your home on it. If that gets screwed up, your experience will go down hill as a result. Pick your dealer and site prep and delivery team very carefully.

When adding customizations consider the things you don't see as more important than what you do see. For example: It is easy to change a stove or a countertop, much harder to add more insulation.

There are a few complaints I've found in Washington state related to Palm Harbor Homes, or their dealers (for example not returning $500 deposits promptly or deducting processing fees). The most complaints I've found are from the South, where buyers are typically lower income and buying the more basic models. The dealers seem to get quite a few complaints as well, which likely sours the deal for some people.

Modular homes are treated like a stick built home because they are built on permanent foundations and have to comply with local building codes - just like a stick built home.