By JIM PARKER
The
Picture a house being raised by builders on site: framing,
drywall, fixtures, electrical work. Then envision all the work going on in a
sprawling plant.
That’s a condensed version of the differences between
modular homes and stick-built houses.
Modular homes also vary from manufactured houses. But there,
it’s primarily in the consumers the two industries are focusing on.
Manufactured homes tend to be constructed as single units, usually without
second levels, and are designed in many cases as affordable housing for lower
to moderate income residents.
Modular houses, by contrast, typically are aimed at a middle
to upscale buyer. They include assembly techniques for two-or-more-story
houses, hoisting upper stories by crane and clipping them to ground floors,
even installing attics.
According to modular backers, the homes can produce cost
savings because they’re built under climate-controlled conditions — no holdups
for wind and rain.
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| Hunley Waters |
Even so, the industry has been slow to catch on in a big way
in the
area and elsewhere. One area neighborhood, North Charleston-based HunleyWaters, is known for its all-modular-home construction. Homes are priced in the
low to mid $200,000s. The community works with Nationwide Homes in
as its manufacturer, and locally based Old Man Construction completes the work
once the sections are on the ground.
