When people are looking to buy a modular home, one of the first things they want to know is what the house comes with. In other words, will you be hit with many hidden costs you do not know about?
When you purchase a modular home, all the electrical and plumbing should be included in the cost of the house. The modular home will need to be up to the NEC code or standards for electrical. You must understand the quality and types of pipes and other fittings in the modular home and the manufacturer’s plumbing quality. We recommend that anyone looking to purchase a modular home check out the quality of the pipes and other fittings that the modular home manufacturer is using.
Table of Contents
- Are Electrical and Plumbing Systems Included in Modular Homes?
- Modular Homes Are Built Inside Out
- Related Question
Are Electrical and Plumbing Systems Included in Modular Homes?
Prospective buyers of modular homes often have key questions about what’s included in their purchase. A primary concern is the potential for unforeseen expenses. Typically, when you buy a modular home, it should come complete with all necessary electrical and plumbing systems.
These systems must comply with the National Electrical Code (NEC) standards. It’s important for buyers to be informed about the quality and types of pipes, fittings, and electrical installations used in the home.
To ensure satisfaction, we advise potential buyers to thoroughly investigate the plumbing and electrical components used by the modular home manufacturer.
Modular Homes and Electrical
When you purchase a modular home, it should have all the electrical work intact. Depending on which company you purchase from, the electrical work may not be the same as an on-site home.
Knowing what exactly you are paying for with the Modular home is one of the biggest questions that many potential buyers have. It is also why I suggest before you look to buy a Modular home unit that you visit their factory, see a showroom or do a virtual factory tour.
When you take these tours, you can ask detailed questions and see exactly how the home is constructed and how the electricity is put into the Modular home unit.
Often, Modular homes can get a bad rap, but the truth is that they need to adhere to many of the same guidelines and codes as Standard on-site-built homes. Electrical wiring and how the home is wired are no exception.
Most modular homes are built from the inside out, whereas on-site homes are built from the outside in. In the United States, Modular homes, like on-site homes, must adhere to the National Electric Code, also known as NEC.
The NEC is a code that ensures the electrical safety of your home. The purpose of the NEC is to help keep you safe from any electrical mishaps; in other words, it is a safety standard to keep you safe.
Because the NEC has a strict code for safety, it is also recommended that you bring in a qualified professional whenever doing any electrical work on a home.
Because Modular homes are built in a factory setting, they can build the home from the inside out. Even if the modular home is built from the inside out, your home must be up to the NEC standard as an on-site home.
Modular Homes and Plumbing
Modular homes will also use the same basic plumbing and plumbing standards as on-site ones. Depending on your supplier, there can be differences between Modular home plumbing and on-site plumbing.
Some of the main differences can be the actual location of the plumbing pipes, the size of the pipes, and what kinds of pipes are used. This can all differ from modular home company to modular home company.
Most Modular homes have pipes running under the home or in the middle of the home alongside any heating ducts. But all this can differ according to the actual layout of your modular home.
One of the significant differences will be that the pipes will be located in a place that will be easy to manufacture and transport your home to the site. This is why it is also a question you may want to ask when you purchase your modular home to know about the pipes’ location.
It is also why when you are considering purchasing a modular home, you purchase the home from a qualified vendor who is using quality piping and other parts to ensure that your modular home plumbing does not have any issues.
Also, you want to be sure that your modular home is not using too small pipes so that it cause issues or even blockage with your plumbing system. You want to ensure that the pipes they use are at least 3” or even the standard 4” that on-site homes use.
Also, the materials used for the pipes can be a factor. Plumbers use two types of material for pipes: metal and plastic.
Understanding the quality of the pipes being used in your home, the location of the pipes, and the size are all critical questions to ask your Modular home manufacturer.
Modular Homes Are Built Inside Out
One of the advantages that many Modular home builders will tell you is that Modular homes are of better quality as they are built in a controlled factory setting.
When we say that a Modular home is built from the inside out, we mean that the wiring, plumbing, and everything are usually done in the indoor factory before any drywall, interior, or exterior walls are placed on the Modular home.
Modular homes can do this as they are built indoors. So, suppose you want a Modular home with particular outlets, unique outside lights, or other electrical systems. In that case, you must ask if your Modular home manufacturer will do this before completing the home.
How much Modular home manufacturers will allow you to change this will depend on their policy. Some will have a “what you see is what you buy” policy and will not make changes and others will be happy to adjust.
For many people, Modular homes have gotten a bad rap. Some people feel that they are less quality than on-site-built homes, and they cite the plumbing and electrical as reasons.
But like most anything else, the quality depends greatly on your manufacturer. Today, many modular home manufacturers are very sophisticated and use high technology and high standards of production.
For some of these modular home manufacturers, the Modular home may exceed an on-site built home’s current plumbing and electrical requirements.
That is why the quality of your Modular home will depend a lot on the quality of manufacture and the standard and quality of the materials used to manufacture your home. We recommend doing your due diligence and homework before buying any home, especially a modular home.
You Can Listen To Our Podcast About Wired and Watered: Unveiling the Secrets of Modular Homes’ Electrical and Plumbing Below or By clicking here.
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