The base price of a modular home generally refers to the manufacturing process alone and rarely includes the cost of building the foundations. Most Modular Home companies will however help you choose the right foundation and help in the communication with the layer of the foundation, so the specifications are perfect for the modular home of choice.
Since most modular home construction takes place in a factory-like environment following a highly mechanized process, the manufacturing cost variations are minimal and it is possible to set a fixed price for its construction. However, all those works taking place on-site such as building the foundations, change enormously from project to project. Therefore, it is not possible to estimate the final price based on the modular home model exclusively.
Factors affecting the foundation cost:
- Type of foundation chosen and size of the modular home
- Topography of the land and soil composition
Once all these parameters are taken into consideration, it is possible to add the foundation cost to the modular home’s final price. Still, most modular home manufacturers will require you to hire a separate contractor to build the foundation. In these cases, the final cost of the house’s construction will be reflected in two separate contracts that of the modular home manufacturer and that of the contractor taking care of the site works.
Modular home base price vs final price
The difference between the base price and the final price varies enormously from one project to another, though you can get an idea of it by looking at the base and final prices of an average modular home. While the base price of the average modular home is about $50 per square foot, the average finished price reaches $110 per square foot [1].
The base price, generally, covers the manufacturing process of a modular home model only. The final price is the total cost of building the modular home, including its manufacturing but also the transportation of the modules to the property, building the foundation, and all the necessary work required to finish the construction of the house.
How much should you budget to build a modular home foundation
The average cost of building new foundations for a modular home range from $7,000 to $44,500 [2]. Though the final cost depends entirely on the unique characteristics of the property, the priorities of the buyer, and the demands of the modular home project.
Type of foundation chosen and size of the modular home
The cost of building the foundation widely varies depending on the type of foundation chosen for the modular home. The most popular types of foundation are the concrete slab and the basement. The concrete slab foundation is generally the most affordable choice with an average cost of $4 to $8 per square foot [3] while the basement foundation is more expensive, generally about $33 per square foot [4].
In most cases, the buyer can choose between different types of foundations as well as the size of the modular house floorplan depending on their priorities. Though, some modular homes are located in areas where the choice of foundation is limited and it might raise a little higher than expected. For example, modular homes placed in hurricane or flood-prone areas might require to be built on stilts and should expect to pay from $20 to $60 per square foot [5].
Topography of the land and soil composition
Most types of foundations require some excavation in order to be installed and the cost of excavating is directly related to both the amount of soil that needs to be removed and the difficulty of this work. Lands with heavy slopes are likely to require substantial amounts of excavation, especially when installing predesigned modular home models that require a horizontal base.
Regardless of their topography, those lands with a soil composition based mainly on rocks or very hard types of soils, are difficult to penetrate and usually require utilizing heavy machinery to dig. These types of soils rapidly increase the cost of building the foundation.
References:
- JElitzer Modular Home Prices: How Much Will My Modular Home Cost? Modular Homeowners https://modularhomeowners.com/how-much-will-my-modular-home-cost/#google_vignette
- How much does a foundation or a basement cost? Home Advisor https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/foundations/install-a-foundation/
- How much does it cost to pour a concrete slab? Home Guide https://homeguide.com/costs/concrete-slab-cost
- How much does it cost to build a basement or foundation? Home Guide https://homeguide.com/costs/foundation-cost
- (2022, January 21) How much does it cost to build a beach house on stilts? Home Advisor https://www.homeadvisor.com/cost/architects-and-engineers/build-beach-house/
