Frequently Asked Questions
Go Modular assists potential home buyers by providing Go Modular construction consultation and architectural design services for your modular home. We also can help you in the construction of your new modular home.
Here are our very useful and helpful frequently asked questions. Please read them before coming to a consultation.
Here are the answers to your questions about our modular homes, plus some questions you probably haven't even thought of yet! Please read the following questions and answers thoroughly before coming to a private consultation so that any further questions will be better answered and more time can be spent on your design and your price during your consultation. To set up a private consultation please call 508-992-1655 or 401-333-3332. The categories below will help you find a specific answer faster, however, please note that there is quite a bit of overlap of the information, so please be sure to read all of the questions.
General Information Questions 1 - 15
They are structurally stronger, more energy efficient, faster and less expensive.
As part of our normal Go Modular construction services, you can hire your own general contractor and contractors. The requirements vary from state to state. If you decide to hire your own contractors, they must be licensed and insured with both general liability and workers comp. Also, we can provide “how to do your own button up” information for your contractors which is very helpful in making your project run more efficiently
Depending on the time of year, market demand, and where your house is going to be built, you can hire our referred contractors to do the work, or you can hire your own.
Call our office to set up a free, one hour, design/price consultation. We do require that you have already read these 50 FAQs before coming to a private consultation so that any further questions will be better answered, and more time can be spent on your design and your price during your consultation. Sometimes a general ball-park price can be given during the consultation, but estimates for custom designs can take anywhere from 1-4 weeks from your design/price consultation. In some cases longer, depending on our backlog of estimates. The time factor is not due to the complexity of the estimate but on our backlog of estimates.
You must have a building permit and/ or footings or foundation in and a solid closing date (in some cases have closed on your construction loan) from your bank, in order to put the house into the 10-13 full business week factory production schedule. But since you need the blueprints to get the building permit, you must first make an appointment to come in to put a deposit down to get the blueprints started and prepare the paperwork for the bank. Immediately following that appointment, you can bring our paperwork with our rough floor plan to the bank and we start the blueprints that you will need to apply for the building permit. The blueprints can take approximately 6-8 weeks to complete which is also the time it usually takes for a bank to give an unconditional commitment letter and a closing date. Then you submit the blueprints to the town for a building permit. At the same time when you apply for your building permit, you come in, for what we call a Production meeting. This is where you pick out your colors, and put the second deposit down. Then once you have closed on your construction loan or have a solid closing date, and your footings or foundation is in, we put your house into the 10-13 week production schedule at the factory. ALL TIMES QUOTED ARE APPROXIMATE AND CAN VARY DEPENDING ON THE TIME OF YEAR, THE FACTORY PRODUCTION SCHEDULE BACKLOG, GO MODULAR’S BACKLOG, MARKET DEMAND AND HOLIDAYS.
We require a first deposit which varies depending on each individual project. This is to get the initial process going, which is preparing the paperwork to present to the bank, and starting the first step in finalizing your plan. Changes can still be made after the first deposit. We say “first step”, because people still make changes after they have given the first deposit at additional design review meetings. Once our customers have made all the final decisions about their design, that then begins the 6-8 week process to get state approved blueprints.
No, The deposit is on the modular home. We are not in the business of just doing blueprints. We expect that when you come in for the appointment to put the first deposit down, that you have done all your shopping and that you understand that the deposit is for the modular home and not just for blueprints. Custom designed, state-approved blueprints, are included in the base price of your home. This can save you thousands of dollars compared to if you hired a stick-builder where you have to hire an architect separately.
It is always best to have land already, or to have a piece of land under agreement, in order to do a more accurate design/price consultation.
No we don’t. We are custom builders. People come to us already owning their land or they come to us with a piece of land in mind. We recommend that you go to a local full time broker, preferably one who specializes in land or new construction, to help you find land. However once you have a piece of land under agreement we can advise you from there.
We fill out the paperwork for you that applies to the modular home. Then we mail you the package or you can pick it up. You submit it to the building department. Then you pick it up when it’s ready, and pay for it.
There are three separate warranties. First there are the third party warranties for all of the products used in the homes, for example the appliances and window manufacturers have their own warranties. Second there is a mandatory warranty required by the state from the factory for one year. Third we include as part of our price a separate 10 year structural warranty just for the modular backed by a third party insurance company.
We are one of the oldest modular companies in New England, and have been designing and building modular homes for over 30 years. We started in 1986 as designers of Custom Modular Homes, and have built over 1,000 to date. The owner also holds a bachelor’s degree of science in Engineering from U Mass Dartmouth. This knowledge is very helpful with site plans, and especially complex site plans and designs. This can be invaluable to our customers. We do all of our designs in house, then we send the designs to the factory and the factory builds from our designs and specifications.
High specs, low prices. The technical advice from an experienced, professional engineer. The stability of a long running modular company with 30 years of experience. Do not underestimate the value of this experience specifically in the modular industry. This experience is so critical that it can make your project either a success or a failure. You also have the option of building a net-zero ready home by choosing the option to build your modular home with SIP walls. We are the only modular company to offer SIP walls as an option, offering a “modular SIP home”, a first in the industry. Another unique benefit in purchasing a home from Go Modular is we provide you with our proprietary Go Modular System© which is explained in the next question.
Several years ago, Go Modular developed a unique and innovative approach in assisting the homeowner with understanding the building process called the Go Modular Manual©. This is done through a well developed series of meetings, with handouts and checklists. Once you become our customer you will receive a binder outlining all the information you will need at each of our meetings throughout the building process. This way you know what is coming up next. This was developed by Go Modular and as far as we know is the only method of its kind in the industry. We are very proud of our Go Modular Manual© and our customers love it! It makes them feel more organized and empowered.
Only if it is almost the size of a whole house, and should have as a minimum a small kitchen and/or bathroom, and a bedroom. Generally a minimum would be approximately 24 x 24 either one story or two story.
Cost Questions 16 - 26
Go Modular’s base price includes freight, flag cars, crane, taxes, kitchen cabinets, carpet, linoleum, bathroom fixtures, custom computer designing, state approved blueprints and a 10 year structural warranty. Anything else is an option. Be sure when you get a quote from another modular company that it includes what Go Modular includes in the the base price.
Any option you can get with a conventional stick built home you can also get with a modular, for example: fireplaces, whirlpools, cathedral ceilings, farmers porches, hardwood floors, ceramic tile, wood siding, upgraded kitchen cabinets, solid surface or granite countertops, higher roof pitches, dormers etc. The price of any option you choose will be given during your design/price consultation and/or included in your estimate.
You should figure around mid 40's to mid to high 60's, for an average house for all the local work depending on the size and the style of the house. This does not include excavation, septic and well or town water and sewer which need to be priced separately because they need to be priced based on each individual lot.
It includes: the foundation, electrical, plumbing, heating hook up, boiler and button up.
These estimates should be obtained separately, and can vary greatly depending on your land.
Yes, even if we are not going to do the local work, we will give you an estimate so you can shop price from local contractors in order to decide if you want to hire our referred contractors or hire your own.
There are four major components to the pricing of any modular home. The first component is the price of the modular. The second component is the cost of the local work. And the third component is the cost of excavation, septic and well or town water and sewer. The fourth is options not included standard in the modular price; such as hardwood floors, fireplaces, Jacuzzi etc.
The only unknowns in building modular or traditionally built home are basically three. The excavation, the well and the septic system to some degree. No custom builder stick or modular, can guarantee in advance of these unknowns. This unfortunately is the only down side to custom building versus a new home already built. However, once you have a septic system design drawn by your engineer you should get bids on it from the contractor(s) that will be installing it. The septic system then becomes less of an unknown. The well and the excavation will remain an unknown until they are attempted. However, the other local work costs that we quote as stated in question 27 above as the second component of the pricing are more predictable.
Modular homes have always been less than stick built homes. Typically you can figure 20-30% less, per sq.ft. than stick built homes.The the larger the home, the less the per sq ft cost will be. Take for example, a basic 2,000 sq.ft. colonial. If the average cost for a stick built home is $200 per sq.ft., then that 2,000 sq.ft. home would cost approx. $400,000. Whereas the modular, being 20% less than the stick built price, would be $160 per sq.ft., for a total of $320,000 for the same size home. That would be a savings of $80,000! If it were a 2,500 sq.ft. home the savings would be around $100,000!
The cost of the modular alone, which is roughly $65-100 per sq.ft. The remaining amount is the local work, which includes; button-up, electrical and plumbing tie-ins, and foundation. It does not include septic and well, or water and sewer and excavation.
Note: For a modular home that comes with just the standards, which includes the standard kitchen cabinets, countertops and bathroom fixtures (refer to question 16). The cost could be as low as $65 per sq.ft. which for a 2,000 sq.ft. home, would be $130,000. However, if you add granite countertops, upgraded kitchen cabinets, 9-10 foot ceilings, upgraded master bathroom, high-pitched roofs, triple-pane windows, etc. the cost per sq.ft. could jump to as much as $100 per sq.ft., and in rare cases, more. For the same 2,000 sq.ft. house, it would then cost $200,000 versus $130,000.
The more house you buy, the less the per square foot price is. The reason for this is that there is an economy of scale with modular homes. There are certain costs that remain constant when you build a modular, such as freight and certain overhead costs. In other words, it costs the same to ship 4 small sections of a house as it does to ship 4 large sections of a house.
Construction Specification Questions 27 - 31
Our homes are built with 2 x 6 16” o.c. exterior framing, roofs 16” o.c. framing, interior walls 16” o.c. framing, OSB or optional plywood. For maximum energy efficiency you can choose Structurally Insulated Panel (SIP) walls and roof for a net zero ready home. Our windows are double-pane, double-hung or optional triple-pane glass.
We are the only builder in the North East building modular homes with Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) on the walls and the roof since 2007. SIPs maximize the energy efficiency of the home and you are able to build a passive house, net zero ready modular home Ask your designer for more information.
You will get stress cracks because sheetrock is the weakest medium in any construction, of course this is not structural, this is cosmetic and it is part of the modular process. After the house is set, whoever is doing the local button up takes care of the stress cracks. However over time you will have less settlement cracks than you would have with a conventionally built house. The reason for this is because the plywood and sheetrock are glued to the studs and the ceiling joists and this restricts the movement of materials with expansion, contraction and moisture.
The houses come pre-wired with the switches and outlets in place. The panel with the circuit breakers is attached in one of the modules and the other module(s) have home run wires that the local electrician connects. This is a line item in the Local Work price.
Modular homes come with the heating baseboard elements installed and stubbed through the floor. The heating connections of all the baseboard elements below the floor joists and the boiler needs to be done locally. The boiler and the heating connections will be included as part of your Local Work price as a separate line item called Plumbing & Heating connections.
Customizing and Options Questions 32 - 34
Yes, as part of our Go Modular design services, almost any design is possible.
Another huge cost savings to going modular is that there is no need to hire an architect. Architects today can charge anywhere from $10,000-30,000 and more. We offer free custom designing, and the state approved floor plans and blueprints are included in the price of the home.
Any option you can get with a conventional stick built home you can also get with a modular, for example: fireplaces, whirlpools, cathedral ceilings, farmers porches, hardwood floors, ceramic tile, wood siding, upgraded kitchen cabinets, solid surface or granite countertops, higher roof pitches, dormers etc. The price of any option you choose will be given during your design/price consultation and/or included in your estimate.
Timing Questions 35 - 38
If you had a building permit in hand, and could order a house today, it would be here in approximately 10-13 full business weeks, excluding several days for holidays since we are not allowed on the highway before and after holidays. We can only order a house after we have a building permit and/or footings and foundation is in and you have a solid closing date from your bank, or have closed on your construction loan. Or have proof of funds, or an escrow account with funds to pay for your modular home upon delivery.
It takes only 10-13 weeks to build the house in the factory excluding days for holidays. Then we install the modulars with the crane in one day. HOWEVER, from the day it is installed, you need to figure a MINIMUM of 16 weeks to move in. For some houses it may take even longer.
Because we have to do the exterior and interior button up, and also rough, and final inspections of both local electrical and plumbing. Then you must tie into the water and sewer or septic. The work cannot be done in parallel, but needs to be done sequentially, with gaps in between for such things as, inspections, and utilities.
It can take anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks to get an estimate. In some cases longer depending on our backlog of estimates. The time factor is not due to the complexity of the estimate but on our backlog of estimates.
Financing Questions 39 - 40
In fact, it is not advisable to buy the land first with a land loan, because you will incur two closing costs. One is for the land loan and the other for the construction loan later on. It is preferable, when possible, to build right away on the land that you have chosen, with a construction loan.
We have lenders that we suggest for our construction loans, who specialize in modular construction loans. You can call the office to get our suggested lenders who have done our modular construction loans for several years. However, you can go with any lender that does construction loans, and especially modular construction loans. We can talk to the lender of your choice to be sure that we are both in agreement as to how the disbursements will be made. If the disbursements are not done properly your project will be delayed and become problematic. We highly recommend that you consider using our recommended lenders.
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