Our guide to building prefab and modular homes in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties covers Santa Barbara, Ventura, Ojai, and Carpinteria and answers questions that you may have about the prefab and modular home building process. In this guide, we address general questions about the process such as, “why should I build a prefab home in Santa Barbara?” or “how much will it cost to build a prefab home in Ventura County?’ and outline key decisions that you must make along the way. Below, you can find our answers to these questions as well as a breakdown of the economics of a prefab home built in Santa Barbara, Ventura and the surrounding cities of Carpinteria and Ojai. For more project-specific guidance, connect with one of our prefab home experts for free here.

Why Might You Want to Build a Prefab Home in Santa Barbara or Cities in Ventura County like Ojai, Carpinteria, or Ventura

• Quick Build Times - prefab and modular homes are manufactured off-site and assembled at the final build site which allows for multiple steps of the project to be completed simultaneously and more efficiently than a traditional home build. This often results in shorter build times than traditional, site-built homes.

• Cost Controlled - using a highly controlled build process (homes are manufactured in climate-controlled production and cutting facilities), unforeseen cost overruns can be better managed leading to reduced overall cost. This is especially necessary for higher-cost areas such as Santa Barbara, Ventura, Ojai, and Carpinteria

• Sustainable & Modern - the prefab and modular home manufacturers that serve Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties offer net-zero homes (in-line with California’s 2020 Zero Net Energy “ZNE” mandate). Many of these manufacturers also offer modern designs, and high-tech elements and appliances.

  • Durable - manufacturers that serve Santa Barbara and Ventura County offer products that are manufactured with consideration of the natural hazards of the area such as earthquakes and wildfires. As such, homes are designed and engineered to provide high-levels of protection from these natural hazards.

Key Decisions to Make:

• Home Location - while the initial cost to build a prefab home may be rather high in neighborhoods like Ventura, Carpinteria, Ojai and Santa Barbara, a newly-built prefab home in these areas can be a sound long-term investment as new construction generally sells for significantly more than existing homes. When considering where exactly to build your home, you should be mindful of a few things that could affect your project:

  • Slope of lot - steep hills can make it difficult to build most pre-designed prefabs, and may require a custom designed and engineered home

  • Set back requirements which can limit the buildable area of your property

  • Floor area ratio or other zoning protocols that may affect the possible size of the home 

  • Whether or not your city requires a design review

• Custom vs. Standard - While most builders offer a set of pre-designed floor plans, while some also offer options for partial or total home customization. Other builders may specialize in custom prefab home designs. If you live on a tricky lot (uneven terrain, small-lot size, etc.) you may face a limited offering of standard home designs that are suitable for your home build

• Modular vs. Kit Home v.s. Panelized - While all three of these construction techniques qualify as prefab home building techniques, there are nuances that you should know when building your own prefab house. These prefab home styles include:

  • Modular - homes are made up of multiple box-like modules. These modules are fully manufactured and assembled off-site and consist of floors, walls, ceilings, wiring, plumbing, and internal fixtures. After being assembled in an off-site facility, they are shipped to your desired location and the modules are connected and fastened to the foundation. Modular construction is one of the most affordable and quickest prefab building techniques due to the high degree of work completed off-site.

  • Kit Home - all materials and components necessary for building a home are pre-measured, cut, and delivered to the build site. In some cases, an owner builder can assemble the kit home themselves as a cost-saving method.

  • Panelized - the home’s structural components: walls, floor, ceiling, are manufactured separate from one another in an off-site location. From there, they are shipped and constructed at the final site like a traditional build. While somewhat similar to modular construction, panelized building offers more flexibility in the home build process.

    • Some builders advertise using Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) which are a 2-in-1 combination of high-efficiency insulation and structural panels. This allows for the creation of a quick, energy-efficient prefab home.

• Architect/manufacturer vs. All-in Company - There are many steps in the prefab home build process. Major steps include land acquisition, home design, manufacturing, and assembly. When selecting a company for your prefab home, you should also pay attention to the services your company offers. In some cases the company you choose may only offer a home design and therefore sub-contract out the manufacturing process, though this is not as common as most companies offer both home design and manufacturing. This type of company however, still leaves you responsible for acquiring land and later finding a local builder to complete necessary site work and finish your home at the project site. It is worth noting that there are several companies that offer all-in-one services and can assist you in all stages of the home-build process including design, manufacturing, site work, and finishing your home. 

• Financing your home - unless you are planning to pay for your home in cash, you are likely going to need outside financing for your prefab home. The two most common ways of financing a prefab home build are:

  • construction loan - a short term loan that you can refinance once construction is complete

  • temp to perm loan - a construction loan for the duration of construction that converts to a normal mortgage once your house is finished. The advantage of these loans is you only have one mortgage close vs. two with just a construction loan.

  • These methods usually allow you to finance both the land purchase and the construction of your home however, the underwriting and approval process on these loans can be lengthy (60+ days) as the bank is not only underwriting you as a borrower, but also the viability of your building plans. To get land more quickly, buyers will often pay cash for their building lot and then the lender will credit the land purchase as a down payment percentage on the purchase.

  • Some of the best lenders for these products only operate regionally. Our list of the Best Lenders for Land Loans and Construction Loans in California can be found here. However, if you would like assistance specific to your situation, we can provide recommendations here.

  • If you’re looking to purchase an ADU (accessory dwelling unit) or tiny home, then you may want to consider a personal loan:

    • Many personal lenders allow you to borrow up to $100k with no down payment

    • These loans are typically amortized over a shorter period than mortgages (up to 12 years)

    • These loans typically don’t underwrite the property and instead underwrite you as a borrower

    • Many of the best personal lenders are online and serve almost the entire country

    • The time to get approved for a personal loan is generally pretty fast (as little as a day to up to a couple weeks)

    • Individuals interested in financing an ADU build in Santa Barbara or Ventura Counties should read our guide to alternative financing options for ADUs

Common Questions

• How much will it cost to build a prefab house in the Santa Barbara - Ventura area including Ojai and Carpinteria?

  • While certain variables such as location, builder, and floor plan will affect the total cost of building your home, it is our experience that the final cost of your prefab will range between $300 - $500+ (as of June, 2020).

• Is a prefab home a good investment?

  • Yes, in areas where the total cost of building your prefab home (land cost + building costs)  is less than the average dollar per square foot sales price of homes in your neighborhood i.e. you are able to sell your home for more than it cost to build it. In Ojai and Carpinteria that includes areas where the average price per square foot is $450 per sq ft or higher and in higher cost areas like Santa Barbara and Ventura, the break even point is closer to $500 per sqft. 

• Can I finance a prefab home in the Santa Barbara - Ventura Area? 

  • Yes. The most common way to finance a prefab home is a temp to perm loan. This financing method starts out as a loan for the construction of your home and converts to a mortgage once your home is completed. Another financing option is a construction loan which is a short-term loan that you then refinance once the construction process is finished. Our guide to the Best Construction and Land Loan Lenders in California may be helpful.

• What do the economics of an investment in a prefab home look like?

  • Our spreadsheet (below) is an example of what the costs and potential benefits of a prefab home investment might look like. While there may be high up-front costs, it is likely there will be a sizable return on your investment. In high-demand areas of Santa Barbara and Ventura County like Ventura, Carpinteria, and Ojai, one of the most challenging parts of the build process is finding a buildable lot at a reasonable price. In some cases it might be cheaper to buy and tear-down an existing home rather than purchase a vacant, build-ready lot.

• How long will it take?

  • The answer to this question depends a lot on your particular location. Your city’s permitting and building process will play a large role in determining the time frame for your build. Total, the build process can take between 1-2 years and maybe longer if there is a design review process.

  • Planning Departments in and around Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties:

    • Santa Barbara

    • Ventura

    • Ojai

    • Carpinteria

Reputable Companies that Serve Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties:

• Blu Homes

  • Has 4 models ranging from the 605 sq ft Cabana to the the 2,140 sq ft Breeze House

  • All-in-cost: $350 - $500+ per sqft

• Clever Homes

  • Offers fully-custom homes with sustainable features and recycled materials where possible

  • All-in-cost: $350 - $550+ per sqft

• Method Homes

  • 8 collections of predesigned residential plans, varying from standard looking cabins to ultra modern looking contemporary houses and ranging in size from small 600+ sf studios to 3,500+ square foot luxury houses

  • All-in-cost: $400 - $550+ per sqft

• LivingHomes (Plant Prefab)

  • Makes 11 largely high design standard home designs created internally and be designer partners as well as custom prefab homes. All homes are made at their factory, Plant Prefab

  • All-in-cost; $400 - $500+ per sqft

• Connect Homes

  • Has 13 models ranging from 640 sq ft to 3200 sq ft of modern, environmentally friendly homes

  • All-in-cost: $350 - $550+ per sqft

• Sagemodern

  • Offers full-service design, manufacturing, and general contracting for their high-end, contemporary prefab homes

  • All-in-cost: $400 - $600+ per sqft

• Pacific Modular Homes

  • Offers home kits through local suppliers in both pre-designed and custom designs

  • All-in-cost: $300 - $400+ per sqft

• Studio Shed

  • Have 3 models of environmentally friendly and partially-customizable ADUs

  • All-in-cost: $200 - $300+ per sqft

Alternatively, see our list of prefab home builders and modular home builders in California or our list of tiny homes for sale in California. For project-specific assistance, speak with a member of our Prefab Concierge program.