For individuals looking to purchase a new home in Michigan, you may want to look for either modular homes for sale in Michigan, other types of prefab homes for sale, or consider building a prefab home of your own. Prefab and modular home construction allows for quicker build times and more control over the project’s final cost, all the while maintaining the same characteristics of a site-built home. With a number of prefab and modular home companies operating in the Mid-Western US and many more that serve Michigan, it is increasingly more common to see prefab and modular homes for sale in Michigan. For individuals looking to buy or build a modular home, continue reading below for our list of key things to consider when looking at modular homes for sale in Michigan as well as our list of companies that sell modular homes throughout the state including Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, and Lansing. For individuals looking for information more specific to their project, connect with one of our prefab concierge representatives, here.

What is a Modular Home?

Simply put, a finished modular home is like any traditional, site built home. The main difference however, is that modular homes are manufactured off-site as one or multiple home modules that, once completed, are shipped to and assembled at the final build site. While many people think of modular homes as “cookie-cutter” or “from a catalog”, there are a number of companies that can create and sell custom modular homes or allow buyers to modify a home that is for sale.

How Does a Modular Home Compare to a Traditional, Site-Built Home?

A newly-built modular home has all of the same characteristics of a site-built home. Compared to site-built homes, modular homes have equivalent resale values, are built to the same building code, and offer the same design and aesthetic elements. In most cases, a newly-built modular home can be completed quicker and with a more predictable budget than a site-built home due to the fact that a majority of the work is completed off-site, in a climate controlled environment all the while the building site is being prepared for the home modules to arrive. Similarly, individuals looking for already built modular homes for sale should note that once finished, there are no significant differences between a modular home and a site-built home. 

Where Can I Find Prefab and Modular Homes for Sale in Michigan?

The table below highlights a number of companies that have prefab and modular homes for sale in Michigan.

It is worth noting that the cost ranges above are cost estimates for turn-key modular homes. For companies located outside of the Mid-Western US, actual project costs may be different than the cost estimates listed due to increased shipping costs for your modular or prefab home. Two prefab companies based in Michigan, Riverwood Cabins and Hygge Supply, have estimated turn-key project costs ranging from $180 - $230 per square foot and $215 - $445 per square foot, respectively. It is our experience however, that a prefab or modular home for sale in Michigan will cost between $180 - $450+ per square foot, depending on the selected builder and manufacturer. When building in higher cost areas of Michigan, this estimate may be higher.

For individuals looking to purchase a completed prefab or modular home, a local realtor may be able to assist you in finding newly completed modular homes that are for sale. Alternatively, you may want to check with local real estate developers and general contractors, as many may utilize modular construction for their homes.

What Else Should I Consider When Looking at Prefab and Modular Homes for Sale?

• Construction type - buyers should pay attention to the construction type of their home, specifically whether the home is a modular home or a manufactured home. While both types fall under the category of a prefab home, modular homes are built to the same standards and building code of a traditional, site-built home while manufactured homes are built to Housing and Urban Development (HUD) code and are classified more like mobile homes rather than a traditional home. As such, manufactured homes may not be available for the same financing options as a modular home. Buyers considering other prefab home options, notably kit homes or panelized homes should know that these two construction methods require the highest level of on-site labor to complete. As such there is the possibility for greater variation in final project cost from area to area.

• Who is the manufacturer or builder?

  • Both in the case of purchasing an already finished modular home for sale or building a modular home from scratch, it may be worthwhile to check past reviews of the company or builder that you plan to work with. In addition to ensuring that the manufacturer or contractor is trustworthy and offers a reliable modular home, in the event that you have issues with your modular home after moving in, the manufacturer or builder may be able to help solve the problem.

• Michigan Building Code

  • Detroit

  • Ann Arbor

  • Lansing

  • Grand Rapids