Modular homes cost an average of $240,000, and most homeowners pay between $160,000 and $320,000. Your total will depend on the size, location, customization options, and the quality of the materials you choose.
The size and customization options you choose are the most influential cost factors.
Land and utility costs can easily double your total.
Custom modular homes cost 20% to 100% more than prefab ones.
Expect to pay between $80 and $160 per square foot for your modular home.
The average modular home costs $240,000. A small, 500-square-foot modular home with no customizations can cost as little as $40,000, excluding land costs, while a custom modular home with 3,000 square feet of living space can cost as much as $900,000. Modular home prices depend on size, location, customizations, and more.
Modular home costs don’t scale directly with bedroom count, but adding bedrooms means more square footage for the bedrooms themselves, as well as bigger living spaces and HVAC systems to support a larger family. Many homeowners begin their new construction plans with a specific number of bedrooms in mind, so it’s useful to have an idea of how bedroom count affects modular home prices.
Number of Bedrooms | Average Cost Range |
---|---|
2 | $40,000–$128,000 |
3 | $80,000–$208,000 |
4 | $144,000–$352,000 |
5 | $192,000–$480,000+ |
Modular home prices fall between $80 and $160 per square foot, so the amount of living space you want or need will have a one-to-one effect on your total. Larger footprints require bigger and more expensive foundations, and even a second-story living area will require more materials to manufacture and more labor to install.
Square Footage | Average Cost Range |
---|---|
500 | $40,000–$80,000 |
800 | $64,000–$128,000 |
1,000 | $80,000–$160,000 |
1,500 | $120,000–$240,000 |
2,000 | $160,000–$320,000 |
2,500 | $200,000–$400,000 |
3,000 | $240,000–$480,000 |
A modular home manufacturer will construct the pieces of your modular home off-site, but you’ll need a local general contractor to receive the components and construct them on your property. Since there’s less labor involved than there would be for a stick-built home, hiring a general contractor to put together a modular home will account for just 20% to 40% of the total, or an average of between $48,000 and $96,000.
Below are some of the key jobs your GC will tackle throughout the project, along with average pricing.
Clearing land: $1,400–$6,200
Grading land: $1,000–$3,300
Pouring the foundation: $4,000–$14,900
Assembling the home: $3,000–$12,000+
A general contractor is who you should hire to build your house, but note that some modular home manufacturers offer in-house construction services in addition to manufacturing. Depending on the company you go with, you may not need a separate GC.
One major upside to a modular home is that it comes prefabricated with an installed electrical system, but you may still need to hire an electrician to run a new service line to your plot if there aren’t existing electric utilities on the property.
A general contractor will usually hire an electrician for this and other electrical components, and the electrician’s part of the process averages $1,000. You may pay more if you have an electrician make custom changes to your modular home after delivery and assembly.
Connecting to electric: $800–$1,200
Adding light fixtures: $150–$1,000 each
Adding outlets: $100–$450 each
Installing solar panels: $18,400–$36,400
Similarly, the plumbing system is included in the base price of a modular home and is installed prior to delivery. You may need to consider hiring a plumber to set up water supply and sewer connections on your land, though, as well as to install hookups for natural gas or propane. Again, your general contractor will hire this pro for you and coordinate the work.
Connecting to municipal water: $1,000–$6,000
Drilling a well: $5,000–$10,000
Connecting to gas lines: $500–$2,000
Installing sewer connection: $1,500–$5,700
While the bulk of the home construction takes place off-site and is included in your modular home cost, there are some other pros you might need to hire, depending on your project.
Septic system installer: $3,600–$12,400
Landscaper: $1,200–$6,300
Fence installer: $1,800–$4,800
Modular home costs will vary by location for two main reasons. First, labor costs scale with the cost of living. The labor cost to build a modular home is half of what it would be for the cost to build a home with standard construction, but it still plays a role. Second, the distance your modular home builder needs to travel from the factory to deliver your home will affect delivery fees.
State | Average Cost |
---|---|
California | $256,000 |
Florida | $241,000 |
Georgia | $237,000 |
Illinois | $238,000 |
Michigan | $237,300 |
New York | $248,500 |
North Carolina | $239,200 |
Ohio | $238,200 |
Pennsylvania | $238,200 |
Texas | $237,400 |
There are many other modular home cost factors you should consider if you want to set an accurate budget for your build.
Modular home prices average $240,000, but it’s crucial to note that this doesn’t include land. Land can add anywhere from $10,000 to $200,000 or more to your total, depending on the plot size, land condition, and location. Of course, you may not need to consider these costs if you already own land and plan to install a modular home as your main structure or an accessory dwelling unit (ADU).
Manufacturers offer a base price for modular homes, which includes a standard layout and preset building materials, from siding and roofing to kitchen countertops and flooring. Most also offer customization options that let you alter the layout and choose higher-end materials.
A custom modular home costs 20% to 100% more than the base design. Base costs range from $160,000 to $320,000, and adding customizations will push your cost range to between $192,000 and $640,000.
You’ll save on labor costs by going modular, but instead, you’ll need to pay transportation fees to have your house delivered. Delivery for a modular home costs $5 to $10 per square foot. On average, delivery costs will total between $3,000 and $20,000.
Modular homes differ from some other prefab homes in that they require a permanent foundation. The type of foundation you choose will affect the cost, both in terms of excavation and the cost of pouring the concrete.
Foundation Type | Cost (per sq. ft.) |
---|---|
Basement | $20–$37 |
Crawl space | $6–$18 |
Pier and beam | $6–$12 |
Slab | $5–$16 |
Prefab homes still require building permits, which can add between $500 and $4,000, with an average of $1,000. You normally won’t need to file for separate electrical permits, plumbing permits, or HVAC permits, though, as your manufacturer will handle these systems off-site.
Permits can actually be quite expensive. Talk to your contractors before starting your project to understand how much the required permits will cost you.
If you already have a home on your property, you may be deciding between remodeling your existing home or building a new modular home.
Home remodeling costs range between $18,000 and $76,500 and will almost always be more affordable than building a new modular home. A local home renovation specialist can help you come up with an accurate remodel budget for your project for comparison. However, new construction means more customization options in terms of the footprint and layout of your house, so if you’re looking for major changes, a new modular home may be the way to go.
Modular home prices can easily climb to $320,000 and beyond, so consider the following money-saving tips for your project if you’re on a tight budget.
Limit the customizations and upgrades: Going with a base model and basic materials from your manufacturer can save you hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Keep the size in check: The larger your modular home, the more expensive it will be. Build only what you need, but consider future changes to occupant count to avoid having to build home additions in the future.
Start with a developed plot: Building on land that already has utility connections and is cleared and graded will save you between $15,000 and $50,000 or more.
Choose a slab foundation: If your climate permits, going with a slab foundation over a basement will save you between $15,000 and $21,000 for a 1,000-square-foot foundation.
Focus on efficiency: When you have the opportunity, choose energy efficiency upgrades like high-end insulation and efficient HVAC systems to save on utility bills over time.
Developing vacant land will almost always make it more valuable, so a modular home will increase property value. Like high-end container homes, modular homes can also appreciate at the same rate as stick-built homes, but the appreciation sometimes lags behind. This is mostly due to consumer opinion about how long modular homes last and how challenging repairs and remodeling can be. With proper upkeep, modular homes will boost property value and appreciate in value similarly to traditional homes in the area.
Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We extensively research project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We rely on reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.
Want to help us improve our cost data? Send us a recent project quote to [email protected]. Quotes and personal information will not be shared publicly.
A 2,000-square-foot modular home costs an average of {AvgCost}, and most homeowners pay between {AvgRangeMinCost} and {AvgRangeMaxCost}, depending on the customization options you choose and the quality of materials. If you choose a more custom design and go all out with upgraded finishes, you could pay as much as $600,000.
Modular homes are more affordable than stick-built homes if you keep quality and square footage equal. The cost to build a home averages $323,000, while average modular home prices sit at {AvgCost}. If you’re looking for custom or luxury options, a traditional custom home costs $825,000, while a high-end modular home costs $600,000, on average.
Modular homes last an average of between 50 and 75 years, and high-quality modular homes can last for 100 years with proper maintenance. For comparison, a standard home lasts 50 to 100 years and can push to 150 or longer with good maintenance. Modular homes provide better long-term value in that they are significantly more affordable and can last almost as long, but some buyers are wary of modular home longevity, so the actual value if you sell could be lower.