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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is a building system?
Simply put, a building system is a highly engineered
method of producing buildings or building components in
an efficient and cost-effective manner. The use of
building systems is common in many different types of
residential and commercial construction. A modular home
is the culmination of one type of building system. Apex
modular homes actually begin as components—individual
units—designed, engineered, and assembled in an indoor
controlled environment, sometimes hundreds of miles away
from their final destination. When these components come
together on your building site and final construction is
completed by your builder, they become a new home for
you and your family.
Tell me more about the modular
construction process.
The modular construction process is similar to what
you've seen during the construction of other homes in
your neighborhood. The same quality materials are used,
the same care for detail is followed, and the same
building codes and standards are observed. What's
different? Efficiency and quality control.
The modular construction process begins at the design
phase. Most modular home producers use state-of-the-art
computer-assisted design stations which aid them in
quickly customizing floor plans and producing drawings
and material requirement lists. Once a home has been
designed, the modular construction process begins.
Efficiency begins with modern factory assembly line
techniques. Your modular home travels to workstations,
with all building trades represented. Modular
construction is never delayed by weather, subcontractor
no-shows, or missing materials. In addition, quality
engineering and modular construction techniques
significantly increase the energy efficiency of your
modular home. A quality control process provides 100%
assurance that your modular home has been inspected for
code compliance and workmanship, and in-plant inspectors
as well as independent inspection agencies inspect Apex
modular homes on behalf of your state and local
government.
How long does it take to build a modular
home?
Speed and consistent quality are two of the many
advantages of modular construction. On average, a
modular home consisting of two modules will be
factory-processed in six or seven days. Once the
manufacturing process is complete, typically with
interior finish right down to carpets and wall finish,
the unit must be transferred to the building site and
placed on its foundation. Final modular home completion
is usually handled by a local builder or general
contractor and includes connection of utilities to the
modular home and a short list of finish work. Normally,
a modular home is completed in six to eight weeks after
it's set.
I get confused when I see the terms
"manufactured home" and "modular home." What's the
difference?
"Manufactured homes," often referred to as mobile homes
or trailers, represent an entirely different type of
building system than modular homes and are constructed
to a different building standard. This standard, the
Federal Construction Safety Standards Act (HUD/CODE),
unlike conventional building codes, requires
manufactured homes to be constructed on a non-removable
steel chassis. Many communities have placed restrictions
on where manufactured homes may be located.
Unlike manufactured homes, however, modular homes are
constructed to the building codes required by your
state, county, and specific locality and are not
restricted by building or zoning regulations.
Modular homes are inspected during every phase of
construction, and evidence of this inspection is
normally indicated by a State or inspection agency label
of approval.
Can I design my own modular home instead
of using a standard modular home plan?
Yes! With Apex Homes, you have complete design
flexibility.
I know that modular homes are built to
the same codes as site-built homes. Is financing any
different?
There is no distinction between modular and site-built
homes as far as appraisal or financing. Banks and
lending institutions treat both types of construction in
the same manner. Likewise, there is no difference in
insuring the modular property.
What do modular homes look like?
Modular homes look like any other home. Today's modular
construction technology has allowed modular
manufacturers to specialize in homes, ranging from
small, simple designs, to highly customized contemporary
houses. And modular construction doesn't stop with
houses. Today's modular producers are busy building
banks, schools, office buildings, and hotels. Chances
are you've been in many modular structures and not even
realized it.
What are
SYSTEM-BUILT homes?
SYSTEM-BUILT homes incorporate the most advanced
developments in the modular construction industry into
the modular home building process.
Built using a combination of panelized and modular
construction, Apex SYSTEM-BUILT homes benefit from the
latest in total modular construction technology. Under
our SYSTEM-BUILT program, every modular home design is
analyzed to determine the best and most cost-effective
manner to construct the home, while maintaining the
utmost level of customization. The homeowner can finally
get exactly what he or she wants while benefiting from
the structural and economic advantages associated with
modular construction.
How was the SYSTEM-BUILT technology
developed?
Most modular home companies began as an offshoot of the
manufactured home industry. These companies set out to
create an upscale product using low-tech construction
techniques—a philosophy that helped create the modular
construction business in the "starter home" market but
was much too limited to attract custom-oriented
homebuyers in the mid and upper markets.
Apex Homes' SYSTEM-BUILT technology, however, directly
resulted from taking stick-built construction techniques
and adapting them to modular construction principles. By
combining the high-end construction methods already in
use by the stick-built industry with the convenience and
precision of the modular construction world, Apex Homes
was able to successfully produce modular homes ranging
from economical starter houses to million-dollar estate
homes. Today, our ability to bring you the best of the
modular, panelized, and stick-built industries results
in homes which are not only more affordable than
traditionally built homes but are also higher in quality.
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