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If you’re looking to build an affordable and sustainable home in the Sunshine State, modular construction might be the most suitable option for you.
Modular prefabricated homes are those that were manufactured in an indoor factory, instead of being built through traditional, onsite construction. A modular home is fabricated in ‘modules’ that are made in the factory and transported to the construction site where the individual modules are connected together to form a complete house.
In 2021, the median sale price for single-family homes in Florida rose by more than 20 percent. Building a custom family home for your loved ones was never going to be cheap or easy – but it is now more expensive than ever. The rising real-estate prices in Florida (and many other states) have made it almost impossible for young families and individuals to become homeowners.
Many homebuyers are now avoiding traditional, site-built homes in favor of cheaper, prefabricated modular ones. These modular homes have the added advantages of being eco-friendly, customizable, durable, and (most importantly) much more affordable than site-built properties. Moreover, a modular prefab home can be constructed in about half the time it would take to build a traditional, site-built home of similar size and design.
Why You Should Opt for a Modular Prefab Home
So, would a modular prefab home in Florida be suitable for you? Let’s look at the pros and cons of modular construction before making that decision. Some of the main factors you should keep in mind are as follows.
Flexibility and Customization
Modular construction is quite flexible, and offers a variety of options for customization and modification. Most modular prefab builders in Florida (and elsewhere) will provide you with a range of floor plans to choose from. Customization options include flooring, color, appliances, bath fixtures, countertops, and cabinets.
Speed of Construction
Because modular homes are mostly fabricated within indoor factories before being sent to the construction site for assembly, the building process is not hindered by rain, storm, heat, and other climatic factors. Construction within a factory does not have to stop at night, and can continue 24/7 until the project is complete. As a result, your modular home will probably be completed within a couple of months of placing the order.
Quality and Durability
Since modular homes are built in factories, they are made using state-of-the-art tools and techniques that are not available to traditional, on-site builders. For instance, all the electrical outlet boxes of your modular home will have bracing and insulation already installed.
Typically, the interior walls of modular homes are lag-bolted to the exterior ones, straps brace the floor to the walls, and custom-made jigs ensure that all the floors, ceilings, and walls are square and well-proportioned.
Environmental Impact
Lastly, it must not be forgotten that modular construction is extremely ecofriendly. The factories manufacturing the prefabricated parts of modular homes work on several projects at the same time. This means that any material which isn’t used for one project can easily be reallocated to another, instead of being wasted (unlike onsite construction, which leads to massive amounts of wastage).
Finding the Best Modular Prefab Builders in Florida
If you’re planning to build a modular prefab home in Florida, we’re here to help! Read on to learn about the best companies that manufacture prefabricated homes in the Sunshine State.
Homes of Merit
Established in 1973, this company is based in Bartow, Florida, and builds modular prefab homes throughout the Sunshine State, in addition to Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Most modular homes manufactured by them comprise expansive outdoor spaces, front porches, and modern, hi-tech interiors with a minimalistic design.
Helpful customer service, personalized floor plans, a wide range of design options, and durable, high-quality construction are some of the reasons why Homes of Merit is so popular among homebuyers in the region.
The company aims to provide each client with a home that fits their lifestyle, adheres to their tastes and aesthetic sensibilities, and makes them feel secure and comfortable.
Global Modulars
This company manufactures modular prefab buildings for residential and commercial use, and has completed dozens of projects in Asia, Europe, and the United States. It is based in Florida and employs highly skilled and experienced designers, engineers, and architects from the state.
Global Modulars focuses primarily on transforming cargo containers (and other prefabricated structures) into functional single-family homes, apartment complexes, and office buildings. Their innovative construction methods allow for an infinite variety of designs and configurations, as well as easy future expansion of the property.
If you’re interested, you can ask the designers and architects at Global Modulars to add some extra features to your new prefab home, such as a pool, balcony, deck, or garage. These additions will be accomplished quickly and without much extra expense.
Ai Domes
For almost 40 years, American Ingenuity (Ai) Domes has been manufacturing high-quality geodesic dome kits – made from prefabricated panels – used to construct modular homes and commercial centers. These prefab geodesic domes feature a fire-resistant, concrete exterior surface that can provide adequate protection against hurricanes, tornadoes, etc.
You can use these geodesic dome kits to build world-class retirement homes, vacation homes, as well as a quirky, unique, and comfortable primary residence. Each dome kit comprises insulated panels made from reinforced concrete and durable prefab steel.
Based in Rockledge, Florida, the company services Florida and neighboring states and has sold over 800 dome kits across the United States and abroad.
MesoCore Sustainable Hybrid Solar Homes
Based in Riviera Beach, Florida, this company makes use of hybrid construction technology to build high-quality modular homes in various parts of the US.
MesoCore homes comprise a steel ‘core’ or base-frame, which is manufactured in a factory, and pre-installed with all the requisite plumbing and electrical work. This core or chassis is delivered to the construction site in the form of a 20-foot container.
Once the base-frame has arrived at the construction site, the company uses local labor to start assembling the prefabricated components into an actual house. These factory-produced prefab components all arrive in the container itself.
Using the best features of modular and traditional construction, MesoCore builds homes that are affordable, durable, sustainable, and easy to install.
Green Dwellings
Green Dwellings creates stunning and sustainable modular homes made from steel and concrete. Featuring impact windows and tight, thermal, non-toxic spray insulation, these homes are made to meet the highest hurricane-resistant standards. Only renewable and recycled building materials are used during the construction process.
Based in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, the company also makes use of state-of-the-art energy-saving techniques to minimize energy consumption in your new home, thereby lowering your utility bills.
Once you place the order, your new sustainable modular home will be delivered within three months, with the construction being 90 percent complete even before it has arrived at the building site.
AbleNook Modular Dwellings
Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, Ablenook uses a structural base-frame made from aircraft-grade aluminum to build durable and ecofriendly modular homes. These dwellings are delivered as flat-packed and site-assembled building kits. Structural insulated panels or SIPs are used to create the roof, floors, and walls of the dwelling.
The innovative construction technology used by Ablenook makes the construction process both simple and fast. Their modular homes are easy to assemble and install, and the installation process requires almost no specialized tools.
Most Ablenook houses are quite small and are built to be hurricane-resistant. They can, however, be expanded with additional modules, to be used as a permanent dwelling, office, or an emergency shelter.
Steel X Homes
Steel X Homes is a modular prefab builder based in Orlando that delivers its products throughout Florida. Through its unique engineering with the use of steel and cement, they make for a near-bullet proof and hurricane-proof designed home.
It manufactures prefab modular homes with the help of hi-tech LGS steel structures that enhance the speed and simplicity of the building process.
They have a great video gallery where you can learn about the power of steel construction, their factory building process, Ferrocement, energy efficiency features, and much more.
FL Modular Homes
Located in St. Augustine, this company constructs modular prefab homes (and panelized wall systems) in all parts of Florida. Their homes are especially designed to be energy-efficient, sustainable, and easy to maintain.
Once the flat-packed modules have been delivered to the construction site, they can either be stacked on top of each other (up to 4 stories high) or installed side by side, depending on your preferences and the size of your property.
The architects employed by FL Modular Homes will help you design the perfect living space for your family. Then, the company will also coordinate the engineering, construction, and permitting processes on your behalf.
Wyn-Box
A collective of urban strategists and architects, Wyn-Box aims to improve communities and neighborhoods in Florida with modular homes and commercial buildings that are innovative, rapidly deployable, affordable, and aesthetically appealing.
Their prefabricated, modular building systems are unique, customizable, and very easy to install, aside from being completely recyclable.
The company focuses on cutting-edge design, innovative offsite fabrication, and expert consulting services through every stage of the building process. Their pre-designed and precision-engineered modular prefab units are easy to assemble and install on any construction site. Wyn-Box also offers engineering, architecture, consulting, and permitting services to new homebuyers.
Solaleya
Solaleya designs nature-inspired, energy-efficient modular homes that are innovative and well-crafted. The homes they manufacture are typically earthquake resistant and have an aerodynamic shape. Self-supporting wooden arches form the primary structural support of these buildings. The aerodynamic design ensures that Solaleya homes offer excellent resistance to high winds, making them especially popular in hurricane-prone areas.
From conception to installation, Solaleya handles the entire homebuilding process for clients, offering design, planning, construction, and interior decoration services. Centralized layouts, panoramic bay windows, and exterior sun decks are some of the common features found in the modular homes designed by this company.
Northstar Modular Homes, Inc.
A premier manufacturer of modular prefab homes, Northstar has over 20 years of experience in the industry and is based in Fort Myers, Florida. Reduced building time, enhanced quality, and design flexibility are some of the major benefits that this company offers.
Furthermore, Northstar builds hundreds of modular prefab homes a year. Therefore, the company has developed several cost-saving strategies, including yearly buying contracts with suppliers, volume purchasing, and other economies of scale that are unavailable to onsite builders. These cost savings are passed along to home buyers in the form of cheaper modular homes made from the best-in-class materials.
Unfortunately we couldn’t find any case studies or pictures of their projects for you!
Florida Modular Homes
Also located in St. Augustine, Florida Modular Homes offers factory built homes through their homebuilding partners Palm Harbor, Jacobsen, and Franklin Homes. Their website offers a great summary of the benefits of going with a modular home on a concrete foundation vs. a typical mobile home of the same size.
Some of these benefits include higher insulation values, more efficient HVAC systems, no sales tax, many more options to finance (since it’s on a solid foundation), and much more.
Offering Modular Homes throughout Florida, they have many model centers that you can visit, along with a variety of housing styles and floor plans. They list many financing partners on the website as well.
Affinity Building Systems
This company aims to build ‘elegant and everlasting’ modular prefab homes. They offer clients a wide variety of modular home floorplans, all of them designed in-house by Affinity architects. Almost all of these plans are engineered to meet (and exceed) building code requirements in Florida’s Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade areas, as well as other high wind zones.
Affinity manufactures high-performance, prefabricated, single and multi-family homes that are known for their strength, security, and durability.
Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi are some of the states where Affinity’s world-class modular homes can be delivered. Fiberglass insulated floor and walls, durable vinyl siding, and covered porches are some of the standard features of their modular homes.
Jacobsen Homes
Founded in 1959, this family owned and operated business has built a reputation for itself as Florida’s foremost source for modular and manufactured homes.
Jacobsen homes are known for being affordable, expertly designed, and crafted from the highest quality materials. Their manufacturing process combines cutting-edge technology with traditional craftsmanship and a uniquely human touch.
Jacobsen Homes is also a green builder, having implemented many innovative solutions to conserve energy and reduce waste during the home construction process. As a result, their modular and manufactured homes are exceptionally eco-friendly, fabricated in climate-controlled factories with recyclable materials.
Each modular home is carefully designed by an in-house team of architects and engineers.
TownHomes LLC
If an expertly built, durable, and heavy-duty modular prefab home is what you’re looking for, then TownHomes LLC is the perfect company for you.
Based in Lake City, Florida, this company is known for the strength of its residential structures. They have more than 50 custom floor plans that you can choose from, making them one of the most versatile modular prefab builders in Florida.
Strength and resilience are integral aspects of the TownHomes brand, and the company can confidently assert that their modular homes can withstand almost any hurricane. This unparalleled strength is achieved by utilizing cutting-edge construction technology and never cutting corners on building materials.
Sweetwater Homes
This company has been building high-quality prefabricated homes in the Florida Keys for more than 40 years. Every one of their modular homes is affordable, reliable, and sustainable.
The business was established in 1973 and has been family-owned and operated ever since, which enables them to provide help, guidance, and a personal touch to would-be homeowners.
They offer pre-designed floor plans that can be customized to fit the needs and lifestyle of each individual client.
Apart from excellent aesthetics and comfort, Sweetwater-built homes are also designed to be extremely tough and hurricane-resistant. Their unique building techniques and floor plans are all optimized to keep you and your property safe from any major hurricane damage.
Final Thoughts
Now that you’ve got the lowdown on the leading modular home manufacturers in Florida, it’s time to reach out to the ones that catch your eye.
Give them a call, share your preferences, and talk budget with their friendly representatives. By chatting with these companies, you’ll be well on your way to finding the perfect modular prefab builder for you!
We’ve also written another article featuring the top Florida green homebuilders if you’d like to visit that one here!
And to check out builders in the surrounding states, check out the modular builders in Alabama. If you’d prefer to escape to the Caribbean while still being in the USA, check out our modular builders in Puerto Rico post.