The manufactured homes of today aren’t the same as the mobile home your grandmother might have lived in. So before you decide mobile homes can’t be modified for accessibility and independent function, you might want to give it a second thought.

Manufactured (mobile) homes have gotten a bad rap for many years. And for many years they received the rap they deserved. When should a new manufactured home be considered?

Before 1976, mobile homes were built to “voluntary” industry standards. But in 1976, The Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards went into effect. These codes were created by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and regulate the design, construction, strength, durability, fire resistance, energy efficiency as well as the performance standards of plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems. In 1994, the HUD code was revised and included more stringent standards for homes manufactured for certain zones in the US. According to a recent study completed by the University of Florida, Dr. K.R. Grosskopf found that “not one manufactured home built and installed after 1994 code changes was destroyed or seriously damaged by four hurricanes that struck Florida in 2004.” No matter how you look at it, the results of that study are impressive.

Manufactures are quick to explain that the manufactured home is built in a protected and controlled environment. And the assembly line techniques remove many problems that site built homes face while providing significant economic values that make the manufactured home an affordable option. In 2005 the average size mobile home was 1,725 sq/ft and cost $68,600 ($39.77 per sq/ft). The comparison to a similar site built home was $218,000 ($90.63 per sq/ft).

So when might modifying an existing manufactured home be a good option?