Field notes
The homework, in public.
What we're learning as we investigate the global prefab market — written for buyers, not engineers.
The Real Price
The factory price is the first number, not the last one
A $30,000 home and a $30,000 installed home are two very different things. Here's the gap, line by line.
Factory Questions
Who fixes it when it leaks?
One question to ask every manufacturer before you send a deposit — and what a good answer sounds like.
What Arrives?
Factory-finished is a spectrum
A modular home, an expandable unit and a panel kit can all be called “prefab.” What arrives on the truck is wildly different.
Approved Where?
HUD, modular, site-built: approved where, exactly?
A plain-English map of how factory-built homes get approved in the U.S. — and why “U.S. compliant” usually isn't a real thing.
Recurring series
Six questions we keep coming back to.
The Real Price
What low factory prices leave out.
PublishingWould I Send the Deposit?
A direct look at one product and its unanswered questions.
In productionFactory Questions
One question American buyers should ask every manufacturer.
PublishingWhat Arrives?
Factory completion versus local work, broken down.
PublishingApproved Where?
Plain-English explanations of HUD, modular and local approval.
PublishingField House Finds
Homes worth investigating — not endorsements.
In production
Start here
So… what are we building?
Eight quick questions. Tell us the dream, the land, the budget and what’s making you nervous. A human reads every one.