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.
The first number you see on an overseas prefab listing is almost always the factory price — sometimes called ex-works (EXW) or free on board (FOB). It is the price of the product at the factory gate or loaded onto a ship. It is not what the home costs once it is standing on your land with the lights on.
That doesn't make the factory price misleading. It makes it incomplete. The useful question isn't “is this cheap?” It's “what else has to happen, and who pays for it?”
What usually sits between the factory and your front door
- Ocean freight, port fees and inland trucking — oversize modules may need escorts and routing permits.
- Import duties, tariffs and a customs broker.
- U.S. engineering review of the structure and foundation.
- Permits, plan review and inspection fees.
- Foundation, site preparation, grading and drainage.
- A crane and a crew to set the home.
- Utility connections: electrical service, water, sewer or septic.
- Anything the factory didn't finish — which varies enormously.
Ask for the scope, not just the price
Before comparing two homes, ask each manufacturer for a written scope: exactly what is included, in what condition it arrives and what they expect to be done locally. Two listings at the same price can represent very different amounts of finished house.
General information only — not legal, engineering or financial advice.
