| Building permits |
A modular home normally requires approval in the destination country and may also require local planning, zoning, fire, energy, structural, and utility approvals. |
Approved drawings, structural calculations, energy-performance documents, fire-safety information, and the local permit checklist. |
Confirm requirements with the local authority or a licensed building professional before placing the final order. |
| United States |
Requirements commonly depend on the adopted version of the International Residential Code or International Building Code, state rules, local zoning, wind and snow loads, seismic design, and site conditions. |
Code-compliance drawings, engineering sealed for the relevant state, energy-code calculations, foundation design, and inspection schedule. |
Do not assume a factory certificate replaces local permitting, inspections, or approval of the foundation and utility connections. |
| United Kingdom |
Projects generally need to satisfy Building Regulations. Planning permission, building-control approval, site access, and connection requirements may apply separately. |
Drawings, structural design, thermal and ventilation calculations, fire strategy, product information, and building-control submission documents. |
Check both planning rules and Building Regulations; one approval does not automatically replace the other. |
| European Union and EEA markets |
National building rules still apply. Certain construction products may be covered by European harmonised standards or a European Technical Assessment, but compliance depends on the specific product and intended use. |
Declaration of Performance where applicable, technical files, material specifications, fire classification, energy data, and national approval requirements. |
Verify whether each product needs construction-product documentation, electrical conformity, or other market-specific certification instead of relying on a generic “CE” statement. |
| Australia and New Zealand |
Homes must meet the applicable national building code and local approval process. Wind regions, bushfire exposure, termite risk, energy efficiency, transport limits, and seismic conditions can affect the design. |
Engineering calculations, energy reports, bushfire or wind design evidence where relevant, material data, and documentation for local approval. |
Obtain a site-specific design review before manufacturing because climate and hazard zones can materially change the specification. |
| Structural design |
The structure must be designed for the destination site's loads, including wind, snow, earthquakes, soil conditions, transport handling, and connection forces. |
Stamped structural calculations, connection details, steel or timber grades, corrosion protection specification, and foundation reactions. |
Use an engineer licensed or recognized in the destination jurisdiction to review the factory design. |
| Transport and import |
The buyer may be responsible for international freight, marine insurance, customs clearance, import taxes, port charges, inland delivery, and oversized-load permits. |
Commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin where applicable, customs classification, insurance certificate, and delivery terms. |
Specify the Incoterm, who pays each charge, and who carries risk at every transport stage in the purchase contract. |
| Site preparation |
The site usually needs a suitable foundation, level access, drainage, temporary storage, lifting space, power, water, wastewater, and utility connections. |
Geotechnical report where required, foundation drawings, site survey, utility plan, delivery route survey, and crane-access assessment. |
Assign responsibility for excavation, foundation work, crane hire, assembly, weather protection, and final connections before delivery. |
| Installation process |
Factory completion can reduce on-site work, but modules still require unloading, positioning, joining, sealing, testing, and connection to local services. |
Installation manual, lifting plan, module weights, connection details, tolerances, commissioning checklist, and inspection records. |
Use qualified local trades for electrical, plumbing, gas, and other regulated work unless local law permits an alternative. |
| Quality control |
Factory inspection does not eliminate the need to check concealed work, dimensions, moisture protection, finishes, equipment, and damage before shipment and after installation. |
Material certificates, production inspection reports, moisture readings, photographic records, test results, and a signed pre-shipment inspection report. |
Use an independent inspection service or a locally recognized inspector at defined production and delivery milestones. |
| Warranty coverage |
Warranty periods and exclusions are contract-specific. Coverage may differ for structure, waterproofing, finishes, appliances, windows, electrical equipment, and installation work. |
Signed warranty terms, start date, covered components, exclusions, remedy process, response times, and evidence requirements. |
Ensure the warranty remains valid when installation is completed by a local contractor and state which law governs disputes. |
| After-sales support |
Cross-border support can be slower because of time zones, language, replacement-part shipping, local labor availability, and customs procedures. |
Named service contact, escalation process, spare-parts list, technical drawings, troubleshooting guide, and service-level commitments. |
Keep a handover file containing product serial numbers, manuals, photographs, maintenance schedules, and approved replacement specifications. |
| Payment protection |
Large deposits create risk when the home is customized and difficult to resell. Payment milestones should match measurable progress. |
Detailed contract, milestone schedule, change-order procedure, inspection rights, refund terms, delay remedies, and retention amount. |
Link payments to approved drawings, production completion, inspection, shipment, delivery, installation, and acceptance. |
| Best-fit buyer profile |
Modular homes can suit buyers who value controlled factory production, repeatable designs, and potentially shorter on-site construction, while accepting coordination responsibilities. |
Complete scope of supply, site responsibility matrix, delivery schedule, technical approvals, and total landed-cost estimate. |
Compare total project cost—not only the factory price—including permits, engineering, freight, duties, foundation, crane, installation, utilities, and local inspections. |
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