Building a house is a considerable investment that requires time and money. It involves research, planning, and countless hours of building. One wrong move, like hiring an unskilled builder, can put your investment to waste. This highlights the importance of hiring an excellent builder to build your home. An expert builder is even more important when building a modular house because the only time you’ll see your home is when it gets delivered, so you’re putting complete trust in your chosen builder.
This article will discuss Alabama’s best prefab and modular house builders. This can help you save time and ensure you get your dream house.
Table of Contents
- 1 Why Build a Prefab or Modular Home in Alabama?
- 2 How Long Does it Take to Build a Modular/Prefab Home in Alabama?
- 3 Can I Finance a Prefabricated or Modular Home in Alabama?
- 4 How Much Does it Typically Cost to Build a Prefab or Modular Home in Alabama?
- 5 Who Are The Best Modular & Prefab Home Builders in Alabama?
- 6 Conclusion
Why Build a Prefab or Modular Home in Alabama?
If you want to live in the center of southern hospitality, then Alabama is the place to be. The people of Alabama are known for being welcoming, respectful, helpful, and neighborly. Alabama is a state rich in history because of its role in the American Civil Rights Movement. Like other southern states, Alabama is famous for its barbeques and fried food like chicken, okra, green tomatoes, pork skin, and others.
Building a prefabricated home in Alabama can help you quickly move into a new home since prefab houses are faster to build than conventional houses. You don’t have to worry about construction delays due to inclement weather because the house is manufactured in a factory. This can save you money not just on construction costs but rental expenses if you are renting while waiting for your home to get completed.
Downsides
One drawback to prefabricated houses is that you cannot build them anywhere. Some subdivisions or gated communities don’t allow prefabricated houses. If you own land in a subdivision, you should discuss building a modular home on your lot with your HOA officials. If you are not allowed to build a prefab home, you can consider other house types or look for land on which you can build. Check our prefab vs. modular homes piece to learn about the differences between these two house types.
How Long Does it Take to Build a Modular/Prefab Home in Alabama?
The entire process can take between 16 to 24 weeks to complete. This includes the time to manufacture and assemble the modules on your lot. The process can take longer if you want a large house or if the manufacturer has many orders to fulfill.
Can I Finance a Prefabricated or Modular Home in Alabama?
Yes, you can finance a modular home in Alabama. Most banks and mortgage companies treat them like traditional houses, so you can apply for a conventional loan to build your house.
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How Much Does it Typically Cost to Build a Prefab or Modular Home in Alabama?
A prefabricated house can cost between $50 and $230 per square foot to build, while a stick-built house is more expensive at $100 to $400 per square foot. These are rough estimates and can vary depending on the size of your house, its design, its features, and your location. You can also read about building a barndominium in Alabama if you are still looking for other affordable alternatives.
Are There Any Special Building Regulations I Should Be Aware Of?
Counties implement building regulations depending on the needs of their constituents, so don’t be surprised if your county’s regulations differ from their neighbors. For example, in the Town of Alabama, the building permit fee is $0.15 per square foot, while Lee County has a graduated building permit fee. The building permit fee in Lee County for projects costing between $100,001 and $1,000,000 is $782 for the first $100,000 plus $4 for each additional $1,000 of construction.
Who Are The Best Modular & Prefab Home Builders in Alabama?
Below are some of the best Alabama prefab home builders, their strengths, weaknesses, and what their customers have to say about them.
Whitson Builders LLC.
Pros
- Whitson Builders offers turnkey services.
- They also build garages, barns, and porches.
- The company builds in most of Alabama and surrounding areas like Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi.
Cons
- Whitson Builders doesn’t have in-house financing but has partner lending companies.
What are their clients saying?
“Whitson Builders is experienced, honest and client friendly.”
– Michelle Garmon. Source: Google Business Review
Our Thoughts
Whitson Builders LLC. is a modular building company based in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Aside from servicing most of Alabama, the company builds prefabricated homes in Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, and Louisiana. They offer turnkey services to customers who want builders to handle all aspects of building their homes. Whitson Builders can also build garages, carports, porches, and barns, so customers won’t have to look for a different builder. Whitson Builders stocks two-story modular homes, unlike other builders that offer mostly single-story prefabricated houses.
Star Homes of Cullman
Pros
- Their gallery includes 3D tours of their modular homes.
- Star Homes of Cullman offers in-house financing services.
- Whenever available, Star Homes of Cullman sells pre-owned modular houses.
Cons
- Viewing of their model homes is on a by-schedule basis.
What are their clients saying?
“They have high quality homes. We shopped around and no one could compete with them.”
– Jamie Washburn. Source: Google Business Review
Our Thoughts
One thing that stands out with Star Homes of Cullman is their website gallery of prefabricated houses. The gallery is informative and provides crucial details like which homes are on display, new, or are part of their clearance sale. Star Home’s gallery also has 3D tours so customers can view model houses’ interiors without physically visiting their lot. This is helpful for busy customers who cannot find the time to travel to Star Homes’ location in Cullman. The 3D tours are also helpful because Star Homes prefers that customers schedule visits to lot models. Another advantage of Star Homes is its in-house financing services. This can help customers finance their prefabricated homes without having to approach several banks or lending companies.
Spartan Homes Summerdale
Pros
- Spartan Homes Summerdale offers modular homes from nine manufacturers.
- Spartan Homes Summerdale has a finance manager to assist customers with their financing requirements.
- The company has special discount offers for certain homes.
Cons
- Spartan Homes Summerdale’s gallery offers limited information on the features of their homes.
What are their clients saying?
“They will walk you through the complete home buying experience including finding the best financing options for you.”
– Brad Ragon. Source: Google Business Review
Our Thoughts
As its name implies, Spartan Homes is located in Summerdale, Alabama. However, the company also builds for customers in Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, Florida, and Arkansas. The company builds both modular and manufactured homes. Spartan Homes sells prefabricated houses from nine manufacturers, so customers have a diverse selection of models to choose from. Their gallery of models has video tours to give customers a better idea of what the houses look like on the inside. Another good thing about Spartan Homes is that they have a finance manager who can assist customers with their financing requirements. This is an excellent service, especially for first-time homeowners unfamiliar with housing or construction loans.
Franklin Home Center
Pros
- Franklin Home Center has three fully-furnished homes on display.
- The company has a partner mortgage company.
- Franklin Home Center has a wide selection of floor plans and modular houses. Check out our gallery of floor plans at https://www.metal-building-homes.com/floor-plans/ if you want more options for your prefabricated house.
Cons
- There’s limited information about the materials and features of the homes they are selling.
What are their clients saying?
“I’m familiar with all of the manufacturers and Franklin seriously pays attention to detail and thinks things thru as far as what the customer it family would need.”
– Melissa Meyer-Haithcock Source: Google Business Review
Our Thoughts
If you are looking for a modular home builder with a wealth of experience, Franklin Home Center is an excellent candidate with more than 50 years of experience. Franklin Home Center’s manufacturing facility is located in Russellville, Alabama, where the company has three model houses on display. Their model homes are fully furnished to give customers an idea of what a modular home looks like upon completion. Franklin Home Center has a partner mortgage company to make it easier for customers to apply for a loan and finance their homes.
Gerald Murray Home Center
Pros
- Gerald Murray Home Center carries prefabricated homes from four manufacturers.
- They offer a wide variety of options and upgrades. Check our Instagram account for more design ideas you can use to furnish your home.
- Gerald Murray Home Center accepts trade-ins.
Cons
- The company’s gallery contains limited information about the materials used in their modular homes.
What are their clients saying?
“Great staff!!! And gorgeous homes!!!”
– Whitney Shelnutt Source: Google Business Review
Our Thoughts
Gerald Murray is a building company operating since 1972. The company is based in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Aside from prefabricated homes, the company also builds mobile houses. They sell modular homes from four manufacturers, so customers can choose which manufacturer they want. This also increases the number of models that customers can choose from. Gerald Murray also accepts trade-ins from customers wanting to sell their current houses to build new ones.
Conclusion
Alabama is an attractive option if you want to live in a place where friendly faces abound. The state is known for its Southern hospitality, and you’ll definitely fit in quickly. Alabama is also an excellent location if you love southern cooking. The state also ranks as the 39th most expensive state, so your money will go a long way if you choose to live in Alabama. Building a modular house can also save money because it is cheaper than a conventional one. It is also faster to build, so you can relocate to your new house earlier than planned.
To ensure that you have an outstanding modular home, work with one of the local builders we reviewed above. Check our list of the best prefab home builders in surrounding states like Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, and Tennessee if you’re open to working with builders from another state. Follow our Facebook page for more informative articles about amazing unconventional houses, including barndominiums, shouses, and shipping container houses.
