Manufactured Home Versus Mobile Home — What’s the Difference?

The terms “mobile home” and “manufactured home” are sometimes used synonymously, and you may think that they mean the same thing. But that’s not quite the case.

Manufactured Home Versus Mobile Home — They Used to Mean the Same Thing!

Prior to 1976, the terms “mobile home” and “manufactured home” were often used to refer to a home that was pre-built and designed to be movable. They could be loaded onto a trailer or some even had wheels to allow it to be moved easily to a new location.

Demand for these “mobile homes” rose in the 1960's when people were looking for affordable housing alternatives. As time went on people became less interested in portable options and began looking for similar quality and amenities found in traditional homes.

As part of this change, laws went into effect in 1974 (National Mobile Home Construction and Safety Act) and 1976 (HUD Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards) to outline the requirements for manufactured homes. These standards related to the overall design and construction, thermal protection, requirements for plumbing and electricity, fire safety, energy efficiency for manufactured homes. Basically, legislators were attempting to stop cut-rate manufacturers from making cheap mobile homes  and encouraging “manufactured homes” that were similar in quality to homes built using traditional techniques.

The Term “Manufactured Home” Became Commonplace After 1980

In the Housing Act of 1980, the term “manufactured home” was mandated to be used instead of “mobile” home in all federal laws and regulations referencing homes built after 1976, and this is the term that’s preferred today.

Today’s manufactured homes are much different from mobile homes built in the ‘60s and ‘70s, due to the aforementioned legislation. Manufactured homes are still pre-built in specialized facilities and are shipped to residential communities with permanent foundations for placement. They come in three standard sizes including single, double, and triple-wide, and while they can be moved, this is much less common than it used to be, and requires specialized transportation equipment.

The term “mobile home” now typically refers to large RVs or trailers that can be parked in the same place for months or years at a time, and provide semi-permanent housing for their residents.

Learn more about Manufactured Home Loans by contacting a Community West Bank lending specialist today.