Building a factory-built home project takes a coordinated team of specialty trades and third-party suppliers — and missing any of them at the wrong moment can stall a build for weeks. This guide lists the trades and suppliers most factory-built housing developments need, with a one-line description of what each does and when in the build sequence they’re typically engaged.
Use it as a planning reference when you’re scoping a new project, building a bid list, or coordinating with a manufacturer and licensed installer. Many of these trades bundle multiple services, so the list is a starting point — actual scope depends on whether you’re working with manufactured, modular, or CrossMod™ homes and whether the home is installed on a permanent foundation or a pier-and-beam system.
What You’ll Learn
- The nine core trades typically required for a factory-built home project — factory and on-site transporters, professional engineer, licensed installer, finish contractor, plumber, electrician, HVAC, and brick/block contractor
- Why HVAC contractors should be ENERGY STAR® certified, and how HVAC requirements differ between manufactured and modular homes
- When you’ll need a brick or block contractor — and when you won’t
- Third-party suppliers and equipment to plan for: crane, concrete, landscape, solar (photovoltaic), and third-party inspectors
- When third-party inspections are required, particularly for homes built under an Alternate Construction (AC) letter