Glossary of Industry Terms

Manufactured Home
A home built in a controlled, factory environment on a permanent chassis that is designed to be used with or without a permanent foundation when connected to the required utilities. Manufactured homes are built to the federal Manufactured Home Construction Safety Standards enforced by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Manufactured homes are constructed in sections and are delivered to the home site in one, two, or occasionally, three sections; they may be placed on private property or in a manufactured home community.

HUD Code 
A national building and safety code that regulates the home’s design and construction, strength and durability, transportability, fire resistance, energy efficiency and quality control. It also sets stringent performance standards for the heating, plumbing, air conditioning, thermal and electrical systems. The HUD Code specifically pre-empts local building codes as they relate to construction codes for manufactured homes.

Modular Home
Factory-built homes that begin as components and are designed, engineered and assembled in a controlled, factory environment. These components come together at the building site and the home is completed by a licensed builder under standards enforced by state and local agencies. Modular homes may be one- or two-story dwellings and are placed only on private property.

Manufactured Home Communities
Private land developed as home sites for manufactured homes. In Ohio, most sites are rented to the homeowner for a monthly fee. Sometimes referred to as a land-lease community.

Single-Section Home
A manufactured home delivered to home sites in one intact section, usually 14-feet-wide or 16-feet-wide by as much as 80 feet long. These homes offer 1,100 square feet or more of living area.

Multi-Section Home
A manufactured home delivered to home sites in two or three sections that are built and transported separately to the site and then joined together to make one living unit. Typical models have 24 feet by 60 feet of living area (1,440 square feet), and may have a site-built garage attached after the home is installed.

Sales Center or Retailer
A place where model homes are displayed, giving homebuyers the opportunity to walk through multiple floor plans and view the different options available. Professional home consultants are on hand to assist with the home buying process.

Professional Home Consultant
Professional, knowledgeable seller of manufactured homes. Helps to pair homebuyers with a home that best suits their needs and tastes. Assists in arranging financing, and has the home installed on the home site and prepared for move-in.

Site-Built Housing
Housing constructed entirely at the home site.