Modular Builders File Petition on Load Regulations
Working with a coalition of associations representing the modular home industry, NAHB’s Building Systems Councils (BSC) has petitioned the U.S. Department of Transportation to exempt the industry from divisible load regulations that are adding an average $2,032 to the cost of a home. This added cost is an unnecessary burden to home manufacturers and home buyers. The exemption “would be a tremendous relief to home buyers,” said John Colucci of manufacturer Westchester Modular Homes. “One of the significant benefits of modular construction is cost control, and modular manufacturers have to take advantage of any way to control costs and keep the construction process efficient.” Most shipments of modules — the factory-crafted sections of modular homes — are transported over the national highway system as oversized loads. Under current regulations, manufacturers are required to break down those loads into individual modules, even though in many cases two modules conveyed by the same transporter would not come close to exceeding weight limits or dimensions specified by individual states. Under this rule, it takes four vehicles or trips to transport the average modular home, when in many cases two or three would suffice. The BSC, working with the National Modular Housing Coalition (including the Modular Building Systems Association and the National Modular Housing Council), submitted its formal petition on Tuesday, May 31. One of the fastest-growing segments of the home building industry, modular housing accounted for 42,700 new homes in 2004. For more information about the modular housing industry or the Building Systems Councils, call 800-368-5242 x8576. | 
