Tilt-up Roofs for Manufactured and Modular Homes New option can increase utility and value of modular homes.  Manufactured and modular homes typically have roofs with low pitches due to the need to clear underpasses during transport. Devices are available that allow a high-pitched roof to fold flat during transport to provide the necessary clearance, while still achieving some of the savings associated with a factory-built roof. In modular homes, the high-pitched roof allows for second-floor or attic spaces, increasing the utility and value of the home. In manufactured (HUD code) homes, these roofs also can be more appropriate for infill sites in urban areas where its appearance helps it fit among the older homes in the neighborhood.
Tilt-up gable roofs are widely used, but there are two approaches that stand out. One is featured on a factory-built (HUD code) home by New Era of Pennsylvania; the other is a patented method developed by MDG, a Colorado architect. New Era's home is available in one or two stories. In each, the house is assembled and transported as two separate halves with a gable plane folded down. A set of hinged connections pivots at the eave to allow the roof to be lifted by a crane. The gable end panels are then inserted and the ridge fastened. Modular component dormers can be installed on-site. The main floors of the New Era home consist of two sections, either 14' or 16' wide (nominal) and various lengths with a partial or full second floor. With the addition of a site-installed (or double hinged) upper roof section and gable ends, a second floor space is created for future finishing. Although the design is standardized, it can be offered in a number of site-specific plans and elevations. In many cases the buyer will order through an options/configuration checklist categorized by trade. The home can also be used in zero lot line configurations. The MDG technique involves nylon webbing hinge bands wrapped around a tilting "rocker" plate on which the rafters rest. The inventor has designed the technique to work with structural insulated panels, wood truss joists, or conventional rafters. To accommodate roofs with very steep pitches, a secondary hinge is constructed along an intermediate joint below and parallel to the ridge. 
Tilt-up roofs are unfamiliar to most builders, requiring more coordination. Shear walls may be required for homes with roofs 5:12 and steeper; check with local codes. The need for a (more expensive) steep-roof design to meet the visual requirements of urban infill sites is not widely recognized by the industry. For a typical 1000 sf house, a distributor for New Era claims four to five weeks from order to delivery, with an additional two weeks on-site preparation.
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The use of tilt-up roofs allow manufactured housing where zoning resolutions require roofs of a certain minimum pitch. However, the HUD code discourages a second floor because the field work that is necessary cannot be inspected in the factory. The current HUD Code does not address stairs, thereby requiring a special permit to complete the home on site. New Era claims these are built to fit every code in the country and often exceed them due to the economy of scale and keeping features consistent.
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Once the checklist is sent to New Era and assembly begins, the foundation and utilities connections are prepared. The house is delivered via crane from the flatbed, and the floor-carrying beams are bolted together. All or part of the main roof is hinged up on site to a pitch between 9:12 and 12:12. A flat or sloped ceiling can then be installed. The MDG technique involves inserting the hinge bands after the roof has been assembled in the factory. The 1½" x 1/16" nylon strips are placed approximately 4' on center with 16-gauge staples at key areas. Delivered on site, the first half of the house has its roof "hyperextended" to allow insertion of the gable end panel while the other half of the house is readied for placement by the crane.
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New Era's turn-key costs range from $58 to $98 per sf, averaging $70 with customized options. Considering the added cost of the land, it is possible to find site-built homes in that range but the degree of owner-customization, quality, speed, and convenience of these should exceed that of conventionally built homes. For a double section home, 28' wide by 40' long, the extra cost for an unfinished second floor space is approximately $3500. This includes stairs and floor decking. MDG does not sell materials for the system, but rather works out a payment arrangement with a builder for design and construction advice and use of the method-and-means patented technique. | 
