U.S. Census data suggest the demand for prefabricated homes has grown in recent years.
Dvele- a California-based creator of factory-built modular homes– plans to open a new location in Butte in 2025.
Dvele director of growth Kellan Hannah said their structures are about 20 or 40 percent less expensive than a traditional home.
“The main reason being, us producing in the factory… we’re able to just produce a home faster, which costs less, with less material, which costs less,” said Hannah.
Modular homes, like a house built on site, follow state or local building standards.
They’re different from another type of prefabricated structure called manufactured homes, which comply with federal building codes and tend to run cheaper than modular homes.
The total shipment of new manufactured homes to Montana reached its highest number since 2013 at 423 structures last year, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Kaia Peterson with housing nonprofit NeighborWorks Montana says existing manufactured homes are one of the largest sources of unsubsidized affordable housing in the country and the state.
Manufactured homes are sometimes referred to as “mobile” homes, but mobile homes are older structures created before the U.S. passed Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards nearly 50 years ago.
