Gary Fleisher

As if there aren’t already enough challenges in this business, modular companies also need to counter misinformation put out by the consumer media. Reporters with little or no experience in offsite construction continually produce murky water pieces that sound important without helping anyone who wants to buy a home. It’s a formula.

How a factory, builder, or developer chooses to navigate building codes can determine their profit, timeline and ability to innovate. Most modular factories lean heavily on prescriptive codes that spell everything out — sizes, materials, thicknesses, installation methods, etc. Consistency and repeatability are king, and prescriptive codes reduce arguments with inspectors, streamline approvals and provide a clear production roadmap. They help keep lines moving.

New legislation promises to reshape the factory-built housing landscape. The Housing for the 21st Century Act, which was passed by the US House of Representatives in February 2026, includes a provision to eliminate the federal mandate requiring manufactured homes to be built on a permanent steel chassis. The steel chassis rule dates to the 1974 Mobile Home Construction and Safety Standards Act.