Differences Between Manufactured and Stick-built Homes:

Manufactured Homes are built in a factory, in different parts, then transported to the land site where the home is placed on a temporary or permanent foundation.

Stick-built homes are built on site, transporting all the materials to that location and building the home on the foundation from the beginning.

Manufactured and Stick-built homes are built to different housing codes. Manufactured homes follow the HUD code (a federal government code). Whereas, in California, stick built homes are built to the IBC (International Building Code in California), along with local codes and regulations (Ma Williams Homes, 2018).

How Are Manufactured Homes Built Environmentally Friendly and Sustainable?

1. Factory Built

Factory built homes are produced in a controlled environment. This allows the home to be constructed regardless of weather impacts and delays. The home and materials themselves have little to no exposure to the elements during the building process, therefore eliminating the risk of damage and reconstructing during the building process, which can result in higher waste of materials.

Factory built homes reduce the production of carbon dioxide emissions due to bulk ordering materials for multiple homes at once. Majority of the time, stick-built homes require multiple shipments of materials for each phase of home building. This is for the purposes of reducing exposure of materials and goods to the environment, however, because of this added challenge, more shipments results in higher total emissions for just one stick built home (Trembath, 2024).

2. HUD Code and Building Regulations

HUD Code is written with the idea that all manufactured homes must be transported to their permanent site. On average, when a manufactured home is transported it goes through the equivalent of a 7.0 magnitude earthquake. These homes are very natural disaster resistant which also adds to its sustainability. HUD code requires manufactured homes are build to stringent regulations due to the sever stresses on the home in transport such as, “…strength and durability, fire resistance, energy efficiency, transportability, and quality control. It also sets performance standards for heating and air conditioning, plumbing, thermal and electricity systems.” (Energy.Gov, 2025).

3. Renewable Energy Applications

Ma Williams uses Energy Star Certified appliances and builds Energy Star Certified homes. Manufactured homes also have the ability to be built to live completely off the grid. This type of lifestyle greatly reduces a households carbon footprint while also keeping electricity and heating costs down. If you aren’t wanting to live completely off the grid, no worries! There are many other energy efficient features that can be built into your custom manufactured home such as, more efficient heating and cooling systems, insulation, and energy efficient windows. (Park Models Direct, 2025).

Why Manufactured over Stick Built?

You may be asking yourself, stick built homes can be energy efficient to, so why should I go manufactured? Here are some reasons why to go manufactured over stick built:

1. Price

Custom manufactured homes cost 15-30% less than a stick built home. This is while being built with the same materials as a stick built home. You are able to get everything you want, while being energy efficient and saving money.

2. Longevity

Manufactured homes are being built to withstand a bumpy delivery process, which also extends to its permanent life on a permanent foundation. Many manufactured homes are the last ones standing during large scale earthquakes, floods and fires. This adds greatly to the sustainability of these manufactured homes because even if the home is damaged it is much easier to fix than a stick-built home. Manufactured homes are built on a raised foundation so they are able to give and sway more than stick-built homes built on a permanent concrete foundation. Many times during an earthquake these foundations crack leading to the collapse or loss in structural integrity of the home. Raised foundations are also good for areas with high flood risk. We have had many customers who live in areas that experienced flash and high flooding, so we are able to be proactive and build the manufactured homes on a raised foundations that allow water to flow beneath the home instead of through!

3. Stick-built Environmental Concerns

Stick-built homes tend to greatly disrupt the ecosystems and the environment the home is being built in. Animals and the flora and fauna of the land experiences habitat destruction, plastic consumption, injury from supplies and waste from the build site. Stick built homes tend to produce unnecessary and unused material waste during the construction and renovation process.

Fun Fact: Asphalt, wood, plastic, concrete, plaster, metal and insulation comprise of 15-30% of all waste disposed in landfills (Ma Williams Homes, 2018).

Why Does Sustainability Matter?

Sustainability matters because not only is it cost efficient in the long run but it is also good for the environment. An article in NPR discussing climate anxiety draws from a survey that shows, “…more than half of young adults have felt, anxious, angry, powerless, or helpless about human-driven climate change.” (Aubrey, 2024). Manufactured homes are already a booming industry for younger generations looking for affordable housing and now on top of the cost efficiency, we are also able to help attribute to the climate and sustainability cause with our more environmentally friendly manufactured homes vs. stick built homes.

Sustainability