A buyer’s guide
The Built to field names the construction or certification path published for a model. It does not by itself approve a parcel or replace the destination jurisdiction’s review.
For how approval under these standards works in practice, read the Rahul Bajaj interview on modular plan review.
Which value matters depends on what the buyer intends. A home intended as a permanent residence on owned land generally needs a different certification path from a unit intended for an RV park or as a seasonal structure, and the destination jurisdiction decides which paths it will accept at a given address. The value published for a model is where that conversation starts, not where it ends.
ANSI A119.5 is the recreational-vehicle standard used to certify a park model RV, including its single-chassis construction and size limit.
It identifies the unit as an RV rather than a dwelling code, so where it may be placed and occupied is determined by the destination jurisdiction.
Ask to see the manufacturer’s certification or RVIA documentation and ask the local jurisdiction whether that certified unit may be placed and occupied at the address.
The Federal HUD code is the national construction and safety standard for manufactured homes, with factory production requirements and a HUD certification label.
It covers the manufactured home as a federally regulated housing product, while the destination jurisdiction still determines the site, foundation, installation, and other project requirements.
Ask to see the HUD label or certification information for the home and the written installation requirements that apply to the proposed site.
A modular home built to state or local building code is reviewed against the code adopted for the applicable project and is produced as factory-built modules for that approval path.
The relevant state or local approval path covers the factory-built portion, while the destination jurisdiction addresses the site-specific foundation, installation, and completion work.
Ask which code edition and approval authority apply, and ask to see the approved plans, inspection record, or insignia for the project.
CSA A277 is a Canadian certification procedure for factory certification of prefabricated buildings and modules, including the manufacturing and quality-control process.
It identifies the factory certification pathway for the building or modules; the destination jurisdiction still decides the site-specific approvals and placement requirements.
Ask to see the current CSA A277 certification, the certification scope, and the project documents showing that the proposed home is covered.
This value means the supplier publishes a site-built, kit, shell, or panel product without a factory certification to one of the listed building standards.
The product is assembled or completed under the applicable local project process, so the destination jurisdiction and the buyer’s project team must establish the approval path.
Ask what drawings, engineering, load data, and inspection documents are supplied, and ask the local authority what it requires before purchase.
Not published means the manufacturer does not state a build standard for that model record, which leaves the buyer to confirm the applicable standard and approval path.