Last updated September 11, 2026
What do we do, and what do we not?
We match buyers to catalog factories and regional builders using ZIP, code path, lot access, and budget that includes site work. We read the form, look at the directory, and follow up with a shortlist or a request for missing files. We may introduce you to a manufacturer or retailer. We do not act as your general contractor, architect, or lender. We do not inspect soils. We do not file Title 24. We do not promise a price a plant has not written.
We will say no to work that is not a dwelling. Uncertified Amazon or Alibaba expandables belong in the expandable legality guide, not in a quote packet. HUD versus IRC still matters. If you do not know which you need, say so. Fannie Mae B2-3-02 and HUD Code (24 CFR 3280) are relevant when the unit is manufactured housing. They are not a reason to skip zoning. Use the zoning checker before you write us a novel.
What should you send?
Incomplete leads get a request for more files. Send the packet once. ZIP and county. Land owned or under contract. Photos down the driveway and of overhead lines. Known trench lengths or a sketch. Perc or sewer tap status. Budget as all-in, not factory sticker. Timeline in months. Models you already like from the collection, including ADU names if this is a backyard unit. California ADU buyers should say crane or no crane. That single fact splits Abodu and Samara versus Studio Shed.
Optional but useful: survey PDF, geotech, HOA CC&Rs, and whether you already have a GC. Do not send identity documents or bank logins. r/Homebuilding and r/AccessoryDwellings threads are fine as context if you link them. They are community signal, not a spec.
| You send | We can do | We cannot do |
|---|---|---|
| ZIP, lot photos, all-in budget | Shortlist plants that serve the state | Guarantee a bid |
| HUD vs IRC or "unknown" | Keep you out of the wrong loan box | Originate the loan |
| Perc / sewer / crane notes | Flag kit vs volumetric vs dealer SKU | Design the septic |
| ADU vs primary house | Route to ADU firms or house plants | File the building permit |
| Draw-schedule questions | Point to the affordability guide and financing matcher | Hold construction funds |
What happens after we introduce a factory?
An introduction is an email thread, not a contract. The plant or retailer will ask for the same lot photos we asked for, plus a desired floor plan and a deposit schedule. You decide whether to sign. If they send a HUD SKU and you need IRC modular, stop and send us the data plate language. If they send a unit price with no site scope, treat it like a Home Nation ZIP quote: freight, not move-in. We will not negotiate their margin. We will tell you when the scope is incomplete.
Privacy: we use the form to route the lead. Do not send Social Security numbers, bank passwords, or copies of driver licenses through this page. Email for site bugs is modularhomes.fyi@proton.me. That inbox is not a second quote desk. California Title 24 packages, HERS raters, and crane companies are hired by you or the turnkey ADU firm. Midwest HUD retailers are a different phone tree than Bay Area ADU firms. Say which project you are running. Mixing them wastes a week.
Common mistakes we see: submitting a factory sticker as an all-in budget, omitting driveway width, assuming a CE expandable is a catalog home, and asking us to pick FHA versus VA product language. Product overlays live in the 2026 financing guide. Draw cash-flow lives in the affordability guide. Quality questions (blower door, marriage walls, comps) belong in quality and value. Site perc and crane pads belong in site preparation. Send this form when you want a human to map those pages onto a specific ZIP and three model URLs.
If you already hired a GC, say so. We then shortlist plants that will sell to that GC instead of forcing a dealer. If you have no GC and a tight lot, we bias toward firms that sell install or toward panelized kits. If you have acreage, a well, and a perc report, we treat it as a primary house project even if you also want an ADU later. Two dwellings are two permit tracks. Do not hide the second unit. Counties find it. HUD manufactured housing on rented land is a different conversation than IRC modular on land you own. Fannie Mae B2-3-02 is a conventional manufactured eligibility chapter. It is not a reason we can skip your county's zoning letter.
Expect us to ask follow-up questions instead of dumping ten catalog links. A useful reply names two or three factories, the code path, the crane or kit constraint, and the next document you should collect (survey, perc, or a lender who understands factory draws). If we cannot help, we will say that in one paragraph and point at the self-serve tools. That is still a successful use of the form.
What does the timeline look like?
Form to first human reply: a few business days when ZIP and lot notes are present. Shortlist: same week if the county is one we already map, longer if we need to confirm which plants still deliver there. Factory quotes after introduction: two to six weeks is normal. Site bids (foundation, crane, laterals) are on you or your GC. Those often take as long as the factory quote. Do not hold a plant slot on a lot that has not passed perc. Site sequence is in the site preparation guide.
If you already have a dealer ZIP price, we will ask for the data plate path before we compare it to a turnkey number. If you need seams, warranty, and appraisal language, read quality and value. Option packages and a maintenance calendar: customization and maintenance. FHA and VA product rules: 2026 financing guide, not this page.
FAQ
- What does ModularHomes.fyi buyer help actually do?
- We read your ZIP, lot notes, budget, and shortlist, then point you at catalog plants and quotes that match code path and access. We are a directory with a human follow-up, not a general contractor and not a lender.
- What do you not do?
- We do not pull permits, set homes, guarantee prices, or originate loans. We do not represent Amazon or Alibaba expandables as dwellings. We do not mark up factory invoices. If you need a GC, hire one locally.
- What should I send with the form?
- ZIP, whether you own the land, HUD versus IRC if you know it, a photo of access and overhead lines, trench or sewer notes, a budget that includes site work, and links or model names from the collection. A perc or survey PDF helps. A mood board does not.
- How long until you reply?
- Plan on a first reply within a few business days when the form is complete. Incomplete ZIPs and missing lot photos take longer because we will ask for them. Factory quote cycles after that are weeks, not hours.
- Is this a paid service?
- The form is a lead into the directory workflow. We may share your request with matching builders. We are not your fiduciary. Read what you sign with any factory or dealer.
- Can you help with a Home Nation or expandable listing?
- We can tell you the listing is a ZIP dealer or an uncertified import and point you at the relevant guides. We will not treat a CE expandable as a catalog home. See the Home Nation and expandable legality guides.
- Do you handle California ADU Title 24 questions?
- We can shortlist Abodu, Samara, Studio Shed, Villa, Cover, or Plant against crane access and permit type. We do not file Title 24 forms. Your designer or the turnkey firm does.