Quick answer
A modular home’s advertised price is usually the cost of the factory-built modules, not the cost of moving in. HomeGuide’s national cost guide (last updated December 2025) puts the modular unit alone at about $50 to $100 per square foot and a fully installed home at about $80 to $160 per square foot, with typical total project costs of $120,000 to $270,000 before land. The gap between those figures is site work, foundation, delivery and crane, finish work, utilities, permits and taxes.
Whether those costs are in your quote depends on which of four quote types you received: unit only, delivered, installed or turnkey. None of these terms has a legal definition, so the only reliable test is the written list of what the seller includes. This guide covers new modular homes built to state and local building codes in the United States. It does not cover HUD-code manufactured homes, which follow a different federal standard and are compared in our manufactured vs. modular guide.
Modular home cost at a glance
| Cost component | National range (HomeGuide) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Modular unit, 1,500 sq ft | $75,000–$150,000 | Factory price for the modules |
| Land preparation | $4,000–$11,000 | Survey, clearing, excavation, grading |
| Foundation | $6,000–$20,000 | Crawl space and basement cost more than pier and beam |
| Delivery | $3,000–$12,000 | Transport, crane and set crew; distance and module count matter |
| Installation (“button-up”) | $10,000–$50,000 | Joining modules, exterior and interior finish work, inspections |
| Utility construction | $2,500–$25,000+ | Higher where a well and septic system are needed |
| Taxes | $5,000–$15,000 | HomeGuide notes tax and delivery are often in the unit price |
| Permits and fees | $500–$4,000 | Building, mechanical, plan review, occupancy, driveway |
| Additions (garage, deck) | $5,000–$50,000 | Optional |
| Total, excluding land | $103,000–$310,000 | HomeGuide’s estimator total |
Source: HomeGuide, “How Much Does It Cost to Build a Modular Home?” (page modified December 1, 2025; retrieved October 20, 2026). These are national planning ranges, not quotes, and they do not include buying land.
The four quote types, compared
Sellers use these words differently, so treat the table as a checklist of questions rather than a definition. HomeGuide describes a “base” price as typically including delivery and setting the modules with a crane and a small crew, and a “finished” price as typically adding land preparation, foundation, button-up, utility construction, permits and options.
| Item | Unit only | Delivered | Installed / set | Turnkey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modules built to your plan | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Transport to site | Ask | Usually | Usually | Usually |
| Crane and setting on foundation | No | Ask | Usually | Usually |
| Button-up finish work | No | No | Ask | Should be listed |
| Foundation | No | No | Ask | Should be listed |
| Site work and driveway | No | No | Rarely | Ask |
| Utilities, well, septic | No | No | Rarely | Ask |
| Permits and inspections | No | No | Ask | Ask |
| Land | No | No | No | Usually no |
On a phone, swipe the table sideways to see all columns.
“Ask” means it varies by seller; it is not an estimate of how often it is included. If a line is not in writing, budget for it.
Where the money goes after the factory
Site preparation
Before any module arrives, the lot needs a boundary survey, clearing, excavation and grading so water drains away from the foundation. HomeGuide’s site-prep ranges are $350–$1,000 for a survey, about $1,350–$3,900 for clearing, $1,600–$4,400 or more for excavation and $600–$2,000 for grading. Wooded or sloped lots, long driveways and poor soil push costs up. If trees must come out, compare with our tree removal cost guide.
Foundation
HomeGuide notes that modular homes need space under the floor for plumbing, electrical and HVAC connections, so they are generally set on a crawl space, basement or pier-and-beam foundation rather than a monolithic slab. Its ranges run from about $3,000–$8,000 for pier and beam to $20,000–$29,000 for a basement. Your engineer, local code and lender decide which type is required.
Delivery and crane
Delivery covers trucking each module, an on-site crane and the crew that sets the modules; HomeGuide lists $5–$10 per square foot, or about $3,000–$12,000. Narrow roads, overhead lines and tight lots can require a larger crane or extra time. Confirm the delivery radius and who pays for road permits or escorts.
Button-up and finish work
After the set, a contractor joins the modules and completes the work the factory could not: marriage-line connections, exterior pieces and stairs, drywall and trim at the seams, roof and siding finishing, appliance hookups and final inspections. HomeGuide puts this at $5–$35 per square foot, or $10,000–$50,000. It notes that driveways, garages, utility connections and landscaping are not part of button-up.
Utilities
Most modular homes arrive without site utility lines. Connecting to city water and sewer is usually cheaper than drilling a well and installing a septic system; see our septic system installation cost guide for that piece. Electrical service, gas and HVAC are separate lines on many quotes.
Permits, tax and contingency
HomeGuide lists permits at $500–$4,000 and sales tax at $5,000–$15,000, noting that tax is often in the base price and varies by state. Add a contingency for surprises such as rock during excavation or a longer utility run; you choose the amount, and our calculator lets you apply it only to the costs most likely to move.
Illustrative example: one quote, three totals
Illustrative only. The numbers below are invented round figures chosen to show the arithmetic. They are not a quote, a typical price or a national average.
| Line | Unit-only quote | Installed quote |
|---|---|---|
| Seller’s price | $120,000 | $150,000 (includes delivery, crane set and button-up) |
| Land (already owned) | $0 | $0 |
| Site preparation | $8,000 | $8,000 |
| Foundation | $14,000 | $14,000 |
| Delivery and crane | $9,000 | Included |
| Button-up | $25,000 | Included |
| Utilities | $12,000 | $12,000 |
| Permits | $3,000 | $3,000 |
| Contingency (10% of added costs) | $7,100 | $3,700 |
| Cash move-in budget | $198,100 | $190,700 |
The installed quote looks $30,000 more expensive but produces the lower total in this example because it already covers $34,000 of work. That is the comparison the headline price hides. Run your own numbers in the prefab home total move-in cost calculator.
How modular compares with a new site-built home
The Census Bureau reported a median sales price of $400,400 for new single-family houses sold in September 2026 (preliminary; the August 2026 figure was revised to $385,400). That figure describes newly built houses sold on the market and is not directly comparable with a modular project on your own land, but it is a useful sanity check when a modular total starts to approach it. HUD’s research office notes that factory-built homes are typically completed faster than site-built homes (about 4 to 8 months versus about 8 months) and must meet the same local building codes.
How to compare two modular quotes
- Ask each seller to fill in the same included / not included list, line by line.
- Get the delivery radius, crane size and any site-access conditions in writing.
- Ask who pulls permits and who is responsible for failed inspections.
- Confirm the foundation design is stamped or approved for your site and lender.
- Ask what the warranty covers, for how long, and who handles work done on site versus in the factory.
- Get a payment schedule tied to milestones rather than large deposits up front. Our guide to hiring a home contractor covers red flags.
FAQ
How much does a modular home cost in 2026?
HomeGuide’s national guide (updated December 2025) lists about $120,000 to $270,000 as a typical total to build, or $80 to $160 per square foot fully installed, before land. Your quote, site and state set the real number.
Does a modular home price include the foundation?
Often not. Unit-only and delivered quotes usually exclude it; some installed and turnkey quotes include it. Check the written scope.
What does “turnkey” mean for a modular home?
There is no standard definition. Treat it as a claim to verify: ask for a list showing site work, foundation, utilities, permits and finish work as included.
Is delivery included in a modular home quote?
HomeGuide says delivery and tax are often included in the unit price, but distance limits and crane conditions vary. Get them in writing.
Do modular homes need a different permit than site-built homes?
They are built to state and local codes, so expect local building permits and inspections. Ask your building department what it inspects on site.
Can I get a regular mortgage on a modular home?
HUD’s research office says factory-built homes are financed with mortgage loans. You may also need a construction loan while the site is prepared; ask lenders how they handle factory deposits.
How much contingency should I add?
We do not set a standard percentage. Base it on what is still unknown: untested soil, a long utility run or an unconfirmed foundation design justify more.
Bottom line
Compare modular homes on total move-in cost, not the factory price. Get every quote onto the same line-item list, budget separately for anything not in writing and confirm site, foundation and utility costs before you sign for the modules.
Reviewed by the Home Cost Desk editorial team on October 20, 2026. Prices are national planning ranges from the dated sources below; they are not quotes.
Part of our Prefab Homes guide. Weighing a lower-priced home instead? See what is usually excluded from prefab homes under $100K and the cost to put a manufactured home on land. Comparing written quotes? Print the free prefab home quote comparison checklist.