Modular Solutions to a Difficult Problem

Is modular housing the solution to the housing crunch along the Gulf Coast? It can certainly provide a quicker build time than housing that must be assembled from scratch on a site and for a region that is still scrambling to find permanent housing for tens of thousands of people, this might be a good idea

But on East North Street recently, a swarm of workmen put the final touches on Gwen and Rudy Cardreon’s new home, a tan ranch house that sprang up, on 11-foot piling, in a matter of days. Constructed in three pieces in a factory hundreds of miles away, the house came equipped with carpets, curtains, even ceiling fans, but looks as if it were custom built in the Cardreons’ yard.

“Isn’t it gorgeous?” Mrs. Cardreon exclaimed, standing in her new kitchen as construction workers hammered on the wooden staircase outside.

Before the August 2005 hurricane, so-called modular houses like the Cardreons’ were almost unknown in Mississippi, where houses tended to be the traditional “stick built” on site or mobile homes. Modulars have been popular until now mainly in Northern states with short building seasons and high labor costs.

But since the storm, modular houses, which range from simple shotgun-style cottages to fancy minimansions, are starting to appear across the Gulf Coast, as public officials and private citizens search for ways to speed the slow pace of recovery and begin experimenting with new forms of shelter.

Modular houses have a number of advantages over conventionally built houses, their advocates said. For example, once they are delivered, modular homes can sometimes be completed in days, rather than months. They are relatively easy to perch up on stilts to comply with flood zone rules. They require less local labor in a region where there is more than enough construction work to go around. Some are less expensive than conventional houses — they range from $50,000 to $500,000 — and manufacturers say some can withstand 160-mile-an-hour winds.

The number of modular houses on the Gulf Coast is still small; perhaps 400 have been installed in Mississippi in the last year, said Fred C. Hallahan, a consultant in Baltimore who tracks the modular business.

So, with all the potential benefits, what are the drawbacks?

Wind damage is important, but so is the ability to withstand flood damage. Breakaway panels are often used in shoreline communities to let storm surges pass through the buildings without destroying them completely. You will still have flood damage, but it beats having to completely raze the structure. The breakaway panels are often used in conjunction with using the ground level as a garage/storage area, lessening the likelihood of permanent damage to living areas.

As for the drawbacks with modular units, the most important one has to do with building codes. The modular units are not easily inspected by local buildings inspectors who must sign off on the structures. Electrical and plumbing usually has to be visually inspected to be approved, and a modular unit will often have the sheet rock already applied. To get around that drawback, the manufacturer would have to have someone approving the structures before they leave the factory.

There's also a stigma attached to modular units, which some equate with the mobile home. While both are trucked into a site, the modular units are far more secure and can be customized with a wide range of finishes and design flourishes.

Still, local building codes need to be adjusted to take into account the kind of damage that various parts of the Gulf Coast suffered - whether it was storm surge, wind damage, or both. Localities are still battling with those issues, and it affects the pace of reconstruction and that has little to do with what the federal government can do.