deerhunter
New member
We are looking into buying a lot and putting a cabin on it. Just seeing thoughts of the modular home/cabins. How was the process and good places to deal with in northern wi. Just looking at a alternative to hiring a builder.
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Modular homes
- Thread starter deerhunter
- Start date
Just with anything else, there are variations between brands construction. I bought a modular home and you would have never know it was one unless I told you. Others I have been in felt nothing more than a double wide trailer with a basement. One of the critical pieces, is your basement must be darn near 100% accurate on size, as you are somewhat not following the guideline of building from ground up.
deerhunter
New member
That is what we heard from other as well on the basement. Looking for recommendations on who to go thru
Eagle River Mike
Member
Modular homes have come a long way since the days of trailer parks and double wides. Modular is a type of construction technique and not a type of home. I just put up a 2,000 square foot Dickinson modular home to replace my 1,100 square foot cabin. There are many advantages to modular building. First, the construction occurs in a climate controlled facility insuring quality. No more lumber and building materials sitting out in the rain and no more workers rushing and short cutting the construction due to bad weather. Second is the timing. They can build the modules off site while all the site prep occurs. In my case, they tore down my old house shortly after labor day and set my new house on its full basement on October 16th. There was plenty of work on site that needed to be done after the house was set and the garage was totally stick built on site but I was in by early December. Didn't loose a summer nor a winter. My house was 4 sections and brought in on 4 trailers. Watching them pick the sections with a crane and set them on the foundation was something to see. Go on youtube and search for Dickinson homes. They have a lot of really informative videos.
Since the OP asked I will give my 2 cents all though biased since I am a builder, I do believe in northern Wisconsin you have Wausau homes that have been around a long time, we do every aspect of the build from the footings to finish and even though we are out in the elements be assured there are no corners cut due to weather, I have nothing against modular homes in some cases I can see the pros, I myself don't think that the quality in work is near where it is with our custom built homes but one can disagree, also the materials they use are definitely not the same quality unless they are using different materials than what the ones around here are using, beings we are versitle in our line of work and don't like to travel we take what work is in the area and have added on to modular homes and put basements under plenty of them one bad thing in the basements is you end up with supporting post that you can build around when finishing your basement if that's the case but can be a pain, like I said I have nothing against modular homes to each there own just make sure you are comparing apples to apples with what you are getting for your money especially with the materials thickness of siding, materials used for cabinets, flooring, and your doors and millwork, overhangs on the house yo get your water away, good luck to you with whatever you do that will be an exciting time for you and your family.
I'm a builder myself. I have never been in a modular home that has impressed me, but the only ones around here are people wanting a house on the cheap, i'm sure there are good ones out there just not around here. Panelized houses are getting more popular around here, been in and around many that were good quality. They really don't save any money, just time. I have also never cut any corners due to weather, all lumber and trusses gets tarped if there is rain, snow or high heat during construction. We always dry in houses ASAP too. Have you considered Post frame? I would never do wood post in the ground, but Perma columns, Wet set brackets or frost walls make for a nice building.
In 2002 we had a Wausau prefab built and put on our basement. The garage was stick built on site. I was very impressed at how straight and clean the construction was- There were no cheap materials...We were very happy with the home. Since then we have built several “custom” homes...
Any custom home builder is going to bad mouth companies like Wausau homes (understandably), but take their criticism with a grain of salt. I myself built custom homes for several years so I am not completely ignorant to construction..maybe in the 80’s they were cheap..
That being said, I don’t think Wausau homes builds complete prefabs anymore- I think they pre-build the walls and such and ship them to site..
Any custom home builder is going to bad mouth companies like Wausau homes (understandably), but take their criticism with a grain of salt. I myself built custom homes for several years so I am not completely ignorant to construction..maybe in the 80’s they were cheap..
That being said, I don’t think Wausau homes builds complete prefabs anymore- I think they pre-build the walls and such and ship them to site..
We bought a new construction that was foreclosed and not yet complete during the financial crisis. The home ended up being a Wausau home. Except for a few things i was very impressed with the quality.In 2002 we had a Wausau prefab built and put on our basement. The garage was stick built on site. I was very impressed at how straight and clean the construction was- There were no cheap materials...We were very happy with the home. Since then we have built several “custom” homes...
Any custom home builder is going to bad mouth companies like Wausau homes (understandably), but take their criticism with a grain of salt. I myself built custom homes for several years so I am not completely ignorant to construction..maybe in the 80’s they were cheap..
That being said, I don’t think Wausau homes builds complete prefabs anymore- I think they pre-build the walls and such and ship them to site..
sweeperguy
Active member
I have a Wausau home. Built it in 03. Used Reward wall system (stay in place styrofoam forms) for foundation. Super comfortable basement. The Home arrived on 4 flatbed tractor trailers, then lifted onto foundation. Came together very nice. Liked how it came complete. Merrilat cabinets, delta fixtures, you can upgrade stuff if you want. I should have upgraded countertops, solid interior doors would have been nice.
Only thing I've found i don't like. The exterior paint on door trim almost seems they didn't prime before painting. It's peeling worse than I think it should.
I'd do it again for sure
Only thing I've found i don't like. The exterior paint on door trim almost seems they didn't prime before painting. It's peeling worse than I think it should.
I'd do it again for sure
snobuilder
Well-known member
Everything I build is custom. You couldn't reproduce it for the same cost in a $13.00 per hour labor factory home.
Framing lumber needs to be in an exterior environment.
Lumber kept indoors in a heated building gets too dry.
There is a good application for prefab homes. If you want it now and cheap, there it is. Building in the northwoods and in the local depressed housing economy and in the 2000 SF and less market, prefab is a good choice....you stand a chance at breaking even when you sell.
Framing lumber needs to be in an exterior environment.
Lumber kept indoors in a heated building gets too dry.
There is a good application for prefab homes. If you want it now and cheap, there it is. Building in the northwoods and in the local depressed housing economy and in the 2000 SF and less market, prefab is a good choice....you stand a chance at breaking even when you sell.
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deerhunter
New member
I was going to stay away from Wausau homes. I do hvac construction myself and will pay close attention to the details of siding windows and roofing. I am not looking for cheap either. The biggest thing is the time line from start to finish. I really don’t want to wait for it to be built because I know it’s either the fish are biting or it’s deer hunting season. I have friends that have built and own a few properties and have a hard time with people even returning phone calls to do work for them.
Just some reviews
Just some reviews
snobuilder
Well-known member
I was going to stay away from Wausau homes. I do hvac construction myself and will pay close attention to the details of siding windows and roofing. I am not looking for cheap either. The biggest thing is the time line from start to finish. I really don’t want to wait for it to be built because I know it’s either the fish are biting or it’s deer hunting season. I have friends that have built and own a few properties and have a hard time with people even returning phone calls to do work for them.
Just some reviews
I agree... tradesmen are vanishing so if unskilled labor is being used then better it be done in a controlled factory environment.
Or you could possible overpay for a custom builder, that relies on numerous subcontractors that may or may not use quality workers. No custom builder can fully control the quality of the subcontractors employees thats for sure. I would bet you have the same chance of losing money on a custom build than you would have on a modular build. I dont have a modular home but if I was building, I would take the time and price out both. Just cause it is "custom" built, does not necessarily make it better. Especially when you get into rural areas of the northwoods of wisconsin, resale of custom homes could take a very long time.
Midwest Player
Member
I like Dickinson homes, and I like them better than Wausau homes. The house next to me is a Wausau and I don't like it. Dickinson homes seem so much better built, and you can't tell it apart from a custom home. http://dickinsonhomes.com/
For your info, the big hotel by the bridge in Houghton is a Wausau prefab.
For your info, the big hotel by the bridge in Houghton is a Wausau prefab.
Where exactly is this Wausau built Hotel in Houghton?I like Dickinson homes, and I like them better than Wausau homes. The house next to me is a Wausau and I don't like it. Dickinson homes seem so much better built, and you can't tell it apart from a custom home. http://dickinsonhomes.com/
For your info, the big hotel by the bridge in Houghton is a Wausau prefab.
Yesterday driving through Ironwood on US 2 we saw a Wausau Ranch that just caved in from snow load. I am also a Builder / Remodeler , anyone telling you that the reason they bought a prefab home is because they are a better home because of controlled conditions is blowing sand.
Being in the trades I have been in many types of homes and some of them can pass off like a ok prefab but most you can tell just pulling up in the drive. Few summers ago I did the floors and custom showers in a Stratford home like 7-8 trailer modular and they had to stick frame the porches on and garage can say other than the water resistant barrier and concrete job couldn’t give me the house. Never seen so many post in the basement. 3 months after people moved in I was there replacing 8” wide oak hardwood cus the sliding doors leaked rain and one entry door. Then get a call that the hardwood is srinking too much come to find out the house was splitting down the middle and separating again lol. The money these folks spent trying to be fast they could have had a nice affordable stick build house and actually had something. Many modulars have issues where the halves meet for floors or crappy looking beams on ceiling to hide it vs a stick build home. Also up here we have cornerstone that pre fabs and can tell you there floor decks always move cus 8’ wide sections not tied together. Just a thought to take into but a house is a assembly. if assembled right will be solid if bolted together or brought in pieces on roof and floor who it to say it’s right. Nothing wrong with pre fab walls if you build the deck on site. All starts on the bottom and works it’s way up.
C
Cirrus_Driver
Guest
Back in the early 90's my father bought a lot on Fisher Lake in Iron Cty. He cheaped out on the log home he was planning, and decided to go with a pre-fab - why I'll never know.
They hauled the thing in from 150 miles away in 2 pieces, with gravel roads the final 10 miles. Got stuck somewhere between Minoqua and Fisher Lake.
Anyhow, with the crazy 280 inch snowfall in 1996-1997, I spent more time shoveling the roof than I did riding. Even with all that, it still split down the middle and cost him big bucks to rectify. Shed collapsed that year too.
Moral of the story - I bought a spec log home when it came time to go on my own. It has it's own set of concerns, but no structural events so far.
They hauled the thing in from 150 miles away in 2 pieces, with gravel roads the final 10 miles. Got stuck somewhere between Minoqua and Fisher Lake.
Anyhow, with the crazy 280 inch snowfall in 1996-1997, I spent more time shoveling the roof than I did riding. Even with all that, it still split down the middle and cost him big bucks to rectify. Shed collapsed that year too.
Moral of the story - I bought a spec log home when it came time to go on my own. It has it's own set of concerns, but no structural events so far.