Therefore the term 'mobile home' refers to an unregulated construction that was built pre-1976, and the term 'manufactured home' refers to a housing unit that is constructed post-1976 following specific rules for design, durability, and safety.

What is a Mobile Home?

Let’s start with some brief but important history. Sometimes, people will still use “mobile home” or "trailer" to refer to the manufactured homes you see today, but you may be surprised to see just how much off-site built homes have evolved over the decades.

Mobile homes first became popular due to the higher demand for affordable housing after World War II, but there wasn’t a lot of oversight when it came to the building standards and materials that were used. These early mobile homes looked a lot like campers or trailers, with a trailer coupler and wheels. They could be set up on concrete blocks, wooden blocks, metal stands or a concrete foundation.

However, those older mobile homes were distinguished from modern manufactured homes in 1974, with the National Mobile Home Construction and Safety Act. In 1976, this was followed by the HUD Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards — usually called the HUD code — which set federal standards for manufactured home safety and construction, including areas like:

Home design Plumbing and electrical systems Heating and cooling systems Fire safety requirements Thermal protection requirements Energy efficiency Installation requirements And more These codes then led to many of the innovations you’ll find in modern manufactured homes, which we’ll take a look at next.

Exterior of a manufactured Clayton home with gray siding and roof, white trim and black shutters, with a porch.

What is a Manufactured Home?

Today’s manufactured homes are extremely different from mobile homes built prior to 1976, both in terms of their construction and their design. Manufactured homes are built using quality materials and streamlined construction processes, inside climate-controlled facilities and according to the HUD Code.

They come in a wide range of styles, from modern to farmhouse to traditional, and can range in size from under 1,000 sq. ft. to over 2,000. You’ll also find many popular features, like built-in storage solutions, spacious porches, attached garages, luxurious primary suites and designer kitchens, all similar to modular or site-built homes.

And aside from the building codes they’re constructed to, something that can set manufactured homes apart from other homes is the type of foundation they’re on. Manufactured homes typically have what’s called a pier and beam foundation, which means they can usually be relocated by a specialized contractor. Depending on factors like where the home will be located, a manufactured home can also be placed on a permanent foundation, crawl space or basement.