"Title 24" refers to California's Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential and Nonresidential Buildings. It's crucial for your modular home as it ensures your new home meets rigorous energy efficiency requirements, leading to lower utility bills and a more environmentally friendly footprint. Our engineering process includes all necessary Title 24 calculations.

Once your modular home plans and engineering calculations (including structural and fire sprinkler designs) are complete, we submit them to the state for approval. This process typically takes four to six weeks. The state-approved plans supersede local building department authority, streamlining the permitting process and preventing local "redlines" or change requests.

With state-approved plans, the local building department cannot request changes or "redline" your blueprints. This eliminates common delays and frustrations associated with traditional local permitting processes, which can often drag on for an extra year due to repeated corrections and reviews. State approval means your plans are finalized and ready for swift local permitting.

While we handle the engineering and state approval process for the home itself, you will still need to secure local permits for site work, utilities, and foundation. However, with state-approved home plans, this local permitting process is significantly simplified and faster.

Overall, from contract signing to move-in, a modular home typically takes between 4 to 7 months, significantly less than the 9-12+ months often required for traditional homes. Here's a quick overview of key timelines in your modular home build:

1. Initial Planning & Design: (0-12 weeks)

• Choosing a floor plan (pre-designed vs. custom)
• Making design modifications.
• Project Site Feasibility Study (if needed), Site surveys, soil reports.
• Securing financing pre-approval.

2. Engineering Process (including Title 24, structural, fire sprinkler designs): Approximately 6 weeks

3. State Approval of Plans: Approximately 4-6 weeks

4. Factory Manufacturing of Home: Approximately 12 weeks (concurrent with site preparation)

• Modules are built in a factory.
• Undergoes rigorous quality control and inspections.

5. Permitting and Site Preparation: (Varies, often 3-10 weeks, often concurrent with factory build)

• Obtaining local permits for site work, utilities, and foundation.
• Clearing land, grading, laying the foundation, installing utilities.

6. On-Site Delivery & Assembly: (Approx. 2-6 weeks)

• Modules are transported to the site.
• Modules are set on the prepared foundation by crane, joined, and sealed.
• Utilities are connected, and major systems are installed/finished.

7. Final Finishes & Occupancy: (Approx. 2-4 weeks after modules are set)

• Completion of interior finishes (trim, paint, flooring) and exterior touches.
• Final inspections (local building inspector).
• Issuance of Certificate of Occupancy.

8. Move-In Ready After Delivery: Typically within 30 days of home delivery to the site.

While it's always easier and less costly to finalize your design before state approval, minor changes can sometimes be made after.

• Minor Changes: Non-structural or cosmetic changes (like paint colors, certain fixtures, or minor interior non-load-bearing wall alterations) may be possible without requiring resubmission to the state. These would typically be managed by your builder on-site.
• Major Changes: Any significant structural modifications, changes to the building envelope, or alterations that affect energy efficiency, plumbing, electrical, or fire safety systems will likely require a revision to your state-approved plans. This means resubmitting the updated plans to the state for re-review and approval, which will add time and cost to your project.

It's highly recommended to thoroughly review and finalize your design with your architect and builder before the state approval process begins to avoid potential delays and additional expenses.

The core difference lies in when and where the major inspections occur:

• Factory Inspections (Modular Homes): A significant portion of your modular home's inspection happens inside the factory during the manufacturing process. State-approved third-party inspectors regularly visit the factory to check each stage of construction, including structural integrity, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical systems. This controlled environment often leads to higher quality control and fewer weather-related delays.

• On-Site Inspections (Modular & Traditional Homes): Both modular and traditional (stick-built) homes undergo local on-site inspections for the foundation, utility connections, and any work completed at the building site. For modular homes, since the core structure is already state-approved and factory-inspected, these local inspections focus specifically on the site-specific work, such as the foundation, module setting, connections, and final finishes. Traditional homes, however, have all their construction phases (foundation, framing, rough electrical, rough plumbing, etc.) inspected on-site by local authorities as the build progresses.

In essence, modular homes benefit from a dual inspection process that often results in a more streamlined and efficient on-site inspection phase.