Homeowner Forum / Construction / August 2008

On Aug 22, 6:11 pm, firewood...@comcast.net wrote:

Interesting article from the VP of New England Homes, Inc. I seems
that even the VP has doughts of the performances of their contractors
performances.

Regulations sought for modular home installations
New Hampshire Business Review,  Oct 26, 2007  by Sanders, Bob
E-mail Print Link No one oversees the actual installation of
manufactured homes in New Hampshire, and both the industry and the
state fire marshal want to do something about that.

"There is a gap in New Hampshire, no doubt about it, and it needs to
filled," said Michael Younus, president of the Modular Manufacturers
Association of the Northeast.

Young said the concept of proposed legislation that would certify or
would license installers "sounds great," but he still would have to
see the details to make sure they are "reasonable."

The state fire marshal licenses modular home manufacturers, and if a
defect is found or a part is poorly constructed it can fine the
company or pull its license. It can even pull the license of those who
inspect the home at the manufacturer on behalf of the state, if the
inspector isn't doing his or her job.

But no one inspects how all these pieces are put together, and Fire
Marshal Bill Degnan says he gets several complaints a month about
that. Some complaints are merely about cosmetic matters, but others
are life-threatening, like the roof installed without the proper
reinforcements in Wilmot that could collapse under a heavy snow load
and the home in Tamworth where the joints were not sealed, allowing
air to come in. And the house was so off-line that the structural
integrity of the entire building was in question, Degnan said.

But, he added: "There is nothing I can really do."

Rep. Thomas Buco, D-Conway, thought that something had to be done
after seeing the aforementioned home in Tamworth. (The owners of that
home declined comment because they are suing the builder). Buco's bill
would require that homes be inspected at the site, not just at the
factory, and that the contractors be bonded.

Degnan favors some sort of certification, not only of the installer,
but also of the distributor of the home. Younus, who said several
other bills are being considered, wants to model any legislation on
Maine's law, which has a board consisting of representatives from all
parties to regulate the entire industry.

Younus recognized that additional regulation will add to the cost of
modular homes, and the homes' low cost is one of the reason they are
becoming competitive. "But if that cost results in a higher level of
consumer satisfaction and efficiency, it would be worth it, as long as
it is measured and reasonable," he said. He said he was not overly
concerned that it wouldn't be.

The important thing, he said, is that those imposing any new
regulations listen to industry input so that "there is a clear
understanding on how the industry operates and what are the
requirements of a smooth operation."

Do you as a future modular homeowner, do you realy want to purchase a
modular home in NH ???