Preparing Land for a New Modular Home

If you are planning on installing a new modular home on your property, you will be responsible for preparing the lot for receipt and eventual building of the home.

Clear the Property
Remove any large boulders, rocks or stumps from the land where you are planning the modular house. You will also need to remove any trees that are located around the house. Also, consider removing trees to provide an easy access road or path to where the house will be delivered.

Grade and Compact the Land
Grade the area around the house. This is for two purposes – you need water to drain away from where the house will be located and you need the land where the house will be installed to be level. If you do not have the heavy equipment for this portion of the project, you can either rent the equipment or hire a grading company to complete the work for you.

You should also have the location where the house will be installed compacted. If you are planning on pouring a concrete slab foundation, compacting will help prevent cracking by reducing shifting and settling of the ground. Even if you are not planning on a slab foundation, compacting the ground is strongly recommended for raised foundations. As with grading, this is a task that can be completed by a professional construction company or you can rent the equipment and do it yourself.

Building a modular home is an attractive alternative for many landowners who are looking for a less expensive way to build a home. Although the home is delivered ready to assemble, the property owner is still responsible for making sure there is a sewer system, utilities are installed and the building meets any local building code requirements.