A modular home costs $80 to $160 per square foot installed, all three publishers agree — with the base unit alone at $50 to $100 per square foot123. The total-cost averages diverge: HomeGuide publishes a $120,000 to $270,000 average range with a $180,000 national average (December 2025)1, Angi an average of $240,000 (March 2026)2, and HomeAdvisor a $180,000 to $360,000 normal range with most homeowners averaging $270,000 (June 2026)3 — three different averages presented as published. Angi and HomeAdvisor are corporate siblings, and matching figures alone don’t establish independent corroboration; on this topic the siblings diverge on the average. Figures below are the latest published data from each source.
How the per-square-foot price builds up
HomeGuide’s anatomy of the installed rate: base unit plus delivery at $50 to $100 per square foot, installation and finishing adding $30 to $60, and customizations adding $10 to $150 or more — a total of $80 to $310 per square foot1. HomeAdvisor’s style table likewise splits standard modular at $80 to $160 from custom at $130 to $310 per square foot3. Angi frames customization differently: 20% to 100% above the base design, taking a $160,000 to $320,000 base range to $192,000 to $640,000 — a percentage framing against the per-square-foot ones, presented as published2.
Cost by size
HomeGuide’s table splits base model and total finished cost1:
| Square footage | Base model (HomeGuide) | Total finished (HomeGuide) |
|---|---|---|
| 800 | $40,000–$80,000 | $64,000–$128,000 |
| 1,000 | $50,000–$100,000 | $80,000–$160,000 |
| 1,200 | $60,000–$120,000 | $96,000–$192,000 |
| 1,500 | $75,000–$150,000 | $120,000–$240,000 |
| 2,000 | $100,000–$180,000 | $160,000–$300,000 |
| 2,500 | $125,000–$215,000 | $200,000–$365,000 |
| 3,000 | $150,000–$260,000 | $240,000–$430,000 |
Angi’s size table matches HomeGuide’s finished totals through 1,500 square feet, then runs higher at the top end: $160,000 to $320,000 at 2,000 square feet, $200,000 to $400,000 at 2,500, and $240,000 to $480,000 at 3,000 — the divergence is at the high end only, presented as published12. HomeAdvisor’s short table matches Angi at 2,000 square feet ($160,000 to $320,000 finished) and puts the 2,000-square-foot base model at $100,000 to $200,000 against HomeGuide’s $100,000 to $180,000123.
Cost by bedrooms and type
Angi’s bedroom table: two bedrooms $40,000 to $128,000, three $80,000 to $208,000, four $144,000 to $352,000, five $192,000 to $480,000+2. HomeGuide publishes floor-plan ranges instead — a 2-bedroom plan at $55,000 to $90,000 and a 4-bedroom at $70,000 to $150,000 for the base unit only, with its full plan table spanning $40,000 to $140,000 base for a 2-bedroom/1-bath up to $100,000 to $290,000 base for a 5-bedroom/3-bath — different units than Angi’s table, presented as published1. HomeAdvisor’s type table, all-in: tiny home $20,000 to $50,000, townhouse $45,000 to $133,000, cottage $50,000 to $150,000, duplex $90,000 to $225,000, log cabin $25,000 to $250,0003. HomeGuide scopes its type figures differently: small homes of 200 to 800 square feet at $20,000 to $80,000 base ($30,000 to $130,000 total), a 2,000-square-foot duplex at $200,000 to $350,000 turn-key, and 2-story homes at $70,000 to $140,000 base — the duplex figures diverge from HomeAdvisor’s under different labels, presented as published13.
The full build budget
HomeGuide’s estimator for a 1,500-square-foot home, with its note that taxes and delivery are often already inside the unit price1:
| Item | Average cost (HomeGuide) |
|---|---|
| 1,500 sq ft modular unit | $75,000–$150,000 |
| Land preparation | $4,000–$11,000 |
| Foundation | $6,000–$20,000 |
| Delivery | $3,000–$12,000 |
| Taxes | $5,000–$15,000 |
| Installation | $10,000–$50,000 |
| Utility construction | $2,500–$25,000 |
| Permits & fees | $500–$4,000 |
| Additions (garage, deck) | $5,000–$50,000 |
| Total | $103,000–$310,000 |
HomeAdvisor’s breakdown diverges on several lines, presented as published: freight at $5,000 to $15,000 against HomeGuide’s $3,000 to $12,000 delivery, land clearing $1,400 to $5,800, excavation $1,660 to $6,710, grading $400 to $6,500, utility construction at a $6,700 single figure, and taxes at $5,000 to $10,000 against HomeGuide’s $5,000 to $15,00013. Angi prices delivery at the same $5 to $10 per square foot as HomeGuide but totals it at $3,000 to $20,000 — a higher top end, presented as published12.
Foundation
HomeGuide’s foundation table: basement $33 to $47 per square foot ($20,000 to $29,000 total), crawl space $7 to $14 ($6,300 to $16,300), pier and beam $7 to $11 ($3,000 to $8,000), stilts $11 to $19 ($12,000 to $30,000)1. Angi’s table includes a slab row and different rates: basement $20 to $37, crawl space $6 to $18, pier and beam $6 to $12, slab $5 to $16 per square foot2. Both HomeGuide and HomeAdvisor put foundation installation overall at $7 to $30 per square foot13. These cost tables compare prices only — they don’t establish which foundation works for a particular modular home; confirm suitability with the home’s manufacturer and through the project engineer and local approval process.
Site work and utility connections
HomeGuide’s site-prep lines: survey $350 to $1,000, clearing $1,350 to $3,900, excavation $1,600 to $4,400+, grading $600 to $2,0001. Angi’s general-contractor list covers clearing $1,400 to $6,200, grading $1,000 to $3,300, foundation pouring $4,000 to $14,900, and assembly $3,000 to $12,000+, with the GC at 20% to 40% of the total project ($48,000 to $96,000 average) — its own framing2. On connections, HomeGuide publishes ranges — electrical panel $1,400 to $2,800, wiring $6,000 to $22,500, septic $3,500 to $10,000+, sewer $1,500 to $10,000+, water main $500 to $2,500, well $3,000 to $15,000, plumbing $2,300 to $5,200, gas line $500 to $2,000, HVAC $5,000 to $11,0001 — while Angi prices connecting to municipal water at $1,000 to $6,000, a well at $5,000 to $10,000, gas at $500 to $2,000, and sewer at $1,500 to $5,700, and HomeAdvisor lists single figures: gas line $550, sewer main $3,200, water main $1,600, wiring $1,350 — three different presentations, each with its own scope, presented as published123.
Moving, additions, and brands
Moving an existing modular home costs $5,000 to $15,000 off-frame or $1,000 to $8,000 on-frame for up to 50 miles on HomeGuide1. On additions, the publishers diverge: HomeGuide prices a garage addition at $19,600 to $28,200, a deck at $4,000 to $10,000, and a shed at $1,500 to $5,000, while HomeAdvisor lists single figures of $28,000 for a two-car garage, $7,700 for a deck, and $2,500 for a shed — plus $18,000 to $30,000 for a basement against HomeGuide’s $20,000 to $29,000 foundation-table figure and a separate $25,000 to $80,000 line in its own additions table, an intra-source label difference presented as published13. HomeGuide’s brand table, per square foot1:
| Brand | Cost per sq ft (HomeGuide) |
|---|---|
| Champion | $90–$140 |
| Clayton | $70–$200 |
| Pratt | $65–$100 |
| Kent | $70–$100 |
| Huntington | $110–$275 |
| Heckaman | $60–$100 |
| Palm Harbor | $80–$150 |
Modular vs. manufactured and other prefab
HomeGuide’s comparison of prefab types, base unit only1:
| Type | Cost per sq ft (HomeGuide) | Total (HomeGuide) |
|---|---|---|
| Manufactured | $30–$60 | $30,000–$75,000 |
| Modular | $50–$100 | $75,000–$150,000 |
| Tiny house | $200–$250 | $20,000–$100,000 |
| Shipping container | $125–$400 | $7,000–$120,000 |
| Kit house | $30–$65 | $5,000–$115,000 |
The core distinction, attributed to both publishers: manufactured homes are built to HUD code on a permanent steel chassis, while modular homes follow the same local building codes as site-built homes and sit on a permanent foundation13. HomeGuide adds that lenders often classify on-frame modular homes as mobile homes, which restricts financing — its own note, attributed1.
Permits and timeline
Permit requirements and fees vary by municipality, so confirm with your local building authority; manufacturers and contractors typically handle the paperwork. For budgeting, HomeGuide and Angi both publish $500 to $4,000, with Angi adding a $1,000 average, while HomeAdvisor publishes $500 to $5,000 — a slightly wider top end, presented as published123. On timeline, HomeGuide puts construction, delivery, and assembly at 2 to 6 months with on-site setup at 4 to 6 weeks, and claims modular builds run 30% to 60% faster than site-built — its own claim, attributed1; HomeAdvisor publishes 4 to 6 months from contract to move-in with the same 4-to-6-week setup window3.
Related cost guides
Compare with cost to build a house for site-built construction, then see home addition cost, cost to build a garage and land clearing cost.
The bottom line
Budget $80 to $160 per square foot installed on the figure all three publishers share, with totals at $120,000 to $270,000 on HomeGuide’s average range, a $240,000 average on Angi, and $180,000 to $360,000 on HomeAdvisor’s normal range. The base-unit quote is never the whole build: delivery, foundation, site prep, utilities, permits, and taxes each carry their own line above, and HomeGuide’s estimator puts the all-in span for a 1,500-square-foot home at $103,000 to $310,000. Ask every builder to state exactly what its base price includes — all three sources warn that base quotes exclude different things.
Sources (each fetched and read October 26, 2026; figures are each publisher’s latest published data):
1. HomeGuide, “How Much Does It Cost to Build a Modular Home?” (December 1, 2025) — homeguide.com/costs/modular-home-prices
2. Angi, “How Much Does a Modular Home Cost?” (updated March 17, 2026) — angi.com/articles/modular-home-cost.htm
3. HomeAdvisor, “How Much Does It Cost to Build a Modular Home?” (updated June 17, 2026) — homeadvisor.com/cost/architects-and-engineers/modular-home-prices
Related guides
Duplex Construction Cost
Log Cabin Cost (2026 Guide)
Tiny House Cost (2026 Guide)
Barndominium Cost (2026 Guide)