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Manufacturers: accessible features for modular and manufactured homes are available but typically optional and add modest cost
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Summary
Industry witnesses from Pecto Holmes told the committee that manufacturers can add accessibility options—36‑inch doors, low‑threshold roll‑in showers, higher toilets and grab bars—but those features are generally optional and would add modest up‑front costs (basic accommodations roughly $3,000–$5,000; roll‑in showers $1,500–$3,000).
Representatives from Pecto Holmes, including Dean Pecto Holmes and Ashley Eberly, spoke to the committee about how accessibility features are handled in factory‑built housing.
Dean Pecto Holmes said manufacturers can provide many accessibility options but they are not standard in base HUD‑code manufactured homes; modular homes built to state code can be more customizable. "There are options, but they are not standard," he said, adding that factories will include low‑threshold roll‑in showers, grab bars, higher‑height toilets and 36‑inch exterior doors as options.
The witnesses gave specific cost examples. A series of basic accommodations — higher toilets, pedestal sinks, 36‑inch doors and similar changes — would typically add several thousand dollars to a unit. "You can do a house, you know, with the basic accommodations, I'd say, for 3 to 5,000, I think would be pretty reasonable," one witness said. He estimated roll‑in shower packages at $1,500 to $3,000 and door upgrades at roughly $30–$50 per door.
They also explained the difference between HUD‑code manufactured homes (single‑ and double‑wide units) and modular homes built to state code: HUD‑code units have factory‑installed features and limited on‑site customization before shipping; modular homes are built to local codes and can be specified to site conditions. The witnesses said financing and insurance for factory‑built duplexes and double‑wide multifamily models can be more complicated because many lenders and insurers treat those products as commercial rather than single‑family residences.
The industry representatives said some builders are increasingly ordering customized modular designs as the market shifts toward longer‑term occupancy and aging‑in‑place considerations, but they emphasized that uptake depends on demand and financing availability.
