What Manufactured Home Size is Right For Me? 

Published on Tuesday April 5, 2022

Are you thinking about getting a manufactured home? If you have already started thinking about buying a manufactured home, then you surely already have an idea about getting the best deal when it comes to homeowners insurance and alternative living.  However, there is more to modern-day manufactured homes than simply value and convenience. Manufactured home buyers today have significantly more choices when it comes to size and styles than the mobile home purchasers of the past. 

Knowing how to navigate these various choices is key to getting the best manufactured home insurance and residence for you. 

So can you tell the difference between single, double wide, and triple wide manufactured homes? Do you know how you should consider these sizes when buying a manufactured home? In this blog, we’ll cover everything you need to know before getting your manufactured home insurance! 

What is a Manufactured Home?

We’ll assume that you already have a general understanding of what a manufactured home is since you’re thinking about buying one. However, for a new buyer, it’s important that you get your terms in order. 

For example, a manufactured home is not the same as a mobile home. They stopped making mobile homes decades ago, actually. Manufactured homes could be seen as the “heirs” of mobile homes, being made with superior safety codes and craftsmanship.

Despite this, the terms are often confusing and used interchangeably – you may hear manufactured home insurance referred to as mobile home insurance, for example. 

Mobile or Manufactured homes are also a little different than modular homes. Both are prebuilt in a climate-controlled facility and then assembled on-site. Mobile and Manufactured homes, however, are designed to be moved, if needed, even after they are assembled. Modular homes don’t take to travel so well, and are intended to stay on a permanent foundation. 

Modular homes often have more flexibility in their design, as they are made from various assembling pieces. On the other hand, manufactured homes tend to have more “set” floor plans. However, there are still plenty of important decisions you need to make when buying manufactured homes.

What are the Sizes of Manufactured Homes?

As we mentioned, manufactured homes are designed to be “road-worthy.” They should be able to be put on a truck and driven wherever they need to go. This means that there are some hard limits to their size, particularly their height. Most manufactured homes are single-story and need to be under 13 feet to pass under bridges safely.

Most manufactured homes are also limited to being 80 feet in length. This is to make sure that they can fit on most forms of transportation without sliding off! 

Though a manufactured home has to be built to fit on a trailer, it is possible to transport them in separate parts. This helps expand the total size of the manufactured home. 

Generally, manufactured homes are categorized into three sizes: 

Single Wide: A single wide manufactured home is up to 18 feet in width and up to 1,440 square feet in its footage. 

Double Wide: A double-wide manufactured home is up to 36 feet in width and up to 2,560 square feet in its footage. 

Triple Wide: A triple wide manufactured home is up to 54 feet in width and 3,600 or more square feet in its footage. 

What Size is Right For Me?

What size you get is up to your needs and if you are looking to join a manufactured home community, or planning on traveling more often than not. Generally, double wides are among the most popular, as they allow for multiple bedrooms and incorporate design features such as open floor plans.A single wide is probably your best option if you’re not quite sure if this will be an investment or permanent residence. 

 A triple-wide home lets you get downright luxurious with your housing choices and is often selected if you plan on staying in a permanent location for a good amount of time and are looking to really enjoy the space as a primary form of residence. Though a double-wide will cover all of your needs for most families and still allow a stylish design.

Once you’ve decided on what kind of manufactured home is best for you, it’s time to get insurance for it. Covertree makes getting manufactured home insurance simple – just three easy steps and three quick minutes. This lets you focus on getting the best house for your needs and not sweating the homeowners’ insurance.