How to Acquire a Modular Building
By: Jim Attrell

I have occasionally been asked what would inspire anyone to acquire a modular building, and my answer is….why not? Simply put, the speed of construction of a modular project coupled with the flexibility of relocation and the ability to lease modular building products make it an obvious decision, especially when a land lease is also involved in the transaction or when the need has a definite start and ending timeframe.

Modular buildings can be temporary or permanent in nature, and the customer can and should select the quality of construction and have input on the finish materials.

Like any other building, there is a wide range of quality standards, durability components, and building finishes available and an even greater variety of acquisition methods available to a customer, whether on a lease or a purchase basis.

Suppliers of modular building products range from large corporations with branch and regional offices located across America to small single-person dealers specializing in small territories or focused markets. Each type of supplier from small to large has strengths and weaknesses.

The larger dealers have multiple branches, usually with regional offices and a significant support organization. Smaller dealers tend to work in regions of the country with a smaller number of branch locations and a support organization. The smallest dealers tend to work very small areas or states and often specialize in specific types of building products. They often rely on sub-contractors for support and usually have strong, long-term relationships with local vendors and suppliers. Almost all dealers, small and large, sub-contract the manufacturing of their building products to licensed, state-certified, wholesale manufacturers that sell only to state licensed dealers.

There are relatively few licensed modular building manufacturers in America and even fewer that sell direct to the public. Most manufacturers have wholesale relationships with licensed dealers, and they generally rely on business from a very small group of customers who collectively can generate the necessary business to support the manufacturers.

Each manufacturing facility has its own strengths and weaknesses, and most have an area of expertise. The modular building supplier determines which factories are best suited for the product being manufactured and matches the factory to the customer need. Most small factories can produce a maximum of one or two mobile office trailers per day, and, given the choice, they would usually avoid manufacturing any building that must meet state building codes.

The largest factories generally specialize in manufacturing buildings that consist of multiple units that comply with building code, and many can produce 3,000 to 5,000 square feet of modular buildings per day, depending on the complexity of the specification and finish. Larger factories often avoid building small mobile buildings.

Choosing the supplier for a new modular building project can be a very complicated and challenging task for the inexperienced customer. Where to start is the question that most customers ask themselves.

Today, almost all suppliers of modular buildings have a Web site and Internet presence. Using search terms such as modular buildings, portable buildings, prefabricated buildings, relocateable buildings and then adding the state of your project site along with a description of your type of building can usually produce good results. For example, a church school in Texas searching for “Modular Building Texas Church” gets more than 44,000 listings using Google.

The primary and most important concern that the customer should carefully consider and study when choosing a modular building supplier is the skill level of the salesperson (and any related support organization) who will deliver the modular building product and supervise the installation and finish-out activities. Checking out past performance is usually an easy process and an activity that should not be underestimated in terms of value to the acquisition process.

Quality modular building suppliers can produce a list of at least 10 projects with customer references in the same locale where the customer is located. These references would be building projects that the customer could visit to check out the quality of the workmanship and to discuss the process and relationship with the supplier’s past customer. This step can provide some valuable insight into the modular building process, as well as details of the level of satisfaction that the customer had with the modular building supplier. If meeting the required schedule was a past problem, then it is quite possible that the late delivery problem is chronic with that modular building supplier and all references should be carefully checked.

The second most important concern should be the financial ability of the organization to provide the products being ordered. Bank and vendor references should be requested from the proposed supplier, and careful review of any proposed subcontractor’s past performance should also be conducted. Quality suppliers of modular buildings will always have great relationships with their vendors and suppliers. A quick check of the supplier’s Dunn and Bradstreet report can often reveal important information about past vendor relationships. Phone calls to the proposed wholesale factory being used, if applicable, coupled with calls to key suppliers and vendors are often useful in the modular building supplier evaluation process.

The ability of the modular building supplier to provide options that increase the sustainability and energy efficiency of the building products being acquired (including Green options) is very important. Sustainability is a term that is increasing in use in the construction industry, and it is defined as a process or state that can be maintained at a certain level indefinitely. In other words, the building product should last longer if manufactured with Green options. New codes being developed and adopted are requiring increased levels of energy efficiency, but there are many methods already available that exceed minimum code requirements. After all, meeting code is one mistake away from not meeting code.

Sustainable in the modular building industry means a more environmentally friendly construction technique with less material waste. Other features of modular buildings that make them Green include less material exposure to inclement weather during construction, less site disturbance, safer construction, and the flexibility of relocation. In addition, modular buildings can be reconfigured easily for future uses, and a quality modular building will have a higher resale value. Most importantly, modular building construction results in a compacted construction timeframe that still results in meeting local and federal codes, while minimizing risks associated with construction delays.

If the modular building supplier only has stock, standard, off-the-shelf products that do not include available options that will provide a higher quality or Green building, then the customer should continue shopping if these options are important. By contacting other modular building suppliers, the customer can learn more about options that may be affordable and desirable. Almost all modular building suppliers have the ability (but perhaps not the desire) to customize a new modular building to suit the exact needs of the customer.

For example, reflective membrane roofing finishes, insulated exterior doors, low E glass windows, R-30 roof insulation, R-15 wall insulation, R-22 floor insulation, and efficient HVAC systems can have a dramatic effect on cooling and heating costs. A fibre-cement floor overlay with recycled carpet tile, while expensive initially, can greatly reduce the life-time cost of maintenance on the modular building. The difference in cost between 1/2 inch sheetrock and fire-rated sheetrock on interior walls is small and results in a more durable and safer building.

Another important feature in any classroom environment is higher interior ceilings. Modular buildings are available with ceiling heights approaching nine feet or more if desired, and the cost differences are minimal in many locations.

There are numerous regional differences associated with modular building construction that are mostly related to climate. For example, in many places in the South, a 12-inch-deep footing is more than adequate for a foundation for a modular building, while frost line levels in the North require much deeper and more complicated foundations. Areas where snow accumulates require modular buildings with higher roof loads. Northern climates require a modular building to have differing vapor barrier systems than the South.

Generally, most modular building suppliers perform the delivery and setup of its products with either sub-contractors or its own forces. Setup will usually include the skirting, ramps, decks, and steps, but not the site preparation, utility connections, or permitting. As in the case of the building itself, there are lots of varieties of quality and durability of skirting, decks, and steps. Skirting is usually a match to the siding and, in some cases, can be site installed to conceal a skirt joint. Ramps, decks, and steps can be treated wood, concrete, or metal.

Site preparation should always take into consideration drainage issues, and, for more permanent installations, a poured-in-place engineered concrete foundation should be considered, particularly where ground movement will be a problem. This foundation can be simple in many cases where poured piers are placed in existing soil in accordance with an engineered drawing.

There is one more final step that the customer should take before making the final selection of a modular building supplier. The customer should ask all qualified suppliers if they are a member of the Modular Building Institute, www.modular.org. This national organization of modular building suppliers and vendors enforces a code of ethics upon its members that, at the very least, will ensure that the customer will receive service from an organization that has pledged to be professional, honest, fair, and responsible.

Jim Attrell has 38 years of modular building experience and is the vice president and general manager of Nortex Modular Space in Lewisville, Texas, www.nortexmodular.com.

Product Roundup

NCPG and Williams Scotsman
Two story modular buildings in as little as 90 days! Whether you need a temporary congregation area, administrative facility, daycare center or standard classroom, NCPG has the space you need through their exclusive national partner, William Scotsman. Choose from a line of standard facilities or have their designers custom build to fit your specific needs. With more than 50 years of experience in the mobile and modular space industry, Williams Scotsman's team of local sales professionals can service all your modular space needs.
www.ncpg.com

Premier Modular Buildings
Premier Modular Buildings are built to meet or exceed all the same codes as site-built buildings. The differences are the amount of time saved, as the buildings are built at the same time the site is being prepared, and the financial savings, due to a heavily controlled labor environment. Weather and labor shortages are no issue, as the buildings are built inside a climate-controlled environment. They provide clients with a quick solution, while still maintaining the quality environment.
www.PremierMod.com

Anchor Modular Buildings
With ever changing demographics, fluctuating enrollments and shrinking budgets, schools are constantly challenged to provide sufficient classroom space for their students.  Anchor Modular Buildings sells a wide variety of buildings for schools in the Mid-Atlantic region. Anchor is a Christian, family-owned business that will work with churches to design and build modular space that meets their needs and stays within their budget. Anchor’s projects range from small classrooms for churches to large school buildings for major universities.
www.anchormodular.com

Vanguard Modular
Vanguard Modular provides award-winning space solutions for church schools. The company offers temporary or permanent buildings for offices, classrooms, daycare facilities, fellowship halls, and auditoriums. The experienced sales team makes it easy for schools to create their own unique solutions. For faster and more cost-effective solutions, the company offers in-stock, Ready-To-Roll pre-leased units that are continually refurbished and prepped for quick delivery.
www.vanguardmodular.com

Ramtech Building Systems
Since 1982, the Ramtech RT and LT model portable classrooms have led the way in providing innovative temporary and permanent solutions to the space needs of hundreds of schools. Whether you need to purchase or lease, their extensive inventory program of portable classrooms lets you select from a wide range of units, with and without restrooms, in stock and ready for shipment. Their temporary and permanent modular facilities are also available for other specialty classrooms, classroom wings, and complexes.
www.ramtecheducation.com

Triumph Modular
Triumph Modular offers a wide range of temporary and permanent modular classroom structures that can be customized to meet a variety of needs, including classrooms, laboratories, libraries, cafeterias, locker rooms, administrative offices or storage space. Individual modules are fabricated in a climate-controlled environment, including fixtures and nearly all interior finishing. The module is then shipped to school sites for installation or assembly with other completed modules to build a larger structure.
www.triumphleasing.com