The Modular Home Paperback – Illustrated, February 15, 2005

This should be your primer for building a modular home. Modular home building is the wave of the future for sure, and the author is a real expert, not just a guy trying to sell you something.

This book is 325 pages long, and it explains all about how a modular home is constructed, and the types of materials that are used and what to look for in a manufacturer, and in a contractor. This is a good book if you want to learn all about how modular homes are built. It explains the construction of walls, and windows, and roofs, and foundations...etc. And it has lots of illustrations of the types of sinks, and stairs to use.I am glad I bought this book, because it has a lot of good information, but I am disappointed because the book does not give the specific information I was looking for. It did not have a list of modular home manufacturers by state, or show a lot of floor plans for smaller homes (for retirees), or show "samples" of contracts to sign when buying a modular home.The author told me on the phone, when I called after purchasing this book, that it is a book that is used in the in the industry, by builders and buyers. I think it is an EXCELLENT book for people who need information about building a modular home. And it will help me learn about the best materials and foundations and walls to have...etc. But I am still searching for HOW to buy a modular home, and for a LIST of manufacturers and a LIST of contractors, and a LIST of lenders. The most important thing I found for me is that not all home builders know how to assemble a modular home, since it comes pre-assembled in units and is not build like a regular home.But I still do not know how to find a lender. I have not been able to find a lender because my bank does not finance modular homes. I have learned that a lot of banks do not finance modular homes.I still need help in finding a manufacturer, and a contractor, and a lender in Northeast Ohio.

This is the book I was looking for!! You see a well built modular house and wonder how to go about having one. This book explains all the details. After reading this book you will know how to proceed. You've got a framework to use. This book has all the details and information you need to confidently proceed to getting a house built for yourself. You wonder, is a modular house good? Yes! It's great! How to move forward? This book has the answers. A modular house is a way to get a very high quality house. These new modular houses really stand out from the surrounding houses. They are very tight looking and have a precise look to them of good assembly quality. This book tells you how to get one. There is a bit of a process to it. But this book explains it patiently. This is a well written and clear book. The author's intent was to be helpful. It shows in this book!

If you are serious about getting a modular home, this is indispensable reading. I took over 20 pages of notes to direct our due diligence on suppliers and installers, our choices of options and our critical path planning. Gianino was an academic before he became a modular home installer, it shows in the thoroughness and clarity of this book.I cannot agree with other posted criticisms that the book reads like a collection of brochures promoting the concept. It is an extremely valuable handbook that has given me great confidence in going forward.His explanations of how things are supposed to happen are tempered by a very humane understanding of how things can go wrong and how to make adjustments fairly between the buyer, the builder and the installer.I only wish I could buy from his business, but they do not install where I live.

unfortunately the most thorough presentation of modular architecture to date, this book is written with insufficient information and impartiality for the research-minded or building saavy. aimed more at the general populus than those familiar with the building trades, this book is described by the author as largely a collection of the brochures he has written to educate his consumers. as it is authored by a modular home professional, it does not present information with enough imparitial information for the serious researcher to swallow without a large grain of salt. that said, it does, however, manage to cover some bits and pieces of more in depth information with a voice that is tempered by experience and well organized enough to display his history of explaining the market niche to the uninitiated.

Detailed but easy to follow and read, the book stresses the importance of the potential modular home buyer to be involved since the beginning of the project and till the end, for a successful and unforgettable life-time experience. The book is a must read for anyone thinking about building a modular home. A great reading !

This book has a lot of good information for anyone interested in purchasing a modular home. The only criticism I have is that it is out dated in some areas. It needs to be updated as the construction business has changed so much in the last three or four years. I would still recommend it to people interested in modulars.

Very helpful and detailed. I held off buying because it's somewhat dated having been written in 2005. But based on numerous interactions with modular home dealers, builders, and general contractors, not a ton has changed. Many of the fundamentals remain constant that Gianino talks through. And even where things might have changed, this book gives a great foundation for anybody looking to build modular.