Building a Modular Home

Project: Modular Mountain Retreat, Episode 1, Part 1



Bob and his crew travel to western Massachusetts to feature the construction and on-site assembly of a modular home in the Berkshires Hills.

Simplex Industries is building the home in Scranton, PA. Bob visits the Simplex factory to witness the the prefab process. Pat Fricchione, Jr., owner of Simplex, tells Bob the history of the company, remarking on how the image of modular construction has changed over the years.

While touring the building site, Bob gives an overview of the rustic Berkshires area before joining general contractor Michael Shiels to discuss the foundation prep work that is underway.
Part 1: Building a Modular Home
Bob meets with Pat Fricchione from Simplex Industries of Scranton, PA to discuss the modular home industry, specifically in western Massachusetts (though Simplex delivers homes all over the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states).

Today's modular homes are designed to meet the needs of the modern discriminating homebuyer. The materials used in a modular home are essentially the same as those used in a site-built one.

Modular homes can be customized or built from existing floor plans. (Plus, the homeowner gets the advantage of buying in bulk for all the materials in the home). And it's always perfect weather in the factory, so there are no delays due to rain or snow.

A typical home can be built in a week at the factory and delivered to the home site in ready-to-assemble pieces.
Part 2: A Visit to the Berkshires
Part 3: Site Work Preparing for Precast Foundation
Beautifully sited on wooded acreage with breathtaking views of some of the most beautiful countryside in New England, this Arts and Crafts style bungalow certainly doesn't look factory-built. You'd never know it was a modular home unless Bob took you to the Pennsylvania factory where it was built, almost from start to finish.

The house goes down the assembly line from framing, through wiring and plumbing, all the way to the installation of flooring and priming for paint.

The house is trucked to its pre-fabricated foundations on the lot, and start all the finishing touches that will prove that a modular house doesn't have to be a cookie-cutter affair.

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