Which statement correctly describes a factory-built home?

• A. A structure shipped to the installation site and can be constructed from steel shipping containers
• B. A modular building assembled from precast concrete
• C. A single-family residence with conventional stick framing
• D. A structure built on site using traditional framing

Answer: (A)

Factory-built homes are created in a controlled factory environment and then shipped to the installation site for final assembly or placement. The statement describing a structure that is shipped to the installation site—and noting that it can be built from steel shipping containers—fits this concept exactly, since it highlights off-site fabrication and delivery of a completed or semi-completed unit. Shipping-container homes are a well-known form of factory-built housing, illustrating how off-site manufacturing can use alternative materials.

The other descriptions point to on-site construction or reference a more specific off-site method. A modular building, even though factory-built, is described as assembly from precast concrete in this case, which isn’t the general, universal picture of factory-built housing. The remaining options describe traditional on-site construction with conventional or wooden framing, which is not factory-built.