FAQ
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
What is an "off-site built" home?
An off-site built home is similar in many ways to a home built
on-site or "stick built". The homes are built in modules, using
many of the same components found in high quality site built
homes. The controlled environment of a modern factory eliminates
damage and delays caused by weather. Also, controlling quality
is easier in a factory environment than on scattered job sites.
High quality materials can be purchased more economically.
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Can I save money purchasing a Pinnacle off-site
built home? Most definitely, yes. Savings
can be significant because of the more efficient labor and material
costs associated with factory production and because of increased
material purchasing power. You can certainly buy a cheaper home,
but you will find that in a lower priced home, the materials
used will be inferior. Often in less expensive homes, you will
find that off brand materials are used rather than trusted name
brand components Pinnacle uses like Andersen windows, Merillat
cabinets, Wilsonart Countertops & floors, Kenmore appliances,
and so forth. When comparing costs, if the exact same specifications
are used, a Pinnacle home will normally be between 5% and 20%
less than comparable site built homes.
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How long does it take until I can move into
my new Pinnacle home? From the time you
order your home and make a deposit payment, it will be about
6-12 weeks until your home is completed in the factory. This
varies by season and depends on our order "backlog". While your
house is in the process of being built, the site work on your
lot (excavation and foundation) will be completed. After your
house is delivered to the site and set up, it will take about
4-8 weeks to complete the site work, depending on the complexity
of your home and the schedule of your Builder. You will be in
your new home much quicker than if you were to build on site.
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Can you build my custom plan?
Yes. However, there are certain restrictions in what we can
build and transport. If you have a plan picked out, we will
evaluate your plan for factory construction feasibility and
then discuss what changes would be necessary. Most homebuyers
are able to find an existing Pinnacle plan to meet their needs.
Also, our standard models can be modified which is more cost
effective than a custom built home.
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What is HUD code? This
building code is a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) standard.
It is used primarily in manufactured or mobile homes, also commonly
referred to "trailers", "double wides", or "sectionals". These
HUD code houses have an integral steel frame which is used for
transportation and is a permanent part of the house. HUD code
incorporates the very minimal standards for housing. Pinnacle
homes are not HUD code homes and they have very little in common.
We engineer and build our homes to comply with local and state
building codes, just like the stick builders.
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How do I finance my Pinnacle home?
Most mortgage lending institutions treat a Pinnacle off-site
built home the same way they treat a traditional site built
home and offer the same mortgage options. Many Builders require
construction draws, typically at the time the foundation is
complete, when the home arrives on site and a final draw at
the completion of site work. Talk with your Builder about their
specific financing programs. Builder's work regularly with financial
institutions and can help tailor a package to meet your needs.
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What is the building process?
First, you need to find a building lot if you don't already
own one or have one picked out. Your Builder can often help
you find a lot and in many cases already own lots ready for
your home. Before your home begins the actual production process,
the site needs to be excavated and a foundation completed which
your Builder can do or you may do yourself. After the foundation
is in, your home is built and delivered to the site. Our set
up crew will "set" your home on its foundation with a crane
or on rollers, raise the hinged roof, permanently tie the modules
together and to the foundation, and weatherproof your home.
The finish site work then begins. The major items include; drywall
finish, hanging doors on the "mate" wall (the wall where the
modules mate), finishing the trim and floor covering in areas
where it could not be completed in the factory because of location
relative to the mate wall, furnace installation (and optional
air conditioning), plumbing and electrical hookup (the vast
majority of these systems are in place and simply need to be
connected together and to utilities), and optional garages,
porches, brick or stone, etc. Your Builder normally completes
all of the site work, but in many cases allows you to do some
of this site work yourself. Your Builder will likely tailor
a proposal to include as much or as little site work as desired.
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Where do I buy a Pinnacle home?
Qualified Builders have been authorized to sell, complete site
work and provide service for, a Pinnacle home. These Builders
are experienced and qualified to do all of the work required.
However, in many areas of the Midwest, we do not have Pinnacle
Division, Indiana Building Systems, LLC. Please contact us to find out where your nearest
Builder is located
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Will my off-site built home hold its value
over time? Yes, just as well as a site built
home. In fact, as more data accumulates, it is apparent in many
cases that a high quality off-site built home, because of the
structural integrity, will hold its value better and appreciate
at a more favorable rate than a comparably priced site built
home.
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Who stands behind my Pinnacle home?
Pinnacle Division, Indiana Building Systems, LLC offers a one year homeowners
warranty as well as optional extended term warranties. We firmly
stand behind homes built by our company which is managed by
people with vast industry experience. Additionally, Pinnacle
is associated with a group of family owned businesses dating
back to 1869. Pinnacle Division, Indiana Building Systems, LLC has built a reputation
based on keeping homeowners satisfied and will stand behind
the work they perform. Also, many of the brand name components
used in the construction of your home are under a separate manufacturers
warranty backed by some of the strongest companies in the U.S.
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How is a Pinnacle home designed and by whom?
The structural integrity of your home is assured
by our staff of qualified engineers and computer aided design
(CAD) operators. The use of computers helps to eliminate design
flaws sometimes found in site built homes. Our plans are state
approved and inspected.
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Won't people be able to tell my home was built
in a factory? No. Once your home is on it's
foundation (full basement or crawl space) and the site work
is done, no one will know unless they saw the modules arrive
on site. Basically, our homes are stick built in a factory.
It is very difficult to tell any difference, unless the noticed
difference is the higher quality and better value for the dollar
than your neighbors.
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