Wind River Built homes, known primarily for building tiny houses, has gone modular.
And with the modular housing market growing, the company, which recently opened a $15 million, 92,000-square-foot manufacturing facility located on 31 acres in the Cleveland/Bradley County Industrial Park on Old Chattanooga Pike, has expanded its production capability to meet that demand.
Stratton Tingle, Wind River’s director of marketing and strategic partnerships, told members of the Kiwanis Club of Cleveland on Thursday that modular housing is gaining traction due to its ability to reduce time for project completion and minimize construction waste.
For most of the decade, Tingle said Wind River has focused on manufacturing tiny homes, that are constructed in a facility and not placed on foundations.
However, the South Cleveland facility has enabled Wind River to bolster its production capability and expand into the modular home sector.
The term “modular home” refers to a house that is constructed inside a facility, adheres to state building codes and undergoes thorough inspections at various stages of production.
Wind River’s tiny and modular homes, which cost approximately $250 to $400 per square foot, are placed on permanent foundations.
“We still build tiny homes on wheels,” Tingle said. “Often, we’re building those for individuals who are trying to live out in the woods, oftentimes off the grid.”
He said Wind River’s tiny homes are present in states as far-reaching as Alaska and Hawaii. They’re also in Japan.
Tingle said the lack of mortgage products for tiny homes resulted in limiting Wind River’s market share in the new home construction industry.
“That’s the reason we’ve expanded into the modular building category,” he said, adding that modular homes are classified as real property and are permanently attached to the property.
They also meet city and county building codes.
“Inspections are performed in our facility here in Cleveland until the home gets to the site and is connected to sewer, water and electricity,” he said. “That’s when a local inspector will do the final inspection make sure it’s all buttoned up and meets the local building code.”
Tingle said the advantage of building modular homes inside their facility cuts out construction delays due to weather.
“So, the speed to which people are moving in the home is oftentimes 50% faster than you would with a site built home,” he said.
More Stories
Governor, officials assemble to celebrate starter home construction in Plain City neighborhood | News, Sports, Jobs
New Orleans Garden District $2.4M ‘pink palace’ has plenty | Home/Garden
garden guy is on pollinator adventure with temple of bloom