The delivered-cost reality check

Start from the right number

Base price is a factory-gate number. It answers "what does the building cost", not "what does the project cost". Every serious buyer in this category should build a project budget with seven lines.

The seven lines

1. Unit price. The manufacturer quote, with the options list attached. Confirm in writing which appliances, HVAC, and finishes are included.
2. Freight. $4–$9 per loaded mile domestically; $12k–$40k all-in for imports including ocean freight, duty, port fees and inland trucking.
3. Lifting and placement. $1,200–$4,000 for a crane half-day. Some units need two lifts.
4. Site preparation. Access road, clearing, grading, engineered pad or piers: $6,000–$30,000. Slope and soil drive this more than anything else.
5. Utilities. Water, sewer or septic, power. Septic systems alone regularly exceed $20,000. If the site has no services, this line frequently exceeds the unit price on cheap models.
6. Permits, plan review and engineering. $1,500–$12,000. Ask whether the manufacturer supplies stamped drawings for your state.
7. Finish out. Steps, decking, skirting, tie-downs, landscaping, window coverings, and the things that were "not included".

Rules of thumb

• Serviced lot with good access: base × 1.6
• Raw land, no services: base × 2.2
• Imported unit: add the freight line before applying either multiplier

Questions that save money

• What is your delivered freight quote to my zip code, in writing?
• What documentation do you provide for plan review in my state?
• What is the total for the configuration I actually want, not the base unit?
• Who performs the install, and is it a fixed price or time and materials?