When it comes to Modular Housing in Colorado, a state that has 64 counties, each with their own modular housing regulations, it can get complicated to mass produce modular homes on an economical scale. Adding the various municipalities across the Western Slope and Eastern Plains and producing a modular home in a time efficient manner becomes a real challenge. Over regulation is an issue that is seen far too often in housing development generally, driving increased costs and slower production time. The real benefit of modular housing lies in economies of scale but with stifling regulations from every corner of Colorado, prevents the state from realizing the true benefit of modular housing.

This policy solution proposes to find ways to respect the wishes of local governments while finding solutions that allow the Modular housing industry to thrive, delivering real cost savings to consumers across the state. By creating regional zones with geographically specific safety regulations, local governments in similar areas can address concerns—such as snow load capacity on roofs—while establishing a streamlined process for modular developers to build housing more efficiently and cost-effectively than traditional construction methods.

Impact or how it will be measured:

Modular housing increases the supply of housing on the market faster than traditional housing development while also delivering a lower cost product. However, the multitude of development being developed in Colorado is erasing the cost savings that modular experiences in other parts of the country where regulations are streamlined. This effort will measure the impact by looking at the data to see if the cost savings of modular housing development in Colorado fall more in line with the national average.