How buying a home from us works in California

From your first showroom visit to handing you the keys. A typical project runs about 2 to 8 months, and the factory build is the fast part. Here is exactly what happens in each of the eight steps, what you do, and what tends to slow things down.

Many steps overlap

The timeline is not one step after another. We keep the lender, the factory, the installer, and the county moving together, which is what keeps a typical project inside 2 to 8 months.

Estimate only, not a guarantee. The timeline above is illustrative for a typical single-family project on private land. Your actual schedule depends on your site conditions, your local permitting jurisdiction, your financing, and factory lead times, and it may be shorter or longer. Nothing here is a promise of a specific completion date. We will give you a project-specific estimate once we review your home, your land, and your loan.

The buying journey, step by step

Here is what happens at each of the eight steps, what you do, and what tends to slow things down. Each step carries a tip worth remembering.

1. Step 11 to 3 weeks

   Choose your home

   Visit the showroom, tour models, and choose a floor plan. We help you pick your layout and finishes, then give you a written quote covering the home, delivery, and installation.

   TipCompare the all-in installed price, never just the base price of the home.

   What happens, your part & the fine print

   What happens

   • ✓Tour model homes and compare plans that fit your budget and family size.
   • ✓Work with a housing consultant to configure the layout, kitchen, flooring, and exterior options.
   • ✓Receive a written itemized quote covering the home, options, delivery, and installation.

   Your part

   • ›List your must-haves: bedrooms, single versus double section, and your realistic budget.
   • ›Bring rough information about your land or lot if you already have it.
   • ›Ask which options change the price the most.

   Watch out forFalling in love with a top-trim model and then needing to re-quote after the budget reality sets in.
2. Step 21 to 3 weeks

   Get pre-qualified

   A lender reviews your income and credit and tells you your real budget. Loan options include FHA, VA, USDA, conventional, and personal-property (chattel) loans.

   TipMany mortgage lenders do not finance manufactured homes. We can point you to ones that do.

   What happens, your part & the fine print

   What happens

   • ✓A lender reviews your income, credit, and down payment and issues a pre-qualification letter.
   • ✓You compare loan types: FHA, VA, USDA Rural Development, conventional, or a chattel (personal property) loan.
   • ✓The lender explains how the loan changes depending on whether the home will be real property or stay on a chattel title.

   Your part

   • ›Gather pay stubs, tax returns, and bank statements before you apply.
   • ›Check your credit and avoid opening new debt during the process.
   • ›Ask each lender whether they finance manufactured homes and on what foundation terms.

   Watch out forAssuming any mortgage lender handles manufactured homes; many do not, which can stall financing.

   California noteMuch of the Central Valley qualifies for USDA Rural Development 502 loans, which can allow low or zero down payment, but the home typically must be new, on a permanent foundation, and titled as real property.
3. Step 32 to 8 weeks

   Check land and permits

   We confirm the parcel works: zoning, setbacks, utilities, and delivery access. You decide whether the home becomes real property, which unlocks the best loan rates, or stays personal property. Permits are filed with the city or county.

   TipWe work with the county building department or mobile-home park to keep this moving. On private land, reach out to the power utility as soon as possible.

   What happens, your part & the fine print

   What happens

   • ✓Verify zoning, setbacks, and that a manufactured home is allowed on the parcel with the city or county.
   • ✓Check utilities (water or well, sewer or septic, electric, gas) and confirm the truck and crane can reach the site.
   • ✓File the installation permit with the building department, plus electrical, plumbing, and septic permits where needed.
   • ✓Decide whether the home becomes real property (recorded foundation) or stays on a chattel title.

   Your part

   • ›Bring us your parcel number and county; we help you confirm what is allowed before you order.
   • ›Budget for site costs like grading, a well, or a septic system if utilities are not already in.
   • ›On private land, contact your power utility (PG&E, SCE) early; power is often the longest lead time.

   Watch out forPermit plan-check, septic or well clearances, and utility lead times are the most common causes of delay.

   California noteTo make the home real property and qualify for most mortgages, California requires a permanent foundation and a recorded HCD Form 433A under Title 25; a chattel title keeps it as personal property. Installation is done by a licensed C-47 contractor.
4. Step 41 to 2 weeks

   Sign and order

   You sign the purchase agreement, pay your deposit, and your home enters the factory build queue. Final loan approval moves forward at the same time.

   TipCheck every option, color, and dimension before you sign. Changes after the order is locked cost money and push back your build date.

   What happens, your part & the fine print

   What happens

   • ✓You review and sign the purchase agreement with final specifications and pricing.
   • ✓Your configuration is locked and submitted to the factory, which schedules a build slot.
   • ✓Final financing approval and any required appraisal move forward in parallel.

   Your part

   • ›Read every line of the spec sheet and confirm options, colors, and dimensions are correct.
   • ›Pay the agreed deposit and keep copies of all signed documents.
   • ›Respond quickly to lender requests so approval stays on schedule.

   Watch out forChanging options after the order is locked, which can trigger change fees and push back the build date.
5. Step 52 to 8 weeks

   Factory build

   Your home is built indoors on the factory line and inspected before it ships. The hands-on build is often just a couple of weeks; most of this phase is the factory queue.

   TipUse this time to line up homeowner’s insurance and your down payment funds.

   What happens, your part & the fine print

   What happens

   • ✓The home is framed, wired, plumbed, and finished in transportable sections on the assembly line.
   • ✓Quality control and HUD or California state insignia inspections happen inside the factory.
   • ✓The dealer tracks the build and schedules a delivery window as completion nears.

   Your part

   • ›Stay reachable for any last factory questions about finishes or options.
   • ›Use this window to finalize homeowner’s insurance and any down payment funds.
   • ›Confirm the delivery date and site readiness with your dealer.

   Watch out forFactory queue position and material backorders can move the build date more than the actual line time.

   California noteHands-on build time is often only a few days to a couple of weeks; most of this phase is the factory schedule and queue.
6. Step 62 to 4 weeks

   Delivery and installation

   Your home arrives in sections and is set on the foundation, joined, leveled, anchored, and connected to utilities. Skirting, steps, and porches are finished.

   TipKeep the access road clear, and walk the site with the installer when the work is done.

   What happens, your part & the fine print

   What happens

   • ✓Sections are transported to the site and set onto the foundation by the installation crew.
   • ✓Multi-section homes are joined at the marriage line, leveled, and anchored with tie-downs or a permanent foundation connection.
   • ✓Utilities are connected and exterior trim, skirting, steps, and porches are completed.

   Your part

   • ›Make sure the access road and site are clear for the transport and crane or crew.
   • ›Walk the site with the installer and note anything that looks off.
   • ›Confirm the installer will file the recorded foundation paperwork.

   Watch out forTight access roads, soft or wet Valley ground, and overhead lines can complicate the set.

   California noteFor a real-property conversion the installer records HCD Form 433A with the county recorder, which is what legally affixes the home to the land in California.
7. Step 71 to 2 weeks

   Final inspections

   The building department inspects everything and issues your certificate of occupancy. If the home is on your own land, the foundation form (HCD 433A) is recorded, which is what makes it real property in California.

   TipKeep copies of the certificate of occupancy and the recorded 433A. Your lender will want both.

   What happens, your part & the fine print

   What happens

   • ✓The building department inspects foundation, anchoring, utility connections, and life-safety items.
   • ✓Any correction items flagged by the inspector are resolved by the installer.
   • ✓Once everything passes, the certificate of occupancy is issued and the 433A recording is completed.

   Your part

   • ›Stay available to grant inspector access and approve any fixes.
   • ›Keep copies of the certificate of occupancy and the recorded 433A for your lender and records.
   • ›Confirm with your lender that funding can close after final sign-off.

   Watch out forA single failed inspection item can require a re-inspection visit, adding days to the schedule.

   California noteIn California the certificate of occupancy may be issued and HCD Form 433A recorded once the form is complete and the original title or certificate of origin is surrendered to HCD.
8. Step 8Ongoing

   Move in and warranty

   Get your keys, do a final walkthrough, and note anything that needs fixing. Your new home comes with its manufacturer’s limited warranty, 1 to 7 years depending on the brand.

   TipReport anything that needs fixing during your walkthrough, while it is clearly inside the warranty window.

   What happens, your part & the fine print

   What happens

   • ✓You do a final walkthrough and document any punch-list items.
   • ✓Your warranty coverage begins: your manufacturer’s limited warranty, 7 years on Champion Redman homes and 1 year on Clayton homes.
   • ✓The dealer or installer addresses early service items such as minor settling adjustments.

   Your part

   • ›Note any defects in writing during the walkthrough and report them promptly.
   • ›Set up property tax, insurance, and utility accounts in your name.
   • ›Keep all manuals, warranty documents, and the recorded 433A together.

   Watch out forWaiting too long to report a defect; reporting early keeps it clearly inside the warranty window.

   California noteCalifornia law gives new manufactured homes a one-year warranty against substantial defects, with the manufacturer and dealer jointly responsible for corrective action.

Go deeper on what matters to your build

The guide, the money, and the quick answers, all in one place when you are ready for the next step.