Quality Factory-Direct Homes For over 40 Years Serving 9 States
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House Set Overview
An explanation of how our homes
are placed on their foundations and finished off ready for hookups.
Regional Sales Locations With Display Models
House Set
Every Design Home is set on the foundation with one of our own cranes. We also occasionally rent cranes when the situation merits. Since each site is different and every home is unique, it is impossible to describe exactly how a house is set in a way that will apply to every situation.
The pictures below show a cape cod house being set on blocks as a display model. The same procedures apply when permanently setting a house on a foundation. |
The pictures below show a 2-piece ranch home being set on a basement. Although every site and situation is different, this type of house-set is very typical. |
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| It is important to remember that any home which is transported over the highway must meet certain width and height requirements. For this reason the cape cod home is built with the roof hinged down, and the upper level is, therefore, not finished. The first step in setting a home, is to lift one section of the home off of its undercarriage and set it onto the foundation with the crane. | Upon arrival at the site, our set crew moves the first piece of the home into position near the basement, and the crane is positioned to lift it into place. |
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| The second half is then positioned near the foundation and the gable dormers are added to the roof while it is still hinged down. | As the crane gets ready to lift the home off of the undercarriage, the crew "preps" the house making it ready to set. |
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| The next step is to raise the roof of each half slightly higher than the finished height and temporarily brace them. | The half is then lifted off the undercarriage and swung into position above the basement. |
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| The second half is then lifted into place on the foundation opposite the first half. | The crane operator carefully places the half onto the basement with the help of crew members who use hand signals to help make final adjustments before setting it down. |
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| Note that the bottom piece of siding is left off so that the steel cables can "dig" into the wood. Once the half is set, the cables are pulled out from between the halves, and the roofs are lowered to their proper height and connected together. | The second half is then moved into position and lifted off of it's undercarriage and swung into place next to the first half. |
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| The end pieces are then hoisted into place and the temporary braces are removed inside while the rafters are nailed solid. | In a matter of only a couple of hours the house is in place, and the undercarriages are moved off to the side for another truck to haul back to the factory for reuse. |
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| The shed dormer is then lifted onto the back of the roof to complete the set. Soon the "Finish crew" will "tie" the two halves together to the point where a customer will be able to have the "hookups" done and move in. | The crane then "tears down," and the house is closed in so that it is protected from the weather until the "finish crew" arrives to make it ready for the "hookups." The whole process--for delivery, set, and finish--is usually less than a week. |