Opportunities and obstacles for the industry in 2025 and beyond.
As Executive Director for both the Modular Home Builders Association (MHBA) and the Modular Building Institute (MBI), my perspective on the industry’s issues and opportunities can differ from that of people working “in the trenches.” This perspective comes from years of studying the industry and of networking with industry pros, both individually and at gatherings like MBI’s World of Modular Conference.
The April 2025 MBI conference in Las Vegas, Nevada drew a record 1,741 attendees from thirty countries. Here are some takeaways that I believe will be of interest to readers of this magazine.
Support for Young Workers
For me, the most gratifying part of the conference was the attendance of seventy students, including not only the recipients of the six MBI international college-level scholarships, but also students from two local technical schools and a construction management and engineering class from UNLV (University of Nevada, Las Vegas).
The students from the vocational and technical schools were part of a program MBI supports called Rising Stars. The Rising Stars Program provides young adults aged 16-24 with career navigation, mentorship and industry exposure to sustainable careers within the construction industry. Its goal is to help bridge the gap between our industry and the next generation of skilled workers.
Issues and Projects
Not surprisingly one of the hot topics discussed at this year’s gathering was the on-again, off-again tariffs. While most companies said they had no choice but to take a “wait and see approach,” MBI did issue a statement opposing the tariffs. Meanwhile, many companies are taking steps to mitigate the risk of high material prices including identifying domestic suppliers and changing contract clauses.
The conference also included presentations on some incredible modular project case studies from around the world, including a forty-story modular dormitory built in Hong Kong. There are certainly a lot of opportunities to share best practices and to learn from one another in our industry, and our conferences provide a venue for that to happen.
Political Trends
Political action was also on the agenda. Both chambers of the Colorado General Assembly recently passed the modular-friendly SB 25-002 bill, which develops regional building codes for factory-built structures (versus 366 local codes). The bill also restricts local governments from imposing more restrictive standards on factory-built structures than those applied to site-built homes. The bill modifies existing statutes by removing the jurisdiction of the state plumbing, electrical and fire suppression boards over factory-built structures.
SB 25-002 is an important step toward streamlining factory-built housing regulations, and will set the stage for a more cost-effective and scalable housing future.
Meanwhile, in Oregon, the Legislative Assembly is doing its best to prevent modular construction growth. House Bill 2688 would extend the prevailing wage requirement to specific offsite work for public works projects using $750,000 or more of funds of a public agency for construction. A similar bill was introduced and defeated last year in Pennsylvania, when we helped coordinate a group of local companies to call and write their lawmakers.
And for the fifth year, sponsors have introduced a bill in New York aimed at protecting union jobs in New York City. S.2225 mandates that all electrical, plumbing and fire suppression work during the offsite assembly of modular units be conducted by licensed NYC professionals, who must maintain compliance records for at least six years following the issuance of the final certificate of occupancy. Before transporting modular units to construction sites, licensees must submit certifications of compliance to the relevant department, and these certifications must accompany the units until the building’s completion.
We have been successful in defeating this bill every year, but it just will not go away. We intend to keep fighting it and other attempts to impede modular construction.
New Publications
MHBA has two new publications that will be of value to the industry: the new MHBA 2025 Buyer’s Guide (the Guide) and Modular Housing Solutions for Disaster Relief.
The “Buyers Guide” is available on the MHBA website. Written for potential homebuyers, it outlines the benefits of modular construction as well as what steps are needed to get started. From finding the right builder to financing the home, it’s the perfect introduction to the world of modular building. Last year, nearly five hundred potential buyers downloaded it, while thousands of other viewers visited the MHBA site for other resources.
The Disaster Relief report details the efforts of several modular companies to provide permanent housing for victims of the wildfires in Maui, Hawaii. The success of this effort has led many to question why modular construction is not used more often in times of disaster. Our team is in ongoing conversations, not only with FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), but also with other federal-level decision makers, about increasing the industry’s role in disaster relief. Between the fires in California and the flooding in North Carolina, over 10,000 homes need to be built.
Upcoming Conferences
MHBA will return to Pittsburgh, Pa. from November 10-12, 2025, for its second National Modular Housing Conference. The event will build upon the success of last year’s conference with more exhibitors, more networking opportunities and new session topics.
If you also want to attend the annual Offsite Construction Network’s Summit (an organization I co-founded and that’s sponsored by MHBA), you won’t have far to travel. It will be held November 13 at the same venue, making for a great week of activity for our industry. MHBA is now accepting proposals at the conference website.
In addition to the conference in Pittsburgh, our team is gearing up for a busy event schedule for the second half of the year, including stops in Berkeley, California; Atlanta, Georgia; Denver, Colorado; and Madrid, Spain. Check out the calendar pages on the MBI and MHBA websites for more details. We hope to see you at one or more of these events in 2025!
If you have any issues, ideas, or concerns to share, let’s connect on LinkedIn and continue these conversations.
Tom Hardiman is Executive Director of the Modular Home Builders Association (MHBA) and the Modular Building Institute (MBI).
