New chassis optionality for modern manufactured homes will unlock innovative designs, helping expand housing supply, multi-story options and attainable homeownership nationwide
MARYVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Clayton, a leading national builder of single-family attainable housing, applauds the enactment of bipartisan legislation to modernize the federal HUD Code by making the permanent chassis requirement optional for modern manufactured homes. This historic update represents a significant step forward in expanding attainable housing innovations to help reduce costs, create more desirable exteriors and allow for multi-story designs on narrower properties.
This is a design concept that features two-story CrossMod homes without the chassis between floors. Contains AI generated content. Homes depicted are not available for sale at this time.
Removing the chassis seen here under the home allows manufactured homes to be set closer to the ground on permanent foundations to improve the curb appeal and help reduce costs.
This is an example of a construction project without a chassis. The option to build without a chassis unlocks new density opportunities for smaller lots - urban infill, small lot subdivisions and multi‑story designs, while maintaining HUD safety and quality standards.
This example highlights a home’s exterior built without a chassis, allowing for multi-story design.
Clayton’s construction teams bring design and engineering to life, building homes built with reliability, expert craftsmanship and care.
Clayton’s team of in-house interior designers, architects and engineers work together to create homes where chassis flexibility supports thoughtful design and livability.
"Removing the chassis requirement gives us greater flexibility to design homes that better meet the needs of today's home buyers," said Kevin Clayton, CEO of Clayton. "We join housing advocates and congressional leaders in celebrating this historic milestone, which expands housing choice and helps make homeownership more attainable for families across a wider range of home designs, price points and locations."
This long-overdue policy update allows modern manufactured homes to be built with or without a chassis underneath, providing builders with the flexibility to design homes that fit a wider range of lots and homebuyer needs. Removing the steel chassis improves curb appeal, reduces material waste and helps lower homeowner costs. This also includes removing the chassis requirement when building multi-story designs, which will help improve land use through better density and increase square footage for future infill homes in narrow urban lots and suburban neighborhoods.
The enactment of this legislation signals strong national alignment around the need to address the country's growing housing shortage. Clayton extends its appreciation to the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) for its leadership in helping advance this important policy change.
"This landmark action is a meaningful step forward in expanding the role of manufactured housing in meeting the nation's housing needs," said Dr. Lesli Gooch, CEO of the Manufactured Housing Institute. "By allowing for greater flexibility in how homes are designed and built under the federal residential construction code, Congress is opening the door to more attainable homeownership opportunities in communities across the country. This is about delivering high-quality homes at scale and ensuring they can be placed where they are needed most."
Clayton will continue working with HUD, as well as policymakers, industry partners and housing advocates to support the implementation of this new law in its housing designs and to continue to scale attainable homeownership opportunities for families across the country.
About Clayton Founded in 1956, Clayton is a leading single-family, values-driven home builder committed to opening doors to a better life through homeownership. The company's portfolio includes a comprehensive range of modern manufactured, Tiny, CrossMod® and modular housing. In 2025, Clayton built more than 59,000 homes nationwide. Clayton remains committed to delivering attainable, sustainably-built housing with a lower cost of homeownership and creating a world-class experience for customers and team members. For more information, visit claytonhomes.com.
CrossMod is a registered certification mark of the Manufactured Housing Institute.
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