A manufactured home is built completely in a factory and permanently attached to a steel chassis so it can be towed to a site where it will be set up. A "single wide" can be towed in one piece. A "double-wide," a "triple-wide" or other configuration is towed in sections and reassembled on its final site.

Frequently, the terms manufactured homes and mobile homes are used interchangeably, but there's an important difference. The U.S. government, through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (H.U.D.) defines manufactured homes as one produced after June 15, 1976. It has been built to the government's Manufactured Homes Construction and Safety Standards (HUD code), and has a red metal certification tag attached on the outside of each section. HUD standards outline specific body and frame requirements, insulation, plumbing, electrical, and fire safety features.

If the home was manufactured before June 15, 1976, it's called a mobile home, and it won't be certified by H.U.D. The department does not issue certification tags for mobile homes. This is because units built before 1976 are considered at high risk for fire damage due to outdated construction and safety standards. Fires spread faster in mobile homes.

Still, both terms are in common use, and when you're looking for insurance for a manufactured home, it might be called mobile home insurance.