RTM & Modular Homes, House Movers & Foundations around Lethbridge and Pincher Creek

Guide

From bare land to move-in: placing an RTM or modular home

An RTM or modular home can be faster than building on site, but only if the land is ready when the house arrives. Here's the order most projects follow. Rules differ by county, so confirm the details with your county and your builder before you commit.

1. 1. Check what your land allows
2. 2. Choose the home and the builder
3. 3. Get the site ready (start early)
4. 4. The foundation
5. 5. Delivery day, and moving an existing house
6. 6. Warranty and paperwork

1. Check what your land allows

• A new home needs a building permit. In Alberta, residential builders must be licensed to get permits for new homes, and building it yourself needs an owner-builder authorization from the province. Alberta: residential builder licensing and owner-builder authorization.
• You can look up a builder's licence, and the warranty on a specific home, on the province's public registries. Alberta: new home warranty public registries

2. Choose the home and the builder

• RTM homes are usually built in one piece in the builder's yard and moved to your land complete. Modular homes are built in a factory, often in sections that are joined on site. Ask the builder how their homes are built and to which standard.
• Ask what the price includes and what you're responsible for: the foundation, delivery, crane or set-up, utility hook-ups, steps, decks and skirting.
• Ask about the timeline from deposit to delivery, and what happens if your site isn't ready on delivery day.

3. Get the site ready (start early)

• Power: apply to your electricity distribution company for a new service connection as soon as you know where the house will sit. FortisAlberta, for example, gives a quote and then handles design, permits, construction and energizing. FortisAlberta: residential connections
• Water and septic: a new well and a private sewage system each need the right contractor and permits, and both take time to book. See our Water Well Drilling and Septic Design & Installation sections.
• Access: the delivery truck needs a firm, wide, clear lane right to the foundation. A new road approach onto a county road usually needs a permit from your county.
• Before any digging for the foundation, services or driveway, request a locate. Utility Safety Partners: Click Before You Dig

4. The foundation

• RTM and modular homes can sit on a full basement, a crawl space, or screw piles or concrete piles, depending on the home's design and your soil. Ask the builder which foundations their home is designed for, and who builds it.
• Make sure the foundation is engineered for the home and inspected as your permit requires, and that it's finished before delivery day.

5. Delivery day, and moving an existing house

• Over-dimensional loads on Alberta highways need a provincial oversize permit, applied for through TRAVIS. Your mover or builder normally applies for it. Alberta: oversize and overweight permits
• Spring road bans can limit heavy loads on county roads, so plan the move date with your mover. Ask who arranges any power or phone line lifts along the route, and who trims trees.

6. Warranty and paperwork

• New homes in Alberta, including manufactured homes, must have warranty coverage. The minimums are 1 year for labour and materials, 2 years for electrical, plumbing and heating systems, 5 years for the building envelope and 10 years for the structure. Alberta: new home warranty overview
• Moving an older home? The province treats it as a new home, with warranty required, when 75% or more of it is new construction. Alberta: new home warranty
• Keep the permits, inspection reports, warranty certificate and foundation engineering together. You'll want them for your mortgage, insurance and any future sale.

General information only, not legal or construction advice. Rules change: confirm with your county and the Province of Alberta. Sources checked October 5, 2026.