Transport Pricing Guide
Tiny homes, park models, modular sections, and container homes are not priced by mileage alone. PrefabPath helps you understand the variables that shape your quote, from route planning and permits to escorts and delivery-site access.
Transport Cost Ranges
These all-in coordination ranges include carrier and equipment costs, oversize permits, required escorts, and PrefabPath coordination. They do not include lift-off and placement at delivery, utility connections, foundation work, site prep, or final setup unless those services are added separately.
| Structure type | Typical range, 500-mile move | Range assumes | Biggest driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tiny home, on wheels | $2,900 – $3,300 | Driveaway on its own trailer | Height and width |
| Tiny home, on trailer or skids | $3,000 – $3,600 | Loaded onto carrier equipment | Equipment and loading |
| Modular home, single section | $2,800 – $3,300 | One section, permitted route | Width and permits |
| Modular home, per additional section | $2,800 – $3,300 | Same route, sequenced delivery | Sequencing and escorts |
| Prefab ADU | $2,500 – $3,000 | Backyard or infill delivery | Site access at the end |
| Container home | $2,500 – $3,000 | Flatbed or step-deck haul | Weight and placement |
| Park model | $2,500 – $3,000 | Park, dealer or private land | Width and community roads |
| Prefab cabin | $3,100 – $3,600 | Rural or remote destination | Road grade and season |
Lift-off and placement at the delivery site is quoted separately. On a 500-mile move it typically adds $2,500 – $3,000 to the figures above.
Route matters as much as dimensions. An over-dimensional move that stays inside one state can price below a legal move that crosses a state line, because every state on the route adds its own permit and escort requirements.
Figures reviewed August 2026, drawn from PrefabPath lane pricing on 500-mile moves.
Cost Drivers
The biggest pricing variables are not always the most obvious. Width often matters first because it can change the entire transport plan, including permits, route options, escort vehicles, carrier availability, and equipment requirements.
| Cost driver | How it changes your quote |
|---|---|
| Width | The variable that most often changes the plan. Enough width triggers oversize permits, pilot cars, route restrictions and different carrier requirements. |
| Height and weight | Together they decide which trailer can carry the structure, and which bridges, overpasses and grades the route can use. |
| Distance and route | Mileage is a starting point, not the price. How many states a route crosses often matters more than how far it runs. |
| Permits | Issued state by state, each with its own fee, lead time and conditions. A three-state route means three sets of approvals. |
| Escorts and pilot cars | Required above certain dimensions, and some states call for both a front and a rear escort. Priced by the mile or by the day. |
| Carrier and equipment | A structure on its own trailer can move as a driveaway. One that has to be loaded needs matched equipment and a loading window. |
| Delivery-site access | Driveway grade, turning space, overhead lines, gates and ground conditions decide what the last hundred feet requires. |
| Timing and flexibility | Weather, road restrictions, permit timing and seasonal demand all affect carrier availability. Flexible windows usually improve options. |
Quote Details
Transport quotes are hard to compare when each provider includes different services. We make the scope clear by showing what is included in the transport quote, what may be quoted separately, and what remains outside the move itself.
One quote for one move, based on your actual route, structure type, and delivery site. You’ll see which parts of the quote are firm and which may depend on route approvals, site access, or final carrier confirmation.
Transport pricing can be structured around lanes, repeat routes, and delivery volume instead of one-off moves. If you ship the same corridors repeatedly, your quote strategy should reflect that.
Carrier and equipment matched to the structure. Route planning based on clearances. Oversize permits for each state on the route. Escorts or pilot cars where required. Pickup and delivery scheduling. A single coordinator managing the move
Utility disconnection or reconnection. Foundation, pad, or site-prep work. Setup, blocking, skirting, anchoring, or stairs after arrival. Crane services when placement requires one. Work requiring a licensed trade or local permit approval.
Real-World Pricing Examples
Mileage is only one part of the quote. These examples show how width, route, permits, escorts, equipment, sequencing, and site access can change the cost of transporting a tiny home, park model, or modular structure.
Permitted Oversize Move
A 240-mile move from St Louis to Indianapolis for an over-width tiny home, road-ready on its own trailer. The route crosses two states and needs an oversize permit in each. No escort is required, and the delivery site has a paved driveway with room to turn.
$2,500 – $3,000
Multi-Section Move
A 620-mile move from Dallas to Ludlow for a two-section modular home, with each section traveling as a separate load. The route requires oversize permits in all three states, escorts, and coordinated arrival timing at the destination.
$5,700 – $6,700
Short Haul, Complex Site
A 180-mile park model move from Phoenix to Lake Havasu City where the mileage is the simplest part. The load is within legal dimensions, but there are overhead lines near the entrance, a ninety-degree turn onto the pad, limited delivery windows, and coordination with the park office.
$1,400 – $1,800
After the Quote
A transport quote reflects the best available information at the time it is prepared. Some changes can still affect the final price or schedule, especially after route review, permit approval, site verification, or carrier booking.
Narrowing the Range
You do not need a complete spec sheet to get started. With a few basics, we can review the route, identify likely transport requirements, and give you a more useful estimate.
Tiny Home Transport Pricing FAQ
The cost depends on the structure type, distance, width, height, weight, route, permits, escorts, carrier availability, timing, and delivery-site access. A tiny home on its own trailer may price very differently than a park model, container home, ADU, or modular section.
Mileage is part of the quote, but prefab home transport is not priced by mileage alone. Width, route restrictions, permits, escorts, equipment needs, and site conditions can change the transport plan and final price.
Width is one of the most important pricing variables because it can trigger oversize permits, pilot cars, route restrictions, and different carrier requirements. A few inches can change how the move is planned.
Permit and escort costs are usually included in the transport quote when they are required for the route. PrefabPath identifies those requirements during quote preparation so the scope is clear before booking.
Sometimes. Pricing can be affected by weather, carrier availability, road restrictions, permit timing, and seasonal demand. Flexible pickup and delivery windows may help reduce cost or improve carrier options.
If the final approach is too narrow, steep, soft, restricted, or blocked by trees, gates, utilities, or tight turns, the move may require special equipment, staging, crane placement, or a revised delivery plan.
Not unless it is quoted separately. Transport pricing usually covers the move itself, including carrier coordination, route planning, permits, escorts, and scheduling. Utility work, foundation work, blocking, skirting, anchoring, stairs, and final setup may require separate services.
Get a Transport Quote
Share the pickup location, delivery location, structure type, dimensions, and site details. PrefabPath reviews the route, permit requirements, escorts, carrier options, and delivery access before giving you a transport quote.
Specialized prefab home transport. Route coordination. Permits and escorts. Shipment visibility. One point of contact.
