How can I determine if an MKD home can be built on a lot in a particular city or county?

You will need to call your local building department to determine if there are any zoning ordinances that restrict building a modular home.

MKD homes are classified by building departments as a “modular” homes, not “manufactured” or “mobile”. While many cities and county zoning ordinances restrict the locating of manufactured/mobile homes to limited areas, very few jurisdictions prohibit modular construction, so you will need to be careful in describing your proposed MKD home design as a modular home. Also, do not use the term prefab. It often means something quite different to the building department: they immediately think of mobile home.

If you are purchasing land, you will also want to check with the current owner to determine if there are any deed restrictions that might prevent the building of a modular home (not manufactured/mobile). Again, this is rare but you should check for it. What you will find more often are rules (usually enforced by homeowners associations) that dictate the “look” of a new home to ensure that it blends in with neighboring buildings.