Can you build a PSL Modular unit in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island's Building Code Commission, through the Interstate Industrialized Buildings Commission (IIBC) of which RI is a member. A modular unit bearing the IIBC seal is automatically accepted across member states, with no further structural inspection required at delivery. Your local jurisdiction permits the site work — foundation, utilities, zoning. Rhode Island was also the first state to adopt off-site construction codes for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, energy and water systems.

Yes, with conditions. The 2024 ADU law allows one ADU by-right on an owner-occupied property — qualifying situations include a lot of 20,000 sq ft or more, or building the ADU as a reasonable accommodation for a family member with disabilities. A 1-bedroom ADU is capped at 900 sq ft (or 60% of the main home), a 2-bedroom at 1,200 sq ft (or 60%). Municipalities can set some additional standards within that framework.

No. The 2024 law specifically prohibits offering or renting an ADU for tourist or transient use, including through a hosting platform. So in coastal markets like Newport and South County, an ADU is for long-term occupancy (family or long-term tenant), not a vacation rental. If you want a vacation rental, that's a different, locally-governed path.

The coast. South County, Newport, Aquidneck Island, and the bay shoreline carry high coastal wind and, in FEMA flood zones, base-flood elevation requirements (piling foundations). Inland brings snow and cold. Seismic risk is low. PSL Modular engineers the wind rating and elevates the unit as needed.

Yes — the IIBC seal makes the building straightforward, and the 2024 ADU law opens up larger owner-occupied lots. Just plan around the no-short-term-rental rule for ADUs and the coastal wind/flood spec near the water.