This paper describes the development of the ISO 15928 series of international standards which are concerned with the description of parameters for specifying the performance characteristics of single family dwellings. The series of standards is being developed in response to the growing international trade in manufactured housing and international procurement of mass produced houses, often for low cost housing schemes in developing countries following major disasters. The objective is to produce a concise set of parameters by which the principal performance characteristics of a single family dwelling can be described. The standards do not prescribe performance levels, nor do they describe methods of determining the relevant levels of performance, being complementary to the other more traditional building standards which do this. The standards are intended for use by regulators in specifying minimum performance levels, by specifiers for the procurement of houses, and by manufacturers in specifying the performance standards of manufactured houses. By recognising that the role of international standards should be to specify parameters and procedures, and leave the specification of performance levels to regulators, developers and owners, these standards break new ground in the field of building standards. To date three standards have been produced which between them define the parameters specifying the structural performance standards in regard to structural safety, structural serviceability and structural durability. The paper will use these standards to describe the overall standardised approach and format by which the series of standards are being developed.