Choosing between prefab construction methods could be hard especially when one doesn’t have all the information at hand. Furthermore, deciding to go with prefab construction over stick-built could prove to be a hard decision nonetheless.
With that said, how can one choose the best prefab method to build a home? By setting scoreable clear and easy factors for each option such as time, costs, involvement, personality, availability, and resume. These will help clear the less desirable manufacturers, architects, contractors, etc. so you could receive the best construction method for your needs.
As the construction market advanced so did the methods of construction which inevitably improved the outcome. Nowadays homeowners are well aware of many of those changes in the form of sustainability during construction and future performance, healthier materials, stronger yet lighter materials, and faster yet safer construction schedule are all just the tip of the iceberg.
Additionally, financing options have grown as the prefab home construction methods have advanced and with them the understanding that prefab homes are a well-engineered option that is worth funding.
Be that as it may, this is all well and nice on paper, but many future homeowners do need help clearing some of the marketing propaganda and understand what exactly they should expect.
Well, to begin with, it is clear that prefab homes have some pros over stick-built homes, but even though this is true prefabs won’t be the best option all the time. Thus, creating your own personal set of factors will help with this decision, which might be unlike what you thought when starting this process.
Stick Built Home Or Prefab Home
Stick built home is what many would call the traditional home construction method. Basically, one should hire architects to design the house and comply with local building codes, then hire a contractor to execute the project most likely using local workforce with local materials.
This is a great way of building a home, I’ll give you that, after all, most of the homes still standing these days have been built this way. But, there are limitations and a higher level of personal involvement in the construction process not to mention the longer time frame it takes to complete the house.
Eventually, this construction type of stick-built home could fit owners that are not tight on schedule, happy to be more involved in the building process, or for some reason can’t go with prefab construction on their property.
Let me say that I don’t think this is a bad method of building a house it is just old fashion and lacks all the benefits of building a prefab home.
The last thing worth mentioning is that with stick-built homes most of the work if not all would be performed on-site. This includes delivery of raw materials, preparation work for them, and combining them into a structure. As a result, this process has a higher risk of delays over weather and other problems.
Panelized Prefab Homes Are A Step Up From Stick-Built Homes
As mentioned the construction field has made many advancements over the years, one of which is the standardization and penalization of several house parts.
By building panels off-site the work on-site would be much faster compared to traditional construction.
The prefab panelized homes are actually improving some of the on-site construction by building the walls, floors, ceilings, and some other parts in a closed factory controlled environment. Most of these panels are known as SIP which is a type of panel manufactured from outer layers of plywood with a sandwich layer of hard insulation in different thicknesses.
Then the panels are shipped to the home site to be assembled into the planned structure. Just like the stick-built home, the owner can use the services of architects to design their dream home made out of panels instead of raw materials.
This type, in many cases, will also need a local contractor, mainly for the foundation, interior, and finishing work as the structure will be completed with the panels.
The main advantage of this construction method over the stick-built method is the speed of construction. However, in some cases, this method could cost more than the traditional building method.
Lastly, this method will most likely suit those who are looking to make the build much easier and faster. Additionally, it does give better insulation options, so places with extreme climates would probably prefer this method.
Modular Prefab Homes Offer Competitive Price And Fast Construction
Where to panelized prefab homes may be missing the modular home is providing. When it comes to the price modular prefab homes can definitely fight any stick-built home construction pricing.
The modular homes may offer less flexibility when it comes to the design of the home but still offers unique and modern looks. Moreover, the quality of built-in modular homes is by far better than the highest level achieved by traditional building methods.
As modular homes are considered to be of higher quality the fact that they come at a similar price to stick-built homes, or even cheaper makes them a worthy option for many.
However, there are some limitations such as the size of the block and how dense the neighboring homes are. Furthermore, modular homes on-site assembly must allow for cranes and trucks to move freely on and off-site.
If some of those limitations do exists then either the costs will rise or in the worst case, it is impossible to build the modular home.
Overall modular homes are a great option but do have their limitations and should be considered.
There are more types of prefab homes available but I choose these to showcase as they are fairly popular. However, if you wish to learn more about what is a prefabricated home read my post. And if you wish to read more about prefabs vs stick-built homes try this post.
Making a decision matrix to find the best prefab home construction method
As mentioned above I talked about clear and easy factors each one should use to find the best-suited prefab building method for their new home. This could be prefab or stick built, as long as it suits your needs.
Time Frame For The Project
Prefab home construction methods are first and foremost saving time. By getting work done off-site the construction process is by far faster than traditional methods.
If your time frame is short then considering building your home with the prefab method could do the trick. It doesn’t really matter which one unless your schedule is tight, and if so then compare the homes you liked the most and find which one is the fastest.
Price Will Have A Strong Pull
Most prefab homes will tend to cost less than traditional on-site construction, however, this should still be checked as each location has its limitations.
Prefab homes can produce a high-quality home in a short time and at lower costs, however, many are going for costume prefab builds which might cost more than what was initially offered by the manufacturer.
Keep in mind that though there are cheaper prefab options it doesn’t mean that all prefabs would be “low-cost”, make sure to do your research thoroughly.
Lastly, each prefab home type would have different local costs to its construction, make sure to include those as well.
Personal Involvement In The Construction Process
How much spare time do you have to make sure things are going on smoothly at the job site? With prefab home construction you can minimize your involvement to the bare minimum.
The initial stages of designing, planning, hiring, contracting, etc. are things you will have to be part of. Thus, will be part of any type of home construction.
However, while your prefab home is constructed off-site you have little to non-involvement as the manufacturer gave his schedule and sends you notifications regarding progress for your convenience.
Moreover, the fact that there is less time spent on site, building, and working means that fewer stages of the build are under your care. A modular home is practically 80% ready when it gets on to your property.
Some prefab homes would have less involvement while others would have more, it is another factor to be considered when picking the best prefab home construction method.
Personality Of The People You Are Going To Work With
One factor which could turn any experience into a living hell is choosing a manufacturer or contractor that isn’t getting along with you.
This could mean different points of view as to how things should look like, or just not being really personal and responsive to your needs. After all, you are the client and your voice should at the very least be heard.
So finding the right partners (this is how you should see it) to work with can help a lot during the process of building the new prefab home. Additionally, having a comprehensive supplier could help change things along the way which might be important for the durability or sustainability of the prefab house.
When it comes to kit prefab homes this might be less important as most of the communication will be during the order phase and the delivery. However, if during the on-site build of the kit house there are problems a quick response from the supplier is highly important.
Healthy communication with your chosen partners will increase the possibility of getting the best results out of this prefab build process.
Availability Of Each Manufacturer And Builders
You came across a wonderful prefab home on a manufacturer’s web-page, but the production period is very long due to many backorders this company has. So what do you do?
Well, this is what I like to call availability, each manufacturer and local builder will either be available to work with you or not. If the one you like is making you wait for more than you are willing to, then they might not be the proper partner for your new prefab home.
Manufacturers’ availability might be easier to navigate through, as their process has a very clear schedule. Thus, making plans accordingly is possible, and setting a time frame could really happen.
But, the contractor’s availability might be less flexible, as time on-site isn’t always set in stone. It can change due to weather and other human factor problems, which prolong the time working on a project. As a result, the team’s availability is getting interrupted by unknown factors.
Make sure to check the availability of each potential prefab company and local contractors so you could complete your project on time.
Resume Including Past Experience
This can be the biggest drawback of your project, past experience of the prefab factory and the contractor’s resume will have a huge impact on the project.
It’s not that new companies are worse than the rest, it’s just that experience can make the process easier.
For example, you chose to build your home using a steel frame and chose the best contractor at your home location area. However, this contractor has very limited experience with a steel frame building, not to mention that most of his tools are for wood homes building. The learning curve will be massive and at your expense.
Another example is a great prefab manufacturer with cool home designs, yet the factory doesn’t know how to handle custom builds that well. Thus, asking to build a custom prefab home from this factory could turn out to be a disaster.
How can you know all this before starting and signing? Well, you could do several things that will help you choose the best prefab home for your needs.
- First, make interviews, both with the factory and the local contractor.
- Second, ask to see past work pictures and files if possible.
- Third, ask to speak with previous customers and even try to meet with them.
This will help you get a better understanding of the prefab companies and the local contractors.
So How To Choose The Best Prefab Home Construction Method?
To conclude this post and help you focus and make the right decision regarding which prefab construction method would work best for your needs, let’s quickly summarize it.
Start by understanding the differences between prefab homes and stick-built homes, continue by learning the different prefab methods of building. Once you have a clear understanding start to explore the options with the methods you find appropriate to your needs.
Once you have a couple of options it’s time to rank them using these factors, and feel free to add some yourself:
- Time frame of the project and can these prefab options stand it
- Price of the prefab including all other local costs compared to the budget
- What is the level of involvement required by you during the construction?
- Personality of the people in the prefab company and local contractor
- How available are those companies and builder to handle your project
- How experienced those prefab factories and builders with your requirements
Those factors that I have covered above can help with making the right decision, however, in life, there are no perfect decisions, only good ones that require the minimum compromise on your side.
When I try to make those kinds of decisions I put all the factors into an excel table and write down all the possibilities I would like to compare between. Then I would give a score for each of the companies and prefab types from 1 to 5 at each factor. Once I have all scores I can get an average score for each prefab type or company. The average score would show me which prefab home construction method is best for my needs.
I love this system as it helps me clear up the “noise” from disturbing factors and shows me plain and simple why each option is either good or bad.
Picking the right and best prefab home construction method is not a simple task, but getting all the help you can get is highly worth it as it will help you make the right decision.
I have made a table ready for you to use and put a link here so you could copy it and use it as a guide and tool to help you find the best prefab home construction method for your future home.
Until next time
My Alternative House