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Why hasn't prefab construction taken over?

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41–50 of 244 posts

Re: Why hasn't prefab construction taken over?

#41
post #38
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having done framing in the past I assure you foundation tolerances are not close enough for a shim kit in general.

Seems like people are getting away with shoddy work then.

It kinda seems cheap for people on a forum for software developers to criticize the quality of, well, just about anything.

Re: Why hasn't prefab construction taken over?

#42
post #38
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having done framing in the past I assure you foundation tolerances are not close enough for a shim kit in general.

Seems like people are getting away with shoddy work then.

"What do you mean you didn't finish all the tickets in this sprint? Must be shoddy work."

You're looking at single pieces of a complex and already optimized-for-several-factors system and assuming it would be trivial to do it better for one factor without taking others into account...

Re: Why hasn't prefab construction taken over?

#43
post #4

Prefab is the wrong optimization. It targets a minor improvement in a small part of the overall budget. Most of the time and money of construction in America is tied up in land prices, permitting, and regulation. Prefab solves zero of these issues. There is a building going up in Oakland right now where Factory_OS put out a press release that they had built it in ten days. But they spent 7 years getting approvals, 18…

Does prefab go much beyond framing? The NAHB estimates that framing is only 17% of the cost of a house(1), so even cutting that cost in half doesn't save much on the whole project.

(1)https://www.nahbclassic.org/generic.aspx?sectionID=734&gener....

Re: Why hasn't prefab construction taken over?

#44
post #28

I built my current house recently, and our builder used a prefab factory in the region for some of the construction. I would _never_ do it again. The process has all the pitfalls of the waterfall software development model, but at the end you have to live in the failed project! It took months for the factory to do their pre-build engineering, and that's after they started the process using plans from my architect. Th…

Why not sue for breach of contract / design?

[deleted]

Re: Why hasn't prefab construction taken over?

#45
post #26
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you looked into log homes? That may fit your criteria: lot of wood needed (so great carbon sink), good insulation, simple design (1 wall for support, vapor barrier, insulation , siding and inside panelling).

logs are poor insulation. The definition of R1 is a 1 inch board. normal 4 inch walls are r13, the log is 4.

4 inches is a stick, not a log.

Re: Why hasn't prefab construction taken over?

#46
post #4

Prefab is the wrong optimization. It targets a minor improvement in a small part of the overall budget. Most of the time and money of construction in America is tied up in land prices, permitting, and regulation. Prefab solves zero of these issues. There is a building going up in Oakland right now where Factory_OS put out a press release that they had built it in ten days. But they spent 7 years getting approvals, 18…

I know of at least one prefab option where permitting and inspections are streamlined at the factory.

Re: Why hasn't prefab construction taken over?

#47
post #28

I built my current house recently, and our builder used a prefab factory in the region for some of the construction. I would _never_ do it again. The process has all the pitfalls of the waterfall software development model, but at the end you have to live in the failed project! It took months for the factory to do their pre-build engineering, and that's after they started the process using plans from my architect. Th…

Why not sue for breach of contract / design?

I imagine it's because he would be largely up against a company and litigators skilled at meeting the letter of the contract if not the spirit. "Winning" would likely see him get a minimum level of corrections done to the house, which could be accomplished for less than the cost of a lawsuit.

Re: Why hasn't prefab construction taken over?

#48
post #4

Prefab is the wrong optimization. It targets a minor improvement in a small part of the overall budget. Most of the time and money of construction in America is tied up in land prices, permitting, and regulation. Prefab solves zero of these issues. There is a building going up in Oakland right now where Factory_OS put out a press release that they had built it in ten days. But they spent 7 years getting approvals, 18…

Does prefab go much beyond framing? The NAHB estimates that framing is only 17% of the cost of a house(1), so even cutting that cost in half doesn't save much on the whole project. (1) https://www.nahbclassic.org/generic.aspx?sectionID=734&gener... .

I am currently in the process of buying prefab house and after visiting couple of local factories it seems like most of them is doing just framing and competing on price only.

We are going with company that actually assemble full house inside and bring it to site fully equipped: electrical, plumbing etc.

Re: Why hasn't prefab construction taken over?

#49
post #10

I found this prefab house approach shown on This Old House feels much better. Still made of wood but made in modular pieces in the factory that can be quickly installed in the field. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqXmNeT1uKs

I have one of these houses. Just built it and moved in. Save time and increase quality. Dried in with insulated walls / windows in 4 days!

Price is still an issue.

Part of the reason is that we pay no penalty for crappy energy hog homes. You can build with prefab panels and get airtight really quickly. So all the extra $$$ goes into better build and overhead for the factory.

Re: Why hasn't prefab construction taken over?

#50
post #46
post #4

Prefab is the wrong optimization. It targets a minor improvement in a small part of the overall budget. Most of the time and money of construction in America is tied up in land prices, permitting, and regulation. Prefab solves zero of these issues. There is a building going up in Oakland right now where Factory_OS put out a press release that they had built it in ten days. But they spent 7 years getting approvals, 18…

I know of at least one prefab option where permitting and inspections are streamlined at the factory.

That is likely not the same permitting and inspections the commenter refers to.
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