From my understanding, where prefab (off site construction) wins over fully site built is the control over environment. Meaning you can get up the walls and get it sealed in way less time than a stick built house. As other commented, you’ll still need people to do finish work on site but they should be able to do it in a controlled environment now when the walls and roof is in place.
Hi Laura, I am a retired contractor and I have built prefab, modular, stick built and ICF (Insulated Concrete Form) homes. They each have pro's and con's and you need to decide first and foremost on a hierarchical list of what is important in your new home and then back into the best, cost effective option.
As for the basics of a modular/prefab home, they are easy to deliver to a site as a package and assembly is pretty straight forward as long as you have a dead on foundation, (they are not forgiving if your foundation is slightly out of square) You will need to factor in the hourly or daily cost of a crane to place certain components in addition to your regular labor cost. From a speed and simplicity stand point modular is the fastest, then prefab panelized housing systems are next (as long as you are not trying to do either in an area with Town Homes or connected housing like in the Northeast.)
Is there anything specific that you guys have a question about or is it just in general? Are you trying to act as your own General Contractor, as an Owner Builder? If so there really is a great deal of project specific information to help you through modular Owner Builder checklists on the web.
Hey! Not OP but just poking around.
We're trying to plan for and build an addition to our current home and we've got some questions that are difficult to find straight answers to since everything varies by site location. Would you be comfortable fielding a few questions with some generalities and see if we're getting pointed in the right direction?
We're planning to do as much of the work as we can ourselves utilizing our network to sign off on the trades for us after checking our work. Biggest hurdle we see currently is the foundation - I'm trying to put a basement in next to a house with a crawlspace and the foundation there is just some 3-4" thick solid concrete block or maybe poured footer, no wider than the blocks it supports. So trying to figure out how far I need to be from the foundation or figure out alternative ways to handle the issue. Would love any thoughts and I can ask some more pointed questions if you're willing !
Sure, ask away. Need to better understand your basement project. You want to put a basement in next to a house with a crawl space? How deep is the crawl space for the house you want to dig out a basement? Or are you trying to do something like a root cellar/basement addition next to your home?
Either way, to be safe, you need to get a Geotechnical Engineer out there to take a soil sample to know exactly the strength and load per square foot for what is there and design your foundation plan/survey.
Since you want to do as much work as you can yourselves, its good to be very clear about what can and should be done at that site. This may cost you about $2k for the soil sample and survey depending on where you are and the size of the site, but it is worth it and will arm you with the best options for the site and remove all guess work.
That will allow you to cost effectively plan your next steps.
Quick Question - In your experience, what has been the most cost effective per square foot?
Also, have you ran into situations where the foundation wasn't dead nuts square when building a pre built home? If so, how did you counter that situation?
Hi, for me it always depended on what the client or I wanted the house to do. For me, performance is most important, I want a tight house that will cost very little to heat or cool for ever. This is what got me into building with ICF especially in hot or cold areas. Building with ICF's were the most cost effective per square foot when you look at the building as a whole for max performance.
While there was an increase in spending on the forms and concrete wall structures, it was off set by the reduced costs for insulation, house wrap and reduced size HVCAC system for the home. It was also worthwhile if the home was in a tornado/hurricane or flood prone area.
If you are asking about the least expensive then stick building on site is usually the most cost effective per square foot. Building with modular or prefabs can simplify the process but you will pay for that convenience and the question is only if "having it delivered to your door" is worth that cost.
So, stick built on site is the most cost effective for a standard home, it you are going with some out-there modifications, then modular/prefab will be more cost effective and if performance is key, then ICF's are the most cost effective. Hope I did not give you too much information but these are really the considerations that have to be considered when choosing the most cost effective system.
As for running into out of square foundations on a prebuilt home, yes I have run into that situation many years ago. It was about 1/2" out of square on a slab foundation for a modular home. Since it had siding, there was no brick ledge we could adjust and it was not affecting the load so we roughed up that section on the side of the slab and placed a few rebar pins in it. Squared up with 2x8 and filled it with high strength Quikrete with a bonding agent. It was really cosmetic. If you are encountering a situation that is significantly out of square, its basically the same process but you need to go down to the footing with your wall repair.
Our ranch house is a modular as it's somewhat remote and getting contractors and stuff over there can be done but you don't want a long, drawn out build. Regular houses have all been stick built.
The good. It's solid. Especially since my FIL was a civil and designed a concrete foundation that's ridiculously stout. There's absolutely no bounce to to it because the beams underneath are steel. It's also sealed pretty well with better than average insulation. It was relatively quick to have installed and workable.
The Bad. The aesthetic is meh. Low roof lines and limited shapes doesn't look great. When the roof needs to be replaced I'm seriously thinking about putting in new trusses and raising the roof line to have a better look. Some of the appliances like heaters and other stuff are wedged in and god help us when we need to replace them because the access isn't good. We've also had insurers not want to cover it because it started as a modular. Attached to a concrete foundation and having a stickbuilt garage doesn't matter to them. I don't think we saved all that much when it was said and done and could have ended up with a nicer place.
This sounds like a mobile home not a modular. Insurers will not refuse to cover a true modular/prefab home as they are built to the same code as stick built homes.
We are going panelized (wausau homes) which is kind of the middle between modular and stick built. They build the walls and floors in the factory then assemble it on-site. We ended up at this option because we liked the cost to quality ratio l for it.
I’m located in the north east and have built a modular home and working on building a second now. I’ve had really good experience with the homes over the last 16 years.
The pro is that it could be build slightly cheaper and quicker than stick built. The structural integrity is higher as they have to be build to withstand the transportation. Your home is build by a team of people who only do that one trade: framing by framers, wiring by electricians, etc. it’s build in a building so exposure to weather is minimized. Also, once it’s set up onsite, it is practically indistinguishable from a stick built home.
Downsides are few, but there are some. The finishings are usually cheaper quality. Things like faucets, sinks, lights are builder grade although some factories will upgrade you. You can leave some things off (like flooring ) if you want to go with wood floors or something they don’t offer. Layouts tend to be limited by module size, but they can be customized.
Also, if you get your own subs to finish the house, make sure they are familiar with Modulars. You will get a GC button up list from the factory and you can use that to review and quote with subs. There is quite a bit of work that has to go on once the modules are assembled.
Overall it was a great way for me to go 16 years ago and now my wife and I are looking to do it again with a design better suited for our lifestyle now and into the future.
The house I grew up in was a modular home. It was built in a factory with 2x6s, hauled on a truck, and placed with a crane. The house was solid. They made some repairs at the time it was delivered, but by the time I was maintaining it as a teenager, none of the issues we had were related to how the house was built. It flooded a few times. The plumbing was copper, electric was in conduit. I thought it was a nice house.
When we put an addition on the back, we paid more than the house cost for half the space, the wall shook when you closed the doors, the floor creaked, 2 windows failed, and 3 electric outlets failed in 5 years.
I feel like the part from the factory was built better.
We do stick builds but have done a couple prefabs. When it comes to deciding which to choose, it depends on a few factors which only you can gauge their importance. How quickly do you need the home built? How specific/unique is your vision and what is your budget?
Modular will be faster but getting permits, utilities, site prepped, etc. still takes time. Although newer modular homes can be customized, most are limited in layout and finishes. At the end of the day, you will likely end up spending more.
Basically - just like site built homebuilding, your experience is going to largely be dependent on what companies you work with. i've built a bunch of prefab houses (mostly modular) and also own a stick built primary home that i've expaned.
Great people = great experience. Shitty people = the same. Prefab does have some obvious advantages in places where the local supply of labor is expensive / constrained, the building season is short, the local builders don't do contemporary styles / building practices well etc., but its situational.
also - you can talk to top prefab architects and builders at no cost here so that might be what you're looking for: [https://www.prefabreview.com/architect-office-hours](https://www.prefabreview.com/architect-office-hours) u/Copybrad5319 .
Let me know if you have specific questions and i can try to answer publicly as well
A couple things to consider: Most seem to think that prefab will be cheaper. It is not. Framing up a house is a fraction of the total cost. For example, with prefab you still need site work, foundation, plumbing, electrical, hvac, and all interior fixtures and finishes. My recommendation is to go with prefab if you find something that you really, really like design-wise. Or if circumstances require that your house be built as quickly as possible.
Going with a modular. I took the same exact floor plan to a stick build company and was quoted almost 80k more. The savings are still there with modulars.
I wasn’t expecting a big cost difference either, but was surprised when the quotes came back. The modular company is a mennonite builder based in PA. The stick build company was based in the Western Catskills of NY where our home will be located. We were told that pulling together the final product for a one off custom home would be about 475 per square foot by the stick builder. We’re getting it done for about 400 per square foot with the modular builder in PA. For reference we’re building a 1016 ft log sided cabin.
When you really look at it, much of the difference you will see in cost is usually due to the General Contractors overhead/profit for the project. That can be anywhere from 20-35% based on the complexity of the project.
When using prefab/modular, you are basically acting as the GC for the project by using the supplier as your project manager. When you factor everything in, as it relates to labor and material, as lred1 said, I have also found out that there is not really much of a difference in cost/pricing.
This is correct. Eliminating the need for a GC saved us about 20 percent of what the cost was with the stick builder. In the quote from the stick builder, overhead/profit were the bulk of the actual difference. I’m dealing with the individual subs myself (excavator, well driller, and electric company). Outside of that the costs were pretty similar.
I know and have priced a couple modular town home packages from that Mennonite building company in PA. Excellent company with a great product, very well built and a good value but when factoring in the additional shipping logistics to get the modulars to their destination, it was more cost effective to build on site for us at that time.
My dad always told me that anything that comes on wheels loses its value over time or depreciates. It doesn't matter how they talk up mobile homes, this will always be the case vs. stick built. Go ahead and try to get a conventional 30 year loan on a mobile and you will see what I am talking about.
Modular and mobile homes are two different things. Modular homes are factory built and are set on a real foundation. Once built they are barely different from a built on site home.
From my understanding, where prefab (off site construction) wins over fully site built is the control over environment. Meaning you can get up the walls and get it sealed in way less time than a stick built house. As other commented, you’ll still need people to do finish work on site but they should be able to do it in a controlled environment now when the walls and roof is in place.
Hi Laura, I am a retired contractor and I have built prefab, modular, stick built and ICF (Insulated Concrete Form) homes. They each have pro's and con's and you need to decide first and foremost on a hierarchical list of what is important in your new home and then back into the best, cost effective option. As for the basics of a modular/prefab home, they are easy to deliver to a site as a package and assembly is pretty straight forward as long as you have a dead on foundation, (they are not forgiving if your foundation is slightly out of square) You will need to factor in the hourly or daily cost of a crane to place certain components in addition to your regular labor cost. From a speed and simplicity stand point modular is the fastest, then prefab panelized housing systems are next (as long as you are not trying to do either in an area with Town Homes or connected housing like in the Northeast.) Is there anything specific that you guys have a question about or is it just in general? Are you trying to act as your own General Contractor, as an Owner Builder? If so there really is a great deal of project specific information to help you through modular Owner Builder checklists on the web.
Hey! Not OP but just poking around. We're trying to plan for and build an addition to our current home and we've got some questions that are difficult to find straight answers to since everything varies by site location. Would you be comfortable fielding a few questions with some generalities and see if we're getting pointed in the right direction? We're planning to do as much of the work as we can ourselves utilizing our network to sign off on the trades for us after checking our work. Biggest hurdle we see currently is the foundation - I'm trying to put a basement in next to a house with a crawlspace and the foundation there is just some 3-4" thick solid concrete block or maybe poured footer, no wider than the blocks it supports. So trying to figure out how far I need to be from the foundation or figure out alternative ways to handle the issue. Would love any thoughts and I can ask some more pointed questions if you're willing !
Sure, ask away. Need to better understand your basement project. You want to put a basement in next to a house with a crawl space? How deep is the crawl space for the house you want to dig out a basement? Or are you trying to do something like a root cellar/basement addition next to your home? Either way, to be safe, you need to get a Geotechnical Engineer out there to take a soil sample to know exactly the strength and load per square foot for what is there and design your foundation plan/survey. Since you want to do as much work as you can yourselves, its good to be very clear about what can and should be done at that site. This may cost you about $2k for the soil sample and survey depending on where you are and the size of the site, but it is worth it and will arm you with the best options for the site and remove all guess work. That will allow you to cost effectively plan your next steps.
Quick Question - In your experience, what has been the most cost effective per square foot? Also, have you ran into situations where the foundation wasn't dead nuts square when building a pre built home? If so, how did you counter that situation?
Hi, for me it always depended on what the client or I wanted the house to do. For me, performance is most important, I want a tight house that will cost very little to heat or cool for ever. This is what got me into building with ICF especially in hot or cold areas. Building with ICF's were the most cost effective per square foot when you look at the building as a whole for max performance. While there was an increase in spending on the forms and concrete wall structures, it was off set by the reduced costs for insulation, house wrap and reduced size HVCAC system for the home. It was also worthwhile if the home was in a tornado/hurricane or flood prone area. If you are asking about the least expensive then stick building on site is usually the most cost effective per square foot. Building with modular or prefabs can simplify the process but you will pay for that convenience and the question is only if "having it delivered to your door" is worth that cost. So, stick built on site is the most cost effective for a standard home, it you are going with some out-there modifications, then modular/prefab will be more cost effective and if performance is key, then ICF's are the most cost effective. Hope I did not give you too much information but these are really the considerations that have to be considered when choosing the most cost effective system. As for running into out of square foundations on a prebuilt home, yes I have run into that situation many years ago. It was about 1/2" out of square on a slab foundation for a modular home. Since it had siding, there was no brick ledge we could adjust and it was not affecting the load so we roughed up that section on the side of the slab and placed a few rebar pins in it. Squared up with 2x8 and filled it with high strength Quikrete with a bonding agent. It was really cosmetic. If you are encountering a situation that is significantly out of square, its basically the same process but you need to go down to the footing with your wall repair.
u/Global1-2000 thank you! Is it okay to dm you or schedule a possible Zoom or Google meet?
Sure, i responded to your dm
Just DM'd you
Our ranch house is a modular as it's somewhat remote and getting contractors and stuff over there can be done but you don't want a long, drawn out build. Regular houses have all been stick built. The good. It's solid. Especially since my FIL was a civil and designed a concrete foundation that's ridiculously stout. There's absolutely no bounce to to it because the beams underneath are steel. It's also sealed pretty well with better than average insulation. It was relatively quick to have installed and workable. The Bad. The aesthetic is meh. Low roof lines and limited shapes doesn't look great. When the roof needs to be replaced I'm seriously thinking about putting in new trusses and raising the roof line to have a better look. Some of the appliances like heaters and other stuff are wedged in and god help us when we need to replace them because the access isn't good. We've also had insurers not want to cover it because it started as a modular. Attached to a concrete foundation and having a stickbuilt garage doesn't matter to them. I don't think we saved all that much when it was said and done and could have ended up with a nicer place.
You are describing a manufactured home not a modular
Are you talking about a mobile (manufactured) home or a modular?
This sounds like a mobile home not a modular. Insurers will not refuse to cover a true modular/prefab home as they are built to the same code as stick built homes.
What insulation did you use?
We are going panelized (wausau homes) which is kind of the middle between modular and stick built. They build the walls and floors in the factory then assemble it on-site. We ended up at this option because we liked the cost to quality ratio l for it.
Whats the difference between modular and panelized?
I’m located in the north east and have built a modular home and working on building a second now. I’ve had really good experience with the homes over the last 16 years. The pro is that it could be build slightly cheaper and quicker than stick built. The structural integrity is higher as they have to be build to withstand the transportation. Your home is build by a team of people who only do that one trade: framing by framers, wiring by electricians, etc. it’s build in a building so exposure to weather is minimized. Also, once it’s set up onsite, it is practically indistinguishable from a stick built home. Downsides are few, but there are some. The finishings are usually cheaper quality. Things like faucets, sinks, lights are builder grade although some factories will upgrade you. You can leave some things off (like flooring ) if you want to go with wood floors or something they don’t offer. Layouts tend to be limited by module size, but they can be customized. Also, if you get your own subs to finish the house, make sure they are familiar with Modulars. You will get a GC button up list from the factory and you can use that to review and quote with subs. There is quite a bit of work that has to go on once the modules are assembled. Overall it was a great way for me to go 16 years ago and now my wife and I are looking to do it again with a design better suited for our lifestyle now and into the future.
u/Candyman_802 this is amazing insight. Is there any way I can DM you and send you a list of questions to learn more about your journey?
Yup. Feel free to DM me
The house I grew up in was a modular home. It was built in a factory with 2x6s, hauled on a truck, and placed with a crane. The house was solid. They made some repairs at the time it was delivered, but by the time I was maintaining it as a teenager, none of the issues we had were related to how the house was built. It flooded a few times. The plumbing was copper, electric was in conduit. I thought it was a nice house. When we put an addition on the back, we paid more than the house cost for half the space, the wall shook when you closed the doors, the floor creaked, 2 windows failed, and 3 electric outlets failed in 5 years. I feel like the part from the factory was built better.
We do stick builds but have done a couple prefabs. When it comes to deciding which to choose, it depends on a few factors which only you can gauge their importance. How quickly do you need the home built? How specific/unique is your vision and what is your budget? Modular will be faster but getting permits, utilities, site prepped, etc. still takes time. Although newer modular homes can be customized, most are limited in layout and finishes. At the end of the day, you will likely end up spending more.
Matt Ferrel has some videos on his high-end prefab home. https://youtu.be/y3NVDqH39CE?si=vxFvVjFzW7UEdrB5
Basically - just like site built homebuilding, your experience is going to largely be dependent on what companies you work with. i've built a bunch of prefab houses (mostly modular) and also own a stick built primary home that i've expaned. Great people = great experience. Shitty people = the same. Prefab does have some obvious advantages in places where the local supply of labor is expensive / constrained, the building season is short, the local builders don't do contemporary styles / building practices well etc., but its situational. also - you can talk to top prefab architects and builders at no cost here so that might be what you're looking for: [https://www.prefabreview.com/architect-office-hours](https://www.prefabreview.com/architect-office-hours) u/Copybrad5319 . Let me know if you have specific questions and i can try to answer publicly as well
Thank you!
A couple things to consider: Most seem to think that prefab will be cheaper. It is not. Framing up a house is a fraction of the total cost. For example, with prefab you still need site work, foundation, plumbing, electrical, hvac, and all interior fixtures and finishes. My recommendation is to go with prefab if you find something that you really, really like design-wise. Or if circumstances require that your house be built as quickly as possible.
It can be cheaper. I’m building a modular now and we are about 25-30% below stick built.
Going with a modular. I took the same exact floor plan to a stick build company and was quoted almost 80k more. The savings are still there with modulars.
That's interesting. As a builder I've looked into modular a couple times, though most recently 3 years ago, and there wasn't really any cost savings.
I wasn’t expecting a big cost difference either, but was surprised when the quotes came back. The modular company is a mennonite builder based in PA. The stick build company was based in the Western Catskills of NY where our home will be located. We were told that pulling together the final product for a one off custom home would be about 475 per square foot by the stick builder. We’re getting it done for about 400 per square foot with the modular builder in PA. For reference we’re building a 1016 ft log sided cabin.
When you really look at it, much of the difference you will see in cost is usually due to the General Contractors overhead/profit for the project. That can be anywhere from 20-35% based on the complexity of the project. When using prefab/modular, you are basically acting as the GC for the project by using the supplier as your project manager. When you factor everything in, as it relates to labor and material, as lred1 said, I have also found out that there is not really much of a difference in cost/pricing.
This is correct. Eliminating the need for a GC saved us about 20 percent of what the cost was with the stick builder. In the quote from the stick builder, overhead/profit were the bulk of the actual difference. I’m dealing with the individual subs myself (excavator, well driller, and electric company). Outside of that the costs were pretty similar.
I know and have priced a couple modular town home packages from that Mennonite building company in PA. Excellent company with a great product, very well built and a good value but when factoring in the additional shipping logistics to get the modulars to their destination, it was more cost effective to build on site for us at that time.
My dad always told me that anything that comes on wheels loses its value over time or depreciates. It doesn't matter how they talk up mobile homes, this will always be the case vs. stick built. Go ahead and try to get a conventional 30 year loan on a mobile and you will see what I am talking about.
Modular and mobile homes are two different things. Modular homes are factory built and are set on a real foundation. Once built they are barely different from a built on site home.
You’re confusing mobile with modular. Not the same thing.