Panelized Home Building Systems
In the high-tech approach known as panelized construction, pre-engineered wall sections are produced for a new home in factory-controlled conditions, then shipped complete to the building site for final construction. A panelized home can be weather tight in just a few days.
Leading panelized home manufacturers offer tremendous flexibility in design and can provide any amenities desired in a new home. Some panelized manufacturers work through networks of general contractors (professional home builders). Others deal directly with home buyers looking to build their own home.
Pre-building roof and floor trusses in a factory is the most common application of panelized construction in home building today. Recently, the National Association of Home Builders reported that complete home panelization is the fastest growing segment of residential new construction. Built with the aid of cutting-edge automation and in factory-perfect conditions, complete exterior and interior wall panels, trusses, decking, etc., are loaded onto panelized manufacturers’ trucks and delivered to the homesite. Materials are marked at the factory with a code to eliminate any confusion at the jobsite (e.g., wall “A-1” joins wall “A-2”).
For some panelized manufacturers, their involvement in the construction of the home is finished when the materials are delivered, with all field work completed by the general contractor. Other panelized manufacturers provide a crane and “set crews” when the materials are delivered to work with the general contractor in getting the home framed in. There are even some panelized manufacturers who will supply all necessary labor to complete the home.
Please note: While Design Basics takes great pride in designing homes to be built using Structural Insulated Panels, Design Basics neither builds homes nor supplies products for these building systems. These pages are for informational purposes only.
Labor Savings
- Builders can build more homes with less staff.
- Builders can use less expensive labor for framing-in the home.
- Builders are dealing with one major supplier, greatly reducing estimating/purchasing and bookkeeping staff needs.
- The panel manufacturer pre-determines how everything goes together and components are marked for ease of assembly on the job site.
- Carpenters don’t waste time sorting through piles of lumber that are exposed to the elements and the risk of damage and theft.
- Every hour taken out of the field reduces a builder’s liability, overhead costs, and amounts paid to workmen’s compensation insurance.
Reduced Construction Times
- Home buyers move in more quickly.
- Completion and move-in dates are easier to predict and meet.
- Costs associated with construction loan interest are reduced.
- Delays caused by labor shortages and scheduling problems are eliminated.
- Delays caused by materials shortages, late deliveries, or wrong items shipped are eliminated.
- Construction becomes more feasible year-round (particularly for colder climates).
Savings on Materials
- Waste and costly human error on the job site are eliminated.
- Reduced waste promotes a cleaner environment.
- Less scrap on the job site reduces the associated labor cost for clean-up.
- Volume purchasing and tight cost controls by panel manufacturers enable them to negotiate lower prices.
- With the computer-aided manufacturing process, all of the “bugs” can be worked out prior to onsite construction.
Consistent Quality
- Highly-automated, factory-controlled conditions for panel construction result in consistent fit and finish.
- Working indoors, under factory-controlled conditions, framers have an easier time of getting measurements exact.
- Problems from materials exposed to elements prior to home being closed-in are greatly reduced.
- A tighter fit is achieved with better insulation and blockage of air infiltration.
Marketing
- Quick, accurate, and guaranteed pricing.
- Improved communication from the construction blueprints.
- Clean job sites.
- High-tech/cutting-edge, approach potentially offering excellent value for the price.
Design Flexibility
Welcome to the new era in panelized home building. Leading panelized manufacturers have broadened their product line to the point where they can build panelized home packages from virtually any Design Basics’ home plan. Increased manufacturing flexibility and a new appreciation for interior and exterior design, traffic flow, and amenities, are fueling the popularity of panelized homes.
Panelized Home Building Industry Relationships
