Pre-Fabricated Quality

Despite conventional thought, prefab housing is a process more than an end-product.

1 minute read

August 19, 2003, 10:00 AM PDT

By Connie Chung


Housing experts are saying that "prefab construction is more cost-effective than conventional 'stick-built' construction," and that "the cost of building a basic prefabricated house is about half what it costs to build the same house from the ground up." However, quality and design are not necessarily sacrificed. "In many parts of the world, prefab construction has catered to "a market that is conscious of both design and budget." The savings come from not paying skilled labor to do "simple" tasks. "The prefab process also takes less time because it's not subject to weather problems or contractor scheduling glitches. Yet, all things being equal, the quality of a prefab house can be as good as if not better than one built on the site." According to some,"there are plenty of architects who want to design cutting-edge prefab homes and plenty of people who would love to live in them. Manufacturers just need to be convinced that the demand is there."

Thanks to Connie Chung

Friday, August 15, 2003 in CNNMoney

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