Prefabrication
Prefabrication, or "prefab," refers to a construction method where building components are manufactured off-site and then assembled at a different location. This approach encompasses three main types of structures: component houses, modular homes, and mobile homes. Component houses are created from factory-made parts that are assembled on-site, while modular homes are fully constructed in a factory before being delivered to their final location. Mobile homes, also known as manufactured homes, are built in their entirety at a factory and can be relocated.
Historically, prefabrication traces back to the 1600s, but gained widespread attention in the 20th century with companies like Sears offering home kits. The affordability and convenience of prefab homes made them popular, particularly post-World War II, when rising demand for housing surged. The industry is now regulated for safety and quality through standards established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
In recent years, the prefab market has evolved, offering upscale designs and eco-friendly options, while also addressing housing shortages in areas with high real estate costs. Prefab homes are increasingly recognized as viable solutions in various regions, including the northeastern United States and countries facing land scarcity like Japan.
On this Page
Prefabrication
Prefabrication, also known as prefab, is a term used in the construction industry to describe buildings or houses (or their components) that are made and/or assembled at one location and then transferred to another location. Prefabrication can be used to describe three types of houses: component, modular, and mobile. Component houses have their pieces made at a factory, and then the pieces are assembled elsewhere. Modular houses are built in their entirety at a factory and then delivered to a permanent site. Mobile homes, also called manufactured homes or trailers, are built in their entirety at a factory but can be moved from place to place. Modular homes are larger than mobile homes, come in more variations, and often have more than one story; mobile homes only have one story and come in three variations: single-wide, double-wide, and triple-wide.
The prefab process is similar to the assembly line method made popular by Henry T. Ford for the Model T car in the early 1900s. Prefab houses have many benefits over regular builds. They cost less, are quicker to erect, can be moved, and offer many different floor plans and extras. The concept of prefabrication has been around since the 1600s in colonial America, but it was not popularized until the twentieth century.
Origins
The first prefab house was built in the 1600s in the Massachusetts colony with pieces sent from England. The process did not become popular until centuries later when several companies began to develop house kits, which contained numbered, precut parts that individuals could put together themselves. The Michigan-based Aladdin Company began to sell these kits by catalog in 1906. Two years later, Sears, Roebuck and Company became known for selling the kits. The company sold more than one hundred thousand home kits between 1908 and 1940.
Many Americans liked the idea of prefab homes because they were affordable at about $2,500. The kits contained everything they needed—pre-built drywalls with electrical wiring and plumbing already installed, lumber, nails, hardware, and shingles—along with an instruction booklet. The wealthy used the kits to construct second and vacation homes. In addition, companies began marketing the first mobile homes known as trailer coaches, which were meant to be moved from place to place.
The stock market crash of 1929 affected the manufactured home industry because many people did not have money to purchase homes during this time. The sales of the housing kits declined sharply. Sales rebounded after World War II. Returning soldiers needed homes, and affordable prefab homes became permanent fixtures throughout the country after this time.
The U.S. government began to regulate the manufactured home industry to ensure the safety of the structures in the 1970s. It developed the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to oversee the housing industry. In 1974, Congress passed the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act, or HUD code, to set safety standards for the manufactured home industry. These standards ensured the industry followed regulations to produce homes that were safe, durable, and affordable. HUD code set heating, plumbing, and electrical standards. The code also regulated construction, design, durability, transportability, fire safety, and energy efficiency of prefab houses.
Growing Industry
Throughout the years, prefab houses became affiliated with low-cost housing. Many people associated prefab homes with trailers and trailer parks, but the manufactured house industry adapted and changed. Using HUD codes, it improved housing designs and has been able to introduce many different styles of prefab homes. Many companies began to offer upscale amenities tailored to individuals' wants and needs and environmentally friendly "green" designs to appeal to a wide range of consumers. Some of these offerings included solar panels, bamboo floors, and walls made from materials such as compressed straw.
Into the twenty-first century, the industry has seen a surge in sales. This increase in demand has been influenced by many factors such as rising real estate prices and labor costs, weather-related events, and the housing slump that began with the sub-prime mortgage problems in the mid to late 2000s. In addition, the growing trend of tiny houses (living spaces of only a few hundred square feet) also helped to boost the manufactured house industry, as more people looked to downsize their living spaces and make their footprint greener.
Prefab houses have grown in popularity throughout the northeastern United States, where labor costs are high and the warm season (ideal for building) is short. The manufactured home industry has been bolstered by weather-related events that have devastated many communities throughout the United States. An example was Hurricane Katrina in 2005 that destroyed many houses in the southern United States. Afterward many people turned to prefab houses to replace their homes since prehab houses were a more affordable option and could be more easily and quickly assembled. In addition, prefab houses are seen as a solution in many areas that have high real estate costs such as California.
Prefab houses also are popular in other countries, especially in poorer and overcrowded communities. In Europe, prefab buildings and houses are set on top of existing structures in areas where land is scarce. Prefab houses are attractive options in Japan, which has overcrowding and limited land availability.
Bibliography
"Chapter 1: A Brief History of Prefabrication." Open Source Housing. Open Source Housing. Web. 9 Mar. 2016. http://oshcore.com/thesisbook/Chapter%201.pdf
Connors, Tiffany. "How Prefab Houses Work." HowStuffWorks. InfoSpace LLC. 27 Sept. 2007. Web. 9 Mar. 2016. http://home.howstuffworks.com/prefab-house1.htm
"General Industry Information." Manufactured Housing Institute. Manufactured Housing Institute. Web. 9 Mar. 2016. http://www.manufacturedhousing.org/lib/showtemp‗detail.asp?id=927&cat=Industry%20Statistics%20and%20Resources
Gromicko, Nick, and Kenton Shepard. "Modular vs. Manufactured Homes." International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, Inc. International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, Inc. Web. 9 Mar. 2016. https://www.nachi.org/modular-manufactured-homes.htm?loadbetadesign=0
"HUD Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standard." Manufactured Housing Institute. Manufactured Housing Institute. Web. 9 Mar. 2016. http://www.manufacturedhousing.org/lib/showtemp‗detail01‗print.asp?id=1905
"The Tiny House Trend—What's in It for the Manufactured Housing Industry?" MHProNews. MH Marketing Sales Management. Web. 9 Mar. 2016. http://www.mhmarketingsalesmanagement.com/home/industry-news/industry-in-focus/8919-the-tiny-house-trend-whats-in-it-for-the-manufactured-housing-industry