2. Prefab
homes
have
been
around
for
decades
and
have
revolu2onized
func2onal,
affordable
housing.
For
its
2me,
it
has
been
incredibly
cost
efficient
compared
to
the
on-‐
site
building
processes
of
today,
which
can
exhaust
more
than
30%
of
building
materials.
Prefab
housing
construc2on
saves
2me
because
these
homes
are
largely
constructed
off-‐site,
the
deconstruc2on
of
previous
buildings
and
laying
of
the
founda2on
can
happen
at
the
same
2me
as
much
of
the
construc2on.
This
efficiency
means
that
homes
can
be
built
in
as
few
as
three
months.
It
would
be
rare
to
find
a
contractor
able
to
put
up
a
s2ck-‐built
home
in
that
2me.
Some
claim
that
prefab
homes
are
cheaper
than
conven2onal
homes
and
some
don’t.
In
any
event,
prefab
homes
have
shorter
construc2on
2mes,
reduced
labor
costs,
less
waste
and
poten2al
savings
from
volume
discounts
that
can
pass
on
savings
to
the
home
buyer.
They
are
also
cheaper
to
build
in
remote
areas
and
in
areas
with
high
labor
costs.
3. The
variable
price
of
labor
has
a
lot
to
do
with
fluctua2ng
home
building
costs.
In
a
boom
economy,
labor
costs
go
up,
which
means
that
prefab’s
benefit
of
cheaper
labor
results
in
greater
savings
than
in
a
poor
economy,
when
contractors
are
willing
to
work
for
less.
It
is
important
to
note,
however,
the
more
complex
the
design
and
specs,
the
more
money
your
home
will
cost
you.
Other
factors
to
consider
such
as
electricity,
plumbing,
duct-‐work
are
oLen
not
factored
into
the
ini2al
pricing,
so
your
final
cost
may
be
20%
more
than
what
the
builder
is
quo2ng
you.
You
may
need
to
install
a
sep2c
system,
install
natural
gas
or
a
basement,
these
too
will
add
to
your
boPom
line.
Rather
than
overload
our
landfills,
however,
contemporary
architectural
firms
and
design
companies
are
rethinking
what
prefab
means
for
today's
waste-‐conscious
and
energy-‐savvy
homebuyers.
Many
are
combining
tradi2onal
modular
concepts
with
a
customized
approach,
allowing
clients
to
select
a
basic
design
and
alter
it
according
to
their
tastes.
