• Prefab houses are extremely strong. Because they have to withstand the rigors of transporting the home from the factory to the onsite location, they are often built with materials above and beyond what’s mandated for site construction. This added strength translates into a solid, energy-efficient structure once assembled.
• System-built homes are often more tightly built and thus more energy efficient, which can result in lower heating and cooling costs for the home owner.
• Systems-built homes score high on the green-building scale because material waste is significantly reduced both in the factory and the job site. Assembly in an enclosed indoor environment allows them to fulfill some key components of green building certifications, including the ICC 700 National Green Building Standard.
• While most manufacturers have a portfolio of home plans to choose from, computer-assisted design (CAD) allows limitless design and customization possibilities when planning your new systems-built home.
“Another great quality of systems-built homes is that once they are completed they are indistinguishable from their traditional site-built cousins,” says Flaherty. “In fact, most people driving by a prefab home don’t even realize it’s prefab.”
To find a builder or manufacturer member of the BSC and to see photo and video galleries of building systems home types, visit www.nahb.org/buildingsystemsweek.
