This article originally appeared on BUILDER’s sister site, ProSales.
A larger percentage of big builders plan to use off-site construction solutions in the next five years, according to a survey from the Home Innovation Research Labs. Big builders, classified firms who construct 25 or more homes a year, were more than twice as likely as smaller builders to project using off-site construction technologies in the next five years. These big builders account for around 75% of all new housing construction.
Open wall panel, pre-cut framing packages, roof trusses, and pre-assembled floor panels were among the most popular off-site construction options projected by big builders in the Home Innovation Research Labs’ study. The popularity of several off-site construction techniques shows that off-site housing solutions will not likely be a “winner-take-all” competition, according to the Home Innovation Research Labs.
The poll of 300 builders was first conducted in April, and asked builders to anticipate their use of seven off-site construction practices in the coming year and the coming five years. The survey was repeated in December. The results in December show that there is an increased interest more broadly in the home building cohort in off-site construction practices than when the survey was first conducted in April.
The April and December surveys both show roof trusses are the top choice for adoption by builders from all cohorts, while open wall panels systems experienced the greatest increase in builder interest from April to December. Home Innovation Research Labs projects that open wall and floor panel off-site systems will be able to use the existing network of shops and factories across the country to be at the front edge of off-site construction market increase. The report also suggests that manufactured housing has a “high upside potential,” especially among younger buyers with rising housing cost and improvements in manufactured housing design.
