What Arrives?
Factory-finished is a spectrum
A modular home, an expandable unit and a panel kit can all be called “prefab.” What arrives on the truck is wildly different.
Explanatory drawing. Not a specific product.“Prefab” covers everything from a nearly finished home that needs only to be connected, to a stack of panels that a local builder turns into a house over several months.
Roughly, from most to least finished
- Volumetric modular — finished boxes, set by crane, joined and connected on site.
- Expandable — a finished core with sections that unfold and must be sealed on site.
- Panelized — closed wall and roof panels assembled by a local crew.
- Kits — structural components only; most systems and finishes are local.
The less that is finished at the factory, the more of your budget, schedule and quality depends on the local team. That's not bad — it just needs to be planned for.
General information only — not legal, engineering or financial advice.
