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Panelized Construction Can Help Builders Trim Overhead
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Incorporating panelized building systems and components potentially can help builders survive the downturn by operating with a smaller staff and reducing their overhead. | A new, free NAHB video by the Panelized Building Systems Council and Building Systems Councils shows how traditional home builders can incorporate panelized building systems or components into their home building operations, a transition that potentially can help them survive the downturn by enabling them to operate with a smaller staff and reduce their overhead.
The video, available at www.nahb.org/panelizedvideo, shows builders how panelized manufacturing techniques, essentially outsourcing the creation of walls and trusses in a controlled factory environment, enable builders to focus on revenue-generating sales rather than more labor-intensive onsite construction.
“Panelized construction is something I think builders should strongly consider because, in today’s volatile housing market, adopting components or whole house packages can save a builder’s business,” said Tom Mason, president of the Panelized Building Systems Councils and the sales manager of Wausau Homes, a panelized and modular home manufacturer based in Wisconsin.
He said panel manufacturers offer highly customizable homes and can create any home more quickly and efficiently than traditional site-built techniques. “The benefits add up quickly.”
“Panelization saves a builder time and money during the building process by expediting the construction timeline, reducing or eliminating material exposure to the weather and reducing material theft on the job site,” he said.
Panelization also helps on the financing side, according to Mason. The quicker a home is built, the less a builder pays in carrying costs and construction loans.
When considering green building, Mason said panelized homes are a natural fit because most of the components of a home’s construction are monitored and controlled in a factory environment. Panelized construction techniques are recognized by NAHB’s National Green Building Standard for their efficient use of building materials.
“I am involved in a number of industry groups and I always hear builders’ concerns about the construction process,” said Mason. “It amazes me how so many of those concerns can be addressed and solved by incorporating panelized home construction strategies.”
To learn more about the panelized home industry, visit www.nahb.org/panel.
For a list of Panelized Building Systems Council member manufacturers, visit www.nahb.org/panelizeddirectory.
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The e-newsletter provides:
- Monthly reports from industry experts that detail how systems have brought them success in the home building marketplace
- The latest trends in systems building
- Information on how building all or part of a home in a controlled manufacturing plant can reduce waste, decrease construction time and trim carrying costs
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