How is modular construction better than stick built? It has a reputation for looking old and sort of unprofessional. Everyone envisions those forty year old portable classrooms rotting behind crowded high schools when they think of modular buildings. So how exactly are they any better? Are they better? And ultimately, is it just a cost thing? Do people come to Specialty Modular and work with us just because we’re giving them a steep discount on getting a new office or classroom?
I’m sure that there are many of you visiting our website or clicking on our ads wondering similar questions like this. We want you to know that they are completely valid questions to ask and we’re here to answer as many as we can. I word it that way because every job is different and circumstances are unique for each of our clients.
Specialty Modular has decades of experience in helping clients better understand modular construction. From our experience, we’ve detailed a list of reasons why modular construction is better. I’ve also thrown in a bonus answer for a common question we receive, just as a little gift from us to you. If at any time you’d like a free conversation or quote from us, don’t hesitate to ask. We’re here to help!
Modular Construction is Better for Locations
Rural America is built on modular construction. Drive through any small town across the country and you’ll see modular construction everywhere. Whether you’re in mining country, timberland, or endless farmland, modular construction is there for a reason. We take great pride in the fact that modular buildings help so many small businesses across the country who might be left with extremely expensive options otherwise.
The reason rural communities and smaller towns enjoy modular, is that contractors and construction crews are much harder to hire. Those who can be hired, tend to also come at a much higher cost. Modular construction drastically cuts down on that issue. On site labor is minimal and our crews are mobile anywhere. If the truck can deliver the units for your building, our team can get there to build your building for you.
This is crucial in giving modular the advantage with small towns. This also translates to larger towns and cities across America as well. You may have lower contractor costs and more options, but availability is not guaranteed. With higher demand for construction, your options might be limited and modular construction is here to help.
Modular Construction is Highly Regulated
One of the unique aspects of modular construction is that due to buildings moving across state lines, they are highly regulated. Because of this, modular construction takes place within highly controlled and inspected environments with specialists working every day with a high level of compliance. Factory employees are trained and studied in what makes modular construction so unique from regular stick built construction. Overseers within the factory and state mandated inspectors monitor each stage of the construction process within a limited space. That means each unit is carefully reviewed before going to the next step.
Everything from flooring, framing, insulation, electrical, etc. all of it is monitored and checked for compliance. That means every aspect of your building has been signed off to meet code and regulations. Your building is top of the line. This is a huge benefit when it comes to trusting the integrity of the building you are purchasing. When you purchase a building through Specialty Modular, you are getting the very best.
Modular Construction Has Huge Time Advantages
Perhaps one of the largest benefits of modular construction is the time advantage. This appeal attracts numerous clients because any given project can be cut down immensely by a modular install. Depending on the size of your project, you can drastically cut down the time of your building’s creation. Modular buildings are built and inspected within the contained and controlled environment of a factory.
With an indoor worksite, each factory has the ability to continue working through any kind of weather with the flexibility to adapt to assembly problems rather than external issues. Factories also work on a timeline that is tight enough for them to have very little time for distractions or issues. The environment where your building is being created is curated to ensure that your building is built on time.
When it comes to the environment in which modular buildings are assembled, stick-built options don’t hold a candle to the speed and dependability in which your modular building can be assembled. It is the cutting edge to many projects that help many companies to decide that their best option is the modular option.
Modular Construction Limits Problems
Every project has its hurdles and setbacks. There is rarely an opportunity to avoid troubles on the horizon, especially when you have no idea what it is that you’re looking for. However, every crew attempts to fortify their project so they can at least adapt to any problems that crop up. For many project managers, the largest option available is to budget for unforeseen troubles. With modular construction, you have an alternative to worrying about mistakes or troubles that might arise during the building process. The solution is the highly controlled and overseen conditions in which your buildings are built.
Very few environments can boast the level of professional control that modular construction factories employ. Your building will be monitored and built with a team of experts who are checked each step of the process to ensure that the integrity and the utility of your building is top of the line. There will be no inspection surprises that require backtracking and undoing labor that has already been done. Mistakes are found and rooted out long before they become costly and time consuming.
This is one of the incredibly appealing sides of modular construction that stick-built rarely affords. Mistakes, problems, and hurdles are spotted and dealt with immediately, rather than snowballing into larger issues down the road.
Modular Construction Limits Disruption
A lot of our clients are on a strict deadline and have a small window of opportunity to get their project completed and ready for the day. When working with stick-built options, any project is going to take a significant amount of time. From setting up the foundation to finishing up the final touches of paint, you can have your project drawn out for months on end. That level of commitment to making sure a site is free of interference and disruption is a massive request for a lot of businesses. Down time is rarely a luxury clients can afford.
With a modular construction option, your disruption is limited to clearing your site and setting up whatever foundation requirements you have, something that takes one to two weeks at the most. Once your coordinated delivery arrives, our set up crews fly through the assembly process at a speed that baffles most of our clients. We want to make sure that you’re able to get into your buildings as quickly as possible as our efficient process will allow. Your building will appear in just a short window of time without blocking up your parking lot, site, or business with noisy construction crews and equipment. You will be amazed at how quickly your building is set up.
Modular Construction is Flexible
Businesses change all the time. We have experienced unprecedented highs and lows over the past decade and a half when it comes to economic impacts on the country and across countless industries. For some, it feels like a feast or famine. We understand that growth can become a scary obstacle for a lot of businesses, but modular construction takes a lot of the fear and a lot of the worry out of it.
Not only do modular buildings look great these days, they have a uniformed nature that makes ordering new expansions and buildings easy. Your campus can grow without looking like you have a series of historical phases on display for anyone visiting your company. You can grow and change with relative ease and comfort rather than making enormous bursts of growth and changes that you might worry about later on down the road.
The flexibility of modular truly cannot be beat. If you are looking for the option to grow at several stages and benchmarks, stick-built buildings cannot easily accommodate incremental growth and development. However, with a modular building and a modular campus, you can have seamless growth through multiple stages in your company’s development.
But is it a Cheaper Option?
Now, one of the biggest questions that we have is: How is modular construction going to save me money?
The simple answer is that it probably won’t. There are a lot of factors that come into play when pricing and quoting a construction project and for many of our prospects, there are some insurmountable factors that are inevitably going to drive up the price. Whether it’s how remote you are, getting crews to your location, or even material delivery; being rural and remote inevitably drives up costs that can be largely mitigated by modular construction. However, there is one unavoidable fact that means modular construction is not magically cheaper.
All of the materials and labor that go into a stick-built building, go into a modular building. It is all made with the same material, one is simply streamlined through a highly controlled factory and the other is drawn out with multiple crews over months. You are still getting top of the line materials and high quality services. What does change is ultimately labor costs for crews, but that is usually compensated by our clients when they see the upgradable features they can afford now with modular construction.
Ultimately, you’re not actually saving a ton of money going with modular construction. The benefits are mentioned above, but most clients still fall within their expected budget regardless of whether they’re going with stick-built or modular. However, the financial side, while important, is not the only place where you find benefits. You save money with time and potential with modular and that can’t be beat.
Are You Ready to Chat?
There are many reasons why modular construction is appealing to so many clients of ours across the country. From the forests of Montana and Washington to the open deserts of New Mexico and Nevada, modular construction is an incredibly accessible option for businesses to expand and grow with minimal disruption. There are so many benefits to modular construction and there are even more we can find once we start having a conversation about your business and its needs.
If you think that modular construction might be a great opportunity for your business, let’s chat about it. We never charge for consultations and conversations regarding what you’re looking for and what your obstacles are. Fill out our form and one of our team members will give you a call shortly to go over where you are in the process and what we can do to help you out.
We understand completely if you are just beginning to look into modular construction and you might not even be sure what questions to ask. There’s no pressure and we’re here to help guide you toward a solution that is custom tailored to your company’s needs and strategies. Contact us today and we’ll help get you some answers. But, if you’re interested in diving in today and you’re looking for numbers, we can help you out there as well.
Contact us today and we can start your journey.
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