To Stick-Build
or Panelize?
Panelization can
ease management burdens
by Joseph Carusone and sometimes save money
For years, most builders have relied to
some extent on premanufactured building
components. Who doesn't use prehung
doors or manufactured trusses?
What builders assemble and glaze their
own windows?
Until recently, only large production
builders found it economical to have
the entire shell built in a factory. But
that is changing. Over the past few
years, we have seen a surge in demand
for panelized housing components in
the Northeast.
A shrinking skilled-labor pool and a
more competitive marketplace are making
various types of prefab building
more appealing to smaller builders. The
options range from preassembled wall
sections, customized to any design, to
complete modular buildings delivered
to the