For centuries, most houses were built onsite using traditional stick-framing methods. But in recent decades, prefabricated or modular construction has emerged as an alternative thanks to benefits like speed, affordability and sustainability. These manufactured homes – commonly called prefab or modular houses – are built by assembling standardized structural and living unit components in a controlled factory environment, then transporting and joining them on the construction site.

Benefits of Prefabricated Houses

Prefabricated houses offer several advantages over traditional onsite construction:

Faster construction – Manufacturing wall panels, floor cassettes, roof trusses and other house sections in a factory dramatically accelerates assembly times. Completing a typical onsite built home takes 6-12 months, while prefab constructions often finish in 3-6 months.

Lower costs – Streamlined production techniques and optimized material usage results in lower material and labor expenses for prefab homes. Costs can be up to 30% less for equal-sized prefabricated versus conventionally built houses.

Higher quality – The controlled factory environment allows for stringent QA/QC procedures that improve structural performance and finish quality. Onsite variability from weather disruptions is also eliminated.

Reduced waste – Standardization and repetition in a factory minimizes excess material and component rework, producing less construction waste.

Greener options – Due to material efficiency, waste reduction and faster builds that disturb environments less, prefabricated homes offer sustainability advantages over traditional builds.

Types of Prefabricated Homes

Prefab houses mainly come in three types based on their structural frame:

Steel frame – Uses a skeleton of lightweight steel beams, columns and wall studs. Panels are then attached to the metal framework. Lida Group specializes in steel structure prefab houses.

Wood frame – Similar to traditional framing but with standardized, precut lumber assembled offsite. Wood panels are then attached to create walls, floors and roofs.

Container homes – Shipping containers are adapted to form the house foundation, structure and living quarters. Containers are filled with insulation, and openings are cut for windows and doors.

Prefab homes can be fully assembled in a factory and delivered as finished modules, or constructed as panelized or hybrid systems where some assembly occurs onsite. Owners can also choose from a variety of ready-made or customizable prefab house designs.

The Future of Prefabricated Housing

With their many advantages, prefabricated homes represent a major opportunity to transform the construction industry and make high-quality housing more accessible and sustainable. Hardware improvements, advanced materials and automation technologies are further improving the speed, precision and versatility of offsite modular construction.

Companies like Lida Group aim to lead this transition with innovative prefab solutions that push the boundaries of design, functionality and value. Their focus remains on delivering customized, durable yet greener homes that exceed client expectations – whether produced as standardized modular units or fully automated, 3D-printed structures of the future.

Prefabricated construction promises to revolutionize how and where we build homes for the 21st century. With advancements in material science, manufacturing processes and integrated technologies, prefab houses may one day become the norm for creating efficient, affordable and sustainable living environments.