"Both of us have believed for years that off-site building is simply inevitablethe way we do things has changed so little in a century. Most people are familiar with a McKinsey study stating that there has been no productivity growth in construction for decades, as well as the demographic projections for our aging workforce. It seems so obvious that off-site modern manufacturing is the solution. But it has not worked yet for production single-family housingat least not at the full modular level."
"Why? Let us start with some of the fundamental obstacles: Shipping inefficiency. When you are shipping modules, you are shipping a lot of air. It is inherently inefficient. Further, you are likely to need more storage space at the site. Transportation damage. Let us face itAmerican roads are not pristine. Trucks bounce and units rack, requiring more on-site work to correct."
"Trade coordination remains complex. You need all the same subcontractors at the job site, just less of their time. But you are not eliminating any trades. Plumbers and electricians still need to make connections, drywallers still need to tape, texture, and paint seams, and foundations (which must be nearly perfect) still need to be completed."
Construction productivity has shown little growth for decades and an aging workforce increases pressure to modernize. Off-site modern manufacturing appears to be an obvious solution, yet full modular production for single-family housing has not scaled. Major obstacles include shipping inefficiency that moves excessive empty volume and increases site storage needs, transportation damage from rough roads, and weather vulnerability when finished interiors are exposed before sealing. Trade coordination remains complex because most subcontracted tasks still must occur on site and foundations require high precision. Stitching crews would need to be highly itinerant until adoption grows, and modules currently are not cheaper.
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