Prefabricated Homes
Prefabricated and Modular are often used interchangeably for houses in which the components are built at a factory, shipped to the building site, and installed. The main advantage to modular homes is that, once the foundation has been prepared, the house can "constructed" in days. The primary disadvantage is that typically there are limitations to significant changes in design. The economic comparisons of a prefab home to that of standard construction depend upon many factors, such as the foundation cosntruction and shipping costs. A few of the questions you may wish to address are:
- Are prefab homes designed for hurricane force winds and earthquakes.
- What are the cost comparisons between prefab and standard construction? You may wish to contact several local construction companies for a rough estimate of building costs. Most prefab companies will provide a price list and shipping estimate.
- Can the special needs for houses in the Caribbean be met with prefab homes? For example, what can prefab home collect rain water from the roof? Are there options for wall insulation?
- How do VI building codes effect choices for prefab homes.
There are literally thousands of web sites available on modular homes, a few of which are listed below.
Standard search engines for your own search.