Multi Family Construction on the Rise in California

The modular or prefab construction method brings manufacturing processes to residential building. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the use of modular construction in single-family residential has held steady for the past five years at 2% of the completed single-family housing units each year. In multifamily construction, modular is joined by panelized construction to account for between 2% and 7% of completed rental units built annually over the last five years. The Census Bureau describes a panelized process as one where a builder joins preassembled components at the job site. With modular construction, builders assemble fully completed building sections at the site. BIGGER PROJECTS, BIGGER SAVINGS While modular construction in multifamily isn’t on a strong growth trajectory, it is increasingly used on larger and larger projects. In Winston-Salem NC, a developer and contractors recently used modular construction to complete the 65-unit Hilltop House apartment building in just 47 days. That period included the time needed to manufacture the 52 modules that went into it. Meanwhile in CA, the Eviva Midtown,...

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