Panel building, or panelized home construction, can seem like a complicated method to those who are unfamiliar with it.
But the truth is, when compared to modular or stick building, there are many aspects of the process where panelized construction simplifies the process for the homeowner.
If this article is the first place you’re hearing about panel building, it might be helpful to visit some of our past blogs where we explain the concept in detail:
- Behind the Scenes of Panelized Construction
- 5 Reasons Why Panelized Home Construction Makes the Best New Builds
- The 6 Steps to Custom Home Building with Panelized Construction
If you feel comfortable with your understanding of the basis of panelized building, let’s hop into the areas where it helps to simplify necessary build processes.
6 Areas Where Panelized Home Construction Simplifies Custom Home Building
While panel building is seen by many as a “best of both worlds” method for custom home building due to how it simplifies almost every aspect of the build process, here are the areas where it is most prominent:
- Design-Builder Coordination
- Financing
- Complicated Permits
- Material Damage Concerns
- Human Error
- Contractor Coordination
Here’s a little more insight into why these areas are more important:
1. Design-Builder Coordination
The traditional method of home building, stick building, requires an architect to design your home plans, and a builder to execute said plans. Unfortunately, there are a lot of issues that can arise with the plans exchanging hands.
Neither party has any particular interest in ensuring the other is able to complete their job, and communication breakdowns can happen thusly. Plans can be passed off that are not feasible for build, unbeknownst to the architect who drafted them.
When designing with panel building, an in-house design team reviews the plans with the manufacturing department and Independent Dealer acting in place of a traditional home builder. This ensures that everything that is put into the home plan is within the realm of possibility of building, and that there are no hiccups down the line.
Additionally, the team is working together to solve problems if they arise, and have an interest in seeing the success of the project every step of the way -- rather than simply completing their duties and moving on to a new project.
2. Financing
Most people will only build a custom home once in their lives. Because of this, it can be hard to grasp the nuances and intricacies of the finances involved with building.
3. Complicated Permits
When building without a trusted Barden Independent Dealer on your side, you are responsible for ensuring all permits are acquired, and building codes, covenants, and requirements are followed throughout the build.
This requires being in close contact with your local Building & Codes Department and employing the help of experts to work through the documents. When permits are not submitted on time or codes are violated, the build can be setback innumerable amounts of time -- which ultimately wastes money.
Because of the granular nature of the permits and requirements, it is much simpler to allow your Independent Dealer to handle this -- trusting that they have the experience to do it right.
4. Material Damage Concerns
When a home is left uncovered during the build, materials are susceptible to damage from the elements as well as thievery. Covering materials and ensuring their safety requires additional coordination, and sometimes budget.
During panel building, the walls, roofs, and trusses are assembled in a controlled manufacturing setting where they are unexposed to the elements and their quality is maintained.
Once they are shipped to the building site, it is only a matter of days before the home can be weather tight, versus weeks or even months with the traditional method of stick building.
5. Human Error
During panel building, manufacturing work begins once the plans are finalized.
Everyone on the floor is following the digital design plan for the home, which ensures precision during every step of the manufacturing process.
North American Truss, our manufacturing division, utilizes a variety of machines and technology to aid in precision building and reduce the chances for human error, including:
- Tiger Stop Computerized Measuring Saw
- Intelligent Building Software (IBS), Tables, and Stapling Bridge
- Virtek Lasers
- MiTek RoofTracker
6. Contractor Coordination
Similar to both the financing and permit acquisition stages of building, finding a contractor that you can rely on to bring expertise and trust to your project can be difficult if this is your first time building.
Barden, and by extension our Independent Dealer network, has an array of trusted contractors, subcontractors, and specialists who can bring their services to your project.
Rather than the homeowner having to source reviews, interview, and select the contractor themselves, this is all simplified and handled with the expert guidance of their building team.
Commit to Simplicity without Sacrificing Quality
This article merely scratches the surface of all of the ways panel building produces a superior build for many customers.
For more details, check out our Custom Home Building Guide, and follow along with the panelized construction process every step of the way.
