| Building codes. What you described is rational but unconventional and building codes are designed to require following convention. Also, the cost of connectors goes up quickly, but the right connectors could change the game dramatically. On-site modular is common (though not very known) for large apartment buildings. Setup a factory in the future parking lot, crank out apartment modules, crane them into place and connect them. It's efficient, but not "cool". Modular homes have to compete with site-built on cost and quality, but do so within the same set of rules the site-built homes follow. There are two major challenges: 1) customization and 2) transportation. Many home builders already use pre-framed walls and most use pre-built roof/floor trusses and windows because those are already cost effective. They also use standardized materials across the spectrum. So basically, the materials are standardized to the point of customization, with the exception of roof trusses and sometimes kitchen cabinets. For modular to win, the designs need to be standardized at a larger scope or the building codes changed to allow plug and play. Second is transportation. It can cost $5,000-$15,000+ to ship a truck sized building module, and then a large crane has to be rented to unload and place them. The max size of a module is around 10.5' by 40'. Any larger and you pay overweight fees and for pilot cars. If you think about it, that's only 400 square feet of space. So even a 1600 square foot house gets too expensive fast. Does any of that add any insight? |
Maybe I just like the idea of a truck rolling up with a flat-packed house, Ikea-style instructions, and a couple of 3 foot allen wrenches to put the whole thing together.