All Forum Posts by: Account Closed

Do options exist for sub-metering within multifamily while providing electricity with a photovoltaic system? 

This would be allowed anyways. There's nothing stopping anyone from placing a modular home on a vacant lot in the State of Florida. Can you link an article? 

There's a difference between Modular and what's commonly called "Manufactured" Housing which is another name for mobile homes. I haven't felt a stigma surrounding modular housing in a long time. Dwell magazine has done a good job of getting a generation interested in modern architecture and the allure of prefabrication. They've featured modular homes on their cover from Michelle Kaufmann, Marmol Radziner, Livinghomes, Connect Homes among others in addition to publishing a yearly volume just dedicated to modular homes.

36 States in the US have a State-Modular program similar to California's where the state or third parties acting on behalf of the state are responsible for the approval and inspection of the off-site components of the project.

Hey @Christopher Coleman. I answered a similar question not too long ago in this thread. I'm just going to paste part of my response below:

Manufacturers generally want a large number of units to produce because repetition and quantity lend themselves well to the manufacturing environment. With a larger amount of mods you may realize some economies of scale where you will see a cost savings. I generally advise folks not to expect much more than a 5% swing in either direction. Where modular construction really shines is in the speed of construction which can lead to less general conditions, less financing and quicker time to market.

I did a write up of my last project here if you're interested in reading about it. Good luck.

Check with your state's real estate board. There are specific rules about when during construction you can market and sell units. I'm not familiar with MA

1. Building codes aren't typically a city thing. 35 States in the US have a modular program that dictates how prefabricated buildings are approved. One of the absolute greatest things about modular construction is that the local jurisdiction does none of the approval or inspection of anything built off-site and has no jurisdiction over any of it.  

2. I'm still designing the 18 unit project. The biggest issues I had with the 3 unit project were the factory not estimating how much time it would take them to complete the project and shipping it before they were done. It just added a lot to the on-site scope that I didn't intend.

3. Mod to mod connections typically include exterior finishes at marriage lines and between stories, utility connections and foundation anchorage. On-site work that's still needed is utility hookups, trades not typically covered at the manufacturer such as ornamental metalwork, podiums, foundations or garages, prefabricated trusses at times, things like that...

To answer your last question, modular construction is the future of construction. The benefits of off-site fabrication are plenty: There's no inclement weather to worry about, there's more efficient sourcing and utilization of materials, less material waste in the factory, less site disturbance, less neighborhood disturbance, less soil compaction, less erosion from construction activity, better quality control, larger purchasing power, there are many more.

The modular fabrication market in the United States is disturbingly inadequate compared to what's happening across Europe and Asia with the adoption of robotics and automation in their production. We're even behind in things like building codes that lend themselves better to off-site prefabrication. Things like concealed electrical connections, mechanical waste line ventilation and foundation anchoring mechanisms that are common in those areas simply aren't allowed by the IBC. None of this is any reason not to consider modular building for your project.

I've been working in designing modular buildings for the last 15 years. My parents who founded the firm I work at have been consulting on modular projects since the late 80's. A few years ago we started developing our own projects and built a small 3-unit project. We're currently developing an 18 unit apartment building that will be prefabricated. Here's the basic gist: Your project size at 40 units is probably enough to get a manufacturer interested. Manufacturers generally want a large number of units to produce because repetition and quantity lend themselves well to the manufacturing environment. With a larger amount of mods you may realize some economies of scale where you will see a cost savings. I generally advise folks not to expect much more than a 5% swing in either direction. Where modular construction really shines is in the speed of construction which can lead to less general conditions, less financing and quicker time to market. 

I did a write up of my project here if you're interested in reading about it. Good luck.

You didn't post a location but check out https://eminutes.com

They'll create your first LLC for free for the repeat business. I think they operate in CA, TX and OR. They'll even draft an operating agreement for you. I recommend having it reviewed by your individual attorney. Your partner should have it reviewed by his attorney.

I used them for my first LLC but I wrote our own operating agreement. I now use them for my annual filings and agent of process for about $300/yr and had them create my second LLC (and paid them)

It sounds to me like you would be an Owner-Builder, which wouldn't require a GC license or any specific insurance other than the Course of Construction and General Liability policies an owner would generally carry. You would also need to be very careful to only hire licensed and insured subcontractors and gather a COI from each one of them you hire. My jurisdiction has us sign a declaration stating we understand the risks associated with acting as Owner Builder:
https://www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/legacy/development-services/pdf/industry/forms/ds3042.pdf

Great write up. I assume everyone's first build must be similar. Yours is very similar to a lot of what I experience as well. I became very tense when you mentioned an HOA approval. I can't imagine. I had to go through a community planning approval which I thought was bad...

I'm glad you mentioned the value of your architect. Buildings should be built in response to geographic, contextual and environmental conditions. No one plan fits everywhere.

Looking forward to reading about your next build.