Factory-made buildings mean less waste and lower costs than on-site construction
MOD SQUAD Calgary-based Horizon North acquired Karoleena in 2016, but the latter’s Scandinavian-style modern homes are still made in Kamloops. Modules are 90-percent finished inside and out in the factory, then shipped to the site and placed on the foundation with a crane for completion of electrical and mechanical connections. 750-3,000 square feet; depending on fit and finish, $200-$500 per square foot, including foundation and shipping
HUT TICKET Outdoor enthusiast Wilson Edgar and architect Michael Leckie founded Vancouver’s Backcountry Hut Co. in 2015 to make easily assembled flat-packed building systems. Manufactured in Courtenay, kits include glulam post-and-beam system, insulated panels, windows, doors, vapour barrier and exterior cladding. Customizable interior fit-outs available. One or two storeys, scalable from 175 -4,000+ square feet, starting at $150 per square foot
IN THE NORTH Winton Homes, operating since 1983, builds structures ranging from 800-square-foot fishing cabins to 30,000-square-foot office projects. Packages contain prefabricated walls, floors and trusses, plus windows, doors and exterior finishing materials. Shipping is included within 400 kilometres of Winton’s Prince George headquarters. Plans are 320-3,666 square feet, custom any size; $40-$70 per square foot
FRAME BY FRAME Purcell Timber Frame Homes, based in Nelson, makes everything from urban lofts to mountain cottages that range in style from modern to traditional and can be any size. Prefabricated timber-frame components, wall panels and roof systems are standard in all packages, with ceiling boards, windows, doors, siding, stairs and decks optional. From $100 per square foot, shipping and installation included
KITS THESE DAYS Linwood Custom Homes in Delta has sold more than 10,000 kit and custom homes since its founding in 1968. Each package includes a custom concept design, construction drawings, and all structural and exterior finishing materials required to reach the weatherproof stage. 450-10,000 square feet; price varies depending on size and complexity
STEEL THE SHOW Vancouver Island developers Dave Slang and Al Jackson launched Nexus Modular Solutions in 2017 to produce sustainable, flexible commercial and residential buildings. The steel modules, which can be standalone, joined or stacked, are completed inside and out in the company’s Cowichan Valley factory with only basic utility hook-ups and minimal foundation work needed on-site. 14 feet wide by up to 42 feet long; from $200 per square foot
PANEL DISCUSSION In business since 1959, Pacific Homes in Cobble Hill specializes in energy-efficient custom and prefab buildings for ski resort and mountain towns. Packages include all materials inside and out: drywall, flooring, nails, interior doors, siding, roof system and prefab insulated Pacific SmartWall panels in three thicknesses: two-by-six, two-by-eight and two-by-10. Any size from small cottages to multi-family homes, from $65-$85 per square foot
EAST MEETS WEST Ajia Custom Prefab Homes started off shipping homes to Japan (“ajia” is Japanese for Asia) in 1995. Six years later, the North Vancouver firm began custom designing prefabricated homes for Western North America. Each kit includes all components and materials above the foundation to finish the exterior. Installation is available in the GVRD, Sea-to-Sky Corridor and Sunshine Coast. From laneway to 5,000-square-foot homes, starting at $70 per square foot
HYBRID APPROACH Founded in 1977, Tamlin International Homes integrates timber-frame construction and components with conventional frame construction to custom design hybrid timber-frame houses. The Coquitlam firm provides prefabricated components and wall panels, as well as prefinished exterior siding. Installation available, depending on the location. 593-7,105 square feet; packages start at around $100 per square foot, plus shipping
CIRCLE CRAFT Each design from Nelson-based Mandala Custom Homes is different, but every one is round (“mandala” is Sanskrit for circle). Packages, which make up 45 to 65 percent of the building, include precut timber-frame components, wall panels, windows, cedar siding, soffits, roof sheathing and cedar ceiling. 300-5,000+ square feet; from $85 per square foot plus assembly, shipping and foundation
Home truths
Manufactured Previously called mobile homes. Any structure, with or without wheels, designed to be towed or carried, including floating homes anchored or secured for 60 days or more
Prefabricated Any type of building constructed in a factory then assembled on-site on a permanent foundation
Modular Box-like units mostly prefabricated in a factory then transported and completed on-site on a permanent foundation
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