I watched a pre-fab house landing last week.
What’s a pre-fab house?
It’s a pre-fabricated house–one constructed in a factory and transported to the lot.
The whole process has been fascinating to follow.
Why a pre-fab house?
I live in Sonoma County where fires destroyed more than 5000 homes in October 2017.
Many of our friends lost homes, including 29 families connected to our church.
One friend, in particular, has sought counsel over the months as he made decisions about his homestead.
We’ve been privy to those conversations and listened.
When you live in a fire-ravaged community and so many have lost homes, your most important job is to listen.
We only offer advice or observations if asked.
New houses flourish but scars remain
We can only guess at what our friends are grieving and enduring.
It’s been so hard to watch and love them through this process.
Our friend, let’s call him Hal, chose a pre-fab house for a variety of very sensible reasons.
Cost, speed, quality, and stewardship were at the heart of his reasons.
We’re proud of him.
How does it work?
Hal spent time at the SmartHomes LLC factory in Woodland, which is about 90 miles from Sonoma County.
Under expert guidance, he chose what made sense for him and his situation.
A widower with two small dogs and grown children, he no longer needed, nor wanted, a two-story home with a large yard.
His lot in the Coffey Park area of Santa Rosa turned out to be large enough to accommodate a one-story home and a “granny unit.”
The company he worked with took measurements, made suggestions, listened to his desires and provided an idea.
Hal liked it.
His trusted counselors liked it, too.
Eight months ago, he selected colors, tile, carpeting, windows, and so forth.
“I had no idea what it would look like and have been pleasantly surprised now that it’s here.”
It’s a new area for him and as he likes to say,
“I know what I don’t know, so I ask friends who do know, to let me know.”
They’ve been discussing the landscape, recently.
How’s it going?
After a two month delay owing to rain (his foundation flooded so many times, he referred to it as the swimming pool. It’s now got a sump pump!), the crane and house pieces made their way to Sonoma County in mid-January.
The large crane broke down seven miles from Santa Rosa the day before the landing was slated to begin.
The company found a bigger crane and it was ready to go only one day late.
“Everyone dealt with the delays very gracefully,” and kept Hal well-informed through it all.
Moved by flatbed from 90 miles away
It only took four hours to land the granny unit and the three pieces that make up the large house!
Hal toured me through the granny unit and I watched the landing of one section.
My husband and I returned the other day and walked through the house.
It looks perfect for him, and we’re so thankful the house is in place and he’ll be able to move in soon.
Now that Hal has seen the entire house and granny unit, he’s excited.
“It’s got really cool features. The tile shower stripe is wonderful! The laundry room has a big tub and is large enough, I could make it an office!”
But how does a pre-fab house compare to a regular “stick-built” house?
We had friends in Connecticut long ago who bought a two-story pre-fab house built onto a hill.
The first time I visited it, I didn’t realize it was pre-fab.
When my friend told me, I roamed the house marveling that the wallpaper had been installed at a factory long before she saw it on a wall.
The bathroom looked perfectly normal.
I couldn’t see seams in the walls.
The price worked for that young Navy family all those years ago.
As far as I know, the house still stands in Mystic, Connecticut.
Unless you were told, you’d never know it hadn’t been constructed from the ground up.
Pictures!
Look at that 360-ton crane! (Overkill, but the one available at the time)
A 360-ton crane had no trouble lifting a house!
Lifting 1/3 of the house very carefully into place!
Granny unit on left; the center of the house on right.
Side view before placement of the third and final section.
Looking into the great room toward the kitchen prior to placing the third section.
That’s the carpet rolled up in the foreground. Note metal beams placed on top of the cement foundation.
The workers carefully adjust sections at the end for a tighter fit. Wedges and experience make the difference! (Notice the “stick builder” construction workers on top of the house to the left!)
Look how close together they maneuvered the section to match the seams!
Four days after landing
Once they landed the house, construction workers began finishing it.
Because Hal chose a peaked roof, it needed to be completed by roofers. Flatter-roofed houses don’t need this extra step.
In addition, garages are not pre-fabricated, so construction workers arrived to finish the roof and stick-build the garage.
They’ll pour the cement garage floor and driveway at a later date.
The front of the house four days after landing. Note half-finished peaked roof and garage going up to the left.
Trenches to hook up sewer system and water lines.
Once builders complete the house’s outer shell, they’ll run water and electrical systems through trenches.
They’ll also begin on the interior details Hal already selected–touching up the paint and laying carpet.
Many interior pieces are already in place.
Note the details:
The door stop awaits carpeting.
The blinds and kitchen sink look ready to work!
The neighborhood
Hal’s neighborhood will never be the same as it was in September 2017.
While he’s got a view at the moment, construction workers already marked out his back fence neighbor’s house.
They’ll lay the foundation there soon.
He’ll be able to watch the rest of the neighborhood rise from his own porch.
It can’t happen soon enough for Sonoma County.
Tweetables
A crane, workers and a pre-fab house rise in Sonoma County. Click to Tweet
How they landed a pre-fab house. Click to Tweet
What’s a pre-fab house? Click to Tweet
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