Prefab vs. On-Site ConstructionTop 10 Reasons to Choose a Prefabricated Shelter
Tired of the hassles related to on site construction? You are not alone. The entire construction industry is moving towards prefabricated and modular construction for multitude of reasons. Here are our top 10 reasons to consider a prefabricated equipment shelter from Shelter Works rather than building one on site.
Issues | Site-Built | Shelter Works Prefab |
---|---|---|
1. Permitting process can be costly, time consuming and extend timelines. | Organizing the drawings and coordinating inspection schedules after each phase of every contractor’s work can add weeks to a project. | Shelter Works prefabricated shelters typically require only one final inspection as a part of the process. |
2. Working with on-site construction crews can be a hassle. | Will they show up? Do they know what they’re doing? Do they have all the tools and equipment they need to complete the job? | Shelter Works equipment shelters come fully assembled and ready to go. |
3. The need for multiple contractors can be a scheduling nightmare. | Construction crews to pour the concrete, carpenters to build the structure, tradesmen to complete the finish work, electricians to wire the equipment properly, roofers, painters… All these specialists need to be coordinated in just the right sequence. If one person gets behind, it can throw the whole schedule off! | With Shelter Works prefabricated shelters, all that scheduling has been done for you. |
4. All that labor is expensive. | Sometimes, when comparing costs for prefabricated versus site-built shelters, the comparison only takes materials into consideration. Each specialist adds to the overall cost of the project. | With Shelter Works equipment enclosures, all those costs have been factored in. Many have discovered that we are the most cost-effective option. |
5. Weather could put you behind schedule. | Rain, snow, sleet… Anything can throw the fragile construction schedule off track. | A Shelter Works shelter arrives at your site on an agreed-upon date ready to be installed and fully functional within a matter of hours. |
6. Roofing can be a major challenge. | Once the structure is built, the roof and gutters need to be added. | Shelter Works equipment shelters come fully pre-assembled—complete with a roof customized for your project. You can still specify whether you need a detachable roof hatch, a seamless skylight, a roof vent, or any other custom-engineered element–but of course it all comes complete and ready to go. |
7. Painting | Once the building is done, the whole thing needs to be painted. With this, many factors will come into play that might interfere with this work, like weather or other on-site work being done. | Our gelcoats are chemically bonded into the wall as a part of our in-house manufacturing process. No need to paint and there’s never any flaking, peeling, cracking or chipping. |
8. Quality & Appearance | Independent construction crews using general plans rarely provide consistency in quality or appearance. | In-house construction, strict quality process and controlled environment yields consistency from one shelter to the next. |
9. Warranties often vary greatly. | Typically there’s a limited one year warranty with site-built equipment shelters. | All of our fiberglass buildings carry a solid 25 year warranty. |
10. Environmental Impact | Construction materials needs to be delivered to site with excess materials being transported away - typically for landfills. | Shelter Works prefab shelters are shipped complete and ready to place. |