Hoar Construction

Jake Snyder

New advancements in construction technology, safety, materials, and methods are not a rare sight in our industry, but finding the next new thing that’s actually beneficial to our clients and their goals can take a little more time. Nowhere is this more evident than in modular construction.

The modular method, essentially taking elements of a building and prefabricating them in mass quantities off site and then installing them onsite, has been around since the post-war construction boom of the 1940s and 1950s. But today’s modular construction is about more than convenience and speed-to-market. Construction elements ranging from mechanical, electrical, and plumbing fittings to headwalls, exterior skin panels, and even full bathrooms are now being manufactured in modular facilities, shipped to job sites, and installed as a whole for a variety of reasons. However, modular construction isn’t right for every project. Cost and scale have a lot to do with making modularity make sense. So, to determine if this fast-growing technique is right for your project, first take a look at the top three benefits modular construction can offer.

Overcoming Labor Shortages

It’s no secret that the biggest ongoing challenge the construction industry faces is finding labor. 

Associated Builders and Contractors reported last year that the industry would need to recruit 650,000 new workers to keep up with demand. That’s a problem big enough that rampant hiring alone cannot solve it. Enter modular construction. Especially in saturated markets, where more projects require more laborers and competition is fierce, modular gives you the ability to move your workforce demand away from the epicenter and build materials elsewhere while also reducing the manpower requirements at your jobsite. This reduction in labor requirements can be up to 80 percent, depending on the types and number of modular elements your project uses.

Increased Quality and Safety

One of the most readily understandable aspects of modular construction is how these elements come with built-in quality assurance. When headwalls or bathroom pods are built in a controlled environment, with quality checks at each step of the way and each trade worker focused on their specific components, the finished product is that much more predictable and refined. 

Some modular elements can be built in an assembly-line fashion, with checks and inspections built right into the process. Plus, when trades aren’t required to work in tight areas, often all at the same time, the increased space and ventilation mean improved safety as well.

Speed-to-Market

One of the other ongoing challenges plaguing the construction industry over the past few years has been navigating the ever-changing supply chain. Whether it’s material delays, pricing increases, or just general uncertainty, building and keeping a project schedule has been more difficult than ever. The projects where modular is most often employed, such as healthcare facilities, need their new spaces as quickly and safely as possible to keep up with demand.

Delays and schedule uncertainty mean less access to care. But because modular elements are planned for and ordered in advance, their delivery is much more predictable. On a recent hospital tower project in Austin, Texas, we were able to complete the exterior skin 2 months faster, headwalls 4 months faster, bathrooms 2 months faster, and MEP racks 1 month faster than with traditional construction methods. This increased speed gave us some breathing room for any unforeseen challenges and allowed us to deliver the project on time.

While all these benefits of modular construction would be appreciated on any project, it’s important to note that unit cost can be a deciding factor in whether modular is right for your project or which modular elements make the most sense. Healthcare facilities with standard patient room and bathroom layouts, hospitality or multifamily projects with repeatable unit configurations, and other similar projects where you can use elements at scale have seen the most success with modular construction. However, modular MEP systems are often good for a variety of projects, as are exterior skins.

The important thing to remember when considering using modular construction on your next project is that early collaboration is essential. Getting the contractor, design teams, and relevant trades together early on can help everyone decide on the same goals, make appropriate plans, and ensure your project’s success.