Question: Hi Robert, Jerry L. here. We’ve met previously but I doubt you remember me. I recently purchased a very old home in “as is” condition, for a fair price under the circumstances. I bought this home strictly for its location and plan on demo of the entire structure.
My question to you is, should I go with a standard stick build or something pre-fab? Do you have experience with both? What are the pros and cons of each?
– Jerry L.
Answer: Jerry, your options are endless here. It’ll all depend on how much control you want over the engineering of the home. Unless you choose a previously engineered structure, it will have to be stamped by one and of course, approved. There are many structure companies out there and I can provide a specific name of one highly recommended by someone I know, if needed.
This company has a selection of structures to choose from and they can modify it to suit your needs, to the extent possible. This company goes over all of the details and once the structure is ready, it shows up on pallets much like a Lego kit. The instruction booklet comes with it, everything is pre-cut and pre-drilled, and the contractor simply follows the instructions for putting it together.
You still need a qualified general contractor who will get you from the foundation stage to completion, but the process goes quickly with these kits. There are many different styles to choose from including barndominium and post and beam. I’d be curious to
see, if you chose something like this, keep me posted and best of luck to you.
Robert Lamoureux has more than 40 years of experience as a general contractor, with separate licenses in electrical and plumbing contracting. He owns IMS Construction Inc. in Valencia. His opinions are his own, not necessarily those of The Signal. Opinions expressed in this column are not meant to replace the recommendations of a qualified contractor after that contractor has made a thorough visual inspection. Email questions to Robert at [email protected].
