A prefabricated home, also known as a prefab, is any house constructed off-site and shipped to the building site to be fully assembled. There, contractors can complete any finishing touches and connect the home to plumbing, electrical and gas utilities.

Technically, all shipping container homes can be classified as prefabricated homes, since most of the manufacturing is done off-site and assembly is done on-site.

Of course, not all prefab homes are anything like a shipping container home. Far from it!

To start, a custom prefabricated house doesn’t need to look prefab or ‘modular’ at all. The distinct design aesthetics of a shipping container home set it apart from traditional homes, while a custom prefab home can be built in almost any architectural style imaginable.

But that’s not all. There are other distinct advantages to customizing your home from the ground up rather than starting from shipping containers.

1. Cost-effectiveness

Compared to a stick-built home, there’s no doubt that building a shipping container home will see you save a ton of money in terms of the overall cost. It’s a relatively simple project and the majority of the costs are related to interior work.

However, custom prefabricated homes are also more affordable than traditional homes, and they can offer significant cost savings in other areas like energy.

2. Eco-Friendliness

Prefabricated homes are built with more energy-efficient materials and designed to be better insulated and sealed.

Shipping containers, by nature, aren’t built to be energy-efficient or well-insulated. They require expensive modifications on-site to be efficient.

3. Quality of Materials and Construction

Echoing the advantage above, Topindus custom prefabricated homes are built to the highest quality standards using top-notch building materials. They comply fully with any municipal by-laws and provincial building codes.

Overall, even the smallest prefabricated home is much more durable than one built from shipping containers.

4. Renovation

Shipping container homes are adapted, not built, as a living space. They’re missing a lot of the structural elements and fixtures of a traditional home. This makes renovation a lot more difficult.

With a prefabricated home that mirrors traditional home designs, this won’t be a problem.

Is a Prefab Home Right For You?

Building a shipping container is a cost-effective and innovative solution, and it’s certainly something that appeals to some people. But a custom, factory-built home will always offer greater freedom to design a house that perfectly meets your needs.