{"id":1997,"date":"2020-03-15T14:30:00","date_gmt":"2020-03-15T18:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.construction.com\/newsroom_details_pag\/owner-interest-is-top-obstacle-for-modular-construction\/"},"modified":"2025-10-11T06:04:45","modified_gmt":"2025-10-11T10:04:45","slug":"owner-interest-is-top-obstacle-for-modular-construction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.construction.com\/reports\/owner-interest-is-top-obstacle-for-modular-construction\/","title":{"rendered":"Owner Interest is Top Obstacle for Modular Construction"},"content":{"rendered":"

Owner Interest is Top Obstacle for Modular Construction<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

As modular construction gains traction in the architectural community, it leads to the question of where the glass and glazing industry fits in.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be looking at hotels where every room is a container with windows, stacked ten stories, and everything comes pre-built. What\u2019s that going to do to window contractors? Will the installation move from the jobsite to a warehouse? And whose scope is it from that point?\u201d said TSI Corp. engineering department manager Will Pounds when speaking about the future of contract glazing.<\/p>\n

In a new report from Dodge Data & Analytics titled, \u201cPrefabrication and Modular Construction 2020<\/a>,\u201d design firms and contractors were surveyed about their experiences with and expectations for the construction methods. In part two of this two-part series, we\u2019re looking at modular building trends. To read part one about prefabrication, including curtainwall, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Modular Building Defined<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are two different types of modular construction: permanent modular construction and relocatable building. Permanent modular construction is defined as a process performed in a manufacturing facility where building components or modules are constructed to be transported to a permanent building site. Relocatable building is a partially or completely assembled building that complies with codes and regulations and is constructed in a building manufacturing facility using a modular construction process. These buildings are designed to be reused or repurposed multiple times and transported to different building sites.<\/p>\n

Modular Building Types<\/strong><\/p>\n

Trade contractors were asked to choose which building types they think will feature permanent modular construction most frequently over the next three years. Healthcare facilities were chosen by 56% of respondents, followed closely by college buildings and dormitories with 52% and hotels and motels with 50%. Trade contractors expect to see modular construction growth in all segments in the next three years compared to the last three years, except for the multifamily and commercial warehouse segments.<\/p>\n

Schedule and Cost Performance<\/strong><\/p>\n

Trade contractors reported experiencing fewer benefits from modular construction over the past three years compared to architects\/engineers and general contractors (GCs)\/construction managers (CMs). Only 36% of trade contractors reported any decrease in schedule due to modular construction, compared to 88% of GCs\/CMs and 65% of design professionals.<\/p>\n

The same is true in regard to cost benefits, though the difference is less stark. Of trade contractors surveyed, 46% reported a decrease in project costs due to modular construction, compared to 47% of design professionals and 91% of GCs\/CMs.<\/p>\n

The survey examined modular construction\u2019s impact on seven aspects of project delivery by asking respondents to rate the level of impact. The following represents the percentage of respondents who reported medium, high or very high contributions for each factor:<\/p>\n