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Estimate labor pre-fab/panelized walls?

dogfish | Posted in General Discussion on March 12, 2005 03:42am

Has anyone spent enough time putting up pre-fab/panelized walls to have come up with accurate figures on manhours per foot or some other form of measure?

I’ve put them up while working for an affordable housing non-profit on sweat equity/owner built houses.  I’m thinking of using on them on the next house I build for a customer.  I can get an estimate from the local truss company for the walls themselves but don’t know where to find labor figures.

I seem to remember being able to take myself(10 years experienced carpenter) and 4 men and 2 women(very amateur!) and being able to set the ext. walls(including housewrap) for a basic 1000 to 1200 sq.ft. house in a good 8 hour day. And probably finishing up the interior walls and starting double top plates in another good 8 hour day.  But these are just based on guesses and vague memories(is there any other kind?).

I’m thinking I would use 2-4 good laborers to do all the lifting and myself doing most of the setting and nailing(It’s great being the boss!).  In my area panelized walls come in lengths no longer than 12 feet, at least from the companies I’ve gotten them from in the past.  I know I’ve seen longer wall sections being set with a crane in trade mags somewhere but I don’t know if I can get them here in Western North Carolina or if there’s any cost savings in using longer sections anyway.

Any one got any hard and fast facts for me?

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  1. Isamemon | Mar 12, 2005 04:04am | #1

    of course the longer the wall, the more the savings.

    most of the panelized I deal with go max 20

    but if you are so in the sticks that a crane is an issue, then labor should be cheap too.

    if your a good super, then you should be able to build the walls as cheap unless in your area wood is astronomical in price

    if I had 6 people and a 1000 sq foot house( sigle story and not to amy corners other then 8 or so) if I couldnt get all the walls framed and up in a day, then Im hurtin.

    we just did a 1200 sq foot, framed sheeted and up in two days, with 3 of us and 3 wall jacks.

    and I bet there are people on this forum saying, yeah two days with long long luch breaks

    panelized is here to stay, and a great way to build when geared up for it

    but you really ahve to look at materils cost and labor costs

    am I talkin out my arse

    no

    I am a panelized dealer as well as a stick builder and a retail materials supplier

    I use the panelized when time is of the essence, crews are short

    mind you , I dont do ticky tacky subdivisions wher I think this really had an advantage

     

    but hey, if your anywhere near Morgantown,  ( a bunch of old friends there) and need help and want to pay my way, Ill show you how its done


    Edited 3/11/2005 8:09 pm ET by Isamemon



    Edited 3/11/2005 8:11 pm ET by Isamemon

    1. dogfish | Mar 13, 2005 04:39am | #2

      How bout' you pay your own way and I show you how it's done.

      Don't presume that the person you are replying too is somehow inferior, you may be the fool in the end.

  2. User avater
    BossHog | Mar 13, 2005 05:42am | #3

    I've been in the truss business almost exclusively for 20 years. So you might look at my opinions as biased. I'll let you decide.

    I've designed, sold, bought, and installed panelized walls. So I like to think I have a unique perspective.

    During the short time I worked for a GC, we were framing a house. He and I sat down one afternoon and tried to figure out the price diference between stick framing the walls and using panelized walls.

    I don't remember the exact labor figures, but - As best as I can remember, stick framing the walls came in at $3,100. Buying and installing panelized walls came out to $3,150. So it figured up to be virtually the same.

    Now any good panelized salesman will tell you it's CHEAPER to use panelized walls. But I don't believe it's that simple. Every crew and situation is different. And every place that builds panelized walls prices them differently.

    .

    The WTCA built 2 houses side-by-side ot the NAHB show one year. One used trusses and panelized walls. And of course, the panelized house came in cheaper and went up faster. I'll try to find a link to some info about that if you're interested.

    .

    The one place I think panelized walls really shine is one prevailing wage projects. The guys in truss plants aren't generally paid nearly what guys in the field are. So they can look pretty good in situations like that.

    Personally, I like to set exterior panelized walls with a crane. Let 'em set the thing right where it goes. Unhook it right away and send the crane back for the next one while you're plumbing and bracing that one. I think we set all the exteriors for my "spec house from hell" in about 2 hours that way.

    The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending and having the two as close together as possible. [George Burns]

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