Tight Lots? Offer Custom Design at Commodity Prices

“Lots with tight setbacks raise many design issues including aesthetics, privacy, light, views, and parking. Then there are zoning ordinances and building and fire codes to consider. Suburban infill locations, too, are subject to restrictions on the amount of front-, rear-, and side-yard space as well as the height of the structure. It takes design creativity, fortitude, and flexibility to cope with these situations.” – Professional Builder magazine

 

Today, when designing houses (to use a sports analogy), builders are not necessarily working in a “soccer field”-type space.  It’s more like we are playing tennis and have to craft our game within contained lines.

 

With these tighter requirements, there’s even more reason to optimize the home and squeeze what you can into its design, whether that’s using built-ins, or doing something as simple as varying ceiling heights to achieve room variation.

 

But that sounds like custom work, doesn’t it? And custom work means architectural and engineering fees, right?

 

Not exactly. If you use structural components for the roof, floors, and walls, your truss manufacturer (a.k.a. component manufacturer) can bring an enormous amount of architectural and engineering services to you for the cost of the components… just because you ordered your components from him.

In fact, MiTek has found in case study after case study, that trusses and wall panels can deliver a custom home (on any lot with any convenient or setback restrictions) for around the same cost as a stock home.  When you count in labor savings, the cost can drop below that of a stock home.  And when you count in the lowered exposure to new OSHA fall protection laws, the cost drops even further.

 

By working with your CM to frame homes in 3D software, you can build homes on a wider variety of lots, including tight or infill lots. That’s the value of components pre-framed in 3D design software.

 

(Pictured: Momentum by KTGY Group.)