Self-built Prefabricated House

Prefabricated houses are constructed using prefabricated components as the main materials, produced in factories and assembled on-site. They offer advantages such as efficient construction and cost control, but also have limitations like low domestic acceptance and quality disputes.

Construction Methods and Structural Types

Prefabricated houses are manufactured using standardized factory production of prefabricated components (such as walls, beams, and floor slabs), with the main structure assembled on-site through splicing and joining. For example, in rural areas of South Korea, 5-ton foundation piles are used for fixation, and beams are quickly connected using mortise-and-tenon joints. In the Pearl River Delta region of China, houses are divided into modules, produced on an assembly line, and then transported overseas for assembly. Their structural types mainly include steel structures, concrete structures, and wooden structures: steel structures are lightweight and suitable for ocean transportation and high-rise buildings; concrete structures offer a more traditional living experience; and wooden structures are mostly used in specific scenarios.

Advantage Analysis

1. Shortened Construction Period: Factory production and on-site construction occur simultaneously, with minimal impact from weather conditions. For example, prefabricated concrete houses can be produced in one day and assembled on-site, reducing the overall construction period by more than 50% compared to traditional brick-and-mortar structures.
2. Cost Control: In regions with high labor costs (such as Europe and the United States), prefabricated houses offer significant cost-effectiveness. The daily wage of construction workers in the United States ranges from $200 to $500, while a complete set of prefabricated houses in China costs only 200,000 RMB (including utilities and decoration).
3. Stable Quality: Standardized factory production reduces human errors, with uniform wall thickness of 15 centimeters and customizable floor heights. Their earthquake resistance and moisture resistance are superior to those of traditional brick-and-mortar structures.

Limitation Discussion

1. Low Domestic Acceptance: The cost of self-built houses in rural China is similar to that of prefabricated houses (around tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of RMB), and traditional brick-and-mortar structures make farmers feel more “secure,” leading to prefabricated houses being mostly used for temporary construction site dormitories or transitional housing.
2. Quality Disputes: Some prefabricated houses have issues such as cracking and water leakage at module connections, and their structural stability is inferior to that of houses built brick by brick. Existing prefabricated panel houses (such as those built before the 1980s) generally have problems such as weak earthquake resistance, poor sound and heat insulation, and a lifespan of about 30 to 50 years.

Market Status and Typical Cases

There is strong demand in overseas markets. In the first four months of 2026, the export value of mobile houses from the ports of Guangzhou and Shenzhen increased by 38.1% and 19.6% year-on-year, respectively, mainly sold to European and American markets. Domestic policies focus on repair and renovation, only demolishing dangerous houses. Some regions (such as Linzi, Shandong) improve the living experience through optimized designs (such as floor heights of 3 to 3.6 meters and single-room lengths of 10 meters). Typical cases include the completion of the main structure in rural South Korea in 14 days and the provision of complete sets of products such as prefabricated concrete houses, courtyard walls, and gates by manufacturers in Linzi, Shandong.