How to Handle Prefabricated Panel Houses

Prefabricated panel houses are handled through different methods such as inspections, repairs, reinforcements, renovations, original demolition and reconstruction, or demolition, depending on the safety status of the house, its renovation value, and the conditions of the residents.

According to the national unified 'Standard for Appraisal of Dangerous Houses', house safety is classified into four grades: A, B, C, and D, with different treatment plans corresponding to each grade:

• Grade A: The house structure is intact with no safety hazards, and it can be inhabited normally for a long time. For such prefabricated panel houses, no large-scale renovation is required; only routine maintenance is needed to keep the house in normal use.
• Grade B: Individual components are slightly damaged, but the overall structure is safe with no risk of collapse. Routine maintenance and local repairs can be carried out, focusing on areas such as the roof, exterior walls, stairways, drainage, water supply, gas, heating, and fire protection. For example, waterproofing treatment can be applied to the roof to prevent rainwater leakage; the exterior walls can be painted to enhance the appearance of the house; and the stairways can be cleaned and repaired to ensure the safety of residents' passage.
• Grade C: The local load-bearing structure is damaged, and there are local hazards, but the overall building will not collapse temporarily. Reinforcement and other treatments can be carried out, such as adding support structures, repairing or replacing damaged components, to improve the structural safety of the house and ensure that residents can continue to live safely.
• Grade D: The overall structure is severely damaged, and it is a dangerous house with a risk of collapse at any time. It is strictly prohibited to continue living in it, and demolition and reconstruction need to be accelerated. According to the '15th Five-Year Plan for Urban Renewal' issued by the State Council in May 2026, it is required to 'establish files and cards and update them dynamically' for Grade C and D dangerous houses and accelerate the demolition and reconstruction of Grade D dangerous houses.

In addition, the 2026 urban renewal plan proposes to conduct special inspections of urban residential communities built 20 years or more ago and steadily promote the governance, renovation, and seismic reinforcement of prefabricated panel houses to further enhance their safety and living quality.