Introduction to Prefabricated Houses

Prefabricated houses are a form of construction where building components are industrially produced and assembled on-site. Also known as prefabricated assembled buildings or modular buildings, they represent a significant development direction in the modern construction field.

Diverse Types

Prefabricated houses mainly come in three forms: steel, concrete, and wooden. Among them, Chinese companies have a comparative advantage in steel and concrete structures. Different materials of prefabricated houses are suitable for different scenarios and needs. For example, steel prefabricated houses have the advantages of high strength and light weight, making them suitable for high-rise buildings or places with high structural strength requirements. Concrete prefabricated houses, on the other hand, have good durability and fire resistance, and are commonly used in residential areas.

Technological Advantages

• Short Construction Period: Compared to traditional buildings, the construction period can be shortened by 30%-60% or more. For example, a public housing project in Shenzhen, Guangdong, was assembled from 6,028 concrete modules, reducing the completion and delivery time from 2.5-3 years to 1 year.
• Quality Control: Factories use computer-controlled molds, with component errors measured in millimeters, ensuring far greater quality stability than traditional brick-and-mortar houses. The quality of traditional brick-and-mortar houses depends on the craftsmanship of the workers, and cracks may vary between different rooms in the same building, a problem that prefabricated houses can effectively avoid.
• Energy Efficiency and Environmental Protection: On-site labor is reduced by about 50%, significantly reducing noise, dust, construction waste, and traffic congestion, aligning with the development concept of green buildings.
• Strong Earthquake Resistance: Regular prefabricated concrete or steel structures, through integral connections and lightweight materials, can achieve an earthquake resistance intensity of up to 8 degrees. The earthquake resistance of steel structures is more than 15% higher than that of brick-and-mortar structures.

Application Scenarios

• Residential Sector: Including high-rise residential buildings and public housing. For example, in the first four months of 2026, enterprises in the Guangzhou Customs district exported movable houses worth 1.4 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 38.1%; exports of movable houses through Shenzhen ports reached 1.68 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 19.6%.
• Overseas Expansion: Chinese 'prefab houses' have continued to gain popularity overseas due to their cost-effectiveness and green environmental protection features, and have been referred to as 'homes made in China' by Foreign Ministry spokespersons.

Limitations

• Poor Flexibility: The layout of the house, including the plumbing and electrical lines, is fixed upon leaving the factory, making subsequent modifications difficult and making it hard to adjust the layout according to changes in living conditions.
• Conflict Between Standardization and Personalization: Once the factory molds are set, they cannot be easily changed, resulting in less freedom for home renovations compared to traditional brick-and-mortar houses.