Prefab multiplex options: modular, panelized, or kit

"Prefab" is short for prefabricated. It simply means that parts of the home are made in a factory before they arrive at your lot, instead of being built piece by piece outdoors. This saves time and reduces weather delays. There are three main ways to do it, and they differ in how much of the home is finished before it reaches your land.

1. Modular

Modular is the most complete form of prefab. Whole sections of the home, called modules, are built in a factory as finished boxes. That includes the walls, floors, ceilings, wiring, plumbing, and often the kitchen and bathroom fittings. The modules are trucked to your lot and set in place with a crane, usually in a day or two. After that, a crew connects them, finishes the joins, and hooks up the services.

• Best for: standard duplex, triplex, and fourplex layouts where speed matters.
• Strength: the fastest option, and the most finished when it arrives.
• Trade-off: module sizes are limited by what a truck can carry, so very unusual shapes can be harder.

2. Panelized

Panelized building makes the flat parts of the home in a factory: the wall panels, floor panels, and roof panels. These are shipped flat and joined together on your lot, a bit like a large, precise kit of parts. More of the finishing happens on site than with modular, but the frame goes up far faster than traditional stick framing.

• Best for: unusual lots or a custom design that does not fit standard module sizes.
• Strength: more design freedom, and panels are easier to transport than whole boxes.
• Trade-off: more on-site work than modular, so the total time can be a little longer.

3. Kit or hybrid

A kit or hybrid approach mixes methods. Some parts arrive pre-made from a factory and the rest is built on site. For example, a builder might use factory-made wall panels but frame the roof on site, or set one modular section and build around it. This is a flexible middle path that borrows the speed of factory work where it helps most.

• Best for: families who want some factory speed but also want to adjust the plan as they go.
• Strength: flexible, and can be tuned to the site and budget.
• Trade-off: the savings depend on how much is actually made in the factory.

How the three compare

General industry descriptions of off-site construction methods. Timelines and results vary by builder and lot.

Which one is right for you?

The honest answer is that it depends on your lot, your budget, and how custom you want the home to be. The good news is you do not have to work this out alone. Tell us your plan and we will match you with BC builders who use these methods, so you can compare their advice side by side. You can also read how prefab compares to a traditional build, or see what a prefab multiplex costs in BC. For a general primer on the building types themselves, our what is a multiplex guide covers duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes.