Get ready for a surge in prefabrication activity by contractors.
FMI, the consulting and investment banking firm, recently polled contractors about how much time they were spending, in craft labor hours, on prefabrication for construction projects. More than 250 contractors participated in the survey, and the average response to that question was 18%. More revealing, however, was the participants’ anticipation that craft hours dedicated to prefab would essentially double, to 34%, within the next five years.
The study—a sequel to FMI’s 2023 Labor Productivity Study—reiterates how the industry’s receptivity to prefab solutions corresponds with its ongoing labor shortages and compressed project schedules. (Contractors experienced approximately $30 billion to $40 billion in lost profits due to labor inefficiencies in 2022.) In its latest study, contractors told FMI that “improved quality” was prefab’s greatest perceived benefit. “Reducing the risk and variability” is how one contractor put it. Other benefits cited include reductions in construction schedules and improved worker safety.
(Nearly three fifths of the respondents to FMI’s study are MEP contractors, with another 15% being framing and drywall contractors.)
![](/sites/default/files/inline-images/FMI%20Prefab%20current%20state.png)
Contractors that consider prefabrication must determine how to do it at scale, profitably, and in a way that increases company earnings. Successful prefab practices, says FMI, require long-term strategic thinking and planning across an organization, along with the development of a comprehensive operational blueprint.
Which prefab model is right for pros?
It’s not like prefabrication is an alien concept for contractors. FMI’s study found that 86% of respondents currently offer single-trade prefab services. Three quarters of the concrete contractors surveyed said they are prefabricating on their jobsites; 57% of self-performing general contractors polled are prefabbing on-site, too.
What’s often lacking, however, is a clear vision of what they want their prefab capabilities to become. To make prefab work, says FMI, contractors need to shift their operating models, processes and systems. Contractors also need to decide which prefab models and combinations would work best for their companies; these include kitting services, multi-trade services, procurement, and modular services.
In making these determinations, contractors should be asking themselves:
•Why do we want to do more prefabrication?
•What is the total addressable portion of our work mix (today) that could be prefabricated?
•What investments would need to be made to scale our prefabrication capabilities to capture that opportunity?
•When fully optimized, what does the earnings stream from prefabrication look like?
•What does the return on investment look like for the enterprise?
•Do we have alternative investment options for other initiatives in the business? How do those options stack up against our prefabrication ambitions?
•Will prefab make the company better, more profitable, and resilient?
Prefabrication a different kind of business
![](/sites/default/files/inline-images/FMI%20Prefab%20drivers.png)
Prefabrication is a manufacturing endeavor that’s different from building construction. Contractors diving into prefab in a bigger way need to think about whether prefab will be a unique business or separate entity, and how autonomously construction and prefabrication operate? Will prefab services be proprietary or available to other contractors? Will prefab be a profit or cost center? How will manufacturing cost overruns, if there are any, be accounted for?
FMI says that contractors need to establish clear project management lines that encompass how prefabricated products are tracked, stored, and billed for. Tracking labor productivity across prefabrication and field installation is key.
Owners and designers need to buy in more
![](/sites/default/files/inline-images/FMI%20service%20types.png)
One of the contractors whom FMI polled mentioned a recent casino and hotel project that required 25% less labor in the field, and cut nearly two months off of its installation time, by using prefabrication methods.
Scheduling is driving prefab demand, says FMI. But expanding that demand depends on acceptance by owners and AEC firms, and right now, that acceptance is middling: only 18% of the contractors polled by FMI said that owner-specific requests drove prefab, and only 10% said that prefab was specified by architects or engineers.
“For the industry to realize substantial gains in prefabrication and productivity, owners and designers need to be a bigger part of the demand equation,” says FMI.
FMI’s study found that the industry still struggles with broad adoption. The biggest challenges to adopting prefab are a project’s design and coordination, stakeholder awareness and education, the mindset and culture of a project’s active players, and the investment in facilities and equipment.
But given current and projected labor force limitations, “it’s clear that prefabrication will need to become part of the solution.” For that to happen, building teams need to demonstrate a bolder vision, strategic planning, commitment to investing, consistent communication, and a proactive engagement by external stakeholders.
Related Stories
Industry Research | Jun 13, 2023
Two new surveys track how the construction industry, in the U.S. and globally, is navigating market disruption and volatility
The surveys, conducted by XYZ Reality and KPMG International, found greater willingness to embrace technology, workplace diversity, and ESG precepts.
Mixed-Use | Jun 12, 2023
Goettsch Partners completes its largest China project to date: a mixed-used, five-tower complex
Chicago-based global architecture firm Goettsch Partners (GP) recently announced the completion of its largest project in China to date: the China Resources Qianhai Center, a mixed-use complex in the Qianhai district of Shenzhen. Developed by CR Land, the project includes five towers totaling almost 472,000 square meters (4.6 million sf).
University Buildings | Jun 9, 2023
Cornell’s new information science building will foster dynamic exchange of ideas and quiet, focused research
Construction recently began on Cornell University’s new 135,000-sf building for the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science (Cornell Bowers CIS). The structure will bring together the departments of Computer Science, Information Science, and Statistics and Data Science for the first time in one complex.
Museums | Jun 6, 2023
New wing of Natural History Museums of Los Angeles to be a destination and portal
NHM Commons, a new wing and community hub under construction at The Natural History Museums (NHM) of Los Angeles County, was designed to be both a destination and a portal into the building and to the surrounding grounds.
Codes and Standards | Jun 6, 2023
California’s new power grid modernization plan furthers ambitious climate goals
California’s new $7.3 billion grid modernization plan is a crucial step in furthering its ambitious climate goals. The board of governors for the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), the state’s grid operator, recently approved a strategy to build thousands of miles of new high-voltage transmission lines.
Mixed-Use | Jun 6, 2023
Public-private partnerships crucial to central business district revitalization
Central Business Districts are under pressure to keep themselves relevant as they face competition from new, vibrant mixed-use neighborhoods emerging across the world’s largest cities.
Contractors | Jun 6, 2023
Gilbane Building Company promotes COO to its chief executive post
Adam Jelen has been with the firm 18 of his 30 years in the construction industry.
Multifamily Housing | Jun 6, 2023
Minnesota expected to adopt building code that would cut energy use by 80%
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is expected to soon sign a bill that would change the state’s commercial building code so that new structures would use 80% less energy when compared to a 2004 baseline standard. The legislation aims for full implementation of the new code by 2036.
Healthcare Facilities | Jun 5, 2023
Modernizing mental health care in emergency departments: Improving patient outcomes
In today’s mental health crisis, there is a widespread shortage of beds to handle certain populations. Patients may languish in the ED for hours or days before they can be linked to an appropriate inpatient program.
Student Housing | Jun 5, 2023
The power of student engagement: How on-campus student housing can increase enrollment
Studies have confirmed that students are more likely to graduate when they live on campus, particularly when the on-campus experience encourages student learning and engagement, writes Design Collaborative's Nathan Woods, AIA.