One of the oldest—and loudest—misconceptions site builders still toss at their customers about volumetric modular construction is this idea that buyers are “paying to ship air.”
On the surface, it sounds clever. Say it fast enough and it sticks. But like a lot of construction folklore, it falls apart the minute you slow down and actually look at what’s being shipped.
Yes, modular factories ship air.
But it’s not like any air you’ve ever walked through on a jobsite.
What volumetric modular factories ship is finished air.
Inside that six-sided module is air that no longer needs boots tracking mud through it for months. No electricians stringing wire. No plumbers running pipe. No HVAC crews wrestling ductwork into tight chases. No drywall dust, no paint fumes, no half-installed windows covered in plastic.
That air has already done its time.
It’s air that has been insulated around, sealed in, inspected, and protected while skilled trades worked around it in a controlled environment. It’s air that’s already been part of a process that included wiring, plumbing, venting, HVAC installation, drywall, trim, cabinetry, paint—and all the little details that turn a framed box into a home.
By the time those modules roll out of the factory, 75 to 88 percent of the house is already finished. Not “started.” Not “roughed in.” Finished.
When the modules arrive on site, the only air that traveled was the workers’ breath from the factory floor—the people who built, inspected, and signed off on that space before it ever saw a crane hook.
Compare that to site-built construction.
On a traditional jobsite, air hangs around for months waiting its turn. Waiting for weather to cooperate. Waiting for the next trade to show up. Waiting while materials get wet, dry out, get wet again, and then covered up. That’s unfinished air—air that’s constantly interrupted, exposed, and vulnerable to delays, rework, and cost overruns.
So let’s be honest for a moment.
As a builder or developer, would you rather receive a module filled with finished air, or stand around waiting for empty air to eventually become something livable?
One arrives protected, predictable, and inspected.
The other arrives hopeful.
And hope, as we all know, is not a construction schedule.
When someone says modular is “shipping air,” smile and nod. Then explain what kind of air it really is.
Because finished air isn’t wasted space.
It’s progress—wrapped, sealed, and ready to set.
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With more than 10,000 published articles on modular and offsite construction, Gary Fleisher remains one of the most trusted voices in the industry.
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