While talking with a young man that got out of the Army this Spring, he mentioned that he wanted to become a new home builder because his father was a framing contractor but wanted to build houses, not just frame them. Being a neighbor and doing some work for me over the Summer he learned I wrote about the modular housing industry and asked if there were any schools where he could learn about modular housing.
I told him about a couple of options including working for a modular builder to learn the trade and the only school I knew that had a modular home building course for adults was a unique school in Vermont.
That course would teach him how to design, build a modular home and meet building codes but it wouldn’t help that much when the house is delivered from the factory. That is why I suggested he work for a modular home builder.
Producing a new modular home in the classroom is not an easy feat but the instructors at Yestermorrow School in Waitsfield, VT take projects like this in stride. Visiting the school a couple of years ago showed me how dedicated everyone to providing not only the basics of all types of construction but also how hands-on the school is in taking projects from conception to completion.
The latest project was an 850 sq ft house built by student labor using modular construction methods for under $65,000 at the school before loading it on transports and shipping it to its final destination. The house was commissioned by a former Yestermorrow student who had taken the design/build class in the past.
The house was built in two modules. The outside dimension of the living space is 14-by- 38 feet. That piece is attached in an L-shape to a second piece that is 14-by-23 feet. The units are super-insulated with double-wall construction, the walls are R40 in terms of energy efficiency and the ceiling is R60. It has a bathroom with a shower, sink, toilet and an open kitchen/living area.
The main reason the cost was so low was that students provided the labor but building a similar house onsite that might come in between $100,000 to $125,000.
Related Articles:
- Yestermorrow School Offering Tiny House Design/Build Certification Program
- Good Things Happen When A Modular Factory Teams Up With A Trade School
- Colorado Trade School Looks Into Franchising Its System
Gary Fleisher is the Editor in Chief of the Modular Home Source. Email at [email protected]
