Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

How Prefab Is Helping Fire Victims Rebuild After Disaster

How Prefab Is Helping Fire Victims Rebuild After Disaster

In the wake of wildfires, prefab home builders have stepped up to provide speedy rebuilds at reduced costs to help fire victims get back on their feet.

In recent years, California has been devastated by wildfiresขwith the largest and deadliest fires in the state’s recorded history occurring in 2018. With record numbers of homes lost to fire and an ongoing labor shortage, fire victims determined to rebuild have found that traditional site-built construction is more costly and time intensive than ever before.

To help ease the housing crisis, prefab companies across the nation are providing their services to fire victims at reduced rates. One such firm is San Diego–based prefab home builder Dvele. The company’s California Wildfire Rebuild Initiative offers not only discounted pricing, but also faster build times, pre-determined costs, and fire-resistant designs.



In their fire assistance program, Dvele has built capacity into their design process so that fire victims can get into their homes as quickly as possible.

To promote their program, Dvele recently unveiled their Skyview Spec Home in Ventura, where hundreds of homes were destroyed in the 2017 Thomas Fire. Built to replace a fire-ravaged home, the new modular dwelling is outfitted with fire- and earthquake-resistant features as well as state-of-the-art technology to improve indoor health and energy efficiency.



Offering unobstructed ocean views, the Dvele solar-powered spec house is on the market for $1.4 million.

"We are typically 50% to 70% faster than stick built homes," says Matt Howland, President of Dvele. He adds that the firm is currently in the process of building five homes for victims through their fire assistance program. "In areas affected by catastrophes, we can be orders of magnitude fasterขas there simply isn't the availability of trade labor to complete stick-built in a timely fashion."

"The trade shortage is especially evident when areas are impacted by a catastrophe such as a wildfire. There's zero elasticity in the labor market, so local prices go up and the timeline get pushed outขthe worst thing possible for people whom just lost their home. We address this taking the time to build a full-time team that we invest in. Because we have centralized, full-time trades, we've been fairly insulated against the shortage."



Like all of their fully modular homes, Dvele’s Skyview spec home was 90% complete by the time it left the factory. Prefab construction enables the company to offer speedy move-in times and quality builds.



Dvele homes start at $180 per square foot and go up to $250 per square foot, depending on add-ons such as solar packages, custom millwork, and advanced technology.



All Dvele homes are built to wildland-urban interface (WUI) standards, which helps mitigate wildfire risks. Dvele also works with local jurisdictions to streamline the permitting process to reduce wait times.

Another California modular home builder coming to the aid of fire victims is Plant Prefab, the Amazon-backed startup in southern California that has been building homes for victims of the Tubbs and Woolsey fires through their Wildfire Help program.

As a custom builder, Plant Prefab also provides a wide range of housing typesขfrom smaller builds that begin at $130 per square foot to high-end, luxury homes upwards of $275 per square foot.



In Santa Rosa, Plant Prefab installed a modular home for victims of the Tubbs fire. Here, a module is craned onto the site.

Like Dvele, Plant Prefab delivers most of its homes 90% completeขincluding exterior siding, millwork, finished plumbing, appliances, and other featuresขwhich vastly reduces the time required for on-site work. As a result, people can typically expect to move in to their modular homes in just six months after the start of construction.

Plant Prefab is currently working with a dozen Woolsey fire victims and recently signed a contract to start production on the first to be built.



Plant Prefab delivered and set the modules for this home in Santa Rosa just hours before this photo was taken. Finish work will be minimal, as the 1,133-square-foot home was delivered complete with finishes and even appliances in place.

"The labor shortage has spurred interest in prefab, as the public and especially developers are recognizing the many benefits that prefab offers (chiefly quality assurance and time, as described above, and cost for many expensive areas)," explains Steve Glenn, CEO of Plant Prefab.



Plant Prefab offers fire victims and others the flexibility of using their own architect, or Plant’s award-winning design studio, LivingHomes. This 2,300-square-foot Plant Prefab home was designed by Toby Long Design.

"Especially in areas affected by wildfires, where builders, skilled trades, and inspectors are in high demand, our offsite process can help home owners complete their rebuild six to 12 months faster than would otherwise be possible."

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
×