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
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
×