Panelized construction guide
What is panelized construction?
Short answer
Panelized construction is conventional wood framing built in a factory. Wall panels and floor cassettes are cut on CNC equipment, closed with insulation, windows, doors, cladding and MEP rough-in, shipped flat on standard trucks and set on a foundation in days. The result is a stick-built building, not a modular box or a manufactured home.
From our St. Louis line
Side by side
Panelized vs modular vs manufactured vs stick-built
Four ways to put up a home. People often say modular when they mean manufactured, so here is how all four compare on what matters to a developer.
| Panelized (MBS) | Modular (volumetric) | Manufactured (HUD Code) | Stick-built on site | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What ships | Flat wall panels and floor cassettes | Finished 3D room boxes | Finished home sections, traditionally on a permanent steel chassis | Loose lumber and materials |
| Where it is framed | In a factory, on CNC equipment | In a factory | In a factory | On the lot, outdoors |
| Transport | Standard flatbed and step-deck trucks | Often oversize loads with permits and escorts | Traditionally hauled on its own chassis | Many material deliveries over weeks or months |
| Design freedom | Cut to your drawings, no box size | Limited by module width and height for shipping | Factory floor plans sized to ship | Any design |
| Weather exposure | Arrives closed. Weather-tight in days, not weeks | Short set time, larger crane | Built indoors, set on site | Exposed through framing and dry-in |
| Waste | Up to 90% less; offcuts stay in the plant | Factory-managed | Factory-managed | Site dumpsters |
| Inspection and financing | Conventional wood framing to the adopted code | Often state modular program and seals | Federal HUD Code, not local building codes; financed as manufactured housing | Conventional |
| Price certainty | Fixed factory price at contract | Factory price plus oversize transport and crane | Factory price plus transport and setup | Exposed to lumber and labor swings |
Modular, manufactured and stick-built columns describe typical industry practice. A 2026 federal law made the manufactured-home steel chassis optional. MBS figures are company-reported; your project schedule and price are set in your estimate.
Cost certainty
The factory panel price is fixed from contract through delivery. Up to 30% lower project cost comes from CNC material planning, fewer weather delays and less waste.
Schedule
Panels are built while the foundation goes in, then arrive closed. The result is a 50% quicker construction schedule.
Less waste
Up to 90% less construction waste. Offcuts are managed in the plant, not thrown in a dumpster on your lot.
What is panelized construction?
Panelized construction is conventional wood framing built in a factory. MBS cuts wall panels and floor cassettes on CNC equipment in St. Louis, closes them with insulation, windows, doors, cladding and MEP rough-in, ships them flat on standard trucks and sets them on your foundation. The finished building is stick-built, not a modular box or a manufactured home.
Is MBS a modular builder?
No. Modular builders ship finished 3D boxes. MBS ships flat wall panels and floor cassettes that form a conventional wood-framed building on site. There is no chassis, no HUD-code unit and no volumetric box, and no wide-load transport.
Is a modular home the same as a manufactured home?
No, though many people use the words the same way. Manufactured homes are built to the federal HUD Code, traditionally on a permanent steel chassis used to move them. Modular and panelized buildings are built to the state and local building codes that govern site-built construction, and they sit on permanent foundations. MBS builds panelized: no chassis, no HUD-code unit, no volumetric box.
How fast is it?
MBS delivers a 50% quicker construction schedule. Panels are manufactured while your foundation goes in, then arrive closed, so the building is weather-tight in days, not weeks. Your production slot, delivery date and install sequence are confirmed at contract.
Is panelized construction code compliant?
Yes. MBS builds to the adopted code of your jurisdiction. In Missouri our panels are inspected as conventional wood framing. In St. Louis the City inspects them in our factory and again on site, and drywall stays off at panel edges, tops and bottoms so inspectors can see every connection. Some states, Illinois among them, run their own factory-built programs with plan approval, third-party plant inspection and a state seal. We confirm the pathway for your state before scheduling.
Will a lender treat this as a manufactured home?
No. Fannie Mae's Selling Guide (B2-3-02) says panelized housing "is not considered manufactured housing" and receives "the same treatment as site-built housing." The home must conform to local building codes and sit on a permanent foundation. MBS panels form a conventional wood-framed building with no chassis or HUD-code unit. Use the word panelized with your lender and appraiser, and ask your construction lender early how it funds factory-built components.
Start a project
Send your plans. Get a fixed factory price.
Permit-ready drawings and a site address are all we need. Your estimate is valid for 30 days and includes freight within 1,000 miles.