Prefab Lab
prefab installation process

Installation Crews: Specifics

Throughout my career, I've encountered three main types of installation crews:

  1. Professional Crews: These teams offer a full range of services needed at your job site. They come fully equipped, trained, and insured for all eventualities. The individuals they hire are skilled and do excellent work for both builders and factories. Their business is installation work, and they are well aware of it.
  2. Factory Crews: Many factories offer customers module installation and even complete finishing of homes "turnkey." This can be a good option for customers because factory workers are primarily interested in ensuring that all work is done with quality and on time. However, this often puts a strain on the factory itself, as true professional workers are needed both in the factory and on installation sites. How do you divide them? Who should be given preference? This is a perennial headache for all manufacturers.
  3. Specialized Crews: Finally, there are individual installation crews, or as I call them, "specialists." These are primarily made up of individuals who have left larger professional crews. They have acquired minimal skills necessary for installation and now offer these services on the market. While their work can be done at a decent level, there can also be real problems.

Firstly, they often underestimate their work, making the price especially attractive to customers, overlooking one or several aspects that the builder or client may regret in the near future.

Some aspects not included in the contract proposal include inadequate liability insurance, compliance with proper safety regulations, rented equipment, and a limited amount of work not accounted for. Lack of permits and adherence to safety regulations can result in crane downtime and incurring significant additional expenses.

Contracting with such a crew without thorough vetting can lead to loss of time, patience, and money.