Assembled Home documents a custom panelized home build in Livingston, Montana: the manufacturers, the real quotes, the wall assemblies, and the tradeoffs nobody puts in the brochure. No expertise claimed. Learning out loud, one issue at a time.
Every prefab and panel company defines “what’s included” differently. Some quote shipping, some don’t. Some send a crew, some assume you’ll find one. Assembled Home sits in the buyer’s chair and writes down what’s actually being sold — so the next person doesn’t have to spend six months learning it the hard way.
Eleven manufacturers and builders, eleven different definitions of “what’s included.” Split into two tiers — custom envelope quotes against one real design, and stock kits — with sortable columns and footnotes that do the real work.
Real conversations with the people behind the panels — B.PUBLIC, Collective Carpentry, Timber Age, Backcountry Hut Co., and more.
What each number actually covers — walls, roof, shipping, install, finishes — and what it quietly leaves for you.
Double-stud, CLT, straw, steel-and-foam. Why R-value, thermal bridging, and air sealing matter more than square-foot price.
Construction loans, DTI ceilings, and the gap between what a project costs and what a bank will actually lend.
The decisions in real time — design changes, value engineering, and the honest admission when prefab doesn’t pencil.
Learning to read the spec sheet, ask the right question, and tell a marketing line from a load-bearing fact.
New issues land on Substack. If you’re weighing prefab, panels, or just trying to build something good without getting fleeced — come along.
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