Process

During the Design phase we discussed the final location of the house and the terrain where the unit will be installed. Based on that, we can determine the type of truck and unloading equipment that will be needed, and we can help you select an appropriate trucking company.

Just be aware that a truck can normally carry one 40′ container or two 20′ containers, so if your unit includes more containers, you may need more than one truck.

Quality is one of our main concerns, and as mentioned in the construction phase, we have already performed partial quality checks at different points. Additionally we carry out the following QC tasks:

• We make sure the whole unit is water tight.
• We check for leaks on all installed kitchen and bathroom appliances.
• We make sure all electric appliances and lights are working.
• We inspect finishing details on the carpentry and paint jobs.

Once the Quality Control is completed, you are expected to pay the balance of the unit before we proceed to shipping.

We have at this point the floor plans, all the necessary diagrams and the project plan that will be used to guide the construction process to completion. Below you can read a more detailed explanation of the different constructions steps:

• Metal structure: this involves cutting all the openings for windows and doors into the container, and also add a bump-out structure if one is required.
• Framing: unlike a traditional construction where the wooden frame dictates the shape of the house and provides the structure, it is the container(s) that provide(s) the overall structure and shape in our container units. However, a wood frame is still required to accommodate the insulation, electrical installation, plumbing, and of course the drywall.
  Since the floor of the container was probably sprayed with some kind of pesticide, we replace the original plywood floor with new sheets of plywood to eliminate any possibility of harmful vapors.
• Doors and windows: openings have been cut during the ‘Metal structure’ step, here we install all the doors and windows into those openings
• Plumbing: we then install the pipes for the water supply system (fresh water) and the drain system (wastewater). The plumbing installation is tested under pressure while the pipes are still exposed, looking for any leaks.
• Electrical installation: we install all the outlets, switches and lighting boxes and wire them to a 100 Amp circuit breaker panel, and we also install and wire outlets for cable service. like with the plumbing installation, all connections are tested before installing the drywall.
• Drywall: gypsum board is applied over the wooden frame, covering the insulation and the plumbing and electrical systems.
• Painting: all interior walls are painted in white (surcharge for custom colors).
• Flooring: installation of laminated floor on the main areas, and vinyl floor in the bathroom
• Finishing details: installation of baseboards, lighting, kitchen cabinets and appliances, water heater, HVAC (optional), etc.

Many different skills and activities are needed to build a house, and these activities need to be scheduled and coordinated. Just to give you a flavor, below is a summary list of the work areas:

• Metal structure
• Framing
• Doors and windows
• Plumbing
• Electrical installation
• Drywall
• Painting
• Flooring
• Finishing details

We sequence and time-phase each activity on a Gantt chart, and make sure that the necessary resources are available to work on your project. Based on this input we can give you an expected shipping date.

In order to start the procurement and the construction process, we require at this point a payment of 60% of the total cost.