Benefits to Builder

Lower Insurance and Financing Costs: By using SIP's for the roof and walls, the shell of a home can be erected in a single day; additionally, the insulation is already in place. The reduction in time under construction results in lower insurance and financing related expenses.

Enhanced Site Security: A secure building envelope is achieved in one day, drastically reducing the risk of losses due to theft.

Greater Building Capacity per Crew: The on-site labor savings related to erecting the home shell enables your work force to build more homes in a given period of time.

Improved Design Flexibility: Panels provide high vertical and horizontal load-bearing capacity, providing a wider range of economical design alternatives; the superior thermal performance of a SIP’s shell further broadens design choices, making features such as cathedral ceilings much more practical.

Shorter and Cheaper HVAC Runs: The air duct system runs can be considerably shorter. The traditional practice of running duct work to the exterior wall of each room was intended to counter the infiltration of air through perimeter leaks in conventionally built walls. The air tight nature of a SIP home enables duct runs to terminate at the closest wall of each room to the central run, providing considerable savings. Houses designed to optimize savings from SIP construction usually use a central utility pod design that further minimizes utility runs of all kinds.

Smaller, Less Expensive HVAC System: A SIP’s home tends to be 40% to 70% more energy efficient than a comparably designed, conventionally built home. To ensure proper operating frequencies, the heating and air conditioning systems for a SIP’s home should be significantly smaller (and thus less expensive). Tonnage for a SIP home AC system is typically 50% less than in a comparable stud framed home.

Cheaper Drywall and Cabinet Installation: There are no studs to find in SIP built walls; directly behind the interior drywall is a solid layer of OSB. Drywall does not have to be trimmed to terminate at a structural member; drywall, trim and cabinet installation times are therefore significantly reduced. Additionally, punch list items related to popped drywall nails and screws are virtually eliminated and walls are absolutely straight and flat.

Reduced Construction Waste Management Costs: Custom built SIP’s eliminate a great deal of construction waste, significantly reducing waste management costs, including dumpster charges and landfill fees.

Faster Electrical Installations: Pre-cut wire chases in SIP’s eliminate the need to drill studs for electrical wiring.

Straighter, Truer Walls: SIP’s eliminate the problems and expense associated with warped wood studs. SIP homes require no external wall bracing thus saving significant lumber and time in wall truing and bracing.

Safer Job Site: By greatly reducing on-site man-hours required to build a home as well as reducing the need to handle construction waste, the risk of on-site injury is significantly reduced.

Substantial Completion of Federal Tax Credit Eligibility Criteria: Thanks to the thermal properties of SIP built home, SIP home builders can readily qualify for energy-efficiency-related Federal tax credits. Provisions in the Federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 allow home builders to claim a tax credit of $2000 for qualifying energy-efficient homes completed after December of 2005. The qualification criterion is based upon the estimated heating and cooling energy consumption of the home; energy usage must be at least 50% below the heating and cooling consumption of a comparable home built to the standards of the 2004 supplement to the 2003 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). To claim the tax credit, a builder must have the home’s energy performance estimated and certified by an independent certifier that is accredited by the Residential Energy Service Network (RESNET).

Year Round Building: SIP’s are built in a controlled environment and can be erected in a day; provided foundations are ready, efficient construction can continue year round without regard to weather.

Stronger Structure: Stud framing supports vertical loads intermittently at the stud locations and relies on the integrity of a multitude of connection points between the studs and the sheathing to provide shear strength. With SIP built walls, loads are distributed evenly across the entire panel assembly-- much like an I-beam-- providing greater load bearing capacity. According to Building Systems Magazine, a SIP built home is three times stronger than a conventionally constructed home.

Valuable Marketing Tool: Despite their many benefits to both builders and home owners, SIP homes still account for a small portion of total housing starts. Builders utilizing SIP’s thus possess an important point of differentiation versus their competition.