Well established in the Quebec landscape for more than 30 years, offsite prefabricated panelized homes offer many advantages when compared with houses built on site in the traditional way. Manufactured in the factory before being delivered as a kit to site, Maisons Laprise's prefabricated homes are specially designed to provide superior energy efficiency during our harsh winters thanks to its 5 ½ inch thick wall panel system, its Z anti-thermal bridging columns and its unique patented insulation.

The use of technology in all construction processes from design to project management to prefabrication not only makes construction more efficient, faster and greener on sites, but it allows to minimize errors, accelerate assembly times, control the quality of assembly before installation as well as cost projects more precisely ensuring compliance with budgets established by customers.

Here are the main advantages of prefabricated panel homes:

Reduction of wastage produced by construction

Maisons Laprise's offsite prefabrication technique generates less than 2% of building material wastage which is then recycled or reused for other projects. The prefabricated structural elements that are delivered to the jobsite allow for clean, organized and just-in-time jobsites. The company wants to offer optimal material management to avoid sending unnecessary building materials to landfills. In addition, Maisons Laprise uses a maximum of locally sourced materials to reduce the ecological footprint of its home kits and favors local workers near construction sites for subcontracting works.

Manufacturing of panelized homes in a controlled environment

Factory fabrication and leading-edge equipment ensures reliable and high-precision assembly in a fully controlled environment. The temperature’s ups and downs thus have very little impact on the time it takes to manufacture structural components of houses and projects.

Factory manufacturing also makes it possible to carry out systematic quality control tests during the various stages of production. These tests ensure the quality and reliability of the assemblies, of the materials used and the house structural components. 

Maisons Laprise also extends its quality processes to the construction sites. During the delivery of a kit and during construction, depending on the home building option selected, Laprise’s quality control inspectors ensure that the compliance of its assemblies and works carried out on site is validated. Note that the quantity of materials supplied with the Laprise kits is guaranteed. To support its promise of quality, the Laprise kits come with a 10-year structural warranty whether the kits are for Do-it-yourself, Shared Tasks or Turnkey projects.

Quality control off-site, quality control on-site

Maisons Laprise believes that the acquisition of an energy-efficient home should not be a luxury but rather a responsibility with a view to minimizing the ecological footprint of buildings and reducing energy consumption.

To contribute to the general effort, the Quebec company has developed a home kit system and a wall panel prefabrication technique that uses methods among the best in the industry in terms of construction, insulation and energy efficiency.

To ensure optimal insulation, Maisons Laprise has developed an insulation and air/waterproofing technique to ensure an optimal insulation R total factor.

Expertise in energy efficient homes

To achieve this, Laprise wall panels are factory-insulated using a high performance rigid insulation that does not sag even during transportation, does not absorb moisture and does not attract insects, parasites or animals and does not lose its properties when exposed to air during construction. Since all wall panels are factory-built, the installation of insulation is done with specialized equipment and jigs to ensure tight and strictly controlled assemblies to prevent thermal loss when mounted on-site.

In addition, the company pays special attention to technical detail in the design of its home kits, for example, by managing the waterproofing of its openings to prevent water from entering during the life of the house. In addition, all Laprise homes come with energy-efficient windows and doors that are Energy Star® certified. 

At Laprise, the quality is found in small details, small details that make a big difference in the long-term house performance. Maisons Laprise’s employees are proud to contribute to the comfort and quality of life of their customers while helping to protect the environment.

Speed of construction

Unlike traditional houses, pre-engineered home kits can be installed on site in only a few days and generally completed in 3 or 4 months with all its finishings depending of the area of construction. This speed is largely due to the prefabrication of the components and the assembly of the wall panels in the factory in a dry, safe and controlled place. Indeed, factories like those of Maisons Laprise offer vast work environments and prefabrication technology like no other manufacturer of prefabricated homes to date in the province. This new era in offsite construction allows for the pre-engineering of the various house components without the vagaries of traditional assembly on construction sites. Site workers are thus more efficient and are more motivated to build faster, better and greener sites and provide a quality contribution to projects.

Yes, without any hesitation.

In fact, customizing your future prefabricated home can be critical to the success of your project. Not all manufactured homes give you the same level of customization. Whether it is to adapt to a lot, a site or to comfortably accommodate the needs of all the members of your family, the Laprise construction system offers you the best of both worlds: the flexibility of construction on site and the advantages of offsite custom prefabrication (in the factory). Maisons Laprise home plans can be personalized and modified before the start of the panelized home system and structural components are pre-engineered and manufactured and before the installation of the foundations. Maisons Laprise wishes to offer you the opportunity to build your dream home while meeting all of your requirements and expectations in terms of style, form, function, flow of movement and sight lines for the lifestyle you wish for your home. The 250 home models displayed on the Maisons Laprise website allow for plan alterations and customization as part of the service offered. However, some customizations may in certain situations incur additional costs. Maisons Laprise will clearly inform you if any fees apply to the nature of your project.

The important thing is to know that Laprise personalization is more than moving an interior wall in a given plane. At Laprise, square footage, ceiling heights, basement heights, openings, roof slopes, basement exits and garages are part of the daily life of the manufacturer and builder. These criteria are possible and are achievable with the Laprise’s panelized house system to reflect your expectations without compromise to your style, needs or budget.

When you receive your personalized quotation, after a few meetings with a Maisons Laprise advisor, the costs of your entire project will be well broken down and detailed to help you make an informed decision and determine the home building option best suited to your budget, time at your disposal, talents and / or desire to participate in certain tasks of the project to save money. For Maisons Laprise, the most important thing is to build a home that you will be proud of and in which your whole family will be comfortable for many years to come. After all, the house of your dreams will become your backdrop against which you’ll create beautiful memories.

To personalize your future prefabricated home, you can modify the plans as well as choose materials according to your tastes and your budget.

Modification of plans

On the Maisons Laprise website, you can find a whole collection of house models. As their name suggests, these models are, for some, models to be adopted as is and, for others, may require modifications. The projects carried out by Maisons Laprise allow plan modifications to cater for the expectations and preferences of each client. In fact, each manufactured / prefabricated home kit can adapt to the reality of its buyers and allow for unique and individual projects.

Also, the ability to modify the Laprise base plans can be essential in a home project, which is what makes you love your home for a long time. You can buy a house model as is, or customize it slightly or more seriously, or you can provide us with your architect's or architectural technologist's plans. Depending on the nature of the sketch, inspiration or architectural plan provided, Maisons Laprise will have to make modifications to the original plans to ensure that the structural loads are calculated, to comply with current building code as well as certain other technical requirements, to adapt them to the pre-engineering and prefabrication processes and to ensure that the house can indeed be built in the desired location.

In addition, changing plans allows future homeowners to include all the elements they would like in their home. Do you dream of a walk-in closet, a large kitchen island, an office for one or for the whole family? Do you want to set up a workshop or a quiet office? Would you like to combine the elements of two different models? Whatever your preferences and needs, Maisons Laprise's home plan modification experts can turn your wish list into reality.

While some plan changes are included with the purchase of a Laprise home, major changes in the design of the plans or architecture of a model can increase the cost of your future home. But these can make all the difference between a standard home and a home that truly resembles you and allows you to live, play, study and socialize however you want.

Materials choice

All the home models offered by Maisons Laprise include a quantity and selection of building materials in the basic home kit. However, it is possible to substitute them according to your aesthetic preferences. In general, the items included in the Laprise base kits are detailed for each model number featured on the Laprise website and generally include:

• All the structural components of the house
• Lightweight exterior cladding in vinyl, wood siding, wood fiber or fiber cement according to the model chosen
• Asphalt shingle roofing
• High performance Energy Star PVC windows
• Steel entrance doors and door handles
• Interior doors, handles and finishing moldings
• The load-bearing and non-load-bearing interior divisions
• Screws, nails, sealant, tape, glue, whatever is needed for the complete assembly of the freestanding structure of the house.
• For more information on the inclusions, please contact a Laprise advisor and/or visit Maisons Laprise’s website.

Depending on your budget and your aesthetic preferences, it is always possible to modify the exterior and interior finishing materials for your future home. However, it is important to remember that changes to the standard base model may increase the total cost of the project according to your choices.

If you have a project in mind, do not hesitate to contact an expert from Maisons Laprise for the choice, flexibility and technical support to make your personalized project a success.

Since its inception, Maisons Laprise has made it a mission to make energy-saving prefabricated homes more accessible. The company believes that Quebecers should have access to the best construction techniques available to optimize the energy performance of their homes. For Maisons Laprise, choosing a high performance new home to reduce the energy consumption of its habitat should not be a luxury but part of its purchasing process.

Walls designed with the best insulation techniques

In the Laprise panelized construction system all walls in a home are designed, manufactured and factory tested before being sent to the construction site. This feature allows for better control over raw materials (quality control of lumber) and factory assembly of solid, straight and square walls (which make a significant difference when the time comes to take measurements for kitchen & bathroom cabinets, built-in furniture and the installation of impeccable moldings & trims and ensure that the factory insulation is optimal.

With more than 30 years of experience in the construction of prefabricated homes in the province, Maisons Laprise has developed a unique and efficient technique for the design of its walls. To obtain the best possible energy performance, Maisons Laprise applies exclusively the following construction principles:

• Anti-thermal bridge: to eliminate air and moisture infiltration, Laprise walls are uniquely designed and feature a patented Z-column system, 5 ½ inch thick insulation and high performance sealants to maximize the insulation and waterproofing of the house.
• Anti-sagging: to increase insulation power, ensure long-term thermal performance and ensure that wall insulation does not sag during transportation, from home to destination, Maisons Laprise uses high performance rigid insulation. 
• Anti-torsion: The Z-column system is made using premium FSC seasoned wood combined with continuous plywood bracing on the exterior walls of the structure to increase the insulating properties of the walls and to provide excellent structural stability.
• Anti-mold: Maisons Laprise uses expanded polystyrene to insulate its prefabricated kit homes. This rigid insulation is composed of 98% air and it is an excellent insulator. The colder it is, the more its insulating potential performs. In addition, it does not retain moisture and is resistant to parasites and micro-organisms.

Prefabricated houses designed to optimize energy performance

In addition to manufacturing high energy efficiency wall panels controlled in factories, Maisons Laprise constructions include all of the best techniques and site quality control to optimize energy performance.

First of all, the on-site assembly of the various structural components of the house is done in such a way as to maximize the house's airtightness, eliminate drafts and moisture infiltration. It is important to mention that all the prefabricated houses of the Quebec company include a high performance air exchanger system to ensure mechanical ventilation, healthy ambient air quality and constant air circulation inside the home and to extract the humidity generated by cooking, showers and the occupants of the house. Finally, to increase the energy efficiency of a home, Maisons Laprise includes Energy Star® certified windows and doors that contribute to the performance of the home.

Optimal management of construction materials

Although this characteristic has no influence on the energy performance of a house, factory manufacturing allows for a better management of the different building materials. Indeed, Maisons Laprise is able to minimize wastage thanks to prefabrication and technology that optimally rationalizes production processes and the use of materials. These generate less than 2% of building material wastage and the company reuses everything possible. With a complete supply concept, the Laprise kit helps consolidate the delivery of prefabricated structural components, doors and windows and finishes included in the kit and minimize unnecessary travel and back and forth to hardware stores during construction. In addition, Maisons Laprise favors the use of local materials to reduce the environmental impacts of long-distance transport. The company is also trying to do business with local contractors for the assembly, subcontracting and finishing of its homes.

Modular homes are part of the large family of prefabricated homes. In other words, a large part of the home's components is designed and manufactured off the construction site. In general, modular homes are delivered to construction sites in one, two or more modules then these are connected or "zipped" on site to form a whole. The number of modules varies according to the feasibility of the project, the complexity, the size and the transport of the house. Being largely factory-built, modular homes have many advantages, but they also have some disadvantages. If you are looking for a prefabricated home model, the following information will certainly help you make an informed choice.

The advantages of modular homes

Manufacturing in a controlled environment

The factory-built modules allow the control of the environment in which the house is put together. In addition to being sheltered from the elements, this construction method ensures an ergonomic and safe workplace for workers. In addition, quality controls are regularly carried out to ensure that the tasks are carried out in accordance with good practices and that they comply with the Building Code.

Optimized material and labor costs

The manufacture and assembly in advance of the various parts of a house optimizes the cost of labor on site, but also in the factory. Regardless of the outside temperature, workers can work and the safe environment keeps their production going. Plus, with the purchase of a modular home, material wastage is minimized so future homeowners only pay for the materials actually used.

Decreased construction time

Again, since the majority of the work takes place inside a factory, there is less worry about schedule conflicts and construction delays. Typically, it takes four months to factory-build and complete a modular home project, and the first stages of construction can take place over the winter depending on the manufacturer's order book and manufacturing capacity.

Significant less wastage

Manufacturing home modules in the factory reduces the wastage produced by building a house. This is because only the essentials are delivered to the job site and the manufacturer can easily reuse leftover building materials for other projects. Buying a modular home can therefore be an ecological and economical choice.

The disadvantages of modular homes

Customization possible but limited

Unlike traditional homes and panelized home kits, it can be more difficult and expensive to build a modular house from hyper personalized plans or architectural blueprints. For most manufacturers, it is easier to simply make some minor modifications to existing modular models, if the model plan is suitable. This lack of flexibility may be caused by the maximum module width required for road transportation of the modules, the layout and organization of the manufacturing plant, or customer expectations in terms of flexibility, architectural style and choice of materials.

Manufacturer's reputation and required installation services

Although this drawback is less and less true, the fact remains that many Quebecers still have negative prejudices towards modular homes. Several years ago, they had a reputation for being frail and of inferior quality. Although the strength and quality of construction of modular homes have made great technical advances, it is important to be well informed about the reputation, the quality of materials and construction techniques used, the services offered by the manufacturer in terms of foundation, excavation, module fittings and interior finishes on site so you know what to expect.

The insulation technique in the walls in particular should be monitored because of the movements that the modules will have to undergo during transport. Wool insulation, for example, could tend to sag and lose its long-term effectiveness once the house leaves the factory. In addition, the on-site connection of the modules must be done with great mastery and align perfectly, without level difference, to ensure a fluid and imperceptible fusion of the modules and not to hamper the occupants of the house.

Access to the construction site should also be taken into account as the house modules will have to be delivered using a large truck and a crane to deposit and stack the modules on the foundation. If a bridge or culvert must be crossed to access the construction site, if the land is steeply sloping, or if it is narrow and in a dense area, or trees and vegetation need to be preserved, it is imperative to properly assess the situation before making your final decision.

Buying a new home is always a big investment. To facilitate access to brand new homes with excellent energy-saving performance, Maisons Laprise proposes many solutions catering for different types of budgets. In this article, learn some tips for saving money when building a prefabricated home.

The 3 home building options available from Maisons Laprise

• Turnkey: Maisons Laprise takes care of all stages of the project and takes care of hiring the necessary subcontractors to carry out all the work on site. This option is the most expensive but is well suited to future homeowners who do not want to get involved in building their home. In addition, the construction is inspected regularly by a company quality control inspector to ensure the quality of the construction.
• Shared tasks: This popular home building option involves a separation of the different tasks relating to the construction of the pre-engineered house. The client and a Maisons Laprise advisor sit down and discuss the steps that can be taken on by the future owners and those for which Maisons Laprise will be responsible. This home building option offers buyers great flexibility to save money. In addition, the construction is inspected regularly by a company quality control inspector for the tasks delegated to Maisons Laprise to ensure the conformity of the works.
• DIYourself construction: This option is certainly the one that allows future owners to save the most money. Maisons Laprise is only responsible for the design, production and delivery of the complete kit including the wall panels pre-engineered in 4 "x 8" sections for ease of installation by 2 men on site. The client takes care of all the other stages of construction and finishing of his future home. Of course, an advisor, a project manager and a technical advisor from Maisons Laprise are available to help and guide buyers.

Here is the list of tasks that can be delegated selectively to Maisons Laprise or taken over selectively ‘à la carte’ by the future owners:

• The foundations
• The installation / assembly of the prefabricated panelized home kit
• Installation of exterior finishes
• Masonry
• Electricity
• Plumbing
• Plastering
• Kitchen and bathroom cabinets
• Kitchen and bathroom counters
• Floor coverings
• The painting

The choice of materials

Generally, prefabricated kit houses include building materials in the basic kit price of its structures and the quantity of materials is guaranteed. Depending on a client's preferences and needs, it is always possible to change the exterior and interior finishing materials. However, the exterior and interior finishes vary greatly depending on the materials and the quality of these. For example, hybrid (aluminum and PVC) or wood windows and doors are more expensive than PVC ones and can add to the final cost of the house.

Part of the structural home kit supplied, Maisons Laprise's energy-efficient prefabricated homes normally include the following materials:

• Energy Star certified high energy efficiency PVC windows
• A lightweight exterior cladding in vinyl, wood siding, wood fiber or fiber cement
• A roof covering in asphalt shingles
• Exterior steel doors with door handles
• Interior divisions, interior doors and moldings
• For complete inclusions, please refer to a Maisons Laprise advisor and/or website

If you want to optimize savings, it is better to stick with the predetermined building materials included in the price of the prefabricated home kit. However, it is possible to make choices for the finishing materials. All changes requested by the customer involve costs depending on the choice of exterior and interior finishing materials. Certain changes in materials can lead to plan alterations. An advisor and technical director are there to assist customers in this regard.

The location of the future house

Maisons Laprise offers free delivery up to 300 km from its Montmagny plant. For sites located at a greater distance, the delivery cost in excess of 300 km is determined according to the destination address and added to the contract price. For deliveries outside of Quebec, the customer is also responsible for all transportation and customs clearance costs as well as taxes, currency and insurance required for the safe and legal delivery of the kit.

Whatever your final choice, you must remember that a pre-engineered home is a great investment. Indeed, Maisons Laprise takes all the necessary measures to ensure optimal energy performance of its buildings. You will therefore save energy and money.

In the world of prefabricated homes, there are different methods of fabrication and installation. On the Quebec market, we mainly find modular houses and panel houses. If you are interested in this type of construction, there are many factors to consider in order to make an informed choice that meets your needs.

In this article, you will find important information about the different methods of manufacturing prefab houses.

The complexity of style and architecture

If you are looking for a house with a unique style and architecture, it is best to turn to panel houses. Although manufacturers of modular homes allow future owners to modify and personalize their homes, the plans for this type of construction are less flexible.

When designing a panel house, it is usually possible to create your own plan or completely modify the plans to meet your needs and preferences. Unsurprisingly, the more modifications and customization you request, and the larger the dimension of the house, the more your home's cost will vary accordingly.

The dimensions of the house

In general, modular houses are smaller, because the different modules must comply with regulatory truck width and length and respect road transportation and highway code. However, there are models that come in multiple modules and have multiple floors that can accommodate a large family that requires more space.

There is no size limit for panel houses.

Topography and access to the land

If the land you have purchased is difficult to access or has abundant vegetation, installing a modular home will be more difficult, as a truck must be able to get to the site. In addition, to assemble the modules, the home manufacturer must use a crane which could damage your trees and plants.

The installation of a home kit is much easier, as the main components arrive in the form of panels. There are different types of truck and unloading techniques to transport the structural components of a panelized house to be able to build the house.

The reputation of the manufacturer and its manufacturing, installation & finishing rigor

To ensure that your home meets all current Canadian building codes, standards and requirements, it is best to work with a reputable manufacturer and builder like Maisons Laprise. Having been in the field for more than 30 years, Maisons Laprise is a general contractor specializing in energy-efficient homes and has developed technical know-how and expertise for specific to clients’ requirements.

In addition, the Quebec company performs more than 300 quality control checks during its manufacturing and installation processes of the prefabricated house. A quality control inspector is assigned to each project and ensures that all standards and requirements are met according to the home building option chosen beforehand. If you buy a prefabricated home from another manufacturer, make sure they also perform plenty of checks at all stages of your project.

The quality of the materials used

Regardless of the type of construction, the quality of the materials depends on the manufacturer. Whether you are buying a modular house or a panel house, it is important to make sure that the materials used are strong and resistant. Some manufacturers will offer reduced prices, but the quality of the materials may be affected.

At Maisons Laprise, we only use top-quality materials to manufacture our home kits, regardless of your budget. Since we buy in large quantities annually and have good agreements with our suppliers, we can offer a wide variety of durable, resistant and eco-responsible materials to all of our customers.