Prefab Lead Times Explained
Fabrication is the part of the programme buyers ask about, and rarely the part that decides the handover date. Here is where the time actually goes.
Two numbers cover most enquiries. Standard expandable container homes ship in 20 to 30 days. Custom steel structures and villa projects run 35 to 60 days depending on engineering and volume. Everything else in the programme sits around those numbers.
Stage One: Enquiry to Approved Drawings
This stage is controlled almost entirely by the buyer. Send dimensions or a sketch and we return drawings, a spec sheet and a fixed price. The clock on fabrication does not start until those drawings are approved.
Projects that stall here usually stall for one reason: missing site data. Wind speed, seismic zone, snow load and the code your authority works to are needed before the engineering can be finalised.
Stage Two: Engineering
Structural drawings, load calculations and stamped reports are prepared for your jurisdiction. On a standard unit this is short. On a multi-storey building or a stacked camp it is real engineering work and it is where most of the 35 to 60 day range comes from.
Stage Three: Fabrication and Fit-Out
| Product | Fabrication lead time |
|---|---|
| Standard expandable container home | 20 to 30 days |
| Custom steel structure | 35 to 60 days |
| Villa project | 35 to 60 days |
| Camp project volumes | Quoted per order |
Fabrication covers CNC cutting, robot welding, galvanising or priming, panel assembly, interior fit-out and function testing. Quality control runs through it in three stages rather than at the end.
Stage Four: Packing and Shipping
Packing is quick; ocean freight is not. Sea time depends entirely on your destination port, and it is normally the longest single block in the programme. Plan it from the sailing schedule, not from an estimate.
Stage Five: Erection
Erection depends on your crew, your lifting plant and how ready the pad is. The single biggest cause of slow erection we see is a pad that was not level and drained when the containers landed.
How to Compress the Programme
- Send site and code data with the first enquiry, not after the quote
- Approve drawings promptly — fabrication cannot start before you do
- Prepare foundations while the units are in fabrication, not after they arrive
- Confirm lifting plant early so lifting points can be detailed
- Order first-phase expandable units if beds are needed before the camp is ready
Products For This Requirement
Expandable Container House
The fastest way to put a finished, serviced living space on a site. It travels as a compact stack and unfolds into a room with the w…
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Prefab Steel Villa
A permanent house on an engineered steel frame, built away from the weather and erected on site from marked members — for buyers who…
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Steel Warehouse and Workshop
Clear spans to 36 m with no internal columns — so racking aisles, crane runs and turning circles are decided by your operation rathe…
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Quick Answers
What is the lead time for a standard container home?
Standard expandable container homes ship in 20 to 30 days from approved drawings.
How long does a custom steel structure take?
Custom steel structures and villa projects run 35 to 60 days depending on engineering and volume.
Does the lead time include shipping?
No. Fabrication lead times are ex-works. Sea time depends on your destination port and is quoted with the freight.
What delays projects most often?
Missing site and code data at enquiry stage, and slow drawing approval. Both are inside the buyer's control.
Still Deciding
Describe your project and an engineer will tell you which option fits — with drawings and a price.