REAL ESTATE
As skilled workforce shrinks, Roswell homebuilder says modular construction is the future
Rural communities stand to benefit from savings created by the building method
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Modified
Build it in a factory, ship it out and set it in place. That鈥檚 the basic idea behind modular housing, a construction method that is gaining traction in rural communities amid a shrinking skilled workforce.
鈥淚 read a statistic that for every five people leaving the trade (workforce) due to retirement, there鈥檚 one person coming in,鈥� said Chance Mitchell, president of modular homebuilder Fortified Structures Inc., as he presented to the Economic and Rural Development and Policy Committee on Tuesday. 鈥淚 think as we start to see this decline in the trades, prefabricated housing will really be the only way to go.鈥�
Mitchell met with lawmakers to make his case for modular construction as one solution to New Mexico鈥檚 ongoing housing shortage, particularly for the state鈥檚 rural areas that struggle to attract available contractors.
Fortified Structures is based in Roswell and has a 420,000-square-foot factory where workers build the modular components for everything from homes to apartments and hotels. The company delivers its products throughout the Southwest but primarily does business in New Mexico, shipping the majority of its homes to Roswell and Artesia.
Since launching in 2024, Fortified Structures鈥� factory and designs have 鈥済rown a lot,鈥� Mitchell said, but even with growth, there are still misconceptions and stigma surrounding modular construction.
When people think of modular homes, they often confuse them with manufactured or mobile homes, which may or may not have a permanent foundation and follow federal building codes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Modular homes, on the other hand, always have a permanent foundation and follow the same local and state building codes as homes that are built on site, also referred to as site-built homes.
The only difference is that the modular home is built in sections in a factory, which is where mobile homes are also built. The confusion between the two often leads people to believe that modular homes have a shelf life and will eventually deteriorate as some mobile homes do.
鈥淏ut with the technological advancements in this industry over the past 20 years, I would put a modular home above any site-built home,鈥� Mitchell said, adding he鈥檇 argue that modular homes are actually built to be sturdier because they are shipped by road and installed via crane. 鈥淢y wife and I actually live in a modular home, and we love it.鈥�
Because they鈥檙e built in a controlled setting with protection from outside elements, modular homes also use about 30% of the waste that normal site builders use, Mitchell said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e able to reuse a lot of our materials that would otherwise just get thrown away,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e also experience less damage and theft, obviously, because we鈥檙e in an enclosed environment and we lock the doors at the end every day.鈥�
Modular homes are also built quicker, with a construction timeline of 10 to 18 weeks compared with 40 weeks for traditional site builders. That鈥檚 because modular companies like Fortified Structures have about 100 people working consistent schedules.
鈥淎s long as it鈥檚 business hours, our homes are getting built,鈥� Mitchell said. He added that the company being able to build homes and their foundations simultaneously also helps.
Because time is money, modular construction also creates more affordability, Mitchell said. For a 2,500-square-foot, four-bedroom home in Taos, Fortified Structures鈥� building cost would be about $160 per square foot, as opposed to $400 for a traditional builder.
鈥淭his is the way of the future if we want to make these homes affordable,鈥� Mitchell said.
Legislators praised Mitchell and Fortified Structures for the work they鈥檙e doing and the potential that modular construction has to help address the state鈥檚 supply issue.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e a disruptor,鈥� said Sen. Jay Block, R-Rio Rancho. 鈥淵our mission is to disrupt the housing industry by providing sustainable, high-quality homes that are built faster and more affordably 鈥� offering a lasting solution to the housing crisis.鈥�
The company plans to grow its Roswell operations by soon adding another production line. Fortified Structures is currently building and delivering one 1,300-square-foot home per day, and the company plans to double that by the end of 2027.
鈥淚 believe that our business model is a perfect solution for rural communities and will soon be the only solution for rural communities,鈥� Mitchell said.
Kylie Garcia covers retail and real estate for the Journal. You can reach her at kgarcia@abqjournal.com.
