How is a Stillwater home different from a mobile or manufactured home?

A Stillwater home is built off-site, in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facilty. However, our homes are built to the same International Residential Code (IRC) standards that a typical site-built home would be. A mobile or manufactured home is built to lower quality HUD Codes. Our floors, walls, and roofs are sturdier, our walls are thicker, and the home just feels more â??solidâ??. Homes built to the IRC code typically have a much higher resale value than a HUD-built home, and unlike a mobile home, they typically work with more common bank financing programs.

Why Stillwater Dwellings instead of another pre-fab home company?

We believe we give you the biggest bang for your buck. We've created our designs to be 'real' homes. Homes that are truly livable. We don't believe the design of a prefab home should telegraph to the world that it was built in a factory. We'd rather the finished home look like it was a custom, site-built home. We believe our homes have one of the highest levels of design and style in the market, are built using sustainable building practices and materials, and are offered at the most affordable price. We also give you free project management services for the entire engagement (site work to finish detail), but allow you to pay for these services directly, avoiding any additional markup. We believe a Stillwater home is the best value contemporary prefab home in the market.

Is Stillwater financially stable? What about other prefab builders?

This really is one of the most important questions you should be asking. Everyone's financial state is volatile these days, and prefab home builders are no exception. Many other prefab home builders have chosen to start or purchase their own factories, or in many cases simply use a converted warehouse space to build their homes. This means higher overhead, and more financial risk for you. Several prefab home production facilities went bankrupt last year, right in the middle of the production of someone's home. The homeowner was left having paid a significant percetage of the home, yet it sat unfinished on the warehouse floor. Stillwater takes a different approach. We do not own our own factory, nor do we want to. Instead, we partner with an establish factory that caters to companies like ours. Guerdon Enterprises has built homes for over 30 years, has has an exceptional production facility, and has amazing quality and quality control. They build only IRC home, not HUD (mobile) homes. Because they actively deal with many other clients (military, residential, etc.), they have a stable pipleine of homes, and are financially sound.

What about 'fold-up', panelized, or 'kit of parts' prefab homes? How are Stillwater designs different?

We believe that prefab home construction should be an 'all-or-nothing' process, otherwise it's just not that different from site built homes. Some of the most compelling reasons for prefab construction are the simplicity, predictability, and efficiency it gives homeowners. This is because so much of the construction is done in the factory, not on site. Once construction moves on-site, it opens the doors to all of the hassles of site-built construction: weather delays, non-responsive subcontractors, budget overages, etc. Many prefab homes designs are built in a warehouse space, but then require that you 'unfold' the home or put together a collection of numbered parts and panels onsite. While this is an interesting production process, we think it loses some of the real benefits of prefab. As former builders, we think this is even tougher & scarier than a site-built home, and in essence is a bit like remodeling... lots of pieces to fit together on-site means lots of things to go wrong. Instead, Stillwater designs are built completely in factory, with only a few cosmetic components that make sense added on in the field. 

Can I see a Stillwater home in person? Where?

Absolutely. We have completed a few homes in Oregon, and are able to conduct a select few private tours. Unfortunately we can't do them for everyone, but certainly once we're both serious about a Stillwater home we can arrange a tour. We've just uploaded a handful of great interior shots of the home, and a 3 minute video that provides a great 'tour' of the interior. Hopefully that will at least get the ball rolling. 

Iâ??m not seeing a floorplan this is exactly right for me. Can I get a custom-designed home?

Absolutely. We have 2 licensed architects on our team, each with over 14 years of high-end custom home experience. Couple that with our in-depth knowledge of prefabricated home practices, and extensive experience as home builders, and youâ??ll have one amazing home, designed just for you. These engagements are tailored and priced specifically to the individual client. We have other floorplans already designed that are not shown here. Give us a call or email us.

What if I want to â??tweakâ?? one of the plans?

We can also take our existing homes and make minor alterations and changes to them. For instance, we can alter the specs, change some window locations, change the lighting plans, use different materials, plan for solar PV panels, install a green roof, etc.

We do have to charge for additional architecture & engineering services, as well as additional manufacturing costs. We treat this on a time and material basis, and add it to the base cost of the home.

How long does it take?

From first contact with us to final cleaning, your home can be "move in" ready in about 3-6 months, depending on local permitting and site work. Custom or modified homes will take longer. Actual time in the factory is only about 3-6 weeks, depending on the size of the home.

Whatâ??s included in the price? What isnâ??t included?

Our final home prices include every aspect of your home, from the floor structure to the roof, lighting fixtures to plumbing fixtures, and carpet to countertops. Our prices also include all architecture, structural engineering, and State permits. This way you know exactly what you're home is going to cost going in. 

Our model web pages show a number that we believe covers the ENTIRE project, not just out home price. This "Average Overall Project Budget" is our best take on what the site work (foundation, utilities, etc.), transportation, and our home will cost.  We just  feel better about totally transparent about the entire project, and don't feel right about just showing our home cost, when in fact there is much more to it that. 

How complete is the home when itâ??s delivered?

Your home will be close to 95% complete when itâ??s delivered. The only things we prefer to install onsite are carpet, hardwood flooring and appliances. Other than that, itâ??s simply a matter of attaching the home to the foundation and completing our comprehensive â??Finish detailingâ?? work.

I have an in-city, urban lot, and there are a lot of unique land use & zoning requirementsâ?¦can you help me?

Yes, definitely. We realize some of our home designs might not meet some land use requirements. We however, have extensive experience in designing and permtting homes for urban areas. We would be happy to customize/tweak our existing plans or design a completely new plan for you so they work in your specific neighborhood.

Will you do a multi-family project for me, or work with a developer?

Absolutely. Prefabricated construction is a dream for developers, as it greatly decreases your construction cycle and decreases your reliance on unreliable or slow trades. It can greatly reduce your construction loan interest costs. We have significant experience designing and building urban and suburban multi-family projects, and would love to work with you.