See, @Elt1, what’s old is new again. I may have to merge this prefab thread with the Amazon thread…
Sears were not prefab like today…They were precut kit homes that had to be assembled on site.
Isn’t that essentially what we are seeing with the new modular home stuff, wall panels designed offsite somewhere and then trucked in for assembly?
There are a wide variety of options.
Prefab today means fully assembled modules assembled in the factory and lifted in off a truck onto a site built foundation.
Premanufactored homes are double wide trailers.
Assembled elements like factory framed trusses and wall sections are also used…But that is for framing only…Framing is generally only 20% of the construction process
But conceptually it can be essentially the same thing right? I mean, one day, one can order their 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom SFH with a porch via Amazon. It will be delivered to the site and assembled.
Possible, but there will still have to be a lot of local work done on site…Plans and permits, Site work, drainage, grading, retaining walls, foundations, landscaping, fences, utilities…and erection and or assembly…
Right, but weren’t all that stuff existent in the old days too with the Sears’ homes?
In those days it was a lot simpler. In fact the first ones had no indoor plumbing…No permits needed…No utilities…They didn’t bother with all the site work…Just thru together a half assed foundation and they didn’t think about drainage, and built on flat lots…These were mostly farm houses…
Here is a prefab tiny home for $15k
Can probably get it for a lot less
https://reno.craigslist.org/reo/d/tiny-home-cabin-4-sale/6384815195.html
Come on, $1000 rent/mo??? Plop that baby onto one your SLT lots???
If I could sneak it in without a permit no worries.
Costs more and took longer than woodframe stick built…Where is the advantage?
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No termites??? Perhaps will survive/get out in time if house fire??? May survive big earthquake??? 
Termites will still eat the flooring and trim…Steel is expensive, takes special skilled labor, not found in residential construction and is very heavy requiring $300/h cranes…
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Well, down the road, couldn’t it be IKEA-like with steel??? Prefabricated steel pieces for the framing???