When working with SmartPads in Colorado, we take care of building the physical home for you, however, a local General Contractor (GC) is required to complete the onsite portion of the build. The General Contractor is responsible for the oversight of setting the home. The GC will take care of hiring a crane and set crew, preparation of the home site, installing the foundation (and garage, if desired), managing site engineering and permitting, and administering and observing overall onsite construction. SmartPads provides the prefab home and supports you and the GC with guidance, expertise, and introductions to partner industry professionals.  

On the day of installation, which really is only ONE DAY, your GC will secure any necessary road closures, parking, and transportation permits, as well as coordinate the crane set up in preparation for the trucks to arrive with your SmartPads modules. After your home is set on to the foundation, the GC will stitch your home together (stitching involves sealing up the marriage points to ensure insulation and congruency of internal drywall/flooring and external items including siding and roof). After this step, the GC will hook up your water, sewer, electrical, appliances, and complete any finishing touches on the interior, plus completion of any site-work including driveway, landscaping, decks, etc.  

What to consider when hiring a local General Contractor 

Experience: Has the contractor worked with prefabricated construction in the past?  

Reliability: Do they promptly respond to your calls/emails? Will they complete the work on time? Do they have any local reviews from past clients? 

Local Knowledge: It is important that the GC has a strong knowledge of building in the local area. 

Budget:  Approximately half of your costs will be with the GC to cover local labor and locally sourced builder’s materials (such as cement, electrical wiring, etc.). 

When you build a SmartPads home, there is a lot less onsite work, thus less for the GC to do. This often translates to a much lower GC fee as compared to a traditionally built home. 

Let’s get started. Please visit www.smartpads.co to find the right home for you. There are designs for all sizes and lifestyles.