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The cost of the structure of a modern wood house is a tiny fraction of the overall cost. Most of the construction cost is in the wiring, plumbing, bathroom & ki
by tlb 2y ago
The cost of the structure of a modern wood house is a tiny fraction of the overall cost. Most of the construction cost is in the wiring, plumbing, bathroom & kitchen fixtures, windows, flooring, etc. 3D printing doesn't help with any of that. In fact, wiring and plumbing is harder than in a wood-framed building, where you can drill holes in a few seconds.
Also, aesthetic zoning rules are super-conservative. You can't build an unusual looking house in most cities.
- martinbaun 2y agoah, so the main cost seems to be the human-part that's hard to automatize, not really the structure/framing etc..?
- malfist 2y agoMy uncle runs a framing business. His team can frame your standard residential house in 3 days. The tile guys take 3 days to tile a bathroom. The cost isn't in the skeleton, but all the things that go on it or through it
- martinbaun 2y agothanks Malfist, and I guess the cost is the wiring and plumbing?
- tlb 2y agoYes. The good news, if you're trying to develop tech to solve the housing cost problem, is that there are several labor-intensive processes that are easier to develop automation for than building the structure of the house. Like, a robot to wire up light switches is much cheaper to develop and test than a robot to print entire structures.