3D printed houses are springing up worldwide, demonstrating the benefits of additive manufacturing in the building industry. They are gradually becoming a possible alternative to affordable housing in cities churned by diminishing inventories and exploding prices. The idea is to reduce manufacturing time and labor costs while selling well-built homes at affordable prices lower-income earners can afford.
The usual observed trend is “the newer the innovation, the higher the price to pay.” This was true for technologies in the past, but this will not be the case with 3D printed houses. Of course, they are still at their embryonic stage; we can, of course, expect the cost to be on the higher end. However, another spotted trend is that technology and innovation will become more affordable as they become older.
With more and more companies developing 3D printed houses, their prices are dropping. However, it is practically impractical to give exact standard pricing that will provide you with an answer to the question, “how much will a 3D printed house cost you?” In this post, you will read some interesting facts about 3D printed houses, plus determine how much a 3D printed house can cost you.
Some factors that can determine the price of a 3D printed house
Material cost – The material costs incurred by construction 3D printing are usually an order of magnitude less when compared to conventional methods. This is why we consider that 3D printing concrete tends to be more expensive than standard construction concrete.
Labor Cost: When it comes to 3D printed houses, labor costs are reduced to at most the daily ways of two or three operators. Similarly, this takes substantially less time because the 3D-printed house may be finished and furnished in days rather than months.
Roofing: It’s important to note at this stage that most construction 3D printers won’t build or 3D print the foundations, nor will they save money when it comes to roofing the house. Because roofing cost, and the costs of the windows, the doors, electrical wiring, paint, and finishing – all fall outside the capabilities of a construction 3D printer. The costs remain the same as with a traditional house.
Building cost
The cost to build an average-sized 3-bedroom house with conventional building methods ranges from $250,000 to $320,000. If you are building the same home with 3D printing technology, it would cost anywhere from 20 percent to 40 percent less. So that same 3-bedroom house will most likely cost between $140,000 and $240,000 to build with 3D printing technology. Similarly, the cost of building a 3D-printed house is based on the particular builder.
COBOD’s calculator
COBOD’s construction 3D printing services provided an online project cost calculator that considers a variety of criteria, including the cost per unit of a 3D printing concrete, the total square meter area of all walls, the number of operators, and the labor costs. The sample construction costs are estimated thus:
- $15,000 for a small-sized, single-bedroom house.
- $20,000-25,000 for a medium-sized two-bedroom house.
- $50,000 for a large-sized four-bedroom home.
With the above figures, it quickly becomes apparent that construction with 3D printing brings the cost way down, compared to traditional buidling methods.
Some Leading Companies Involved In Making 3D Printed Houses Globally And The Cost
Apis Cor remains leading the company to develop specialized autonomous equipment for 3D printing in construction capable of printing whole buildings entirely on-site. The kit has a maximum print height of 10.5 feet and a maximum single point reach of 16.5 feet. Apis Cor charges you $277 to print the foundation of a 3D-printed house and $1624 for 3D printing walls. While 3D printing floor and roof will cost you $2434, the wiring costs $242. Similarly, 3D printing windows and doors will cost$3548, and the exterior finishing costs $831. Finally, Apis Cor’s interior finishing 3D printing will cost you $1178. Overall, the cost of a 3D printed house with Apis Cor can be around $10,150.
In March, New Story, a housing non-profit based in San Francisco, and ICON, a Texas-based 3D printing company, built a 350-square-foot tiny home that cost $10,000 in just 48 hours. ICON called the structure “the first permitted, 3D-printed home in East Austin, Texas.”
With 350 square feet, the house was significantly less expensive than the traditional tiny house, with a price tag of roughly $25,000. Before New Story used 3D-printing technology, it took them eight months to build 100 homes, each costing around $6,000. ICON’s printer, the Vulcan, was only running at 25% speed while the prototype was being created. Since the printer wasn’t running at maximum speed, the companies were confident that they could print a larger structure in 24 hours for roughly $4,000 or less.
Where To Buy 3D Printed Houses
As a consumer, you may not be able to commission a 3D printed house construction directly. Aside from the expense of the equipment and materials, there is another significant barrier to overcome when it comes to buying a 3D-printed house. That’s your location.
However, only a handful of construction permits have been handed out for 3D printed homes in select areas in special experimental cases.
3D printed houses are currently being developed in more technologically primitive areas. But for anyone interested, an excellent place to start would be to contact the large-size local construction companies first, and then, if need be, the construction 3D printer makers themselves.
If you live in the United States, a rising number of companies are now offering homes built using 3D printing technology. According to the companies, “3D printers can create homes faster, for less money, and in a more environmentally responsible manner than conventional methods.
Final thought
3D printed houses have much lower building costs than traditional ones because of the reductions in raw material and, more importantly, labor—reduced Construction Waste. Increased Design Shapes. Reduced Construction Time. Although 3D printed houses are still a novelty and mainly in development, you may 3D print a house for a lower price than you could have built using more traditional building methods.
