Sunrooms: Prefab vs. 'Stick Built' Construction, What's The Difference? (2024)

FAQs

Sunrooms: Prefab vs. 'Stick Built' Construction, What's The Difference? ›

A primary difference between stick built and prefab sunrooms is where they are constructed. A stick built sunroom is constructed at your house from scratch. Stick built sunrooms use the same raw materials as you would to build a new home, and everything is built right on site from the ground up.

We always recommend prefabrication when building a sunroom. Prefab sunrooms are more reliable and efficient compared to aluminum construction and DIY options, and they are put together quicker and more consciously than stick-built sunrooms. We build each of our prefab sunrooms to the highest-quality.

Prefab sunrooms can be a great option since they often cost much less than the traditional stick-built sunrooms. For this reason, many homeowners go the prefab route because it offers the best of both worlds—a beautiful sunroom for a budget-friendly price.

Four-season sunrooms: These sunrooms can be enjoyed at any time of the year and in any type of weather. Four-season sunrooms are fully enclosed from the elements and use insulation and special thermal glass to maintain the indoor climate. Integrated heating and cooling systems can also be used for even more comfort.

Pre-fab sunrooms (also called manufactured sunrooms) are constructed from kits that contain framework pieces, usually aluminum or vinyl, along with the panels for the roof and walls.

Modular homes are stick built they are just built in a factory setting, contain 30 percent more material, are third party inspected before even leaving the factory and are never exposed to the elements while being built.

Why? Mass-produced materials on an assembly line cut down costs because factories buy supplies in bulk. The cost of labor is also less because you don't have to send carpenters, plumbers, and electricians to individual construction sites. And a faster build time saves money too.

A screened-in porch is one of the most affordable sunroom options, thanks to the materials most often used. As the name implies, screened porches are sunrooms that are typically comprised of mesh-screen with a wood or aluminum frame rather than drywall and windows.

Depending on the type you build, it will cost about $22,000 to $43,000 for a 12-by-12-foot sunroom. The largest cost factor when building a sunroom depends on whether you're converting an existing structure or extending your home further on your property, so prices will vary based on the necessary structure.

Sunrooms aren't generally a DIY product.

But in general, an inexperienced homeowner who builds their own sunroom could unknowingly cause leaks, drainage problems, heating and cooling issues and poor efficiency.

What is the perfect size sunroom? ›

The most popular sunroom sizes are: 12' x 20' 12' x 12' 16' x 20'

The Cost Difference

Therefore, many budget-conscious homeowners opt for sunrooms, which typically cost about half of traditional stick-built room additions. While a small sunroom may cost around $8,000, a large sunroom with a new slab-on-grade foundation may cost around $80,000.

Sunroom Lifespans

The vast, vast majority of sunroom specialists and builders alike will have a guarantee of quality for their work. That can be anywhere from 10 years through to 50 or even more.

Pre-fabricated sunrooms are made of steel, aluminum, tempered glass, and foam insulation. From the inside, pre-fabricated sunrooms retain not just an exterior wall but the look of that wall. The home's exterior siding usually stays in place and doors that lead into the house are retained.

Building a sunroom yourself may cost as little as $500 – $1,500 in tools or a DIY kit. This costs far less than the $5,000 – $25,000 range you'll find when hiring a professional.

Size And Weight

Larger sunrooms may also need a foundation to meet local building codes. Similarly, the taller the room, the more likely you'll need a foundation. That's because more elevated structures are more susceptible to wind damage. Foundationless sunrooms are only typically seen on single-story homes.

Stick-built homes often take months to build, since they are subject to delays due to weather. For example, construction crews can't continue building these homes when storms or extreme temperatures occur. Modular homes might only take weeks to complete, since they're built in an indoor, climate-controlled setting.

The highest-end modular homes tend to cost the same per square foot as an equivalent stick-built home. On average, though, modular homes typically cost anywhere from 10 to 20 percent less than a stick-built home.

These terms refer to how the house was (or will be) built. For stick-built homes, builders lay a foundation and proceed to build your home from the ground up on top of it. For manufactured homes, they're constructed and assembled in a controlled environment before being transported to your property.