Prefabrication and the Labor Shortage on the Central Coast

The labor shortage has affected every aspect of construction all over California, however the central coast has been hit especially hard. The central coast’s location between the two major developmental hubs presents challenges such as relocating employees and finding skilled craftsman. One potential method that has been shown to increase productivity and cut costs is to prefabricate. Prefabrication can improve working conditions and increase worker safety while streamlining schedule and reducing environmental impact. While these benefits are certainly possible in larger cities that have the manufacturing grunt, this paper aims to understand if prefabrication is a viable way to alleviate the labor shortage in small communities. Research shows that there are a number of problems that present themselves to contractors located on the central coast, such as longer lead times on prefabricated items, a shortage of manufacturing plants, a shortage of labor, and a technology delay. Some contractors are combating these issues with increased housing stipends for workers as well as varying levels of off-site prefabrication. Their success tends to be limited by trade coordination with architects as well as the size of the market.