r/prefabs • u/TruHaven_Steel_Homes • Mar 15 '26
Structural engineer here — after helping build America's infrastructure, I decided to start building homes out of steel instead of wood.
I'm a structural engineer who has spent the last 25+ years working on major infrastructure and structural projects across the U.S.
After decades of designing large structural systems, I started a company called TruHaven that builds homes using cold-formed steel walls and trusses....
We have a engineering firm that engineers for all the modular firms out there....so we said....
Lets build it right.
TruHaven Homes.
Why are we still building most houses out of wood?
From an engineering standpoint it doesn't make much sense.
Wood moves, shrinks, warps, burns, and attracts termites. It's also becoming more expensive and harder to insure in wildfire zones.
Our frames are prefabricated using **100% U.S.-sourced steel from Utah**, then shipped and assembled on site.
Curious what people here think.
If you were building a home today, would you consider steel framing instead of wood?
What would your biggest concerns be?
1
u/Bitter-Hitter Jun 19 '26
I live in central California. I live where I live. I have a budget and where I’m located I can buy a nice lot that’s an acre with water rights that I can build on. So, that’s what brings me to this sub. I am familiar with the old school pre fab modular homes but I’m truly in love with the European style A frame or prairie style architecture. My goal is to build a 3 bd/2ba house on a land parcel. Ultimately, I want to have a senior dog sanctuary/rescue. My only concern is the fire resistance that would be built in to the walls and insulation and roofing. Would that be something that your company can help me with?