Panelized construction is when we pre-build the walls of a unit at facility offsite and then flat pack them like idea furniture for transport. At the site panels go up much faster than stick frame and most of the time we can have the building dried in in a day.
There are two types of wood frame construction panels, open panels and closed panels. In an open panel system, which is what we use, all the components of the wall are still visible after the panel is placed on site so it can go through the regular local building code inspection process. Closed panels include interior finishes like gypsum which are installed in the factory. They are inspected and approved by the state department of Labor and Industries and it requires additional licenses and inspections. With a closed panel you still have to work with the local building inspector for the on site work so the time saved by additional work done in the factory is often negated by the additional red tape the panels have to go through. For this reason we like to keep it simple and work directly with local inspectors who are often very knowledgeable about how to get a building built and approved in the most efficient manner.