Homebuilders Across Country Use 3D-Printers To Build Homes

Prices for new homes are on the rise, but there is a new kind of home going on the market that some say could change that trend. The change is not in the design, but in how the homes are being built.

Kirk Anderson is the director of operations at construction tech company SQ4D. His firm designs 3D-printed homes, which can speed up production and lowers costs.

"We should be able to do our part of the build in about eight days or less," said Anderson.

So, what does it mean to “print” a house? Anderson said a robot stacks layers upon layers of concrete, literally building the house from the ground up.

"This process can save you about 20% to 30% on an overall bill," Anderson said.

SQ4D has a three-bedroom, 1,400 square-foot home listed for $299,000 on Long Island, New York. Homes of comparable size in the area typically come with a price tag around $100,000 higher, and often much more.

Anderson said the printer can’t do all the work. It can build about 40% of the structure, and then workers have to do the rest.

Other homebuilders are also using 3D printers. A company in Texas, Icon works with nonprofits to provide low-income housing.

In California, Mighty Buildings offers homes that range from studios to three bedrooms. The company’s co-founder, Sam Ruben, said doing it in a warehouse gives them flexibility.

"We've developed a unique technology,” Ruben said. “We can print unique geometries, we can do curves, we can do freeform."

SQ4D claims they have already received more than 1,000 offers to purchase the home for sale in New York, a possible indication that consumers are ready to accept this new dimension in construction.