November 2001
In a 1998 Technology Roundtable conducted by the NAHB Research Center, Inc., builders voiced their frustration with the quality of work available in the marketplace. Skilled labor is hard to find and retain. Errors and defects are frequent and costly. Undetected or uncorrected errors create severe problems down the line when finishing a house. Builders reported that existing quality assurance strategies do not reliably solve the problem.
The NAHB Research Center, Inc., proposed consideration of quality systems well established in conventional in-plant manufacturing, but not common in home building. The aim of the project was to field test with the building trades the quality systems used by manufacturing industries. The result is an important new quality system that can help builders and framers satisfy homebuyer quality demands while increasing profits. The system represents a significant milestone in integrating quality management where it is most needed—the trade contractors that build the nation’s homes.
Sections 2 and 3 of this report describe the collective experience of the project participants. Section 4 discusses future plans. Sections 5 through 7 discuss each framing contractor’s quality system implementation, operation, and the resulting benefits.
Prepared by:
NAHB Research Center
Prepared for:
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Office of Policy Development and Research
51 pages