Frequently Asked Questions
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Q: What area does CIP Service?
A: CIP has completed projects in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, North West Territories, and the Yukon. We love challenging and difficult to reach locations as much as we love working in town.
Q: What are the advantages of modular construction?
A: Logistics. Modular buildings are constructed offsite, moving up to 80% of the construction activity away from the site location. This reduces risk of injury and the environmental impact. The amount of time your property will look like a construction site is greatly reduced. If your property is remote, it’s often difficult to even find people able to build on site at all.
Control. Unlike a site built project, all modular buildings are constructed indoors, and are not subject to rain or snow during the build process. Rigorous quality control from receiving through to fabrication ensures that all materials and components are perfect. Costs overruns, delays, and other issues are our problem, not yours, and won’t end up costing you any more than your original agreement.
Convenience. Modular buildings seem to almost “appear” on site. If you’re operating a business or school, the impact to your operations is highly reduced. Adding an additional carriage house or guest house to your property can happen without big disruptions to your life. And throughout the process from choosing a floorplan, right up to receiving the keys — you’re dealing with one company that has all the answers.
Q: What is the life expectancy of modular construction?
A: Modular structures have the same life expectancy as site-built structures.
Q: Can modular buildings be renovated?
A: Modular buildings can certainly be renovated. To facilitate future options, beams and columns can be installed to reduce the number of load bearing walls.
Q: Will my build look like a modular building?
A: Gone are the days of modular buildings looking only like job site trailers. Today’s modular builds can look indistinguishable from traditional wood frame construction.
Q: What is the maximum size of a modular building?
A: The finished size of a modular building is only limited by two things: Each individual module size is limited by the Ministry of Transport. Secondly, the height of the building, associated setbacks etc. are limited by the B.C. Building Code in the same way that conventional buildings are.
Q: Will I still need to hire additional trades to complete my project?
Usually no. CIP Modular is a full-service construction and installation company. We can provide everything from site services, building construction, transportation, installation, and site-built components like decks, stairs, ramps, etc. If your project requires something we can’t do ourselves, we can subcontract it to a specialist.
Q: Do I need an architect?
Not necessarily – design services can be included to reduce the hassle and cost of contracting an architect. Sometimes, involving an architect can be helpful with permitting challenges – this is determined on a case-by-case basis.
Q: Our Warranty
All new modular buildings are built to CSA A277 standards and come with a one-year manufacturer’s warranty. Individual components such as HVAC equipment and appliances may come with an even longer original manufacturers warranty.