The advantage of panelized framing is overlap: panels are built while the site is prepared. The risk is also overlap, because two crews are building to the same drawing in different places and they only meet on delivery day. This article covers how to keep that meeting uneventful.
Agree the Reference Points Early
Decide with the shop which dimensions control: overall length and width, the position of key corners, and anchor bolt locations. Make sure the foundation contractor, surveyor if you have one, and the shop all work from the same drawing revision. Mixed revisions are a common cause of surprises.
Measure the As-Built, Not the Drawing
Once the foundation walls or slab are formed or poured, measure what was actually built. Check overall dimensions, diagonals for squareness, the top-of-wall or slab elevation, and the locations of anchor bolts or embedded hardware. Send the shop those numbers before panels are released for final assembly or before delivery. If the foundation is off, it is far easier to adjust a panel layout or plan a shim than to discover it with the crane on site.
- ✓Overall length and width at the top of the foundation
- ✓Both diagonals, to check the rectangle is square
- ✓Elevations at corners and mid-spans
- ✓Anchor bolt locations against the shear and hold-down schedule
- ✓Any steps, pilasters or offsets that the panel layout assumed
Plan the Floor System Before the Walls
Panels usually stand on a floor deck, not directly on the foundation. That deck needs to be flat, framed to the drawing and clean for panels to land on. Confirm who builds the floor system, how it ties to the foundation, and when it will be sheathed. Our foundation work and framing service are often coordinated in exactly this way.
Delivery Day Logistics
- 1Truck access: street width, turning room, overhead lines, driveway slope and any seasonal road limits.
- 2Laydown area: where panels will be staged if they are not lifted straight from the truck.
- 3Crane position: ground that will carry the load, clear of utilities and neighbouring property, with a lift radius that reaches every panel location.
- 4Crew: enough people on site who know the sequence and have the drawings.
- 5Weather plan: who decides to stand down, and what the rebooking process is.
Plan the number of truck loads in advance. The delivery load planner gives a rough count from panel dimensions, which is a starting point for the conversation with the supplier and carrier, not a substitute for it.
Sequence the Lift
Panels are numbered in install order. Make sure the stack on the truck matches the sequence, and that the first panels set give the crew a stable, braced start. Think through where bracing lands, where temporary supports go, and how corners are tied before the next run starts. Have the lift plan on paper and share it with the crane operator.
What Goes Wrong When the Sequence Slips
- ✓The foundation finishes later than planned and the crane is booked anyway.
- ✓The foundation is built a little off and panels do not meet it cleanly.
- ✓The access plan is checked on drawings but not on the street.
- ✓The wrong revision of the drawing is used somewhere in the chain.
Most of these are solved by one habit: put the checks and the dates in writing and share them with everyone who touches the sequence. For the broader order process, see how to order prefab wall panels from your plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I send as-built foundation measurements to the shop?
As soon as the foundation is formed or poured and measured, and before panels are released for final fabrication or delivery. The earlier the shop knows, the more options you have.
Who is responsible if the foundation does not match the panels?
That should be settled in your contracts before work starts. Agree the controlling dimensions and who checks what, and put it in writing.
Do I always need a crane?
Many panels are heavy enough that a crane or similar lifting equipment is used. The right approach depends on panel size and site, so confirm it with your supplier.
Can panels be stored on site before they are set?
Sometimes, with proper support and protection from weather. Plan the laydown area and ask the supplier how panels should be stored.
Can OG Prefab handle both foundations and panels?
We do foundation work, framing and prefab panels. How those are packaged for your project is something to discuss when you contact us.
Coordinating a foundation and panel delivery? Send us the plans and the target dates.
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