Most builders in Greater Victoria have framed on site their entire careers. Ordering factory-built wall panels feels like a bigger change than it is: you still hand over drawings, you still coordinate a delivery, and your crew still stands the walls. What changes is where the cutting and assembly happen, and how early you have to make decisions. This guide walks through how an order works so you can judge whether it fits your next project.
Step 1: Start From Stamped or Permit-Ready Drawings
A panel shop builds to your drawings, so the drawings have to be resolved first. That means floor plans, elevations, wall sections, and the structural information your engineer has produced: shear wall locations, hold-down and strapping details, header sizes and bearing points. If the structural package is still changing, the panel layout will change with it, and every revision costs time on both sides.
You do not need a finished interior. You do need the exterior wall geometry, window and door sizes with their rough opening heights, and the floor-to-floor heights. When something is genuinely undecided, say so on the order rather than guessing. A good shop will flag it and ask.
Step 2: Decide Panel Scope and Type
You choose what is panelized. Many builders start with exterior walls only and frame partitions on site. Others panelize interior bearing walls too. You also decide how complete a panel should be when it leaves the shop. Our guide to prefab wall systems explains open and closed panels. The choice affects what your crew still has to do on site, such as insulation, air sealing and wrap, so decide it before the layout is drawn.
Step 3: Panel Layout and Review
The shop breaks your walls into panels sized for the truck, the lift and the site. You should receive a layout to review before anything is cut. This is the cheapest moment to catch a mistake. Check these items against your own drawings:
- ✓Wall heights at each level, including any raised or stepped plates
- ✓Window and door locations and rough opening sizes
- ✓Where panel joints fall, and whether any joint lands in an awkward spot such as beside a shear wall or a corner post
- ✓Structural hardware locations: hold-downs, straps, anchor bolt spacing
- ✓Penetrations you already know about, such as large ducts or plumbing walls
Approve the layout in writing. Whoever approves it owns the result, so make sure the person who signs actually has the current drawings in front of them.
Step 4: Fabrication and the Foundation Overlap
The real advantage of panelizing is overlap: while the panels are being built, your excavation, footings and foundation proceed on site. It only works if the foundation is built to the dimensions the panels were built to. Share your foundation layout with the shop early, and arrange for anyone checking the foundation to report actual measurements, not the intended ones. See coordinating foundations and panel delivery for the details.
We do not promise a fixed turnaround from order to delivery, because lead time depends on the size of the job, the complexity of the walls and what else is in the queue. Ask for a schedule on your specific project and plan around that, not around a rule of thumb.
Step 5: Delivery, Crane and Set
Panels arrive numbered in the order they will be installed. Before delivery day, confirm truck access, a laydown area, ground that will carry a crane, and whether overhead lines or tight streets limit the lift. Your crew then lifts, plumbs, braces and fastens. Having the people who will stand the walls look at the layout beforehand pays off: they will often spot a sequencing problem on paper that would otherwise show up with a crane on the clock.
What the Order Looks Like in Practice
- 1Send your drawings and basic project details through our order page.
- 2We review the package and ask questions about anything unclear or missing.
- 3You receive a panel layout to review and approve.
- 4Panels are fabricated while your site work continues.
- 5Delivery is scheduled with you, with crane and access confirmed ahead of time.
- 6Your crew, or ours if you want to talk about it, stands the walls.
If you want a feel for quantities before you send anything, the wall panel take-off estimator turns linear feet and wall height into a rough panel count. It is a planning aid only, not a quote.
Before you send plans, run through the panel order checklist so the quote does not stall on missing details.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need engineered drawings before I order wall panels?
You need drawings that are resolved enough to build from, including the structural information your engineer provides. If the structure is still moving, the layout will move too. Tell the shop what is final and what is not.
Can I order panels for only part of the building?
Yes. Many builders panelize only the exterior walls, or only a repetitive section such as a row of townhouse units, and frame the rest on site.
Does OG Prefab act as the general contractor if I order panels?
No. On a panel order you remain the builder or general contractor, and we supply panels from your plans.
How long does it take from order to delivery?
It depends on the size and complexity of the job and our current workload, so we give a schedule per project rather than a general figure. Ask for dates on your specific drawings.
Who installs the panels?
Your own crew can set them, or you can discuss framing services with us. Either way, plan the crane, access and bracing before delivery day.
Have a set of plans ready? Send them through the order page and we will come back with questions and a layout to review.
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