This Uber-Like Platform for Home Building Cuts Construction Time in Half

After the 2017 Northern California wildfires, the demand for new construction exceeded all local construction capabilities, leading one resident to create a digital platform connecting builders with locals. The platform, Homebound, vets contractors and establishes secure supply chains for building materials, working as an Uber or Lyft for home building, says Fast Company. Homebound even offers pre-engineered home plans and construction documents, picking up the building process and cutting construction schedules from the average 18 to 40 months down to nine to 18 months. After finding success in Northern California, the platform has since expanded to the Bahamas where hurricanes are a regular occurrence. Next up? Austin, Texas.

Now, the company is taking on a different kind of disaster. It’s expanding into Austin, Texas, where growth is putting extreme pressure on the city’s housing market. Instead of homes staying on the market for months, they’re often snatched up in days, making it hard for all but the wealthiest to buy. More houses sell for above asking price there than anywhere else in the United States. Pechet says Homebound offers homebuyers a way to circumvent the heat of the market by building their own homes.

Sometimes, that means construction crews are coming in from great distances. The system operates somewhat similarly to Uber or Lyft, offering up jobs to prequalified workers who decide which projects they want to accept. Crews of workers in labor-rich areas may commute several hours to labor-poor regions to complete projects. In the case of the Bahamas, Pechet says Homebound relies heavily on off-island labor to come in and get jobs done quickly.

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