Frequently asked questions
Many questions are answered already in our Ordering Process page. This page will be periodically updated with FAQ's that are as important and are asked more frequently.
What about site planning and engineering:
As local conditions vary widely from site to site structural engineering of our houses is done individually for each project for all our global design houses. Your project will also need a local civil engineer and site planner to ensure that site planning, utility routing, capacity and design, as well as foundation engineering are done in compliance with local conditions and permitting requirements of your site. Depending on location that can be accommodated by us or by Client or by local general contractor.
Do I need local permits & have to pay local fees:
You will need to process a site specific land use and construction permits for the development of your project. While our designs and technology will be permitted at the state level, local regulations will usually require additional permitting approvals for individual projects. Some of the possible site fees are impact fees, utility fees, different local permit fees and services by land surveyors and other local experts.
Do you also build foundation and utilities:
Our team will provide you with foundation requirements and details for a local General Contractor to build and have it ready before the delivery of the house kit. We do provide general contractor recommendations if available and in select areas our contractors will provide the full service of works. In other areas we will look for a local contractor that meets our standards.
Utilities:
We will provide you with the utility requirements for your house and it will be your responsibility to ensure that those utilities are delivered to the designated locations prior to delivery and installation. In many cases the selected local general contractor will take care of that.
Delivery & Installation:
We will arrange delivery and installation of your house panel kits or modules, however these expenses are not included in the purchase price and will be quoted separately. While most locations are, not all are accessible for delivery and often it is the last mile that is the most critical. To be completely sure please provide us with as much details as possible so our delivery team can verify in advance the best delivery method.
MGO Next-Gen SIP and and LVL timber panel systems in most cases are delivered in containers and can be shipped world-wide for local installation. Local deliveries in Europe and USA take place using a flatbed truck or a semi-truck.
How are houses installed:
For our US Manufactured MGO Next-Gen SIP houses installation services are offered in variety of stages. In some areas our installers can do a complete turn-key installation - in other - watertight shell installation only. Installation training for your local crew is available at the factory..
LVL timer panel system installation services are also offered in select regions. Please inquire. For other regions we are providing extensive installation knowledge and training before installation and site supervision during the installation process.
In both cases factory certified construction site supervision is offered as an add-on service for more distant installations and is often mandatory to keep the factory warranty.
How long does the process take to build your house:
In general our process is at least 2 times faster than building a traditional house in your area. Building process is divided in 4 parts: 1. Planning and design phase, 2. Permitting phase, 3. Gneral construction phase. 4. Finishes and decor. Part 1 takes anywhere from 2 to 3 months. Part 2 can be from 2 weeks to 6 months. Part 3 - 2-3 months. Part 4 - 2 - 6 months.
Where can I see a demo house:
Currently all demo houses in US are sold and we have to honor the privacy of our homeowners. Instead we do provide possibility to see the factory process and visit newly installed houses if available and permitted by the owner. We are currently working on next tier of demo houses and looking for passionate brand ambassadors that would be ready to promote the new Katana design philosophy and our modern Lifestyle Concept. Instead of asking "Where can we see 2-3 of your houses and can we ask questions to at least 4 previous clients" we invite you to take the advantage of lower prices in early 2021 and be one of the first adaptors of our new design program developed by industry professionals each of whom has at least 20 years of experience in its respective field.
Can I finish a house myself and buy only the panel kit:
Yes, we do have a house shell program where we deliver and often also install the shell, windows and doors (and roof) only. In this case the main focus is to make the building watertight and make sure of the continuity of the process - that the works are not interrupted after handing over the installed house to you. In most cases you will need to assign a certified general contractor that will do the rest of the works and we need to make sure the contractor understands our panel systems and becomes competent enough to take over the works from there. You can bring your own contractor but we have the right to refuse a contractor in case we feel the level of competence will not match our criteria. Our factory warranty is valid if all our guidelines are followed throughout the building process and pass our quality control.
What about site planning and engineering:
As local conditions vary widely from site to site structural engineering of our houses is done individually for each project for all our global design houses. Your project will also need a local civil engineer and site planner to ensure that site planning, utility routing, capacity and design, as well as foundation engineering are done in compliance with local conditions and permitting requirements of your site. Depending on location that can be accommodated by us or by Client or by local general contractor.
Do I need local permits & have to pay local fees:
You will need to process a site specific land use and construction permits for the development of your project. While our designs and technology will be permitted at the state level, local regulations will usually require additional permitting approvals for individual projects. Some of the possible site fees are impact fees, utility fees, different local permit fees and services by land surveyors and other local experts.
Do you also build foundation and utilities:
Our team will provide you with foundation requirements and details for a local General Contractor to build and have it ready before the delivery of the house kit. We do provide general contractor recommendations if available and in select areas our contractors will provide the full service of works. In other areas we will look for a local contractor that meets our standards.
Utilities:
We will provide you with the utility requirements for your house and it will be your responsibility to ensure that those utilities are delivered to the designated locations prior to delivery and installation. In many cases the selected local general contractor will take care of that.
Delivery & Installation:
We will arrange delivery and installation of your house panel kits or modules, however these expenses are not included in the purchase price and will be quoted separately. While most locations are, not all are accessible for delivery and often it is the last mile that is the most critical. To be completely sure please provide us with as much details as possible so our delivery team can verify in advance the best delivery method.
MGO Next-Gen SIP and and LVL timber panel systems in most cases are delivered in containers and can be shipped world-wide for local installation. Local deliveries in Europe and USA take place using a flatbed truck or a semi-truck.
How are houses installed:
For our US Manufactured MGO Next-Gen SIP houses installation services are offered in variety of stages. In some areas our installers can do a complete turn-key installation - in other - watertight shell installation only. Installation training for your local crew is available at the factory..
LVL timer panel system installation services are also offered in select regions. Please inquire. For other regions we are providing extensive installation knowledge and training before installation and site supervision during the installation process.
In both cases factory certified construction site supervision is offered as an add-on service for more distant installations and is often mandatory to keep the factory warranty.
How long does the process take to build your house:
In general our process is at least 2 times faster than building a traditional house in your area. Building process is divided in 4 parts: 1. Planning and design phase, 2. Permitting phase, 3. Gneral construction phase. 4. Finishes and decor. Part 1 takes anywhere from 2 to 3 months. Part 2 can be from 2 weeks to 6 months. Part 3 - 2-3 months. Part 4 - 2 - 6 months.
Where can I see a demo house:
Currently all demo houses in US are sold and we have to honor the privacy of our homeowners. Instead we do provide possibility to see the factory process and visit newly installed houses if available and permitted by the owner. We are currently working on next tier of demo houses and looking for passionate brand ambassadors that would be ready to promote the new Katana design philosophy and our modern Lifestyle Concept. Instead of asking "Where can we see 2-3 of your houses and can we ask questions to at least 4 previous clients" we invite you to take the advantage of lower prices in early 2021 and be one of the first adaptors of our new design program developed by industry professionals each of whom has at least 20 years of experience in its respective field.
Can I finish a house myself and buy only the panel kit:
Yes, we do have a house shell program where we deliver and often also install the shell, windows and doors (and roof) only. In this case the main focus is to make the building watertight and make sure of the continuity of the process - that the works are not interrupted after handing over the installed house to you. In most cases you will need to assign a certified general contractor that will do the rest of the works and we need to make sure the contractor understands our panel systems and becomes competent enough to take over the works from there. You can bring your own contractor but we have the right to refuse a contractor in case we feel the level of competence will not match our criteria. Our factory warranty is valid if all our guidelines are followed throughout the building process and pass our quality control.