When Will 3D Printed Houses Be Available?

by Mike Brooks | Last Updated: June 28, 2022

Three-dimensional printing isn’t just for little things (eg. 3D printed keycaps)- SQ4D, pronounced “S-squared,” a New York construction company, uses patent-pending 3D technology, known as Autonomous Robotic Construction System (ARCS) to print houses on-site.

Now, the company’s first full-size spec house in Riverland, New York, is on the market, and it looks a lot like a traditional house.

This current technology, formally known as additive manufacturing, prompts real estate investors and the population to anticipate when 3D housing will premiere and dispose of everyone looking to buy or construct a dream home.

So, When Will 3D Printed Houses Be Available?

This article attempts to provide a definite answer to offer you a realistic timeline for availing of the 3D printed houses, the construction cost, plus whether you can 3D print your house.

When Will 3D-printed Houses Be Available?

The future is bright for 3D printing since it’s still considered novel to many. The thought of having an actual, physical house at your fingertips is pretty exciting.

To date, there are not many companies that offer third-party printing services for houses. However, this seems to be changing.

Currently, 3D companies are working on developing an affordable and easy-to-use 3D printing technology. This process will allow anyone to design and print their own home.

This technology will dramatically change the way people think about the housing market since they will be able to design their own homes from scratch and tailor it to their needs and budget.

A Brief Update on 3D Houses

Since 2020 3D printing has been used extensively and beyond by non-governmental organizations, the government, and private corporations. However, few individuals are listed for the first 3D printed family home in the open market via Zillow.com.

The home has three bedrooms plus two bathrooms, located in Riverland, NY. Since this first print home has been listed in 2021, we can safely say that 3D printed Houses are available but in limited supply.

Also, understand that construction 3D printing services may not be available for the mass. That means that it will take time before you and I can own or purchase our 3D-printed house.

Can’t I hire a 3d printing constructor as I hired a conventional construction constructor?

The answer is still the same: it will take time before they’re available because all current major 3D printing vendors like  ICON and others are committed to a few customers.

Where Can I Get a 3D Constructor?

There’re many vendors available situated differently depending on your current location. For example, ICON, and many others make 3D technology a reality for your home. In the USA, an Austin, Texas-based company was awarded the first commercial 3D print house construction permit beginning in February 2020.

India, the Middle East, Canada, and other European countries have startups that make 3D print housing more valuable by optimizing bespoke hardware that works best with locally available materials.

In these regions, Eindhoven’s first 3D printed houses prove that the 3D printing industry increases rapidly. In the next several years, we’ll have a developed world with a ready 3D print housing constructor at your disposal.

3D Printed Houses Construction Costs. How Much Does a 3D Printed House Cost?

Since several companies have ventured into 3D printed houses globally, we can’t accurately tell an exact price for 3d printed houses. However, let’s have a look at a few recent 3D housing project prices.

From them, we can safely arrive at what to expect because the material cost can be more or less than $10,000.

So, how much does it cost to 3d print a house?

Apis Cor is a Russian company based in Boston and has developed a mobile construction 3D printer to print an entire building on-site.

They printed a 410-square-foot house in less than a day which cost them $10, 150 i.e., foundation: $277, walls: $1,624, floor and roof: $2,434, wiring: $242, windows and doors: $3,548, exterior finishing: $831, interior finishing $1,178.

Icon built a whole neighborhood of low-cost 3D printed houses in collaboration with New Story non-profit organization in Tabasco, Mexico. These firms aimed to provide new buildings for physically disabled people.

The prototype urban cabin cost them ten thousand dollars, while some went as low as four thousand dollars. Other companies like Winsun constructed the Dubai office at $140,000, which was relatively low compared to what it would have initially cost.

How much does a 3D printed home cost?  Well, this still remains one of the very asked questions. The technology will provide consumers with unprecedented design flexibility by allowing them to custom design and personalize their homes.

Related: How much energy does a 3D printer use?

Autonomous Robotic Construction Systems

Kirk Andersen registered the first company using the technology specifically for the for-sale market. The company claims “We started making small, desktop 3D printers and came up with the idea that we needed to disrupt the housing market and the construction industry,” said Andersen.

So, they scaled up their printer, a so-called Autonomous Robotic Construction System architecture studio. After a lot of testing, they printed the foundation, interior and exterior walls, and utility conduits for the model home in just two days.

3D printed home exterior Diane Olick | CNBC It looks like a massive spot squeezing out concrete toothpaste in long lines, but the result is an incredible real house—and the first 3D printed home is already on the multi-list in zillow.com.

How Long 3D Printed Houses Last Compared to Conventional Construction?

Three-dimensional printing won’t replace traditional constructions anytime soon, but it offers an affordable and environmentally sound alternative. With proper maintenance, traditional constructions and houses can stand for over a century.

3D Printed House vs Normal House Cost

3D printed houses are also durable. They don’t require much construction material, and they’re way cheaper, offering you a home solution at an affordable price. 3D printed houses can therefore last fifty to sixty years and require utmost maintenance.

The foundation and the building design for 3D houses promise to withstand natural disasters.

But, be warned that 3D printing permits are not as evaluated as standard construction precautions; you can’t correctly tell how they’ll withstand various disasters or temperature regulations. However, so far, so good.

Traditional Construction vs 3D Print Housing

The beauty of your house and other desirable features to include in your house makes typically the construction cost very high.

Sometimes the costs incurred by your constructor will inevitably be transferred to the house owner. That makes conventional houses very unaffordable.3D print houses require similar inputs but at a very reduced price.

Slowly but surely, construction 3D printing is applied to the real world, where its promises and advantages are highlighted, showing a great contrast to traditional methods.

Remember, since the days of automated brick-laying systems to today’s 3D construction printers, building your home purely from a technological perspective is a huge milestone.

That shows that soon in the developing world, constructing a similar 3D house to a traditional conventional house will cost half the price.

Impact of 3D Printed Houses in the Market

The Dubai municipality has the vision to reduce ninety percent overall cost-plus eighty percent lead times for its various sectors. Realization of the reduced cost is overseen by only twenty-five percent of activities slated to construction 3D printing.

China, on the other hand, has completed the world’s largest 3D printed social housing construction.

Construction 3D printing eliminates unskilled labor in the labor sector and capitalizes on a handful of skilled labor, making construction effective and affordable even for mighty buildings.

Construction 3D printing will be a revolution for both the housing and construction industry within the extended or near future.

FAQs

Let’s dive into some frequently asked questions below.

• Will 3D printed houses be cheaper?

3D-printed homes are amazingly cheap to create, running currently $10,000 on average. ICON, the 3D-printed home leader, hopes that 3D homes will be more affordable at just $4,000 and below in the future.

• Can you 3D print a house?

Yes, you can if you have the skills and the printing equipment plus materials. To 3D print a house, you need construction 3D printing builders from a certified firm. Unless you’re one with the necessary equipment and skills, you cannot 3D print a house.

• Is a 3D printed house safe?

Yes, it’s safe and durable. 3D printing produces safe homes built to last, and they’re customized to the resident’s specifications. That means 3D-printed houses will be way cheaper than conventional houses.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion on the cost and the availability of 3D printed houses, construction 3D printing will revolutionize the housing and construction industry as we know it. With the reduced and affordable cost, production and construction will sky-rock to greater heights.

Although 3D printing isn’t disposed of much to the mass currently, soon construction 3D printing promises cheap and affordable services.

But we know that the first 3D printed property is available at $300k, which shows a significant milestone.

Michael Brooks is the founder of M3DZone.com. He sees a very bright future for 3D printing that's why his mission is to try and make this easy for everyone. Discover your hidden talent and creativity. You can follow here: Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest.