Every Build Ready home comes in one of two levels. The Shell Package supplies the structure of the home and fills its openings. The Full Package supplies everything in the Shell Package plus the materials to finish the home, down to the cabinets, appliances and light fixtures. Both start from the same design and the same engineering. The difference is how much of the material supply you want ConstructionX to handle and how much you want your builder to source locally. Choose the Shell Package if your builder will supply the finishes, and the Full Package if you want the finishing materials designed and supplied with the structure.
This guide lays out what each level includes, what neither includes, and how to decide which one fits your build.
What the Shell Package Includes
The Shell Package is the frame and skin of your home. It includes:
- the wall, floor and roof structure in steel, wood or ICF, including the interior walls
- for steel and wood homes, insulated structural wall sheathing panels with a built in weather barrier, fastened directly to the studs
- for ICF homes, the ICF wall blocks and the brackets set into them that carry the floors
- insulated roof panels, roof trusses or an ICF roof, depending on the design
- windows and exterior doors
- structural hardware and connections
- the assembly layouts, drawings and documentation your builder works from
ICF stands for insulated concrete forms: hollow foam blocks that are stacked, reinforced and filled with concrete to make the walls. The insulated sheathing panels do two jobs at once. They add a continuous layer of insulation outside the studs, and their facing acts as the weather barrier once the seams are taped, so your builder is not wrapping the house as a separate step.
When the Shell Package is assembled, the structure is standing, the windows and exterior doors are in, and the home has its shape. Roofing, siding and everything inside come next, either from the Full Package or from your builder.
What the Full Package Adds
The Full Package includes everything in the Shell Package, plus the materials to finish the home:
- roofing and exterior siding
- the remaining insulation, beyond what the sheathing panels or ICF walls provide
- drywall
- interior doors and trim
- flooring
- cabinetry
- appliances
- plumbing and light fixtures, such as toilets, tubs and lighting
- finishes, either standard or selected to your specification
Appliances are included for a practical reason. Kitchen cabinets and their spacing are designed around the specific appliances chosen for that kitchen. Supplying both together helps the fridge fit its opening and the range line up with its hood.
When your builder has installed it all, and your local trades have done the plumbing, electrical and heating work, the home is ready for your furniture.
The Two Levels Side by Side
| Shell Package | Full Package | |
|---|---|---|
| Design, engineering and drawings | Yes | Yes |
| Structure, including interior walls | Yes | Yes |
| Insulated sheathing panels or ICF walls | Yes | Yes |
| Roof structure | Yes | Yes |
| Windows and exterior doors | Yes | Yes |
| Roofing and siding | No | Yes |
| Remaining insulation and drywall | No | Yes |
| Interior doors, trim and flooring | No | Yes |
| Cabinetry and appliances | No | Yes |
| Plumbing and light fixtures | No | Yes |
| Finish selections | No | Standard or selected |
What Neither Package Includes
Some work always stays local, whichever level you choose:
- site work and foundations
- construction labour and equipment
- permits and local consultant fees
- freight, which is quoted for each project
- plumbing pipes, electrical wiring and the heating system
Your local trades design and install the pipes, wiring and heating to suit your home and your local code. Freight is quoted separately because distance, road access and the number of deliveries vary so much from one site to the next.
How to Choose
The right level is the one that matches how you and your builder want to work. These questions will help you decide.
Does your builder have strong local suppliers? Some builders have trusted suppliers and crews they have worked with for years, and they prefer to source finishes themselves. If that describes yours, the Shell Package may be the better fit. You get a designed, engineered structure, and your builder handles the rest.
When do you want to make your finishing decisions? The Full Package means the major finishing choices are made early and written into the specification. Some owners like that certainty. Others would rather choose finishes later, once they can walk through the framed space.
How much does design consistency matter to you? With the Full Package, the design carries through to the finishes. Cabinets fit the appliances they were designed around, and materials work together because they were chosen together.
Where is your site? On a remote site, fewer separate suppliers and deliveries can make the job simpler. On a site close to good local suppliers, sourcing finishes locally may be just as easy.
How do you want to budget? With the Full Package, most of the home's materials are priced from one specification. With the Shell Package, the finishing materials are priced through your builder's own quotes. Either way, ask your builder to price the local work early, so the full picture is clear before you commit.
What to Settle Before You Order
Before you sign, walk through this list with your builder:
- Which level you are ordering, and who is supplying anything outside it.
- For a Shell Package, where your builder will source roofing, siding, insulation and finishes, and roughly when.
- For a Full Package, whether you want standard finishes or your own selections, and when those selections are due.
- Who receives each delivery, checks it against the packing list and stores it on site.
- How your plumbing, electrical and heating trades will work around the package materials.
The Specification Decides
Whichever level you choose, the signed project specification controls exactly what is included. Before anything is ordered, you review it line by line and sign it. If something matters to you, it belongs in that document.
If you are still deciding whether a package is right for you at all, start with our guide to what a Build Ready home package is. To see both levels and the build systems in one place, visit our Build Ready packages page.
In Short
The Shell Package gives you a designed, engineered structure with its windows and exterior doors, and leaves the finishing to you and your builder. The Full Package carries the same design all the way to the fixtures and appliances. Choose the Shell Package if your builder has strong local sources and you want to make finishing decisions later. Choose the Full Package if you want the decisions made early, the materials chosen together and most of the home priced from one specification.
