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About Modular Living Australia
| Type | Independent consumer information platform |
|---|---|
| Focus | Modular, prefab and alternative housing in Australia |
| Coverage | All states & territories |
| Website | modularlivingaustralia.com.au |
| Not a | Builder, broker, certifier or advisor |
Modular Living Australia helps Australians understand emerging housing solutions and make better-informed decisions. The platform compiles publicly available information about modular homes, prefabricated housing, granny flats, tiny homes and transportable dwellings — costs, timelines, approval pathways and finance — and presents it in plain English with the source of every figure identified.
Why the platform exists §
Off-site construction is growing in Australia, but from a low base and with a clear information gap for consumers. Research reviews place prefabrication at roughly 5% of the Australian construction market, while a 2026 industry briefing hosted by the University of South Australia and prefabAUS put Australia's share of new housing at about 6–7% — compared with roughly 15% in Japan and 20% in the Netherlands.[1][2] The industry body prefabAUS projects that 10% of Australian homes will be prefabricated by 2030, and the same academic review notes that Australian prefabrication has been described as nearly 15 years behind world leaders, growing more slowly than was predicted a decade ago.[1]
Government attention has increased against the national target of 1.2 million new homes in five years. The 2025 federal budget committed A$54 million to prefab and modular construction — A$49.3 million for state and territory programs plus funding for a national certification process — and in May 2026 a further A$39.3 million was announced to trial the open-source "System 600" kit-of-parts platform.[3][5]
Industry reporting quotes Housing Minister Clare O'Neil as saying prefab methods can build homes up to 50 per cent faster, and Industry Minister Ed Husic as saying that building a house in a factory rather than on site can cut construction time in half. — as reported in 2025 federal funding coverage[3][4]
For a household, however, most of the accessible material about these options is published by the companies selling them. Price guidance, timelines and approval claims come largely from builder websites. That material is useful, but it is commercial guidance rather than independent survey data — and it is rarely presented side by side. This platform exists to collect it, attribute it, and set it out so a reader can see exactly where each number came from.
What we are and what we are not §
| We are | We are not |
|---|---|
| An information platform compiling published data | A builder, manufacturer or reseller of homes |
| Independent of any builder or manufacturer | Paid to recommend or rank any company |
| A starting point for your own research | A substitute for professional advice on your site |
| Explicit about the source and date of every figure | An original surveyor of prices or a certifier |
| Focused on Australian rules and conditions | A quoting, broking or approvals service |
Before committing to any project, consult qualified professionals who can assess your specific site, budget and state planning context — a licensed builder, a certifier or council planner, and a lender or broker experienced in off-site construction.
Who publishes this site §
Modular Living Australia is an independently operated Australian information platform. Correspondence: info@modularlivingaustralia.com.au. How the site is operated is set out in our Terms of use and Privacy page.
How content is sourced §
Every factual claim is attributed to a published source and listed in the References section of the page. See Editorial policy for the full standard.
Corrections §
If a figure is out of date, misattributed or wrong, tell us via the contact page. Corrections are applied to the page and reflected in its last-updated date.
Sent to info@modularlivingaustralia.com.au and handled by a person. See Privacy.
References §
- ScienceDirect — "Mapping a decade of prefabrication policy in Australia" (2026) — prefabrication at roughly 5% of the Australian construction market; prefabAUS 10%-by-2030 projection; Australian prefabrication described as nearly 15 years behind world leaders and growing more slowly than predicted a decade ago. sciencedirect.com/org/science/article/pii/S0969998826000135
- Prefab News Australia — University of South Australia and prefabAUS industry briefing (2026) — Australia at about 6–7% of new housing, versus Japan around 15% and the Netherlands around 20%. prefabnews.com.au/how-prefab-technology-could-help-solve-australias-housing-crisis/
- Built Offsite / Australian Broker News — 2025 federal budget — A$54 million for prefabrication and modular construction; A$49.3 million for state and territory programs plus a national certification process. Industry Minister Ed Husic said factory building can cut construction time in half. builtoffsite.com.au/news/federal-government-backs-prefabrication-and-modular-construction-with-54-million-boost/
- Redland Bayside News — Budget coverage including Housing Minister Clare O'Neil's statement that prefab methods can build homes up to 50 per cent faster, and the national target of 1.2 million new homes in five years. redlandbaysidenews.com.au/government-boosts-prefabricated-housing/
- Built Offsite — May 2026 — A$39.3 million committed to trial the open-source "System 600" kit-of-parts platform developed with the Building 4.0 CRC. builtoffsite.com.au/news/federal-government-commits-39-3m-to-open-source-prefab-housing-system-trials/
Figures are as published by the sources above at their respective dates and are paraphrased summaries, not verbatim reproductions. Verify current pricing and rules directly with builders, lenders and planning authorities.