Frequently
Asked Questions.

A panelized home is built from factory-manufactured structural panels — walls, floors, and roof — assembled around a cold-formed steel frame. The panels are built to precise dimensions at a factory, then shipped to your lot and assembled on a prepared foundation. Lumee offers three pre-designed panelized home models sized for different uses: compact / ADU, family / vacation, and larger residence.

No. Lumee homes are panelized, not modular. Panelized means flat structural panels are built at a factory and assembled on your lot. Modular construction ships finished, room-sized boxes that are stacked or joined on site — a fundamentally different method. See the Panelized Home System page for the full explanation.

Traditional stick-built construction frames and finishes the home entirely on site — every stud, wire, and pipe measured, cut, and fitted on the lot. Panelized construction moves that work to a factory: panels arrive pre-built to specification, with structural frame, insulation, and finish already integrated. The result is tighter tolerances, less site waste, and a shorter assembly window on your lot. See the Panelized Home System page for a side-by-side comparison.

Three — Model One (compact / ADU / guest / rental), Model Two (balanced primary or family home), and Model Three (larger residence or developer lot). Each model includes its own floor plan, elevations, 3D plan, and virtual tour. Specific area and bedroom/bath counts are listed on each model page.

Lumee is a model-based program — the structural floor plan of each model stays consistent so engineering and production stay predictable. You can choose from defined option packages for exterior finish, interior palette, kitchen, bath, outdoor living, and site adaptation. See any model page for current options.

Cold-formed steel is thin-gauge structural steel shaped at room temperature into studs, tracks, joists, and panels. It is used in residential and commercial framing as a precision-oriented alternative to dimensional lumber. Lumee homes are framed with cold-formed steel throughout — walls, floors, and roof.

At a material level, cold-formed steel is dimensionally stable in humid conditions, is not a food source for termites, does not rot, and holds tight factory tolerances — all relevant in Southern climates. It is also well-suited to repeatable panelized production, which is central to how Lumee builds. See the Panelized Home System page for a direct comparison.

Steel is not a food source for termites, unlike wood framing. The primary structural frame of a Lumee home contains no wood for termites to reach. Note that other building components — trim, decking, cabinetry — may still require individual consideration; the termite-resistance characteristic applies specifically to the cold-formed steel structural frame.

Cold-formed steel used in framing is galvanized and engineered to resist corrosion when properly detailed — kept dry, correctly flashed, and enclosed within a sound building envelope. As with any framing system, performance depends on detailing, installation quality, and ongoing envelope maintenance.

Insulation strategy for cold-formed steel framing accounts for the thermal bridging characteristics of steel studs. Common approaches include continuous exterior insulation and cavity fill. The specific insulation specification for each Lumee model is confirmed during the engineering and documentation phase.

Lumee models are designed with the Southern U.S. climate environment in mind — where wind loads, high humidity, termite risk, and storm-prone conditions shape material choices, detailing, and the engineering approach. Every project is reviewed against local building code, wind zone, and exposure category for your specific lot. Final performance depends on site-specific engineering, foundation type, exposure classification, and quality of installation.

No home should be marketed as hurricane-proof, and Lumee does not market homes that way. Our models are designed for storm-prone Southern regions and reviewed against your local wind zone and exposure category. Final performance for any given home depends on local code in effect at the lot, exposure category, foundation design, materials, detailing, and the quality of installation on your site. We always recommend site-specific structural engineering — and that is part of every Lumee project.

Every project receives site-specific structural review against the local building code, wind zone, and exposure category (B / C / D) for your lot. Final structural drawings are sealed by a licensed structural engineer in your state.

Yes — site-specific structural review is part of every Lumee project. Engineering accounts for your state's building code, local wind zone, exposure category, foundation strategy, and soil conditions. Stamped drawings are sealed by a licensed structural engineer in your state.

Coastal sites involve additional engineering considerations — wind zone, exposure category C or D, flood zone designation, and potentially corrosion-resistant hardware specifications. These are evaluated project-by-project. Foundation type is selected with your engineer based on site soils, slope, water table, and applicable flood zone designation. Elevation requirements come from your jurisdiction's flood maps and code. Reach out via the pricing form with your location details.

Submit your project details via the Get Pricing form — location, preferred model, lot status, and timeline. A member of the Lumee team reviews each intake and follows up directly. No bots, no auto-quotes.

Project pricing depends on the model, your selected options, state and county code environment, foundation type, site conditions, engineering scope, logistics, and how scope is divided between the kit and your contractor. A single sticker price would be misleading. Once we have reviewed your site details, we share project-level pricing directly.

The main variables are: model selected, state and county (code scope and engineering cost), site access and logistics, foundation type, delivery distance, option selections, finish scope, and how much of the on-site work your contractor carries. See How It Works for a full breakdown of factors.

No. The Lumee kit includes the cold-formed steel frame, panelized walls, floor and roof system, exterior sheathing, engineering drawings, and assembly documentation. Land, site preparation, foundation, utility connections, permits, MEP rough-in, and finishes beyond selected options are not part of the kit. Your general contractor handles these locally. See the "What's in the Kit" section on any model page.

Submit your project details via the Get Pricing form. You don't need land or a contractor yet — just a sense of the model you're interested in and your general location. A member of the Lumee team reviews each intake and follows up directly to discuss next steps.

At the pricing stage: your state and county, land ownership status, preferred model (or a request for a recommendation), project timeline, and budget range. A site plan or survey if you have one. Incomplete information is fine — share what you know and we'll follow up to fill in the rest.

No. You can reach out via the pricing form while you're still looking for land. We can scope a model and provide preliminary feedback on the kinds of lots and site conditions that fit — before you commit to a specific site.

Yes — a licensed general contractor in your state handles permitting, foundation, MEP, finishes, and final close-out. Lumee delivers the kit; your GC builds the home around it. Whether to use your own contractor or one you've found locally is your choice — details are confirmed during the project conversation.

Your licensed general contractor is typically responsible for pulling permits and managing the approval process with the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) in your county or municipality. Lumee provides the engineering drawings, stamped documents, and product documentation your GC and AHJ will need.

The next step is sharing your site details via the pricing form. From there: the Lumee team reviews your intake, aligns on the right model, and opens a pricing conversation. Once scope is agreed, the project moves into site-specific engineering, documentation, and production planning. See How It Works for the full process.