Developing Housing System Certification To Speed Housing Delivery

Most homes in the US are permitted as one-off projects, and that process can slow housing delivery for even the most efficient builders. At the National Institute of Building Sciences 2026 Building Innovation conference, our CEO and Co-Founder Vikas Enti joined Dennis Michaud of CertainTeed/Saint-Gobain and moderator Ivan Rupnik of MOD X for a panel on streamlining housing approval through system certification, exploring how a national standard could speed production and reduce costs. HUD’s PD&R Edge featured the session and highlighted our approach as an example of what certification could help bring to scale.

Housing system certification would let jurisdictions approve a complete system, including its design, components, production process, onsite assembly, and quality controls, against a preapproved performance standard. Japan adopted the model in 1973, and roughly 28 percent of its housing units are now system certified.

Vikas shared how we work within today’s system. We act as a single provider across permitting, design, construction, and delivery, using third-party inspectors who work under state-specific guidelines. Our matrix manufacturing approach lets us design and build homes of varying dimensions simultaneously in the factory, and our “pixels to parts” digital pipeline checks designs against building and zoning codes, then sends simplified instructions directly to our builders. The result is home delivery in fewer than 100 days, with noncombustible materials and fortified, airtight building envelopes.

NIBS plans to launch the standard by the end of 2026 as a voluntary option for local permitting authorities. Certification would give builders like us predictability before construction begins and help scale offsite construction to meet housing demand.