Discover BotBuilt’s Robotic Technology in Homebuilding

BotBuilt's primary focus is on automating the framing step in the home building process, a critical and labour-intensive part of construction. The company's robotic systems are designed to assemble major framing components such as panels for walls, floor trusses, and roof trusses. This automation is not only faster but also more cost-effective, reducing the dependency on skilled labour which is in shortage. The company's system can be reprogrammed to build different frame designs, offering flexibility and adaptability in the face of varied construction designs.

The company operates by providing services to homebuilders, rather than selling its frame-building systems. They run robot-equipped factories to produce framing for their customers, which helps in speeding up the construction process and reducing costs. Ames believes this approach will help increase the volume and margin for builders by leveraging affordable robotic labour. This is particularly significant given that house framing typically costs between $7 to $16 per square foot, with labour costs constituting a significant portion of this expense.

Despite being in its early stages, BotBuilt has shown promise, having built nine homes and generated around $75,000 in revenue. The company plans to expand its operations in 2024, beginning with shipping trusses built by its robotics and scaling up its operations. Ames estimates that BotBuilt makes approximately $15,000 in revenue per house of wall panels built. The company aims to operate its factories with a gross margin higher than the 30-40% maintained by traditional wall panels and truss plants.