Negative aspect of offsite-built steel-frame home package construction are the necessity of tools and skills that are not generally possessed by home owners or carpenters. The need for a specialized crew leads to higher labor costs.

Steel is more expensive than lumber. An average-sized, three-bedroom home would cost an extra $1.60 per square foot with steel. Steel-related errors are more costly than are the three-times-cut-still-too-short mistakes in the carpentry trade.