What are the warning signs when reviewing a modular-building supplier?

Supplier and factory identity are unclear

Confirm who owns the factory, who signs the contract, who receives payment and which entity appears on technical documents. A trading company can still be useful, but the project should understand the relationship rather than assume it is the manufacturer.

Technical claims are broader than the evidence

Investigate claims such as hurricane proof, earthquake proof, fireproof, 50-year life or any universal compliance statement when no exact configuration, standard, report or project-specific engineering pathway is shown.

Ask what changes when module width, storey count, openings, materials or destination criteria change.

Capacity is expressed only as a headline number

Annual factory capacity does not show how much production is available to the current programme. Ask for monthly capacity, line allocation, current workload, engineering capacity and a proposed phase plan for the actual order.

Project references cannot be tied to the proposed role

Request enough information to distinguish manufacturer, subcontractor, material supplier and marketing reference. A supplier may have contributed to a project without supplying the complete finished building.

Logistics and after-sales are discussed late

If container quantities, weights, replacement parts, assembly manuals, warranty handling and damage replacement are unclear until after order placement, the project carries avoidable risk.