Combating Construction Uncertainty With The Right Building Products

Unfortunately, there’s only one constant in today’s building industry: uncertainty.  Shifting tariffs, higher long-term interest rates,  rising material costs, labor shortages, and supply chain delays are making it harder than ever for builders, architects, and developers to confidently plan projects. These challenges are impacting everything from how jobs are financed to how—and when—they can be delivered.

Thankfully in a world full of variables, your building envelope doesn’t have to be one of them.

Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) bring consistency to the chaos. Factory fabrication means fewer trades required, faster installation, and a single high-performance product that replaces multiple systems. For those tired of a landscape of business volatility, SIPs construction offers a more predictable path forward for your schedule, budget, and structure.

Tariffs & Supply Chain Shifts 

Material tariffs are more than a political issue—they directly impact your bottom line. From steel and lumber to insulation, hold-downs and fasteners, tariffs are reshaping how construction projects are financed, sourced, and delivered. 

According to the NAHB’s January 2025 Cost of Construction Survey, the average cost to build a home has risen substantially over the past two years, and that was before additional tariffs went into effect in 2025. In their May 2025 update, NAHB members cited tariff uncertainty as a top challenge disrupting timelines, inflating costs, and straining supplier relationships.

To attempt to stabilize business, building material manufacturers and distributors who rely on imports are scrambling by overstocking raw materials or inventory in effort to continue providing Contractors with reliable supply. This is a challenge in a time when the actual costs and supply for everything is simply unreliable. The costs for all of this scrambling trickles down to the end users, who are also scrambling to keep their construction projects on time and on budget.

In this climate, choosing building systems that reduce your exposure to unpredictable material markets has become essential to business.

SIPs: A Whole-Assembly Solution You Can Count On

Traditional stick-built assemblies rely on a dozen different materials and trades to install —  inconsistent dimensional lumber, low thermal value fiberglass batt or spray foam insulation, exterior sheathing, vapor barriers, headers, window bucks, fasteners, roof underlayment, building wrap (weather resistant barrier) and more —all sourced separately, priced separately, and shipped on their own timelines. For those tracking, that is a LOT of SKU's to manage. 

Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) simplify all of that into one line item.

SIPs arrive as a complete, factory-engineered building envelope.  Pre-cut, pre-engineered, and ready to install.  No waiting on scattered material drops. No piecing together components on-site. Just one integrated, offsite-manufactured solution, designed for construction efficiency.

This means:

• Fewer supply chain variables (no pricing lumber, insulation, WRBs, or headers separately)
• Predictable scheduling and delivery
• Fewer crews and trades on-site
• Less material waste and room for human error

In other words, SIPs help eliminate uncertainty, before it ever hits your job site.

>> MORE: TOP 10 WAYS SIPS TRANSFORM BUILDER CHALLENGES

Labor Shortages? SIPs Are Built for That.

Labor shortages aren’t going away anytime soon. The U.S. construction industry continues to struggle with a shrinking pool of skilled workers, slowing project timelines and driving up costs.

Adding to the pressure, the industry heavily relies on foreign-born labor.  California and Texas alone each have more than half a million foreign-born construction workers.  Together, these two states account for over a third of all immigrant construction labor in the U.S.

In this environment, builders need systems that reduce skilled labor demands, without sacrificing speed or performance.

That’s where SIPs shine:

• Factory-precise panels, custom fabricated for each building plan, reduce the need for skilled on-site framing
• The bulk of "traditional" field labor happens with CNC production lines at the manufacturing facility
• Install times are up to 55% faster than stick-built methods
• One crew can dry in a structure in days, not weeks
• Most crews can be trained in just a few hours

With fewer people needed on-site and most of the work done up front, SIPs dramatically reduce labor risk and keep your schedules moving. Learn more about reducing on-site labor demands with SIPs here.

⇒ Project Highlight, Little Big Horn College, Montana:  "With the pre-built panels, you just have to piece the building together like a puzzle.  The SIPs were really accurately constructed and went together well.  Using Premier SIPs probably saved about 15 – 20% or better on the installation time.  It also eliminated the need to heat the walls during winter construction, as would have been necessary with concrete masonry units.” -Glen Kamerman, Partner with Kamerman Construction

Engineered for Superior Results

This isn’t just about reducing risk—it’s about raising the bar. SIPs don’t just offer predictability; they deliver a better building from the start:

• Straighter, stronger walls that reduce settling and minimize costly callbacks
• Up to 60% energy savings, lowering operating costs for years to come
• Airtight, clean, and quiet buildings that promote healthier indoor air quality
• Disaster resilience with proven performance in seismic zones, wildfire-prone areas, and high-wind regions
• Made in North America, reducing reliance on overseas materials affected by tariffs, shipping delays, or regulatory shifts

In a market full of question marks, SIPs deliver consistent performance and peace of mind. 

>> MORE: BUILDING WITH CONFIDENCE: THE POWER OF PREDICTABILITY

The Bottom Line

Uncertainty is everywhere in construction—but your building system doesn’t have to be one of them.

SIPs simplify the process, reduce risk, and deliver stronger, greener, and more efficient buildings. In a market defined by unpredictability, that kind of reliability isn’t just helpful—it’s a smart investment.

Connect with the Premier SIPS representative in your region to talk about your next project—and how we can bring predictability, performance, and peace of mind to your jobsite.