Cleanrooms represent one of the most critical infrastructure investments across industries ranging from pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to semiconductor manufacturing and aerospace. These environments must maintain strict contamination limits, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency while supporting complex manufacturing processes.
For anyone designing a cleanroom, whether it’s one suite or an entire facility, the choice between stick-built and modular construction is one of the first big decisions. That decision affects not just what the room costs today, but how easy it is to run, maintain, and adapt five or ten years down the road.
This article examines both construction approaches, with particular attention to how modular cleanroom systems deliver substantial reductions in operating and maintenance costs over the facility lifecycle.
Understanding stick-built cleanroom construction
Stick-built cleanrooms are constructed using conventional building materials such as metal studs, gypsum wallboard (drywall), fibreglass insulation, field-applied wall coatings, and standard suspended ceiling systems. As with any traditional construction, everything is built on-site from the ground up according to project-specific designs and specifications with quality dependent on both material selection and workmanship.
Where does stick-built construction make sense?
This approach offers a high degree of design flexibility. Architects and engineers can accommodate irregular building footprints, integrate complex process equipment layouts, and incorporate specialised features that might not be available in some standardised modular systems. This flexibility proves particularly valuable for challenging buildings or facilities with unique architectural requirements.
For large installations exceeding 10,000 sqft, traditional construction can offer initial material cost advantages, particularly where local sourcing reduces procurement expense, an advantage when budget constraints are the primary concern.
Stick-built construction allows for comprehensive integration with existing building systems from the project’s inception. HVAC ductwork, electrical conduits, process piping, and fire protection systems can be embedded within wall cavities and ceiling plenums, potentially reducing utility installation complexity, though this advantage is diminishing as modular systems continue to evolve.
Stick-built disadvantages and hidden costs
Stick-built cleanrooms can sometimes require extended project timelines compared to modular alternatives. On-site construction involves sequential trades and increased inspection hold points – processes that can extend schedules significantly. In industries where time-to-market is critical, these delays can result in substantial opportunity costs that often aren’t calculated in the initial project evaluation.
Construction activities can generate considerable noise, airborne particulates, and vehicular and personnel traffic. For active facilities adding cleanrooms to existing operations, these disruptions can impact production, force temporary shutdowns, and necessitate additional contamination control measures that increase project costs.
Although cost-effective at installation, gypsum wallboard poses long-term challenges in controlled environments. Its susceptibility to moisture absorption creates a risk of microbial growth, and its cellulose content can support mould development—conditions incompatible with GMP-regulated operations.
In addition, gypsum-based materials are inherently fragile and susceptible to impact damage; routine activity such as cart movement or equipment installation can compromise surfaces, generating particulates and requiring remediation to preserve classification standards. FRP and wainscoting can minimise the possibility of damage, but at an increased initial cost that often negates the material savings.
Stick-built cleanrooms typically specify epoxy coatings, which are subject to chemical degradation and physical damage and require periodic repainting. Additionally, caulk joints are prone to shrinkage, cracking, and can retain contaminants, requiring frequent inspection and replacement to maintain proper sealing. In some instances the difference between stick-built and modular construction is equal to the cost of a single repaint, and this doesn’t even account for the ongoing maintenance labor and operational disruption these activities create.
Once constructed, stick-built cleanrooms present significant challenges for expansions, floorplan changes, or utility additions. Renovations typically require demolition, reconstruction, and extensive cleaning of affected areas prior to requalification, resulting in substantial downtime and cost.
Projects with irregular building footprints or unique architectural requirements often cannot be accommodated by available modular systems
Understanding modular cleanroom construction
Modular cleanrooms are assembled from prefabricated panels and components manufactured in controlled environments. These panels incorporate cleanroom-grade components such as powder-coated steel, aluminium honeycomb cores, and chemically-bonded polymer surfaces, designed to deliver durability, chemical resistance, and ease of cleaning.
Where does modular construction make sense?
Modular cleanrooms can typically be installed in 50-75% less time than equivalent stick-built facilities. Parallel manufacturing and site preparation activities, combined with rapid on-site assembly, provides accelerated project delivery and can reduce project timelines from months to weeks.
Modular systems are manufactured in a factory off-site. Once on-site, modular installation does not generate dust and debris, a clean installation process that allows construction to proceed in operational facilities without compromising adjacent clean areas.
Modular systems also excel in adaptability. Panels can be relocated, additional modules added, or entire floorplans reconfigured with minimal particulate generation, without disruption to adjacent operations. This flexibility proves invaluable for companies anticipating future changes such as multi-phase expansions or integration of new capabilities.
Modular panels typically feature non-porous, chemically resistant surfaces that neither absorb moisture nor support microbial growth. Materials like powder-coated steel, anodised aluminium, and chemically-bonded polymer surfaces provide excellent cleanability and chemical compatibility while maintaining dimensional stability over extended periods.
How modular reduces operating and maintenance costs
Modular cleanroom panels are engineered with durable, non-porous surfaces that resist damage from frequent cleaning, chemical exposure, and mechanical impact. Unlike gypsum wallboard, which requires protective coverings or periodic repainting, modular surfaces maintain their integrity and appearance through years of hard use. This durability translates to significantly reduced maintenance.
The smooth, crevice-free surfaces of quality modular systems facilitate efficient cleaning and disinfection procedures. Facilities often report a significant reduction in cleaning time compared with drywall-based systems; translating into lower labour requirements and increased operational efficiency. Additionally, the enhanced cleanability helps maintain consistent environmental conditions, reducing HVAC system workload and energy consumption.
Modular systems’ durability and non-shedding nature minimise the risk of contamination that could compromise production batches or require remediation. In pharmaceutical manufacturing, a single event can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost product, investigation time, revalidation, and regulatory reporting. The robust construction of modular systems significantly reduces these risks.
If damage occurs, modular panels can often be repaired with minimal impact to ongoing operations, saving potential downtime and costs. This repair capability contrasts sharply with stick-built systems, where local damage often generates particulates, necessitating operation shutdown.
What are the financial implications?
Beyond the operational and maintenance advantages, modular construction can provide financial benefits through enhanced asset value and strategic classification opportunities.
The inherent flexibility of modular systems preserves asset value over time. As business needs evolve, modular cleanrooms can be reconfigured, expanded, or even relocated to different facilities. This adaptability protects the initial investment and can provide substantial value during facility renovation, consolidation, or relocation.
In many cases, modular cleanrooms qualify as equipment rather than permanent building improvements. This classification can allow accelerated depreciation under current tax codes, improving cash flow and reducing effective investment costs. Cleanrooms may also qualify for manufacturing equipment tax incentives unavailable to building improvements.
For organisations in leased facilities, equipment classification can also preserve asset mobility, enabling relocation or reconfiguration without impacting the underlying building, unlike stick-built cleanrooms that generally become permanent fixtures and part of real property. Modular cleanrooms preserve the option to relocate valuable assets and can simplify the return of the facility to its original condition, providing additional financial protection and flexibility.
Stick-built construction allows for comprehensive integration with existing building systems from the project’s inception
Choose stick-built construction when…
Challenging building constraints: Projects with irregular building footprints or unique architectural requirements that cannot be accommodated by available modular systems may benefit from stick-built approaches, though these situations are becoming less common as modular options expand.
Large-scale initial cost optimisation: Extensive facilities exceeding 10,000 square feet with minimal anticipated changes over their lifecycle may realise initial material cost advantages from stick-built construction, particularly where local material sourcing provides competitive.
Extensive utility integration requirements: Applications requiring complex embedded utilities within wall cavities and ceiling plenums may favor traditional construction methods, though this advantage is diminishing as modular systems evolve.
Extended timeline tolerance: Projects with flexible schedules that can accommodate 3-6 months of additional construction time and tolerance for operational disruption during construction phases.
Choose modular construction when…
Time-critical implementation: Projects where rapid deployment provides significant business value or where early production start-up is essential for market competitiveness.
Operational continuity requirements: Adding cleanrooms to existing operational facilities where construction-related dust, noise, and disruption cannot be tolerated without impacting ongoing production.
Future flexibility needs: Facilities anticipating growth, reconfiguration, multi-phase expansions, or integration of new capabilities that will benefit from modular systems’ adaptability and minimal disruption during modifications.
GMP and sterility critical applications: Pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device manufacturers requiring superior contamination control, moisture resistance, and microbial growth prevention that modular materials provide.
Total cost of ownership priority: Organisations focusing on long-term operational efficiency, reduced maintenance costs, and asset value preservation over the facility lifecycle.
Leased facility operations: Businesses operating in leased spaces that need to maintain equipment classification for tax advantages and preserve the ability to relocate assets at lease termination.
Maintenance cost control: Facilities seeking to minimise ongoing maintenance through elimination of periodic repainting, caulk joint replacement, and damage-related repairs common with stick-built construction, costs that add up significantly over time.
Industry trends and what we’re seeing
The cleanroom industry is increasingly recognising the total cost of ownership advantages offered by modular construction. Advances in materials and prefabrication techniques, combined with a growing emphasis on lifecycle cost and operational flexibility, are driving broader adoption of modular systems across all industry segments.
Sustainability considerations also play a role, as modular systems sometimes can be reconfigured and reused rather than demolished when facility needs change. This environmental benefit aligns with corporate sustainability goals while providing tangible cost advantages.
Final thoughts
The cleanroom construction landscape has evolved, with modular systems demonstrating clear advantages in operational efficiency, maintenance reduction, and total cost of ownership. While stick-built construction maintains relevance for specific applications, modular cleanrooms deliver measurable benefits in installation speed, operational continuity, maintenance reduction, and long-term adaptability.
For organisations navigating changing regulatory requirements, evolving production demands, and the need for resilient infrastructure, modular cleanrooms represent not only a practical solution but a strategic investment. The ability to reconfigure, expand, or relocate these assets while maintaining operational continuity represents a fundamental shift from traditional fixed infrastructure to flexible, future-ready facilities.
Facility owners evaluating cleanroom construction options should engage experienced professionals to conduct comprehensive lifecycle cost analyses that include operational expenses, maintenance requirements, regulatory compliance costs, and business flexibility value. The right construction decision can provide decades of operational advantages and cost savings that extend well beyond the initial project investment.
