FrameUpNow — Build-to-Rent Framing

FrameUpNow engineers certainty into every steel frame community — at build-to-rent scale.

We engineer residential steel frames to International Building Code (IBC) standards and generate a precise, BIM-derived Material List directly from the structure — repeated across every unit in your community, with defined quantities and real cost clarity before you break ground.

Get your community's framing cost → Request a quote
IBC-engineered frames
BIM-derived material lists
3-day ship per kit
Permit-ready plans · IBC-engineered steel kits · predictable delivery
Why Cold-Formed Steel

The same advantages that work for one home, compound across a community

Cold-formed steel offers well-established advantages over wood framing. At build-to-rent scale, repeated across dozens or hundreds of units, those advantages compound directly into schedule and cost predictability across the whole portfolio.

SPEC 01

Non-combustible framing

Steel doesn't burn, so the structural frame doesn't contribute fuel to a fire — improving fire performance and resilience across every unit in the community.

SPEC 02

Pest resistance

Not susceptible to termites or wood-destroying insects, reducing the risk of hidden structural damage across a portfolio you'll hold and operate long-term.

SPEC 03

Dimensional stability

Steel doesn't shrink, warp, or rot — helping eliminate door and window fit issues, wall shifting, and finish cracking. Fewer warranty callbacks protect operating margins and improve cap-rate performance at sale.

SPEC 04

Minimal jobsite waste

Components are manufactured to precise dimensions and steel scrap is fully recyclable — lower disposal costs multiplied across every phase.

SPEC 05

Strength-to-weight efficiency

High structural strength relative to weight, supporting design loads without unnecessary bulk — useful flexibility across repeated single-story plans.

SPEC 06

Cost certainty at scale

Kit pricing doesn't move with the lumber market, so unit 80 costs what unit 1 costs — a material advantage that only compounds as your unit count grows.

Engineered, Not Estimated

IBC-engineered frames, BIM-derived material lists — the same clarity your underwriting needs

FrameUpNow doesn't sell prescriptive plans or estimated takeoffs. Every design is engineered to International Building Code standards, and Building Information Modeling generates a precise Material List directly from the structure — defined quantities and real cost clarity, before you ever break ground.

  • Accurate, auditable quantities for underwriting and budgeting — not rough estimates
  • A complete, model- and lot-specific BOM generated automatically for every plan variation — real back-office relief without the overhead of hand-building takeoffs across the community
  • Verified code compliance built into every engineered design
  • Fewer surprises during the build, across every phase of a multi-phase community
  • Kit library engineered and built directly from your model library — design and framing already speaking the same language
YOUR MODELS — Permit-Ready Plans
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FRAMEUPNOW — IBC-Engineered, BIM-Modeled Kit
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3-DAY SHIP — Ready to Stand
How It Works

From plan to framed community

1

Share your community plan

Unit count, plan type, and market — we match it to a permit-ready design and engineered kit.

2

IRC-to-IBC engineering

FrameUpNow engineers your plan from IRC to IBC standards and runs all structural calculations, so the design holds up at portfolio scale.

3

Review your BIM-derived material list

A complete shopping list generated automatically for each model on each lot — defined quantities and real costs, without your team hand-building takeoffs.

4

Kits ship, 3 days per order

Pre-cut, panelized, and ready to stand — phase by phase, unit by unit.

5

Frame, repeat, accelerate outcomes

Hold the line on unit cost, reduce warranty exposure, and produce greater exit profit from the first building to the last.

208
Kits in production
12
Jurisdictions covered
3
Days to ship, per kit
Get Specific Numbers

Request a project-specific quote

Tell us your target community size and market, and we'll send framing costs specific to your project — not a generic estimate.

Direct line: 888-864-0184

Prefer to talk it through first? Schedule a call and we'll walk your project's numbers together before you fill out anything.

Schedule an appointment →

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Common Questions

Framing questions, answered directly

How much does steel framing cost vs. wood at BTR scale?

Steel isn't always cheaper on a single-unit, single-week basis, but its price doesn't move with lumber market cycles. Across a multi-phase BTR community, that stability usually closes or reverses the gap versus wood once you account for the full build-out, not just one week's material quote.

What's a BIM-derived material list?

It's a materials quantity list generated directly from the engineered structural model for a specific plan version on a specific lot — not a hand-built estimate. It reflects the actual structure, including any lot-specific plan variations, rather than a category-level average.

What does IBC-engineered mean, and why does it matter for BTR portfolios?

IBC (International Building Code) engineering means the design has documented structural calculations behind it, rather than relying on the prescriptive tables used for one-off residential construction (IRC). At BTR scale, where the same plan repeats across dozens or hundreds of units, that documentation matters far more than it does for a single home.

How fast do framing kits ship after ordering?

Kits ship 3 days after order, pre-cut and ready to stand. That fixed, short window is most valuable when it's coordinated against site readiness and crew scheduling, rather than treated as a stand-alone fix for a construction schedule.

Can the material list be generated for a specific plan version on a specific lot?

Yes — since BTR communities often mix plan variations across lots (garage vs. no garage, corner-lot setbacks), the material list is generated for the exact version assigned to each lot, so the builder's team isn't hand-adjusting takeoffs for every variation.

What's the difference between build-to-rent and for-sale framing strategy?

A BTR operator holds and maintains the asset for years, so framing decisions around cost stability, dimensional stability, and long-term maintenance matter more than they do for a for-sale builder who sells at closing. Repetition across a small number of plans also pays off more in BTR, where unit variety matters far less than it does in a competitive resale market.