Pippin / Rent the Backyard
YC S19Autonomous homebuilding factory for the $1.7 trillion housing crisis.
About
Pippin is building the autonomous homebuilding factory for the $1.7 trillion housing crisis. Building a home requires human labor to: measure, cut, lift, drill, paint, and attach. This labor is used for a building’s: structure, vapor barriers, windows, insulation, siding, roofing, electrical, plumbing, fixtures, appliances, and cabinetry. The construction industry solves this complex variety of tasks by dividing them among tiny companies of specialized artisans. Few lessons learned are shared and the industry has had no growth in labor productivity since 1947. Building technology, methods, and materials have advanced and the constraints limiting home manufacturing can now be removed. Regulations have changed to allow small and simple accessory dwelling units (a.k.a. ADUs or backyard homes), making it easier to mass-produce housing. Pippin started in the ADU market with its brand "Rent the Backyard" and will build duplexes, quadplexes, and eventually large apartment buildings.