What Are Portable Buildings?

Portable buildings are stand-alone, prebuilt structures that can be easily moved around and used in various locations depending on the needs of the purchaser. They are generally built off-site in a factory or workshop and are delivered to their intended site either partially or fully assembled, depending on their size. 

Because portable buildings are designed for immediate use once delivered, they offer a flexible and dynamic solution for businesses in many different sectors – they make great school classrooms, construction site offices and sports utility buildings, to name just three popular sectors. Their portability and affordability make them ideal for temporary use, while their robust build quality and ease of installation over traditional building methods are leading a trend in semi-permanent and permanent installations too. 

In this blog, the ModCon experts will be looking at what portable buildings are made of and answering questions such as ‘how much are portable buildings?’, so let’s get started.

What’s the Difference Between Portable Buildings and Modular Buildings?

The main two differences between modular and portable buildings are the way in which they are constructed and their intended use. Portable buildings are generally fully prebuilt off-site and are delivered to your location almost completely ready to use, bar connecting utilities and securing to the ground. They are designed with portability in mind and can be easily moved to a different site when needed.

Modular buildings generally consist of multiple sections that are shipped to the location and connected together on-site, allowing for larger and much more permanent buildings to be created. At ModCon, we specialise in portable buildings.

What Sectors Can Benefit From Portable Buildings?

We’ve answered ‘what are portable buildings?’, but who can use them? Portable cabins are so versatile that there are very few sectors that wouldn’t benefit from one in some way. Take sports and leisure, where they effectively serve as portable changing rooms and even toilet and shower facilities. They are perfect as offices and meeting rooms, thanks to their endless customisation options. 

The housing sector is seeing something of a trend for shipping container homes, as they offer an affordable home that’s quick to build. The healthcare sector is crying out for more capacity and portable medical buildings easily solve a myriad of issues, including being able to be quickly deployed to where they are needed. They can even be used by the retail sector for pop up container shops.

What Ancillary Products Can You Get?

As well as providing you with your ideal cabin, ModCon also provide a full range of ancillary products to ensure your installation is safe and efficient. These include boot wash stations for construction sites, water bowsers, effluent tanks for toilet and shower blocks, steel staircases for any double-decker installations and even gate house cabins. 

Are Portable Buildings the Same As Shipping Containers?

When answering the question ‘what are portable buildings made of?, one of the answers can certainly be ‘shipping containers’. While we can create your portable building entirely from scratch, we also specialise in shipping container conversions. Containers make a great starting point for portable buildings because they’re inherently strong and come on standardised sizes such as 8ft containers and 20ft containers.

What Do Portable Buildings Look Like?

As you can see, they can look however you want them to look thanks to a wide number of cladding options and external customisations.

How Much Are Portable Buildings?

The cost of a portable building will vary based on a number of variables, including the required size, materials used, internal fit-out requirements and any other customisations, such as an external finish. For example, more straightforward portable cabins may cost less than more specialised anti vandal cabins, because the latter will include extra security features. 

The best thing to do for a more accurate quote, whether you’re looking for a portable office cabin or want to know ‘how much are portable storage buildings?’, is to get in touch with us with some details, so we can prepare you an accurate quote. 

What Are Portable Buildings | FAQs 

Do portable buildings need planning permission?

Portable buildings do not always need planning permission, particularly if they are intended to be temporary and will be situated for less than 28 days. Always check with your local regulations for complete peace of mind.

What are anti vandal portable buildings?

Anti vandal buildings feature all the benefits of a standard portable building but with extra security features to make them even more robust and resistant to tampering and break ins. These extra features can include multi-point locking systems, window shutters, external lighting and motion-sensing security cameras. We specialise in these buildings and have even provided them to the UK Ministry of Defence. 

What makes a structure portable?

Portable buildings will be incredibly strong so that they can be lifted by cranes without fear of warping or damaging any of the building’s structure or materials. This is why they are generally built from steel. Portable buildings will have built-in lifting lugs to facilitate easy installation and removal by crane. 

What is another name for portable buildings?

Other names can include mobile buildings, relocatable buildings, temporary buildings and demountable buildings. There are also brand names that you may be familiar with, including a rather famous portmanteau of ‘portable’ and ‘cabin’ – though this is a trademark and cannot be applied to the industry as a whole. 

What are the benefits of a portable building?

The benefits of a portable building are many. They are flexible, cost-effective structures that can quickly be built and sited to solve a whole host of space issues, site requirements and storage needs. They offer minimal disruption compared to traditional building methods, as well as long-term durability and the option to easily change their use to suit the needs of your business or institution. We’ve written other blogs on the benefits of a portable building, including specifically the benefits of portable office cabins.