Celebrating over 40 years of outstanding modular buildings
Short and longer-term modular building hire for offices, schools, healthcare estates and project sites across the UK.
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When you need additional space for a limited period, modular building hire gives you the flexibility to bring in the accommodation you need without purchasing a permanent building.
At Cotaplan, we provide temporary modular buildings for organisations across the UK, with short and longer-term hire options available to suit different requirements.
Our hire buildings can provide temporary offices, classrooms, healthcare accommodation and other essential facilities. They can support refurbishment projects, changing capacity or periods when existing buildings are unavailable.
We have worked with modular buildings since 1982 and support clients throughout the hire process, from understanding the initial requirement and preparing the site through to delivery, installation and ongoing maintenance. When the building is no longer needed, we can arrange its removal.
Contact our team on 01942 271301 to discuss your site, required space and proposed hire period, and we’ll help you identify a suitable option.
Hiring a modular building should give you useful space for as long as you need it, without creating unnecessary complications around installation or maintenance. Our service covers more than supplying the building itself.
Cotaplan has more than 40 years of experience working with modular buildings in the UK. We understand the practical considerations involved in bringing temporary accommodation onto occupied commercial sites, schools, healthcare estates and other working environments.
Temporary does not always mean a few weeks. Some organisations need extra accommodation for a short project, while others may require it for several years.
We provide flexible hire periods according to the project, including hire terms of more than two years. This means you can consider modular hire for longer requirements without automatically committing to purchasing a building.
Site requirements need to be understood before a modular building arrives. We can support the project with site surveys, planning assistance where required, groundworks, delivery and installation.
Bringing these elements into the project early helps establish what needs to happen before the building can be put into use.
Maintenance should not become an additional burden once your temporary building is occupied. We provide maintenance and servicing during the hire agreement, giving you ongoing support for the building while it remains on your site.
Our experience covers projects throughout the UK and across a wide range of sectors. This gives our team an understanding of how requirements differ between commercial premises, education sites and healthcare environments.
If you need smaller standalone accommodation rather than a larger modular building, our portable cabin hire service may provide a more suitable option.
The right hire building depends on what the space needs to provide. Rather than treating temporary buildings as basic empty units, we look at how the accommodation will be used and which facilities need to be included.
Temporary office buildings can provide additional workspace when existing premises are at capacity, undergoing refurbishment or unable to accommodate a project team.
Our modular offices can provide practical working environments with layouts designed around the number of people using the building and the facilities required. Depending on the project, accommodation can include open-plan offices, meeting areas, reception space, toilets, kitchens and staff facilities.
Office hire can also support temporary decant projects, construction and infrastructure sites or businesses that need additional administration space without making a permanent change to their existing premises.
Schools and other education providers sometimes need additional teaching space quickly enough that a permanent construction project is not the most practical response.
Temporary modular classrooms can provide additional capacity during refurbishment work, changes in pupil numbers or wider estate projects. Buildings can be planned around teaching requirements and supporting facilities while allowing the school to continue using the wider site.
Completing much of the building work away from the school can also reduce the amount of construction activity taking place around pupils and staff.
Healthcare estates can face changing capacity requirements or need temporary accommodation while existing facilities are being altered.
Modular hospital buildings can provide additional space with layouts developed around the intended use of the building. The specification and facilities required will depend on the particular healthcare application, so these requirements need to be established during the planning stage.
Temporary modular buildings can also provide office, administration and welfare space on construction, industrial and infrastructure sites.
Where the project moves between locations or accommodation is only required while work is underway, hiring can avoid purchasing a building that may no longer be needed once the project is complete.
Local authorities, community organisations and other public sector bodies can use hired modular buildings when existing facilities are unavailable or additional capacity is required.
The layout can incorporate facilities appropriate to its purpose, including toilets and other internal services where required. The suitability of available hire stock will depend on the size, specification and facilities needed for the project.
Hiring is particularly useful when the requirement for additional space has a clear end point or may change over time. It provides access to functional accommodation without requiring an organisation to purchase a building it may not need permanently.
Space requirements can change during a project. Depending on the building and site, hired modular accommodation can be reconfigured, extended or relocated to respond to changing needs.
That can be valuable for growing teams, changing school capacity or projects where the number of people using the accommodation is difficult to predict from the outset.
Buying a building can make sense when additional space forms part of a long-term estate plan. The same investment may be unnecessary if the accommodation is only required during refurbishment work or for a fixed project.
Hire allows the building to remain on site for the agreed period before being removed once it is no longer required.
Much of a modular building is prepared away from its final location. This can reduce the amount of prolonged construction activity required on site compared with a building constructed entirely in place.
For occupied schools, healthcare environments and operating businesses, reducing disruption around normal day-to-day activity can be an important consideration.
The programme for a hire project depends on the building required, current availability, site preparation and access. Where suitable hire stock is available, using an existing modular building can remove the need to manufacture an entirely new structure.
We will discuss the required timescale at the start of the project rather than promise a standard delivery period that may not be realistic for your site.
Temporary accommodation still needs to provide a suitable environment for the people using it.
Depending on the building and project, modular hire accommodation can incorporate heating, electrical installations, welfare facilities and accessible access arrangements such as ramps and steps. Requirements should be discussed early so the proposed building can be checked against its intended use.
A successful hire project depends on more than finding a building of approximately the right size. The site, intended use and facilities all need to be considered before delivery.
We start by establishing what the building is for, how many people need to use it, where it will be positioned and how long it is likely to be required.
At this stage, it is useful to tell us about any essential rooms or facilities, access requirements and the timescale you are working towards.
The proposed location needs to be suitable for the building and accessible for delivery and installation.
Our team can assess the site and establish what preparation may be required. Planning permission and other regulatory requirements also need to be considered according to the individual proposal. A hired or temporary building is not automatically exempt from planning requirements.
Where planning support is required, we can assist as part of the wider project.
Once we understand the requirement, we can identify a suitable option from the hire buildings available.
The building can then be prepared for its intended use. What is possible will depend on the available unit and required specification, which is why discussing the details before committing to a particular building is important.
If hire is not the right route, we can also discuss new modular buildings, used or refurbished modular buildings where these are more appropriate for the project.
Any required groundwork needs to be completed before installation. The extent of this work depends on the site and building.
Services and access also need to be considered so that the accommodation can function as intended once installed.
We arrange delivery to site and plan the installation around the building and access available.
The modules are positioned and connected before the remaining installation work is completed. Any required steps, ramps or connections forming part of the agreed project can then be addressed before occupation.
Our involvement does not end when the building is installed. We handle maintenance and servicing during the hire agreement, so support remains available while the accommodation is in use.
At the end of the hire period, we can arrange removal of the modular building from your site.
There is no single hire period that suits every organisation. A contractor may need site accommodation for the duration of a particular project, while a school could require temporary classrooms throughout a longer programme of estate works.
Cotaplan provides short and long-term modular building hire, including arrangements extending beyond two years. Your proposed hire period can be discussed at the outset and considered alongside the building required.
Longer hire periods can also be useful where the future requirement is uncertain. Rather than purchasing permanent accommodation immediately, an organisation can use hired space while longer-term plans develop.
Changes in staffing, capacity or project scope can alter how much space you need. Depending on the building and conditions on site, modular accommodation may be extended, reconfigured or relocated.
Any change needs to be assessed individually to establish what is practical for the existing building.
Cotaplan takes responsibility for maintenance and servicing of the building during the hire agreement.
The scope and arrangements will be confirmed as part of your hire so both parties understand their responsibilities before occupation.
Once the building is no longer required, we can arrange for it to be removed.
This is one of the main differences between hiring and purchasing. You gain the additional accommodation for the period it is needed without being left with a building that no longer has a purpose on your site.
For organisations considering their longer-term options, our modular building costs guide explains some of the factors to consider when comparing hire, new buildings and refurbished alternatives.
If you need temporary space for your business, school, healthcare facility or project site, we’ll help you establish which modular hire option is suitable for the requirement.
Tell us what the building will be used for, your location, the approximate space required and how long you expect to need it. We can then discuss availability, site requirements and the next steps for your project.
Call us on 0800 7999 049, call our main office on 01942 271301, email us at info@cotaplan.co.uk or fill in our online contact form to discuss modular building hire anywhere in the UK.
Yes. We provide both short and longer-term modular building hire, including hire periods exceeding two years. The appropriate arrangement will depend on the building and how long you expect to need the accommodation.
Planning requirements depend on the proposed building, its location, intended use and how long it will remain on site. A temporary or hired modular building should not be assumed to be exempt from planning permission.
We can discuss planning requirements during the project and provide support where required. Your local planning authority can also confirm the requirements applying to a particular site.
Hiring can be useful when additional space is required temporarily because it avoids the need to purchase a building for a limited requirement. It can also provide flexibility where future capacity is uncertain.
Depending on the project, modular hire can reduce the amount of construction activity required on site and allow the building to be removed once it is no longer needed.
Timescales vary according to the type of building required, availability, site access and any preparation needed before installation.
Using existing hire stock can reduce the need for new manufacture where a suitable building is available. We will establish the likely programme after discussing your requirements and assessing the site.
Cotaplan provides maintenance and servicing during the hire agreement. We will explain the relevant arrangements and responsibilities as part of your hire.
Yes. Modular offices can be hired for temporary business accommodation, decant projects, site offices and other short or longer-term workspace requirements.
The available layout and facilities will depend on the building and your project requirements.
Yes. Modular classroom hire can provide temporary teaching space for schools that need additional capacity or accommodation while existing buildings are undergoing work.
Requirements such as classroom size, access and supporting facilities can be discussed during project planning.
Depending on the particular building, available stock and site, it may be possible to extend or reconfigure hired modular accommodation.
Speak to us if your requirements change during the hire period so we can assess the available options.
The answer depends mainly on how long the accommodation is required and what you need from it.
Hire can make sense for temporary or uncertain requirements, while purchasing may be more appropriate where the building will form a permanent part of your site. Refurbished and used buildings provide further options between these routes.