Modular classroom cost guide and calculator
Choose a route and the number of classrooms for a building cost from published UK figures, then see how hire compares with buying over your term. Every figure names its source and the date we read it. It is a budget check for a business case or a bid, not a quote: the site works are priced after a survey.
A free matching service, not a modular building supplier. We find one who covers your area and tell you who they are before anything is shared. How it works
- New, single
- From £108,000
- Refurbished, single
- From £82,000
- Hire, single
- From £275 a week
- Building rate
- About £850 per m²
Work out a budget
Prices to buy
Published starting prices from Midlands Portable Buildings (23 April 2026), building only, excluding groundworks, crane hire and delivery. A second source, Portable Facilities on EdExec, gives about £850 per m² and £85,000 to £120,000 for a double classroom building.
| Building | New | Refurbished | Saving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single classroom | £108,000 | £82,000 | 24% |
| Double classroom | £180,000 | £136,800 | 24% |
| SEN inclusion base, 40 m² | £65,000 | n/a | n/a |
Prices to hire
At the published rate of £275 a week for a 64 m² single classroom (Elite Systems GB), before delivery, installation, groundworks and removal. One supplier's minimum term is 26 weeks.
A hired single classroom costs as much as buying a refurbished one after about 298 weeks, around 5.7 years.
| Term | Single | Two classrooms |
|---|---|---|
| 13 weeks | £3,575 | £7,150 |
| 26 weeks | £7,150 | £14,300 |
| 52 weeks | £14,300 | £28,600 |
| 104 weeks | £28,600 | £57,200 |
| 156 weeks | £42,900 | £85,800 |
Whole projects on public contracts
What the starting prices leave out shows up here. Values as published; suppliers not named.
| Buyer | What was bought | Date | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| The City of Liverpool College | Two modular classrooms on four years’ hire, with delivery, installation and groundworks | August 2025 | £53,118 |
| Harris Federation | Modular classrooms at one academy (works contract) | May 2022 | £160,000 |
| Northern Ireland Housing Executive | A single-storey turnkey modular classroom for a training facility (estimated value at tender) | June 2025 | £180,000 |
| Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council | Hire of three temporary classrooms and a toilet block, with groundworks and installation, about 13 months | May 2024 | £347,128 |
| Cumbria County Council | Modular classrooms to add pupil places at five schools | March 2018 | £348,708 |
| Hampshire County Council | Move and reinstall a double classroom modular building between two schools | May 2025 | £419,686 |
| Coventry City Council | Supply and install a double classroom modular unit with associated facilities, Moseley Primary School | January 2024 | £427,000 |
What adds to the price
Ask for each of these as its own line, so returns from different suppliers can be compared.
- Groundworks
- Pad or strip foundations, or screw piles on poor ground, plus levelling and any retaining.
- Services
- Drainage, water, power and data from the nearest connection; distance drives the cost.
- Crane and delivery
- Lorry and crane size depend on access. Tight sites may need a bigger crane from further away.
- Toilets and kitchenette
- Each needs drainage and adds modules or floor area.
- Access and external works
- Ramps, steps, covered entrances, paths and fencing to separate the work area from pupils.
- Fees and approvals
- Planning and building control fees, a structural engineer, and a project manager if the trust uses one.
Where these prices come from
Purchase prices are the starting prices published by Midlands Portable Buildings in April 2026, which the firm says cover the building and exclude groundworks, crane hire and delivery. The per m² rate and the double-classroom range are from an undated article by Portable Facilities on EdExec, marked as sponsored. The hire rate is from Elite Systems GB's temporary classrooms page, and the inclusion base offer from BGR Modular Classrooms. The traditional rates come from the National School Delivery Cost Benchmarking report (June 2025, BCIS base early 2024).
Contract values are taken from award and tender notices on Contracts Finder and Find a Tender, and from a public listing of a Hampshire County Council framework call-off. All were read on 28 October 2026. We are not connected to any of these firms or buyers. The figures are a guide, not a quote.
Questions about cost
Why do starting prices exclude so much?
Because every site is different. Foundations depend on the ground, drainage and power on how far the building is from existing connections, and crane costs on access. Suppliers price the building as a product and the site works after a survey, so ask for both as separate lines.
Is a modular classroom cheaper than a traditional extension?
Usually, for the building itself. At about £850 per m² for a modular building against the 2025 tender-stage benchmark of £3,701 per m² for a traditional primary extension, the gap is large, but the benchmark is an all-in project figure and the modular rate is not. Compare complete projects.
Do schools pay VAT on a modular classroom?
VAT at 20% is charged. A maintained school normally reclaims it via the council, and an academy via the academy VAT refund route; for an independent school it turns on its own registration. Check with your finance team before setting the budget.
How long before buying beats hiring?
At the published figures, a single classroom on hire at £275 a week costs as much as a refurbished one to buy after about 298 weeks, roughly 5.7 years, before counting delivery and removal on both sides. Hire one-off charges move that point earlier.
What do whole projects cost?
Public contract notices show the spread: £53,118 for two classrooms on four years' hire at a college, £427,000 for a new double classroom unit with associated facilities at a primary school. Toilets, groundworks and services explain most of the gap between starting prices and these totals.
How accurate is the calculator?
It turns published starting prices and rates into a budget figure for the building. It cannot price your site. Use it to check a bid figure is in the right range, then get written quotes on the same brief.
Ask for written prices on your brief
Three short steps: where the school is, what you need, and how to reach you. About two minutes.
Thanks, your enquiry is in.
- Within one working day we will email or call to tell you which modular building supplier covers your area.
- Your details reach that firm only if you say yes.
- They look at the site and give you a fixed price. No marketing from us, ever.