Modular school buildings
A modular school building is made as a set of steel or timber framed modules in a factory, then craned on to prepared foundations and fitted out on site. Schools use them for one or two extra classrooms, whole teaching blocks, halls, toilets and offices. Published starting prices begin at £108,000 for a new single classroom and £180,000 for a new double, building only and before VAT.
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 classroom
- From £108,000Building only, excluding VAT
- New double classroom
- From £180,000Another published range: £85,000 to £120,000
- Traditional build
- About £3,701 per m²Primary extension, tender stage, 2025 benchmark
- Whole programme
- 12 to 24 weeksTypical, from enquiry to handover
What modular school buildings cost
Building-only starting prices from Midlands Portable Buildings’ April 2026 price guide, which excludes groundworks, crane hire and delivery; the per m² figure and double-classroom range from Portable Facilities on EdExec. Read 28 October 2026. We are not connected to either firm. A guide, not a quote, excluding VAT. The turnkey figure is the published value of a council contract, and the traditional rate is from the National School Delivery Cost Benchmarking report (June 2025). The cost guide and calculator turns these into a budget for your rooms.
| Item | Typical figure |
|---|---|
| New single classroom Published starting price, building only | From £108,000 |
| New double classroom Published starting price, building only | From £180,000 |
| Building cost per m² One supplier’s published average | About £850 |
| Double classroom with facilities, turnkey Coventry City Council contract, January 2024 | £427,000 |
| Traditional primary extension, per m² Tender-stage benchmark, base date early 2024 | £3,701 |
When schools choose a modular building
Most projects start with one of these pressures, and the building has to be in use by a fixed date.
- A bulge class or a rise in the published admission number needs rooms by September.
- An old mobile or a block with failing fabric needs replacing without closing the school.
- A new SEN unit or resourced provision needs its own entrance and quiet rooms.
- The site cannot take a long traditional build next to occupied classrooms.
- Capital is fixed and the trust needs a firm price early.
- A space is needed for a few years only, while a permanent scheme is planned.
What to put in the brief
Ask every supplier to price the same points in writing, so the returns can be compared line by line.
- Rooms and sizes
- Each room's floor area against Building Bulletin 103: 55 to 62 m² for a primary class of 30, and the toilets, store and lobby counted separately.
- What the price covers
- Building, delivery, crane, foundations, drainage, power and water connections, ramps and steps, furniture and removal. Starting prices often cover the building alone.
- Specification
- Wall, roof and floor build-up, windows, heating and ventilation, lighting, data points and the finish, in a schedule every supplier fills in.
- Regulations and fire
- Who applies for building control, the fire strategy and escape distances, accessible toilet provision and what the building is rated for.
- Programme
- Dates for survey, design sign-off, planning, manufacture, delivery and handover, and what happens if a date slips.
- Warranty and aftercare
- Length of the structural and the defects warranty, who maintains what, and the response time if the heating or a door fails in term.
Planning rooms for next September? Tell us the site and the numbers and we will find a modular building supplier who covers your area.
Ask for a free quoteHow a modular school building project runs
Brief and budget
2 to 4 weeksPupil numbers, rooms, toilets, where it sits and the date it must be in use. Agree the funding route and whether the spend needs three quotes, a tender or a framework.
Site visit and returns
2 to 4 weeksSuppliers check access for a lorry and crane, ground levels, drainage, power and water, then return a drawing, a specification and a price.
Planning, if needed
8 to 12 weeksMany permanent school buildings in England fall under Class M permitted development. Where they do not, a published supplier timetable allows 8 to 12 weeks for a decision.
Manufacture and groundworks
in parallelThe modules are built in the factory while foundations, drainage and service connections go in on site.
Delivery and fit-out
1 to 2 working days on siteModules arrive by lorry and are craned on to the foundations. One supplier allows 1 to 2 working days for this and 5 to 7 working days more for fit-out.
Handover
before termBuilding control completion, fire safety information, the energy certificate, warranties and the operating manual for the estates file.
Questions people ask
Are modular school buildings permanent?
They can be. Permanent modular buildings are designed and approved like any other school building and are expected to stay. Temporary or relocatable units are built to be moved and are usually hired or bought for a set period. Ask each supplier which kind they are pricing.
How much cheaper is modular than a traditional build?
It depends on the specification. A new double classroom starts at £180,000 for the building alone, while the 2025 national benchmark puts a traditional primary extension at about £3,701 per m² at tender stage. Groundworks, services and fees apply to both, so compare whole-project totals.
Do modular school buildings need planning permission?
Not always in England. Class M permitted development lets schools add buildings within limits: since 21 April 2021, the greater of 25% of the existing footprint or 250 m², 5 m high within 10 m of the boundary (6 m elsewhere), nothing within 5 m of homes next door, no loss of playing field and nothing in the curtilage of a listed building. Outside those limits, apply.
How long does a modular school building take?
Published supplier timetables put a whole project at 12 to 24 weeks from enquiry to handover. The time on site is short: 1 to 2 working days to crane the modules in, then 5 to 7 working days of fit-out. Planning, where needed, is the longest single step.
Can a modular building have two storeys?
Yes. Two-storey modular blocks with stairs and a lift are common. Class M permitted development allows no more than two storeys and caps height near the boundary, so a taller block needs a planning application.
Do we have to tender?
Follow your trust or council financial regulations. Many schools ask for three written quotes at this value; larger projects go through a framework or a formal tender. We can introduce a supplier for a quote, but we do not run tenders.
Ask for prices for a modular school building
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.