Prefab classrooms
Prefab classrooms are made in a factory, as volumetric modules or as panels, and assembled on site. The factory work runs while foundations go in, so the time on site is short: one supplier allows 1 to 2 working days to crane modules in and 5 to 7 working days to fit out. Published starting prices are £108,000 for a new single classroom and about £850 per m² for the building.
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
- Time on site
- 1 to 2 working daysThen 5 to 7 working days of fit-out
- Whole programme
- 12 to 24 weeksEnquiry to handover, typical
- New single classroom
- From £108,000Building only, excluding VAT
- Building cost
- About £850 per m²One supplier’s published average
What prefab classrooms 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 two sources differ, which is normal: specification, size and what is counted as the building all vary. Get returns on the same brief.
| 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 |
| Double classroom building Another published range, building only | £85,000 to £120,000 |
| Building cost per m² Published average | About £850 |
Why schools choose prefab
- Most of the work happens off site, away from pupils.
- Noise, deliveries and contractors on site last days, not months.
- The price can be fixed early, once the specification is agreed.
- Factory conditions mean less weather delay.
- The building can be extended later with more modules.
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.
- Frame and construction
- Steel frame, timber frame or panel system, with the wall, floor and roof build-ups and their fire and acoustic ratings.
- 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.
- 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.
Want a factory-built classroom on site in days? Send the postcode and the rooms, and we will look for a prefab supplier working in your region.
Ask for a free quoteHow a prefab classroom is built
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.
Design sign-off
2 to 4 weeksLayout, specification and finishes are fixed before the factory starts. Changes after this point cost time and money.
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
What is a prefab classroom made of?
Most are steel or timber framed modules with insulated walls, floors and roofs, finished inside like any classroom. Some systems use structural insulated panels assembled on site. Ask for the fire, acoustic and thermal performance of the build-up in writing.
How long does a prefab classroom take to build?
One published timetable runs 12 to 24 weeks from first enquiry to handover, with factory work running alongside groundworks. The crane day is short: 1 to 2 working days, then 5 to 7 working days of fit-out.
Are prefab classrooms good quality?
They can be as good as a traditional building. Quality depends on the specification and the supplier, not on the method. Visit a recent installation and ask the school what it is like in winter and summer.
Can prefab classrooms be extended?
Usually, by adding modules to the end or side. Plan for it at the start: leave space and size the drainage and electrics for the bigger building.
What is the difference between prefab and modular?
Little in practice. Prefab is the everyday word for any building made in a factory; modular usually means volumetric modules that arrive as finished boxes. Suppliers use both words.
Ask for prefab classroom prices
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.