Temporary classroom hire
Hiring a classroom means a supplier delivers, installs and later removes a modular unit, and the school pays a weekly rate for as long as it stays. Published rates start at £275 a week for a 64 m² single classroom. Delivery, installation, groundworks and removal are usually charged on top, and minimum terms apply: one supplier hires from 26 weeks upwards.
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
- Single classroom
- From £275 a week64 m², open plan
- A year’s hire
- About £14,30052 weeks at the published rate
- Minimum term
- 26 weeksOne supplier’s published minimum
- Extras
- Charged on topDelivery, crane, groundworks, removal
What classroom hire costs
Weekly rate from Elite Systems GB, read 28 October 2026; the 26 and 52 week figures are that rate multiplied out. Contract values as published on the Liverpool and Stockton-on-Tees notices, including installation and groundworks. The gap between them shows how much toilets, ground conditions and the term change the total. A guide, not a quote, excluding VAT.
| Item | Typical figure |
|---|---|
| Single 64 m² classroom Published weekly rate | From £275/wk |
| Single classroom for 26 weeks At the published rate, before extras | £7,150 |
| Single classroom for 52 weeks At the published rate, before extras | £14,300 |
| Two classrooms, four years’ hire, installed College contract, August 2025 | £53,118 |
| Three classrooms and toilets, about 13 months Council contract, May 2024 | £347,128 |
When hiring makes more sense than buying
- The room is needed for one to three years, not for good.
- Capital is not available this year but revenue budget is.
- Numbers are uncertain and the trust wants to keep its options open.
- A permanent building is planned and the hired unit bridges the gap.
- The school wants the supplier to handle maintenance during the term.
What to ask for in a hire quote
Ask every supplier to price the same points in writing, so the returns can be compared line by line.
- Hire terms
- The weekly rate, the minimum term, delivery and collection charges, what happens at the end, and whether part of the hire can go towards buying.
- One-off charges
- Delivery, crane, installation, foundations, service connections, ramps and steps, then disconnection, removal and making good, each as its own 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.
- Regulations and fire
- Who applies for building control, the fire strategy and escape distances, accessible toilet provision and what the building is rated for.
- Maintenance during hire
- Who fixes the heating, doors and windows, how fast, and whether the rate includes servicing.
- Extending or buying out
- The rate to extend beyond the first term, and whether the unit can be bought at a price that takes account of hire already paid.
Need a hired classroom by a fixed date? Tell us the term and the site and we will find a supplier who covers your area.
Ask for a free quoteHow classroom hire works
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.
Approvals
8 to 12 weeksBuilding control for every unit, and usually a time-limited planning permission. Allow time for both.
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.
During the hire
the termThe supplier maintains the unit as the contract says. Report faults in writing and keep a record.
Off-hire
a holidayGive notice as the contract requires, then the unit is lifted out and the ground made good.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to hire a temporary classroom?
Published rates start at £275 a week for a single 64 m² classroom, about £14,300 a year. Delivery, installation, groundworks and removal are usually extra and can be a large share of a short hire. Ask for them as separate lines.
What is the minimum hire period?
It varies by supplier. One publishes a minimum of 26 weeks. Shorter hires are sometimes possible but the one-off charges weigh more heavily, so the cost per week rises.
Is hire paid from capital or revenue?
Hire is normally a revenue cost, while buying a building is capital. That can decide the route when capital is short. Check with your finance lead and auditor how your trust or council treats it.
When does buying become cheaper than hiring?
At the published figures, a year's hire of a single classroom is about £14,300 before extras, against £82,000 to buy a refurbished one. Hire over five or six years and buying usually wins, before counting the value of selling the unit on. Our calculator compares the two.
Does a hired classroom need planning permission?
Usually, yes, often a temporary permission for a set number of years. A hired unit is not exempt just because it will leave. Building control approval is needed too.
Ask for classroom hire 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.