Employ modular offices to provide office space on temporary job sites, quickly expand a growing business and offer a cost effective way to provide classrooms, office space or storage. Small modular buildings fit a variety of uses and make economic sense.

Cost savings from prefabricated offices are due to the construction method, which allows for an assembly line style of construction, a building schedule that is independent of the weather, and a property owner who wants to prepare the construction site at the same time as the modular office builders are fabricating the unit. Before committing to one modular construction company, there are some questions you should be ready to answer.

1. What is the purpose of your modular office building?

2. What specific size and design needs do you have for the building?

3. What is the budget for your portable modular offices?

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Decide if you should buy or lease a portable office

The decision over whether to buy or lease portable mobile offices may be entirely financial or it may depend on availability. If your portable office needs are straightforward and short-term, consider prefab offices that are available for lease. If your office has more specific requirements, buying a modular building makes more sense.

I recommend: If the modular office that you like is available as either a lease or a purchase, finances may be the determining factor.

Understand the time line for your prefab offices project

Modular construction saves time by allowing you to complete field work while the modular company builds your office in a separate location.

I recommend: Know exactly what to expect during the construction process, and what your responsibilities are to keep your project moving forward.

Establish a budget for modular building

When your business is growing rapidly, it is tempting to spend money to solve your problems, whether you need more employees or more room. Establish a budget early in the building project to prevent financial problems.

I recommend: Adaptive Planning offers a budgeting solution that allows you to manage work flow as well as cash flow in a spreadsheet environment that is web based.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Be realistic in what size building you need. Small modular buildings are much less expensive, but if your company quickly outgrows it, you are back to square one.
• •  Look at pre-owned modular office buildings as a way to save money.
• •  To save money using portable modular offices you need to know exactly what you are getting. Ask the company that you are buying or leasing from what you need to do to prepare your site, and who pays for the set up of the building.