Temporary Industrial Buildings to Hire or Buy

Width is the fixed decision and length is the flexible one, which is worth understanding before you specify anything.

The span is set by the frame, so it is the one dimension that cannot be changed once the building is manufactured. Choosing it correctly matters more than any other measurement on the quote, because a building that is slightly too narrow cannot be widened later. The spans available on each system are confirmed with your quotation.

Length works differently. Buildings are assembled in bays, so length is added in fixed increments and can be extended afterwards by adding bays to one end. That is the cheapest way to add floor area, which is why buying slightly longer than the immediate requirement usually beats returning for an extension in eighteen months.

Height is specified against what has to happen inside: racking and reach truck clearance, vehicle access, or plant and gantry heights. Tell us the tallest thing that needs to move through the building and the clear height follows from that.

Start with the operation rather than the product name, because the appropriate frame system and specification depend on your site and intended use.

For stock, consider whether the layout needs racking and reach-truck access or simpler bulk storage. For operational space, door sizes, clear height, services and the equipment used inside will guide the workshop specification.

If you only need cover rather than an enclosed building, a canopy is considerably cheaper than a clad structure and suits loading docks, yard operations and production overspill. Industrial tents suit short or changing requirements where the building is likely to move.

If you are not sure, describe the operation and the timescale and we will tell you what fits, including the cases where a temporary building is the wrong answer.

Yes to both, and this is the practical advantage of a bolted frame over a cast one.

Extending means adding bays to the end of an existing run. The gable is removed, the new bays are erected, and the gable goes back on. The building keeps working through most of that, and the cost per square metre of an extension is lower than the original build because the expensive part, the span, is already there.

Relocating is a matter of dismantling in reverse and re-erecting on prepared ground elsewhere. Frames and cladding are designed to be taken down and reused, so the structure moves with the operation. The two things that do not move are the groundworks and the planning consent, and both need to be sorted at the new site before anything arrives.

Worth flagging early: if there is any prospect of extending or moving, say so at the quote stage. It changes how the bays and the foundations are specified, and it is far cheaper to design for than to retrofit.

Yes, provided the specification matches what is going inside. This is the point where the cheapest option catches people out.

On weatherproofing, all cladding options are designed to keep water out. The difference is thermal. Single-skin PVC is weatherproof but barely insulating, so condensation is a genuine risk where warm air meets a cold surface, and it is not comfortable for people working full shifts through a British winter. Insulated panel cladding solves both.

On security, an enclosed structure with steel roller shutters, lockable personnel doors and no ground-level glazing is a reasonable deterrent, and most insurers treat a clad temporary building holding stock much as they would a permanent unit. Alarms, lighting and CCTV are specified in the same way as anywhere else on site.

The one thing to raise early is your insurer. Requirements vary by what is stored and by carrier, so confirm the cover before ordering rather than after installation.

Some temporary building systems can be installed onto suitable existing concrete, asphalt or other firm hardstanding, subject to level, condition, anchoring requirements and structural review. Other sites or applications require local pads, foundations or a new slab. The correct base solution is confirmed after reviewing the ground conditions, building loads and intended use.

Yes. The selected structure is specified using the applicable project design criteria, including site location, building geometry and relevant wind and snow actions. Site-specific requirements and any operational conditions are confirmed in the structural information and project specification.

Floors are not included with our temporary, semi-permanent or permanent buildings. The surface beneath the building, such as existing concrete or hardcore, forms the floor. Its suitability depends on the intended use, loads and ground conditions; any necessary groundworks need to be arranged separately. Noah can include sports flooring for sports projects, with the scope agreed in the quotation.