Why there is no single portacabin price
A guard post, an open-plan site office and an accommodation cabin with bathrooms are different purchases, even when all three are described as portacabins. Floor area matters, but partitions, services, finishes and installation can change the comparison just as much.
Treat any catalogue starting price as a starting point for that specification, not a delivered price for every site. Ask for a written quotation against your layout. Current materials, availability and the delivery location need to be checked before a price is confirmed.
The main cost drivers
- Size and layout: external dimensions, usable room area, partitions, doors and windows.
- Building envelope: wall and roof build-up, insulation, cladding and documented fire-performance requirements.
- Services: air-conditioning, electrical load, sockets, lighting, plumbing and water heating.
- Fit-out: flooring, kitchenettes, toilets, accessibility requirements and furniture, if included.
- Site work: supports or foundations, delivery access, lifting position, utility connections and reinstatement.
- Timing and condition: new fabrication, an available stock unit, or a used unit that needs refurbishment.
Compare the total installed scope
Put the same drawing and specification in front of each supplier. A cheaper cabin-only offer is not necessarily cheaper once transport, cranage, supports and connections are added. Ask which work the supplier performs and which work remains with your site contractor.
Keep the pre-tax price, VAT treatment and final amount separate in the comparison. Confirm exclusions and payment stages in writing rather than assuming a verbal price includes everything.
- Is delivery to the exact site included, or only to a general emirate location?
- Who supplies the crane, prepares the ground and confirms access?
- Are AC units and sanitary fittings included, or only provisions for them?
- Which drawings, test documents, warranty terms and handover records come with the unit?
- What happens if the delivery date, design or site access changes?
Send this brief for a useful quotation
Share the intended use, number of occupants, required rooms, approximate dimensions, quantity and delivery location. Add a sketch or marked-up plan, the target date and any consultant or authority specification you already have.
If you do not yet know the size, describe the people and activities the space must support. It is better to compare two workable layouts than to request the lowest price for a size that cannot accommodate the job.