Welcome to the Portable Buildings Buyers Guide

Welcome to the portable buildings homepage. Here you'll find all the information you need to get started on your next building project. Purchasing a portable building might be something you've seriously considered, or you may be just reading this on a whim. Either way, this page is designed to assist you in every aspect of your project. Whether you need convincing on all the benefits a portable building has to offer you, or if you need further enlightenment on the different types of portable building applications, this site is here to help. After reading, we hope you'll see that a portable building could be right for your next building project!

What exactly is a Portable Building?

To some, the words “portable building” conjures up an image of a dilapidated classroom unit on wheels. True, portable buildings of the past didn't establish the most reputable names for themselves, but a lot has changed since they first hit the market. New innovations in design and an improvement in aesthetics have dramatically improved the reputation of portable buildings. But before we get to ahead of ourselves, let's look back a bit.

Portable buildings have been around since prehistoric times. In Central Asia, the nomads used buildings called yurts, which made use of wooden frames and felt covering. These buildings were designed to be dismantled, and the parts carried on camels or yaks to be rebuilt on another location. Portable buildings by today's standards were first developed in the United States in 1955 by Porta-Kamp, who still operate today and have served in over 163 countries.

Today, portable buildings can serve many purposes. Of course, their main function is to serve temporary needs, such as a portable on-site construction office, or portable classrooms to combat fluctuating class enrolment. But these aren't the only functions they can serve. A portable building can also be used for guard shacks, toll booths, and rural offices. The portable aspect of the building can make it a lot easier for delivery and installation, as they are usually designed so that they may be carried to the site on a large truck, and simply taken off and placed on-site by a large crane. This can dramatically cut down construction time, and save builders a heap of money.

Portable buildings don't have to be limited in size, however. Some portable buildings are very complex in design, and can be joined together or stacked to create a larger unit. These units may even then be disguised as a more permanent building, as they may be clad with brick, stone, or other masonry, and fitted with a traditional pitched roof. Forget the looks of the past; portable buildings today can take on many design types, and can look just as sharp as a more traditional structure.
It's true that the portable buildings of today can tackle almost any function, and can offer more benefits than you initially realize.

What are the main advantages of a Portable Building?

There are many different types of building methods available today, so what can a portable building offer you that no other building can?

Obviously, the main reason to choose a portable building is because of the portability factor. Having a portable building can save a lot of time and hassle, both in the short term and the long run. If you're looking to construct a building that is only serving temporary needs, or if its services are going to be required elsewhere in the near future, why would you consider anything besides portable? Having a portable building not only means a simple exit upon its departure, but it also means a very straight forward delivery day, with very little potential for any sort of problem. The building is delivered on a truck, placed on site with a crane, and with that your building is ready for use. Can you think of any other building method that offers such ease with delivery and construction?

That's the other thing – portable buildings are mostly designed off-site, in a controlled factory environment. This means you don't have to put up with the hassle of on-site construction, or any of the complications, irritations and complexities that come with it. Sounds nice, doesn't it? Especially if you're hoping to construct a building in an already occupied zone, such as a pre-existing school, this can eliminate any of the loud noises and displeasing visuals that come with on-site construction.

And because of these last two points, portable buildings are also a green alternative to other building methods. LEED, or the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, has set the international standard for what classifies a green building. In it, they state that any construction method that eliminates site disturbance and ground erosion can be classified as green. This fits well with portable buildings, as they are built off site and dropped on-site with limited disturbance. As well, their off-site construction means there are less dust and pollutants that are released into the air, another component of what classifies a green building. These days, everyone is looking to go green, and there are great government incentives for doing so. Know that portable buildings are a green alternative to other construction methods, and can save you money as well as save the environment.

Need more reasons to go portable? New advances in design technology have dramatically improved the aesthetics of portable buildings. No longer do portable buildings sit on permanent wheels and axles. No longer do they require steps and ramps to reach the entrances. These days, they don't even require skirting to hide the undersides. Today's portable buildings can be set flush to the ground, and take on the design characteristics of a more permanent building. Only a very trained eye could identify your building as portable.

Portable buildings are relatively cheap when compared to other buildings, but this doesn't mean they are faulty or improperly constructed. On the contrary, your portable building will be designed to last. There are simply fewer expenses when compared to a complete building project, meaning significant capital outlays for your building project. And, as mentioned, the process of constructing a portable building is relatively simple, and your building can be up and running much sooner than a building method of any other kind.

GO SIMPLE, GO GREEN – GO PORTABLE

Clearly, portable buildings have much to offer in almost every aspect of construction. Whether you're looking to build a new toll booth, a mobile office, or construct a portable classroom to combat high enrolment, portable buildings have something to offer you. Take a look through the rest of this website, take a look at the individual applications to which portable buildings can be used, and hopefully you'll start to consider a portable building for your next building project.

 

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