Prefab Changing Rooms vs Brick Build: Costs, Lifespan and Lead Times
Guide
Prefab changing rooms are built in a factory and craned onto prepared foundations, which is why they cost around half as much as a brick build, arrive in weeks rather than months, and still last decades. Every building on this site is a prefab changing room in this sense: designed for your club, manufactured off site, then delivered and installed as a finished facility. Here is how the prefab route compares with commissioning a brick building.
Prefab vs Brick at a Glance
| Prefab Changing Rooms | Brick Build | |
| Typical cost | Around £60 per square foot with toilets, showers and changing rooms fitted | Around £120 per square foot with all the finishing |
| Lead time | Usually 6 to 8 weeks | Often upwards of 6 months |
| Lifespan | 25 years for timber frame; up to 50 years for steel buildings | 50 years or more |
| Foundations | Relatively inexpensive concrete footings or a slab | Full strip or raft foundations with heavier groundworks |
| Site disruption | Days on site; the building arrives largely complete | Months of trades, deliveries and scaffolding |
| Relocation | Can be craned out and moved if the club relocates | Fixed |
Why Clubs Choose Prefab Changing Rooms
- Typical life spans for modular sanitary buildings (containing toilet, shower and changing room facilities) are 25 years for timber frame construction and up to 50 years for steel buildings.
- Ground preparation is significantly easier and less costly than for brick buildings because most prefabricated buildings can be sited on relatively inexpensive concrete footings.
- Construction costs are also significantly less, usually about 50% of the cost of conventional brick construction.
- And finally, whilst construction of a fixed brick building can often take upwards of 6 months, the average lead time for prefabricated sanitary buildings is usually between 6-8 weeks.
What Does a Prefab Changing Room Cost vs a Brick Build?
Our prefabricated cabins can be designed with fitted toilets, showers and changing rooms at an average cost of £60 per square foot. You’ll certainly find the equivalent brick build will cost a lot more, on average £120 per square foot for a brick building with all the finishing. Current guide prices for every layout are listed on the individual floor plan pages, and our cost guide explains what moves the price.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Prefab Changing Rooms Permanent Buildings?
Yes. They sit on proper foundations, are fully plumbed and wired, and last 25 years for timber frame or up to 50 years for steel. Unlike a brick build, they can also be craned out and relocated if the club ever moves.
How Long Does a Prefab Changing Room Take?
The average lead time for prefabricated sanitary buildings is usually between 6 and 8 weeks from order, compared with upwards of 6 months for an equivalent brick build. Installation on site typically takes days rather than months.
Do Prefab Changing Rooms Meet FA and ECB Standards?
Yes. Our layouts are designed to the same governing body room sizes as any brick pavilion. See our UK dimensions guide for the FA, ECB and Sport England figures each design works to.
What Foundations Does a Prefab Building Need?
Most prefabricated buildings can be sited on relatively inexpensive concrete footings or a slab, built by your local groundworker to our specification. This is a fraction of the groundworks a brick building needs.
If you’d like a quote for any of the floor plans you see on this website or need a quote for something bespoke, please get in touch and we’d be glad to help.
