Cost guide
What site preparation really costs for a modular unit
Almost nobody in this industry publishes prices for the ground side of a modular project, which is odd, because it is the first thing every buyer asks. This guide sets out real ranges for 2026: bases, site works, drainage, utilities, transport and craneage. Every site is different, so these are honest ranges rather than quotes, and the wide ends are wide for reasons we explain. Prices exclude VAT.
The base
A base for a single unit typically runs £1,300 to £11,000. The spread is ground conditions and unit size, not contractor greed. A small garden room on firm level ground sits at the bottom; a large twin unit on sloping or soft ground with an engineered screw or piled foundation sits at the top. The number that matters more than price is tolerance: factory-made units are made to tolerances of a few millimetres, and a base outside the manufacturer’s stated tolerance can void the unit’s warranty. Cheap and slightly wrong is the most expensive base you can buy.
Site infrastructure for a glamping or lodge scheme
For a multi-unit leisure site, typical infrastructure runs £10,000 to £40,000, rising to £40,000 to £100,000 or more where access and utilities are hard. The biggest variable in glamping start-up costs is access and utility readiness, not the choice of pod. Off-mains foul drainage (a treatment plant, its excavation and its outfall) is the item that most often surprises people, and it needs designing around ground percolation, not guessing.
Access tracks and hardstanding
Budget for the wagon before the unit. If an articulated lorry and a crane cannot reach the pitch, nothing else matters. Track and hardstanding costs vary too widely with length and ground to give a single figure honestly, which is exactly why a site assessment before ordering the unit is worth having.
Transport and siting
Moving and siting a static or lodge starts at roughly £950 per move and rises with distance, escorts and access difficulty. Re-siting within a park is the cheap end; a long-distance move with an abnormal load notification is not.
Craneage
A crane day runs £250 to £1,500 depending on size and reach, and the right way to buy it is as a contract lift with a lift plan, insurance and an appointed person, not as bare hire. The crane is also why units per visit matters: five units set in one mobilisation cost far less each than five separate visits.
The annexe warning
Advertised annexe prices routinely exclude £15,000 to £20,000 of site works. If an annexe quotation looks surprisingly good, check what “base by others” is hiding before you sign.
Summary
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Single unit base | £1,300 to £11,000 |
| Glamping or lodge site infrastructure | £10,000 to £40,000 typical, £40,000 to £100,000+ difficult |
| Static or lodge move and siting | from ~£950 per move |
| Crane day (contract lift) | £250 to £1,500 |
| Annexe site works commonly excluded from advertised prices | £15,000 to £20,000 |
The fastest way to a real number is a site assessment before you order the unit. Send the postcode, the unit you are considering and the timescale, and we will tell you what the ground needs within one working day.
Last reviewed: 22 August 2026
These are 2026 ranges and should be treated as indicative only. Site-specific factors, access, drainage and unit specification can change the number materially.