Long-term operational space that can remain adaptable, extendable and relocatable. We specify the frame, insulated or non-insulated finish and site requirements around your operation, with hire and purchase options considered together.
Start with the way you will use the space. This is a guide to typical applications, not a substitute for the specification of your selected system.
Swipe across the table to compare all three options →
| Your requirement | Temporary | Semi-permanent | Permanent steel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical use | Peaks, contracts and changing needs | Long-term operational space with flexibility | Established sites and permanent capacity |
| Designed for relocation | ✓ Typically | ✓ System-dependent | Not normally selected for relocation |
| Extension or adaptation | ✓ Subject to design | ✓ Subject to design | Possible if designed for it |
| Insulated or non-insulated options | ✓ Available | ✓ Available | ✓ Available |
| Hire and purchase considered | ✓ By quotation | ✓ By quotation | ✓ By quotation |
| Base and foundations | Suitable base and engineered anchorage | Base designed for the use and duration | Engineered permanent foundations |
Changes and relocation require structural, site and planning review. Permanent buildings can sometimes be extended, so they should not be ruled out simply because future growth is possible.
Some requirements that begin as temporary become part of the long-term operation. A renewed contract, sustained demand or an established production line can justify a building designed for continued use.
We select the finish, services and base around the way the building will work. Insulated and non-insulated options are available, with heating, lighting and ventilation requirements considered where needed.
Future extension, adaptation or relocation can be considered in the design, subject to the system, engineering and site.
Which one suits is decided by the size, the location, the loadings, the intended use, the planning position and the specification you need. The figures below are for guidance; your own specification is confirmed at quotation.
| System | AluminiumTypically temporary | Galvanised steelTypically temporary and semi-permanent | Structural steelTypically permanent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best suited to | Rapid, flexible additional space | Long-term flexible operational capacity | Permanent long-term infrastructure |
| Clear span | Up to 20 m | Up to 30 m | Flexible |
| Length | Modular, extendable in 5 m increments | Modular, extendable in 5 m increments | Bespoke |
| Eaves height | 3, 4, 5 or 6 m | 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 m | Bespoke |
| Roof | PVC or thermal insulated panels | Steel cladding or insulated sandwich panels | Architectural roof |
| Walls | PVC or insulated sandwich panels | Steel cladding or insulated sandwich panels | Architectural cladding |
| Insulation | Insulated or non-insulated | Insulated or non-insulated | Insulated |
| Windows | Limited | Yes | Yes |
| Doors | Roller shutters and pedestrian doors | Roller shutters and pedestrian doors | Bespoke |
| Hire or purchase | Hire or purchase | Hire or purchase | Purchase |
| Finance | Available | Available | Available where applicable |
| Relocatable | Yes | Yes | Normally no |
| Extendable | Yes | Yes | Can be designed for future extension |
| Foundations | Level ground, concrete or hardcore | Level ground, concrete or hardcore | Engineered permanent foundations |
| Structural calculations | Included | Included | Included |
| Building Regulations | Where applicable | Can be specified accordingly | Designed to applicable requirements |
| Fire performance options | Available | Available | Available |
| Typical installation | 2 to 5 days | 2 to 5 days | Project programme dependent |
| Frame structure warranty | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years |
Clear spans are typical maximums. The span available to you depends on the building specification, the location and the structural requirements, and is confirmed at design stage. Where you need a wider span than the aluminium system offers, the galvanised steel system reaches up to 30 m; see semi-permanent buildings.
Every system carries a 10-year frame structure warranty. Hire availability, minimum periods and finance terms are confirmed per system at quotation.
Insulated and non-insulated finishes are available across the building range. For temperature-controlled use, we specify the envelope around the required internal conditions and identify the heating, cooling, ventilation and condensation-control requirements. Insulation alone does not control temperature; services and fit-out are agreed separately in your quotation.
Four things separate a building specified to stay from one specified to cover.
The frame, the cladding, the fixings and the anchoring are all specified for year-round exposure rather than for a season, and the detailing that matters over time, principally guttering, drainage and how water is taken away from the base, is designed in rather than added later.
The building is supplied without a floor. Existing concrete, hardcore or another suitable ground surface forms the floor. We review the ground and anchoring requirements for the structure; any necessary foundations or surface works need to be arranged separately.
Insulated sandwich panels for the roof and walls help create an enclosed space for regular occupation. Heating, lighting, power and ventilation requirements are assessed around the people and process inside, with services scope agreed separately in your quotation.
Wind and snow loadings are calculated for your postcode area rather than assumed, and the structural calculations and certification for the system you are quoted are issued with the building. Exposure, ground conditions and intended use all change those figures, which is why they are confirmed at design stage rather than published.
The brief is the same wherever it appears: space that has to work properly, for years, without committing to a permanent build on that spot.
Capacity that started as overflow and became part of the operation, racked and worked in the same way as the rest of the site.
Industrial warehouses →
Second-line, finishing and assembly space serviced for full-shift working.
Manufacturing & production →
Covered courts and training space taking bookings all year, where the facility is established but the site may not be owned.
Sports & padel →
Season-long and year-round space that paying guests walk into, finished accordingly.
Events & venues →Both are available, and which suits depends on how settled the requirement is rather than on the building itself.
Suits a requirement that has settled. You hold an asset that can be extended, relocated or sold on, and the cost stops when the purchase completes rather than running for as long as you keep the space.
Hire can suit a requirement that is still developing. Availability, minimum periods and any option to purchase later are confirmed in the commercial terms for the selected system.
Examples of the building type, to show the shape, cladding and door arrangements usually specified. Your building is designed around your own site, so the finished specification will differ.
Whether the building is staying for a season or for the foreseeable future, Noah Building Systems designs, supplies and installs it, and manages the project through to handover. Compare temporary building hire against temporary buildings for sale, or read about permanent steel-framed buildings where the requirement is settled for the long term.
Explore the building systems we supply, the main specification choices and what to expect from installation.
Send us the approximate dimensions, postcode, intended use and likely duration. We can prepare an initial figure without a site visit.
The intended use and duration are the starting points. A temporary building often serves a peak or defined programme; a semi-permanent building supports longer-term operations while retaining options to adapt.
Either can be insulated or non-insulated. The frame, finish, services and base are selected for the actual use, rather than determined by the label alone.
Planning requirements depend on the proposed use, location and duration, so they should be checked early in the project.
We work with a specialist planning company that covers the UK. We can introduce you to discuss the planning requirements and application support for your building.
See planning permission for temporary buildings for general guidance. Advice on your particular proposal should come from the planning specialist or local planning authority.
Yes, and that is much of the point, though two things do not travel with it.
The frame is bolted rather than founded, so it can be dismantled and re-erected on another site, extended by adding bays, or removed entirely.
The groundworks stay where they are, so the new site needs its own slab or foundations designed for the building. And the wind and snow loadings are site-specific, so a building specified for a sheltered inland site is not automatically adequate on an exposed coastal one. Both need checking before a move rather than after.
Noah remains responsible for your project throughout. Our approved specialist installation partners work under Noah's project management, specification, programme and health and safety requirements. You have one point of accountability from quotation to handover.
Not always. Lightweight systems may be capable of being anchored to suitable existing hardstanding, while larger, more highly loaded, occupied or permanent buildings may require engineered foundations or a concrete slab. Foundations are therefore project-specific rather than determined only by whether a building is described as temporary.
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.
The customer is responsible for maintaining the surrounding ground, gutters, downpipes and drainage so water is directed away from the building. The building must be operated within its stated wind and snow design criteria. Doors and openings must be secured during adverse weather, and any damage, movement or unusual roof loading must be reported immediately.
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.
