Used Welfare Units: What You Actually Get for the Money
A used welfare unit gives you four things in one building: somewhere to sit and eat, a kitchen area, a WC, and space to dry wet workwear. How generously each is provided is what separates one unit from the next.
The rest area
This is the part people judge the unit on, because it is where the team actually spends its break. Look at seating and table space against your headcount rather than at floor area. A unit that seats six comfortably will seat ten miserably, and a crew that eats in the van is a crew that is not using what you bought.
The kitchen
Expect a worktop, a stainless sink with hot water, and space for a fridge, microwave and water boiler. The majority of our welfare units go out with a new kitchen fitted — the building is refurbished, the kitchen itself is new, which is worth being clear about because the two get confused.
The WC
Most welfare units include a WC and basin. Drainage varies from unit to unit: some run to mains drainage, others to a holding tank, and which one suits you depends entirely on the site. Fit-out varies too — some go out with new toilets and basins installed, others are refurbished, and the listing tells you which.
The drying space
On a wet job this is the part that matters most and gets specified least. Rails, hooks and heat, separated from where people eat. If the unit does not have a proper drying area, wet coats end up over the canteen chairs, and that is how a good welfare unit turns into a bad one.
Sizing by headcount
Work from your maximum number on site, not your average. Smaller crews are well served by a compact self-contained unit. Larger teams are usually better off splitting functions across linked buildings — a dedicated canteen and a separate drying room beat one overloaded welfare unit every time.
What to check before you buy
Ask what the electrics have been tested to, what the heating is, whether the water system has been checked, and what the drainage arrangement is. Refurbished units are repaired and refitted, electrically tested and certified, then repainted before sale. A few are sold as they stand and the listing says so.
Browse used welfare units or tell us your headcount and site details and we will point you at something that fits. Prices exclude VAT, and delivery is quoted by postcode and access.
