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What is an Office Trailer?

These days, American businesses of all sizes are finding that they have an increasing need for portable or storage space. That’s why mobile office trailers are becoming more and more popular business products. While they used to be used primarily for construction, education, retail, and manufacturing/distribution space, now they’re being utilized by varieties of small and on-the-go businesses! Considering that over 50% of American workers now work remotely, travel or meet clients in various locations, or have a job without a specific workplace, mobile offices are more useful now than ever.

What is a mobile office trailer? 

Mobile offices are pre-manufactured portable offices that sit on top of a wheels-and-chassis trailer base, and can be placed on almost any site or relocated easily. They are delivered on a flatbed truck and trailer, assembled quickly on-site, and can be removed easily when you no longer need it. Because the office is slightly elevated above-ground, you typically need stairs or a ramp to access it. The average life expectancy of a mobile office trailer is around 5-10 years depending on the condition, and the typical length of use is several weeks to a couple years. 

Common Uses

Mobile offices are now used for a variety of jobs because of their convenience factor. Because they’re portable and provide self-contained space, they’re a great office solution for businesses that need short-term space, need flexible or portable office space for on-the-go jobs, or want cost-efficient and versatile work space.

Here are some common uses of mobile office trailers:

  • Construction: they make great onsite offices for contractors and builders completing a project over a given period of time
  • Government: administration often needs portable offices or extra storage space for documents and records
  • Medical: Labs and doctors offices might need extra space for medical documents and records or administrative offices
  • Education: schools often use mobile offices while they’re renovating, and some schools run out of classrooms for all of their students and need to add more!
  • Retail: they make great storage space for inventory overflow, and some retail businesses use them for extra office space
  • Small distributions: many distributors in a wide range of industries operate on-the-go and travel often to sell their product, but still need a space to meet with clients locally.
  • At-home businesses: It’s easy to place a mobile office on or near your property if you work from home but prefer a separate space to work
  • Temporary shops: some businesses do not want to close shop while they renovate or build a new workspace. This allows them to maintain business as usual while construction is completed.

Benefits

There are so many benefits to using a mobile office trailer! Here are some of the many reasons they might be a good fit for you and your business:

  • Saving money: Office space is expensive! Plain and simple – when you forego the expense of buying or renting office space, you save a ton of money. Think about it – when you get an office, you have to pay for furniture, electricity, Internet and more. But the costs of all these are significantly less with a mobile office. This is particularly appealing for start-up businesses or any company that wants to save and focus on growing their revenue.
  • Easy delivery and removal: Because suppliers will deliver, set up, and remove your mobile office for you at a low cost, opting for a mobile office over a traditionally built office space is much less hassle! Instead of waiting for your office to be built or paying high prices to rent, you can have your office instantaneously at a low cost. Plus, whenever you decide it’s time for a different office, you can have the supplier remove it with no problem. It’s a quick fix for your space needs.
  • Internet connection option: Most mobile offices have hook-ups that allow you to set up Internet inside the office. Plus, these days you have the option to use a cloud-based phone service and connect your business phone number to your smartphone, computer or laptop, or tablet and save lots of money. This would add flexibility and let you take care of business calls from just about anywhere in the world!
  • Less distractions: Many mobile office users enjoy the privacy and lack of distraction. With a mobile office, not only can you customize the environment the way you want to boost productivity and get more done than you would in a busy office.

Buying Options

You have the option to either rent or buy a mobile office trailer. Determining which is the smartest option depends mainly on how long you need the mobile office for.

  • Renting: Renting is by far the more common choice, since most businesses use a mobile office as a temporary space or storage solution. For example, a business may renovate or a retail shop may need extra space seasonally, but they don’t want to commit to the mobile office forever. In this case, renting would be the smarter option. You would pay monthly for a given duration of time that you establish with your supplier, and the supplier will deliver/remove the trailer when needed. The average length to rent a mobile office is between 9-24 months, but some businesses rent a mobile office for up to 3 years. The convenient part about renting is that the time is extremely flexible – you can even do a month-to-month contract if you want!
  • Buying: If you think you will be needing the office for 3 years or more, it’s smartest to purchase it. First of all, if you rent a mobile office for more than 3 years, it’s no longer cost-effective because you will be paying more than what the office is worth. If you’re not sure how long you need the office for and it could be 3 or more years, some suppliers will allow a lease-to-buy option, so just make sure you ask!

Size and Cost 

The cost of a mobile office trailer varies, depending mostly on its size, condition (new, used, or refurbished), features, and whether you decide to lease or buy it. Some other factors that might influence cost are:

  • Geographic location
  • Delivery fees
  • Contract length
  • Seasonal demand 

If you decide to buy, expect to pay around $15,000 – $45,000, depending on the size, features, and condition. If you want to rent, the typical cost is between $200 – $900 monthly. Of course, you will have a different monthly premium depending on the size you go for:

  • Small single-wide mobile offices (about 8’ x 20’) will be around $200-$400 per month
  • Mid-sized single-wide mobile offices (about 10’ x 40’) will be around $300-$500 per month
  • Large single-wide mobile offices (about 12’ x 60’) will be around $500-$700 per month.

These prices are typically without add on features. So keep in mind that the more add-ons you want, the price may be driven up. There are also uncommon sizes or double-wide and triple-wide options, which will cost differently than single-wides. For more information on cost, take a look at our renter’s guide.

Common Features

Office trailers can be customized in a variety of ways, which makes them all the more convenient! Depending on the need for your office, you can add features that will make the space conducive to your productivity. You can also generally customize the interior or finish it to make it look like a furnished office! 

Here are just some of the great features you can add to your mobile office:

Ready to compare options for your mobile office?  Our 100% free service lets you compare price quotes and puts you in touch with top trusted suppliers. Then, you can decide if a mobile office is the right choice for you!

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