How modular cabin refurbishment can give your existing assets a new lease of life

Construction firms are under increasing pressure to control costs, maintain compliance, and minimise disruption on live sites. For many decision-makers, refurbishment offers a practical route to achieve all three – and that’s before sustainability even enters the conversation.

Instead of buying new, refurbishing existing cabins allows companies to extend the lifespan of their fleet, freeing up more budget for other critical site requirements like materials and construction equipment.

As regulations continually evolve too, refurbishment is a simple route to ensuring older cabins meet new safety, fire, and energy-saving standards, staying fit-for-purpose without having to overhaul an entire fleet.

Choosing to refurbish also reduces downtime, as cabins can be collected, stripped back, upgraded and returned to site far faster than procuring new units, helping to keep construction delivery programmes on track and reducing the operational risk of having a shortage of welfare cabins on site.

And, at a time where net zero targets are at the forefront of construction industry planning, portable cabin refurbishment is an environmentally conscious alternative to discarding older modular cabins and buying new.

In 2022, construction and demolition generated 63 million tonnes of non-hazardous waste, with 94.3% recovered(serving a purpose like creating energy or replacing other materials). A reminder of the scale of the opportunity to refurbish and reuse cabins rather than buy new.

Here at Thurston, we’re playing our part in shaping the transition to sustainable modular manufacturing, with Production Director, Dan Pollard, championing industrialised construction across our factories.

We’re using pre-kitted components and technology-enabled production lines to create cabins that can be assembled, disassembled, reused and recycled — reducing lead times and making refurbishment straightforward.

Choosing to go down the route of cabin refurbishment has five major advantages:

Sustainability: Refurbished modular cabins make use of existing materials and avoid the need for additional manufacturing, reducing waste and energy use while supporting ESG reporting, and aligning with the push for a circular economy.

Speed and convenience: If you’re looking for a fast turnaround, refurbished cabins can be collected, upgraded, and returned to site in weeks rather than months. At Thurston, our in-house capability across design, steelwork, and fit outs ensures short lead times and robust quality control.

Cost efficiency: Refurbished cabins extend the life of your existing fleet at a fraction of the cost of buying new, helping teams keep projects on budget without compromising on welfare offering. This makes refurbishment a practical option for sites needing reliable facilities without the means to spend big on bespoke new cabins.

High standards: Refurbishment restores cabins to a ‘good as new’ standard, extending the lifespan of your existing fleet without the cost or delay of buying new units. The upgrade process is comprehensive, restoring units to look and function as if just built, while meeting or exceeding the latest building regulations for safety and efficiency.

Customisation and upgrades: Refurbishment allows cabins to be reconfigured and upgraded to suit changing site needs, with options to amend layouts, and introduce energy-efficient elements like improved insulation and LED lighting, and eco-friendly paints and finishes. You can also add new branding, and adapt a cabin for different uses, like switching a storage facility into an office.

At Thurston, we’ve worked with construction contractors to refurbish cabins on sites across the UK. As part of our full lifecycle offer, we work with our customers from design and manufacture, all the way through to maintenance and refurbishment, ensuring portable cabins can be used and repurposed for decades.

We’ve helped businesses to minimise their carbon footprint with versatile, cost-effective structures that can be deployed quickly, achieving benefits like reduced energy usage and a more comfortable work environment for employees too.

Our in-house capabilities enable fast turnaround times, consistent high quality, and seamless project delivery, providing reliability for customers requiring upgraded fleets without the disruption that buying new can bring.

Speak to our refurbishment specialists about your existing cabins and project timelines — and we’ll outline the fastest and most cost-effective route to upgrade your fleet.