How Does THOM Compare - On Price?

A container-sized deployable unit (6m × 2.4m · 45m² wall area) is one of the most common procurement decisions in the portable building market. Below is a direct cost comparison between traditional construction and THOM hard anodised aluminium panels.

14.4 m²

Floor Area

155 sqft

45.4 m²

Wall Area

All 4 external walls

2.7m

Wall Height

Standard ceiling height

6m × 2.4m

Footprint

20ft container equivalent

THOM Smart Wall - Bronze Anodised Container Studio

Wall Material & Build Cost

Full installed wall cost + site overhead for a 6m × 2.4m unit (45.4m² wall, 14.4m² floor) using THOM PC Basic (Powder Coated White, Basic Insulation). Wall cost: supply, labour, fixings, trims. Site overhead: build days × £800/day - same methodology as the Wall Comparison page. Excludes: floor slab, roof, windows/doors, MEP, planning, professional fees, VAT.

Pricing mode:

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Compare THOM against

BA Premium vs — (installed)

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THOM · BA PremiumSelected

£29,264total£639/m² wall · R-110 · £253 site

The real cost of building: Material is just the start. THOM eliminates labour redundancy, wet trade complexity, and maintenance spend. Use our designer tool to calculate the full financial case for your specific project - including TCO, carbon credits, and energy savings.

Cost Analysis Methodology

Evidence Base (Installed Rates): All installed rates are normalised like-for-like wall-envelope costs per m² wall area, GBP ex VAT. They include supply, installation labour, normal fixings/sundries, trims, and small-project allowances. They exclude: floor slab, roof, windows/doors, MEP, planning, professional fees, abnormal access, groundworks, and VAT.

Kingspan QuadCore £225/m²: Retail panel price £100-113/m² ex VAT (Kingspan.com). Normalised to full installed envelope: panels £105 + secondary support steel £45 + fixings/trims £25 + labour £30 + delivery £12 + contingency £8 = £225/m². Panel-only price is not the real installed wall cost.
Brick & Block £245/m²: Checkatrade 2026 insulated cavity wall benchmark £230/m² (includes materials, bricklaying labour, internal plastering & skirtings) + £15/m² small-project/corner/DPC detailing uplift.
Timber Frame £295/m²: Normalised to wall-envelope basis: timber frame/studs/sheathing £95 + insulation & VCL £35 + external cladding £85 + internal plasterboard £35 + labour/waste/trims £45 = £295/m². Source: Build It / Acorn2Oak 2026.
Steel Frame £360/m²: Checkatrade UK benchmark £250-350/m² for steel frame + composite cladding (excl. groundwork), upper-middle of range at £325/m² + internal lining £25 + small-project uplift £10 = £360/m².
THOM Self-Install: Installed cost minus approx. £22/m² flat-pack labour allowance for supply-only mode (2 people, hand tools, approx. 2 days).

Cost Range (Low / Base / High): Kingspan £190-260, Brick £230-300, Timber £260-360, Steel £320-430 per m² wall area. All rates assume labour-ready conditions. Regional variation may add 5-10% in SE England.

This analysis is for budgeting comparison only. Contact THOM or preferred suppliers for project-specific quotations and detailed BoQs.

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