What Cotaplan does

Cotaplan designs, manufactures, and installs modular prefabricated buildings for UK organisations across healthcare, education, commercial, and leisure sectors. Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, the company operates a manufacturing facility in the North West of England where buildings are fabricated off-site under controlled factory conditions. Its technical capabilities include Passivhaus-certified construction with MVHR ventilation and ground-source heating (first demonstrated at Smallwood Primary School in 2014), a flat-pack system for restricted-access sites, and bespoke design services covering colour, finish, and layout customisation. The company holds ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, and OHSAS 18001:2007 certifications, and has adopted a Carbon Reduction Plan targeting Net Zero by 2040.

Revenue is generated through multiple parallel streams: sale of newly manufactured bespoke modular buildings, sale of refurbished/second-hand units, short- and long-term hire, lease purchase (hire purchase with eventual ownership), and a buyback/sell service for clients with surplus modular stock. A full turnkey design-and-build service covers survey, CAD design, manufacturing, installation, and building-regulation compliance. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; the company markets its buildings as up to 60% cheaper than traditional construction, with delivery cycles of 6-8 weeks for school classrooms and 12 weeks for NHS ward facilities.

Notable customers include East Surrey Hospital (£8 million turnkey modular ward build for Surrey and Sussex NHS Trust), Chase Farm Hospital, Linden Lodge Specialist College (£2 million Passivhaus build), Sparsholt College, Wolverhampton City Council, City of Edinburgh Council, Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Serco, and Macclesfield FC. The go-to-market is sales-led and B2B/B2G, combining direct enquiry through the company website, a freephone number, and project-based tender engagement with public-sector buyers across the UK.

Name

Cotaplan

Legal name

Cotaplan

Website

https://cotaplan.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cotaplan designs and manufactures modular prefabricated buildings for UK healthcare, education, commercial, and leisure organisations. Founded in 1982 and based in Wigan, it offers bespoke new builds, refurbished units, hire, lease purchase, and full turnkey design-and-build services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Modular Building Manufacturing

NAICS

Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (236220)

SIC

Prefabricated Metal Buildings & Components (3448)

akta.pro primary industry

Modular/Offsite General Contracting & Installation (IMAFAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Modular/Prefabricated Classroom Buildings & Installation (EDAEABAH), Residential Modular & Prefabricated Home Construction (IMAFABAF)

Keywords

• Modular building construction
• Prefabricated buildings
• Portable cabin hire
• Bespoke modular buildings
• Passivhaus construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Liverpool

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Modular Building Sales (New): Sale of bespoke newly manufactured modular buildings for permanent or temporary use across education, healthcare, commercial and leisure sectors
2. Modular Building Sales (Refurbished/Used): Sale of refurbished and second-hand modular buildings at discounted rates with quality assurance
3. Modular Building Hire: Short-term and long-term hire of portable cabins and modular buildings with flexible terms for temporary workspace needs
4. Buyback/Trade-in Services: Purchase of existing modular buildings from clients for refurbishment and repurposing
5. Lease Purchase: Hire purchase package allowing clients to spread costs for permanent solution with eventual ownership
6. Design and Build Services: Full turnkey project management from initial survey through to final handover including design, manufacturing, installation, and compliance services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cotaplan designs, manufactures, and installs bespoke modular and prefabricated buildings for UK organizations across education, healthcare, commercial, and leisure sectors. The company offers new modular buildings, refurbished second-hand units, short- and long-term hire of portable cabins and modular structures, lease purchase packages, and a full Design & Build turnkey service. Buildings are produced off-site at a manufacturing facility in the North West of England and delivered nationwide.

Product overview

Cotaplan is a UK-based modular building manufacturer established in 1982, offering bespoke prefabricated buildings through a unified portfolio of products and services. The core offering consists of new modular buildings, refurbished modular buildings, portable cabin hire, and modular building sales, supported by a comprehensive Design & Build service. Buildings are manufactured off-site in the company's North West facility and serve four main sectors: Education (classrooms, nurseries, colleges, universities), Healthcare (hospitals, wards, NHS facilities, labs, MRI buildings), Commercial (offices, restaurants, workshops), and Leisure (changing rooms, community centres). The company also offers specialist Passivhaus-certified buildings and has received recognition for eco-friendly construction including the Green Apple Award 2015.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• New Modular Buildings Bespoke modular buildings manufactured off-site in Cotaplan's North West facility, delivered and installed for permanent or temporary use across education, healthcare, commercial, and leisure sectors.
• Refurbished Modular Buildings Pre-owned modular structures that have been professionally reconditioned, offering cost-effective alternatives to new builds while maintaining quality standards.
• Modular Building Hire Rental service for modular buildings available short term and long term, suitable for schools and businesses needing temporary workspace.
• Portable Cabin Hire Flexible portable cabin rental service for short and long-term needs, made from recycled materials with options for toilets, heating, showers, and custom design.
• Used Modular Buildings for Sale Pre-owned modular units including classrooms, offices, and cabins available at discounted rates for immediate installation across the UK.
• Sell Your Modular Building (Buyback) Purchase service where Cotaplan inspects, quotes, and removes second-hand modular buildings including classrooms, mobile offices, and portable cabins.
• Design & Build Service Full design and build modular building service with CDM-compliant site services, in-house CAD design, building regulation compliance, and insurance coverage.
• Modular Education Buildings Complete range of education sector modular buildings including schools, classrooms, nurseries, canteens, colleges, and universities.
• Modular Healthcare Buildings Healthcare facility modular buildings including hospitals, clean rooms, wards, NHS buildings, MRI facilities, labs, and discharge lounges designed to HTM/HBN standards.
• Modular Commercial Buildings Commercial modular solutions including offices, restaurants, and workshop buildings for business applications.
• Modular Leisure Buildings Leisure sector modular buildings including changing rooms and community centres.
• Modular Rooms Prefabricated modular rooms that can be configured as classrooms, nurseries, healthcare facilities, retail units, restaurants, offices, or hotels.
• Passivhaus-Certified Modular Buildings Energy-efficient modular buildings meeting Passivhaus certification standards, with features including MVHR systems and ground-source heating.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 60% cost reduction compared to traditional modern building or extension
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Macclesfield FCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCotaplan partnered with Macclesfield FC providing pitch-side advertising board. Hired two classrooms to support the club's youth development facilities, providing educational skills alongside football training for young players.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Eco Modular Buildings: Smaller UK modular building provider emphasising sustainable construction and recycled materials. Comparable to Cotaplan's sustainability positioning (recycled components, Passivhaus) but with a more limited project portfolio.

Direct peers

• Module-AR: UK modular building manufacturer supplying permanent and temporary modular buildings, particularly to education and commercial clients. Directly comparable to Cotaplan on product range and UK SME market positioning.
• McAvoy Group: Northern Ireland-based offsite construction specialist with strong focus on healthcare and education modular buildings. Comparable to Cotaplan on sector specialism, offsite manufacturing model, and Passivhaus-aligned high-performance building expertise.
• Algeco UK: Provider of modular space solutions including portable buildings, modular offices, and education/healthcare facilities with significant hire fleet capacity across the UK. Closely comparable to Cotaplan on hire-led revenue model and multi-vertical customer coverage.
• Rollalong: UK offsite modular building manufacturer focused on permanent solutions for education, healthcare, and defence. Comparable to Cotaplan on bespoke permanent modular construction and public-sector customer base.
• Premier Modular: UK modular building specialist delivering permanent offsite buildings for healthcare, education, and commercial clients. Highly comparable to Cotaplan on bespoke design-and-build service and NHS/education vertical focus.
• Portakabin: The UK's largest modular building supplier, offering new, hire, and refurbished modular buildings across education, healthcare, and commercial sectors. Directly comparable to Cotaplan on product portfolio, customer verticals, and B2B/B2G sales motion, but operating at materially greater scale.
• Elliott Group: UK offsite construction provider delivering modular buildings for healthcare, education, and commercial sectors. Closely aligned to Cotaplan on turnkey design-and-build service and NHS framework participation.
• Wernick Group: Family-owned UK modular building manufacturer with a large hire fleet and new-build capability serving education, healthcare, and construction sites. Comparable to Cotaplan on modular hire-and-sale model and UK public-sector customer base, though typically at larger contract scale.

Broad incumbents

• Losberger De Boer: Large European modular structure provider serving events, military, and commercial/institutional buildings. Comparable to Cotaplan on modular building delivery but operating as a broad incumbent across multiple geographies and use cases.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cotaplan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cotaplan