Contractors Accommodation › Types of contractor accommodation compared
Types of contractor accommodation compared
There is no single best kind of place to stay when you work away. The right choice depends on how many of you there are, how long the job runs and how much you want to look after yourselves.
Whole houses and flats let to a crew
A whole property let to a team is what most people mean by contractor accommodation. Several bedrooms, a kitchen, a lounge, a washing machine and, ideally, off-road parking. The booking is usually weekly or monthly rather than nightly.
Suits: crews of three or more on jobs lasting a week or longer.
Watch for: bedroom counts that include a sofa bed or a box room, shared beds, cleaning that only happens at changeover, and parking that turns out to be on the street. Check who you call if the boiler fails at 10pm.
Serviced apartments
A serviced apartment is a self-contained flat with hotel-style extras such as a regular clean and fresh linen. They are often in town centres and close to business parks.
Suits: one or two people on longer stays, especially office-based contractors and engineers who want their own space and a kitchen.
Watch for: town-centre parking charges, minimum stays, and limits on van parking in managed car parks.
Hotels and budget chains
Hotels are the easiest to book and the easiest to expense. A fixed room price, a receipt that every accounts team accepts, and usually 24-hour reception.
Suits: short stays, single workers and anyone who will be on site so long that they only need a bed and a shower.
Watch for: breakfast times that start after you have left for site, car parks with height barriers, and the cost of eating out every night on a long job. Nightly prices also tend to rise sharply during big local events.
Guest houses and B&Bs
Seaside towns and cities have many small guest houses, and plenty of them take working guests outside the holiday season. They can be good value and the owners often know the area well.
Suits: small teams on short and medium jobs, particularly in quieter months.
Watch for: fixed breakfast times, shared bathrooms, and limited parking. Ask whether there is somewhere to dry wet work clothes.
Lodgings and rooms in a private home
Some people let a spare room to a worker on a long contract, Monday to Friday or longer. It can be the cheapest option and suits people who travel home at weekends.
Suits: a single worker on a long job who wants a quiet base.
Watch for: house rules, access to the kitchen and washing machine, and a clear written agreement on notice and what is included. Living in someone's home is a different arrangement from a tenancy, so read what you are signing.
Caravans and static homes
On some large or remote projects, workers stay in caravans on holiday parks or on land near the site. Holiday parks may let static caravans to workers out of season.
Suits: remote jobs where little else is nearby, and people who are happy with compact living.
Watch for: park opening dates and rules on who can stay out of season, heating costs in winter, and how far the site is by road.
How to choose
| Your situation | Usually works best |
|---|---|
| One person, under a week | Hotel or guest house |
| One or two people, several weeks | Serviced apartment or lodgings |
| Crew of three or more, a week or longer | Whole house or flat |
| Remote site, few options nearby | Caravan or the nearest town with a mix of the above |
These are rules of thumb, not fixed answers. Once you have a shortlist, use our cost comparison method to compare the real price of each option, and run through the crew booking checklist before paying a deposit.
A word on booking platforms and agents
You can book directly with a host or hotel, through a general booking website, or through an agent that specialises in housing work crews. Agents can save time on big or changing bookings and may offer one monthly invoice, but you are paying for that service somewhere in the price. Booking direct can be cheaper but means you deal with any problems yourself. Whichever route you take, get the address, bed layout, parking arrangements and cancellation terms in writing before you pay.