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Victorian red-brick school building facade in London

School Construction & Modular Classrooms Classrooms ready for the first day of term, starting with a free CIF-ready cost plan, across London and the UK.

Our track record

100% of projects delivered ahead
of programme and on budget

What our clients get

  • 16 weeksto refurbish a 1,250 m² school pool and its facilities on a live site (Francis Holland School)
  • 60%of site labour is our own, so your holiday programme never waits on another firm
  • 0snags at handover, with every certificate in the file before term
  • £10Minsurance cover, ISO and CHAS: the checks your trust, governors and insurer ask for

Finished before the staff come back

A school has one deadline that never moves: the first day of term. A programme that slips means closed rooms, letters to parents and costs nobody approved.

We begin with a free cost plan ready for governors, the trust board or a CIF bid. For a CIF bid we cost from your independent survey; for other works our free condition survey of the blocks you name comes first. The team that prices the work builds it, and most people on site are ours.

Our teams have built across London and the UK, from Aldgate to Banbury and Manchester. See all locations.

Modern brick and glass teaching block beside a lawn

Trusted by leading businesses

  • Trainline
  • Auto Trader
  • YouTube
  • Medusa
  • Fuse
  • Drakes
  • PTOS
  • Close Connections
  • Marnie
  • Vortex Post
  • Minds Ahead
  • Missy
  • Fora
  • Gama Healthcare
  • Equinix
  • Hubble
  • B-Engineering

School building and refurbishment contractors: everything under one contract

Planning a whole new school building? Our design and build main contractor service takes it from brief to keys.

Empty classroom with table, orange chairs and wall-mounted whiteboard

Summer-holiday refurbishments

Classrooms, corridors, toilets and science labs stripped out and finished inside the six-week break.

Two-storey modular building with colourful cladding panels and glazed ground floor

Modular and traditional classroom blocks

Permanent modular classrooms that replace temporary ones, or a traditional frame, with foundations, drainage and services connected by one team.

Empty indoor swimming pool with lane ropes under a timber ceiling

Sports halls and swimming pools

Pool halls, sports halls and changing rooms renewed: surfaces, ventilation and water plant, around your timetable.

Boiler room with insulated pipework, valves, gauges and circulation pumps

Roofs, windows, boilers and heating

The condition works CIF ranks highly: weathertight roofs and windows, safe electrics, and heating that keeps running.

Empty commercial kitchen with stainless steel cooking line and racking

Dining halls, kitchens and SEND spaces

Dining halls and catering kitchens refitted, plus hygiene rooms, sensory rooms and step-free access for pupils with SEND.

Multi-use games court with fencing, running track and sports hall behind

External works and MUGAs

Multi-use games areas, playgrounds, drainage, secure fencing and controlled entrances that keep the site safe.

How it works

How a school project runs with us

01

Your survey or ours

Bidding for CIF? Upload your independent survey and we cost it free. For other works, we walk the blocks you name and grade each defect by urgency.

02

Costed options

Each fix is priced as options, including doing nothing, so governors, the board or an assessor can weigh the choice.

03

Programme around term

Work is fitted to holidays, half-terms and exam weeks. Modules, boilers and windows are ordered early, so nothing waits.

04

Safe, separate site

Hoarded zones, a separate entrance and deliveries outside pupil movement.

05

Handover before term

Tested, signed off and cleaned, with keys and the safety file in your hands before staff return.

Cover of the Craftex project guide for investors and developers

The Craftex Guide to Investor and Developer Projects

Planning a building project for your school or trust? This guide shows how we take a brief and cost plan to a finished, certified building.

Our promises

Six promises, written into your contract

  1. One contractor, one director

    Survey, design, approvals and every trade sit under one contract, with one director your bursar or estates lead can call.

    Portsoken House, designed by our in-house team and built by us.

  2. The contract sum holds

    The figure your governors approve is the figure you pay. Any change is priced and agreed in writing first.

    100% of our projects on budget.

  3. Your school keeps teaching

    Live sites are split into safe zones, and noisy work is timed for when pupils are elsewhere.

    Francis Holland School, where the pool works ran around a working school.

  4. Ready before term starts

    Our own trades do most of the work, so no week of the break is lost to someone else's diary.

    A London data centre designed, built and commissioned in 10 weeks.

  5. £10M cover, every accreditation

    £10M public liability and £10M employers' liability, with professional indemnity on request. ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001, CHAS, SafeContractor and Constructionline.

  6. Zero snags, every certificate

    Rooms come back finished, with fire, electrical and building control certificates already in the file.

    Macmillan Cancer Care Centre, 2,100 m² managed end to end.

Example contractor quotation for a four-classroom modular block with a sticky note

Already have a quote? Send it to us. We'll beat it.

Holding a contractor's price for summer works or a new block? Send it over. A director checks it line by line and replies within two working days.

Compare your quotes

Where school building projects usually go wrong, and what we do instead

AreaThe usual riskWith Craftex
ResponsibilityA surveyor, a designer and several trades appointed separately, with the bursar left chasing all of them.One main contractor answers for the whole job, so there is one number to ring.
The final billA quote built on a quick look, then extras once the ceilings and floors come up.Risky areas are opened up at survey stage, so the price reflects what is really there.
The dateThe summer programme slips into September and Year 7 starts in temporary rooms.A programme planned backwards from INSET day, with long-lead items ordered before the holiday begins.
SafeguardingUnknown workers crossing pupil routes during term time.Fenced zones, separate access and checked staff, agreed with your safeguarding lead before day one.
ComplianceBuilding control, fire safety and DfE design standards left for the school to sort out at the end.We run every approval and certificate the school, trust and insurer need to reopen the space.
HandoverRooms reopened with snags, dust and missing manuals.Rooms handed back clean and complete, with manuals and records delivered in one pack.

School building cost per m² in the UK, 2026

Indicative costs per m² from Laxton's Building Price Book 2026, before external works, furniture, fees and VAT. London usually runs about 9% higher.

TypeWhat it covers£ per m²
School refurbishmentClassrooms, corridors and toilets renewed inside an existing building£950–1,650
New primary school buildingClassrooms, hall and support spaces, built new£2,500–2,900
New secondary teaching blockGeneral classrooms and specialist rooms, built new£2,600–2,900
Special school (SEND)New building designed for pupils with special educational needs£2,600–3,000
Sports hallNew hall to sports-centre standard, with changing£2,300–2,700
Covered swimming poolNew pool hall, plant and changing rooms£3,550–4,100
Condition survey and cost planOptions costed from your independent CIF survey, or blocks surveyed and defects graded by us for other worksNo charge

Modular blocks fall within the new-build ranges; their gain is time on site. School projects with us start at £100,000.

Free cost calculator

What will your school project cost?

Enter the floor area and pick the work. The range uses Laxton's Building Price Book 2026 guide prices.

Add
Your estimateEnter your spaceex VAT and fees Get your project costed free

Indicative only, before VAT and fees. Your real figure comes from the free cost plan.

Our team

  • in

Modular classrooms and school building: your questions

Is my school eligible for the Condition Improvement Fund, and when do we bid?

CIF is open to stand-alone academies, sixth-form colleges, and schools in trusts or VA bodies with fewer than five schools or 3,000 pupils. Larger trusts and councils receive School Condition Allocations instead. The 2027 to 2028 round closes at midday on 15 December 2026, and outcomes are expected in May 2027. Only about a third of bids succeed: the DfE funded 789 of 2,846 CIF projects in 2025 to 2026, so the evidence decides.

Can the work be done in the summer holidays?

Yes, when it is ordered in spring. The summer break gives about six weeks on site, so surveys, approvals and long-lead orders must be settled before term ends. Larger jobs are split across several holidays, with quieter work at weekends and half-terms. Talk to us by Easter for a September handover.

How big should a classroom be under Building Bulletin 103?

Building Bulletin 103 recommends 55 to 62 m² for a standard primary classroom of 30 pupils. A secondary general classroom is 55 m², and a general science laboratory 83 m². The gross area of the whole building is usually 140 to 145% of the net teaching and support space. For a CIF block replacement, the new block should normally be no larger than the old one.

Do you work for independent schools as well as academies?

Yes. Our school case study is Francis Holland, an independent school in London, where we refurbished the swimming pool and changing facilities. Bursars often spread works over several summers to match reserves, and we plan the programme that way. Since fees became subject to VAT in January 2025, many schools can recover some VAT on building works; check with your adviser.

Can the works be phased around exams?

Yes. We take your exam timetable at survey stage and plan the noisy jobs around it, using half-terms and weekends. Nothing loud happens during exam sessions or mocks. Halls used for exams are handed back cleared, clean and safe in good time.

What do the free condition survey and cost plan include?

Our team inspects the blocks you choose, photographs the defects and grades each one by condition and urgency. You then receive costed options, including doing nothing, an outline programme around term dates and a list of risks. For a CIF bid, the survey itself must come from an independent surveyor, so send us theirs and we cost from it. Our own survey suits trusts on condition allocations, independent schools and self-funded works.

Modular or traditional: which is better for a new classroom block?

Modular is quicker on site, because the modules are made in a factory while the groundworks go in. The National School Delivery Cost Benchmarking study (June 2025) found modular construction shortened contract periods by about 11 to 15%. Traditional build suits tight sites, taller blocks and extensions tied into older buildings. We price both side by side, and the calculator above gives an indicative cost per m².

How do you keep pupils safe on a live school site?

The works are fenced off from pupil routes, with their own site entrance. Deliveries avoid drop-off, break times and pick-up. Your safeguarding lead approves the site rules before anyone starts.

How long does it take to build a new classroom block?

It depends on size, planning and the build route. The same DfE-backed benchmarking study found an average contract period of 38 weeks across 576 primary rebuild and extension projects. Planning permission often takes longer than the build, so we start it first. For larger blocks, our pre-construction services fix the design, cost and programme before the contract.

Which areas do you cover, and what size of project?

We are based in London and build across the UK; our case studies include projects in London, Banbury and Manchester. We take on school projects from £100,000 to £10M and above, from a summer toilet refit to modular schools and new teaching blocks.

What our clients say

See all reviews on Google
  • Hired Craftex for our conversion project. We had to convert a 600m2 office into 8 apartments. Guys did an excellent job in terms of program efficiency and quality of the finishes which gave us a big upside to exit the project 2 months faster than other competitors’ timelines.

    Misha Levit

  • Great experience from start to finish. Communication was clear, the workmanship was excellent, and the whole project was managed professionally.

    Rhea Langford

  • I’d like to thank the team at Сraftex for the work they did on our office.
    It was really important for us to get the work done quickly, but without compromising on quality, as we regularly have clients and guests visiting and needed to move into the new office within a month.
    We spent around two weeks discussing and agreeing all the details before the work started. What I really appreciated was that everything we agreed beforehand was actually followed through during the job. The work was also completed on time.
    Thanks to the whole Сraftex team for a great job. I’d definitely use them again if we need any work done in the future.

    IURII PYLYPETS

  • We recently worked with Craftex and honestly couldn’t be happier with the results. From start to finish, the team was professional, reliable, and highly skilled. The quality of workmanship exceeded our expectations, and everything was completed on time and to a very high standard.
    Communication throughout the project was excellent, and they always went above and beyond to make sure we were satisfied. It’s rare to find a construction company that combines professionalism, attention to detail, and great customer service so well.
    Without a doubt, Craftex is one of the best construction companies we have ever worked with. Highly recommended to anyone looking for quality and trustworthy builders.

    Adam Miah

  • Craftex has completed a range of both small and large-scale projects on our commercial property with exceptional precision and quality. Dmitriy consistently delivers courteous, prompt service and has shown great flexibility in accommodating last-minute changes to plans and timelines. I highly recommend Craftex for their professionalism and outstanding workmanship.

    Pascal Hunt

  • Great company to work with as always. Super flexible at dealing with evolving requirements and fast deployment and execution.

    Akshay Khanna

  • Hired Craftex to do the full design and fit out of my gym in Chelsea. Super efficient and fast team. They gave the best price and a proper fast track program. We managed to open in less than 6 weeks with no headaches or surprises during construction. Quality was great, we had zero snags on completion. I’ve worked with a few companies before but these guys really impressed me from project management to how they treat the client. Top GGs.

    Александр Хоменко

  • I worked perfectly with Sviat and Joe, with their architect they came up with a very smart design for our office to fit more desks and optimise the space to its maximum capacity. They also did excellent value engineering on the MEP design proposed by others, allowing us to save around £50K. The quality and speed were outstanding we finished two weeks ahead of schedule. Highly recommend these guys.

    John Smith

  • Happy with the end result. Tight timeline but they pulled it off. The team worked late shifts and even weekends to help us open the doors on schedule. Site was always left tidy at the end of the day and no surprise charges either. Good communication throughout. Would definitely use Craftex again.

    Pawel Kamionka

  • Highly recommended!
    Craftex are the kind of fit-out contractors in London you can truly trust. From the very first meeting, they understood our vision and gave practical ideas to make the most of our space. They turned our old storage area into a clean, efficient, and well-organized warehouse. The team was professional, easy to work with, and clearly took pride in their work.

    Monika Kamionka

  • We brought in Craftex to refurb our London office and honestly, they made the whole thing way easier than we expected. They listened, suggested ideas we wouldn’t have thought of, and explained everything clearly. Not the cheapest quote we got, but the end result shows why, the place looks modern, clean, and our team actually enjoys being here now. Communication was spot-on too. No chasing and confusion, deadlines were hit. If you want people who genuinely care and don’t treat your project like “another job,” I’d recommend them.

    A Google User

  • Sviat and his team at Craftex were brilliant to work with on our office redesign. From the first meeting, they took the time to understand how we actually use the space rather than just pitching generic solutions. They came back with clever, practical ideas to maximise use of the space and get more employees and desks inside . Every step was handled professionally, and the process felt surprisingly smooth for a project of this size. They finished one week ahead of schedule, and the transformation is clear — our office feels brighter, more functional, and much more welcoming. I’d happily recommend Craftex to anyone who wants a reliable design team that also makes the journey enjoyable.

    Cucu Iulian

  • We recently worked with Sviat and the Craftex team on a complete warehouse refurbishment, and the results have been outstanding. From the very beginning, their team was professional, organized, and attentive to every detail. The project was completed on time and within budget, without disrupting our day-to-day operations.

    Simone Racaku

  • My experience with Craftex was excellent from beginning to end. They took the time to really listen to what I wanted and then offered practical suggestions that made the design even better. I always felt like they cared about creating a space that worked for me, not just one that looked nice on paper. The end result is an office that feels stylish, welcoming, and very functional for day-to-day work. The process itself was straightforward, well-managed, and never stressful. I’d definitely recommend Craftex if you’re looking for office design and build services in London — they made the whole journey a positive one.

    Ion Bounegru

  • I’m really pleased with my experience working with Craftex. As a commercial construction firm, they handled everything from start to finish without any unnecessary stress on my side. What impressed me was how they suggested practical ideas that improved the design while also keeping things realistic. The communication was always clear, so I never felt out of the loop. The project ran smoothly, deadlines were met, and the end result is exactly what I was hoping for — a space that feels both functional and modern. It’s not easy finding contractors who are this reliable, but Craftex definitely proved they can be trusted.

    Taron Papoyan

  • I had an amazing experience working with Sviat and the Craftex team on our office fit-out in London. They were always professional, responsive, and quick to offer the best advice whenever decisions needed to be made. I really appreciated how they balanced style with practicality — the office doesn’t just look fantastic, it works perfectly for our team. Everything was done with care and attention to detail, and the project never felt overwhelming because they managed it so well. Communication was clear from start to finish, and I always felt involved in the process. I would happily recommend Craftex to anyone looking for a trustworthy contractor.

    Artur Dvorak

  • Craftex carried out a warehouse fit-out for us, and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome. The space has been completely transformed into a highly organized and efficient environment that makes our daily operations much smoother.
    The team was professional but also very approachable — I always felt comfortable asking questions or giving feedback. They came up with smart, practical solutions that worked perfectly for our setup, and everything was explained clearly along the way.
    The best part was how they stuck to the agreed timeline, finishing on schedule without cutting corners. It’s rare to get both quality and reliability, but Craftex delivered both.

    Roma Shchukin

  • We’re extremely happy with Sviat and the Craftex team’s work. They suggested clever ideas, managed the project efficiently, and delivered a functional, modern space. The team was easy to communicate with and very professional throughout the process!

    Polina Lysenko

  • I can honestly say our office has been completely transformed thanks to Craftex. From the very first meeting, the team was approachable, professional, and full of creative ideas that really made sense for our business. They didn’t just focus on how the space would look but also how it would work for the team day-to-day. The new layout is efficient, modern, and welcoming, and you can tell they really thought about the details. The whole process was smooth and surprisingly stress-free. They kept me updated at every stage, which gave me confidence. I’m really happy with the results and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone.

    Mykyta Khadzhynov

  • The results from Craftex’s commercial refurbishment in London are fantastic. The team was friendly, clear in communication, and made sure the project stayed on track. The workspace now feels efficient, welcoming, and modern. Definitely a team you can trust!

    Alaa Betar

  • We hired Craftex for a commercial ground floor fit-out with 2 flats above. There were some minor co-ordination hiccups with third-party suppliers but the team kept it moving. Finish quality was strong. Kitchens and doors look great. I have already asked them for a quote on the next project.

    Ben Edell

  • These guys actually deliver. They handled our first industrial to residential conversion near Tower Bridge, turned an old warehouse into 4 modern flats. They stuck to the plan, kept the site clean and the timing was on point. No hidden extras, no drama, just a professional construction company in London that gets the job done.

    Богдан Главацкий

  • We recently hired Craftex for a commercial office fit-out project in Central London, and overall, we’re really happy with the result. There was a delay on our side with a custom glass partition supplier, but the Craftex team managed the construction schedule very professionally and kept everything on track. Their guys worked clean, respected our workspace and IT setup, and kept the site tidy throughout. If you're looking for a reliable office refurbishment company in London, I’d definitely recommend Craftex. Would use them again without hesitation.

    Ardian Beleshi

  • This was a full high-end renovation of my Victorian rental apartment in Westminster, just off Sloane Square and Belgravia. The scope included full fit-out: electrics, plumbing, a new bespoke kitchen, and a luxury bathroom refurbishment. Craftex took care of everything and made the process easy. They weren’t the cheapest, but you can tell they really know what they’re doing when it comes to prime London property renovations.
    The team was professional, organised, and genuinely seemed to care about getting everything right. I was especially impressed with the quality of the finish – the attention to detail really shows in every corner.
    I’m very happy with the results and would definitely recommend Craftex to anyone looking for reliable, high-quality renovation work in Central London.

    Наталия Цимбалюк

  • I was stressed about timing since we had bookings lined up, but they smashed it. Even worked Saturday to finish the floor. My clients love the look — the beauty salon fit-out turned out exactly how I wanted. Couldn’t have pulled it off without their help. Genuinely appreciate the way they communicated throughout the refurbishment. If you need reliable help with beauty salon design or fit-out, especially in a place like Chelsea — these are the guys.

    Rami Jusupova

  • We used Craftex for a shop-to-flat conversion in Chelsea — turning an old retail space into two rental units. Access wasn’t the easiest, but the guys handled it well, no drama. Quote was clear, no hidden extras, and they actually stuck to it, which is rare. Finish came out solid, exactly what we needed for rentals. Joe (PM) kept things ticking and communication was always on point. All in all, smooth job — would use them again for sure.👍

    Apartify Estates

  • Fuse Energy hired Craftex on the fit-out and installation of our engineering and research centre, which included electrical, heating, lighting, plumbing, and ventilation upgrades. They delivered everything to a high standard and were proactive throughout — even working weekends to help speed up the programme, despite not being contracted to. They managed last-minute changes very well, communication was clear and consistent, and the team was professional from start to finish. We’d happily recommend Craftex to anyone needing a reliable construction partner.

    Hainro Eybers

  • Holistic therapy space fit-out
    Super impressed. I had a very specific vision for the studio. calm tones, soft lighting, hidden storage etc. the craftex team just got it. build was done quicker than I expected and the guys were polite, tidy and actually listened. we had 2 snags on day one but they fixed it before the week was out. worth it for the peace of mind.

    Dariia Shvyryda

  • Made a full refurbishment and redesign of our Central London office. Fantastic work, quality service and reliable people. Can recommend it to everybody

    Nikita Nigai

  • Amazing experience with these guys. I trusted them my apartment in London and Business. They are always accurate, very professional, responsive and neat. They would always advice me right things for my best interest. I had luxury experience with them and I would definitely recommend Craftex to everyone.

    Motush Motushev

  • Could not be HAPPIER with Sviat and the Craftex team, they certainly showed me that they’re the number one office design company in London that we’ve had the pleasure of working with. They gave us a unique design just like we wanted, and we loved the first initial draft of the concept. Also have to give them props for Construction, I gave them a tight timeline as we needed to move our team in ASAP, so they pulled double shifts and I didn’t see a drop in quality. Will be to talking to the team when we move up to our next bigger office. Highly recommended A+++

    Mikhail Burdoev

  • Very professional company. Craftex did brilliant minimalistic design and completely refurbished my apartment to the highest quality.

    Vlad

  • I and my husband are very satisfied with Craftex's service and customer support. We bought a house in Hampstead and wanted to redesign and renovate it. On our initial free consultation with Sviat, we found out that we actually can do loft conversion and rear extension and add value to the property straight away.
    We worked with the Craftex design team to bring our vision to life and deliver planning approvals. At that time guys started stripping out to save time on the construction programme as we wanted to move in ASAP.
    We worked with very experienced project director Konstantin who was responsible for all aspects of project delivery from design to construction with a very good eye on details and customer care.
    We saved a lot of money by having professional advice from the start. Project management and quality at Craftex are at the highest level. Many thanks to Craftex Team.

    Lia Lavryk

  • ISO 9001
  • ISO 14001
  • ISO 45001
  • CHAS
  • Constructionline Gold
  • SafeContractor
  • TrustMark
  • FMB
  • NICEIC
  • NAPIT
  • MCS
  • CSCS
  • Considerate Constructors
  • RICS, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
  • RIBA, Royal Institute of British Architects
  • ARB, Architects Registration Board
  • Public & Employers' Liability £10M
  • Professional Indemnity £10M
  • ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 certified

Tell us which rooms you need back

Name the blocks, the funding route and the date the rooms must reopen. A director calls you back the same working day with the next steps.

Unit 5, 160 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 9TR

info@craftex.co.uk

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