Welfare Vans: Site Canteens on Wheels
Mobile welfare units for construction, groundworks, rail and utility crews, with seating and table, chemical toilet, drying area, hot water and a generator-plus-solar power setup for long shifts.
A welfare van is a mobile site facility on wheels. Inside a large panel van sits a seating area with a table for breaks and paperwork, a separate compartment for a chemical or cassette toilet, a drying and changing area for wet PPE, a hot water boiler for tea and handwashing, a microwave, and a generator-plus-solar setup that runs the interior without leaving the engine idling all day. Layouts are typically 6-seat or 8-seat, sized to match the usual crew. These units exist because HSE and CDM welfare rules require clean, warm, dry facilities for site teams, and a mobile unit is the practical answer when the site has no mains, no cabins and a crew that moves every few days.
We supply, spec and deliver welfare vans from our Porthcawl base to construction firms, groundworks contractors, utility crews and rail subcontractors. If your teams need engineer-spec vehicles alongside the welfare unit, look at the service vans range for racked engineer builds. For utility sector liveried work on telecoms, gas, water and power, see the utility vans page. On finance, most operators running a welfare van for a defined project spec it on finance lease, which keeps monthly costs predictable and the conversion value on your balance sheet.
Why businesses choose us
Built around your operation
Seating and Table Layouts
Typical 6-seat or 8-seat cabins with a fixed table for breaks, paperwork and toolbox talks. Insulated and heated so the crew stays warm on winter starts.
Onboard Chemical Toilet
Separate toilet compartment with a cassette or chemical unit, so crews have a compliant facility on sites without mains drainage or portaloo delivery.
Drying and Changing Area
Dedicated drying room for wet PPE, waterproofs and boots, keeping the seating area clean and giving the crew dry kit for the afternoon shift.
Generator and Solar Hybrid
Onboard generator paired with roof solar panels, so lights, boiler and sockets keep running through a full shift without leaving the engine idling.
Hot Water Boiler
Gas or electric boiler for tea, handwashing and PPE decontamination, fed from an onboard water tank sized to last a working day.
CCTV and Tracker Options
Internal and external CCTV plus a fleet tracker fitted before delivery, since welfare vans parked on open sites are a known theft target.
Who we serve
Built for these operators
Construction and Building
Main contractors and groundworks firms running site welfare on new-build, refurbishment and excavation projects, where CDM compliance is a contract requirement.
Civil Engineering Contractors
Road, bridge and infrastructure contractors needing welfare across multiple work fronts on longer civils programmes.
Rail and Track Subcontractors
RISQS-relevant rail subcontractors running possession-window work, with welfare specified to the principal contractor's compliance kit.
Utility Contractors
Gas, water and power contractors running dispersed crews on network work, where the welfare van follows the team between sites week to week.
Event Management
Festival, concert and outdoor event organisers providing crew welfare for build-up, show days and breakdown, often in fields with no mains.
Specialist Contractors
Demolition, asbestos removal and other specialist firms needing dedicated welfare for decontamination, changing and rest in line with HSE rules.
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Most welfare vans seat 6 or 8. A 6-seat layout fits comfortably on a large panel van like a Ford Transit, Mercedes Sprinter, Iveco Daily or Peugeot Boxer and still leaves room for the toilet compartment and drying area. An 8-seat build typically sits on a long-wheelbase high-roof chassis or a light chassis cab conversion. We spec the layout around your usual crew size so seating, toilet and drying space all stay compliant with CDM welfare guidance.
Yes. Every welfare van we supply includes a separate toilet compartment, fitted with either a cassette unit or a chemical unit. Cassette toilets are the usual choice for crews moving daily, since the waste cassette lifts out for emptying at a designated point. Chemical toilets suit longer stays on one site. Both have a hand-wash basin fed from the onboard water tank, which keeps the van compliant with HSE welfare requirements for site teams without mains facilities.
Yes. Generator, fuel tank and roof solar panels are fitted as standard on the welfare builds we supply. The generator runs the heating, boiler, microwave and sockets on long shifts, and the solar setup tops up the leisure battery during daylight hours so the generator does not have to run continuously. Typical generator run-time is 12 to 18 hours per tank depending on load, and the solar stretches that further on brighter days.
Yes, where the build is specified for rail work. Rail-suitable welfare vans can be supplied with the compliance kit required for RISQS-audited contractors, including amber beacons, reverse alarms, reflective markings, first-aid provision and a signed-off maintenance schedule. Confirm with your principal contractor which exact spec their possession requires and we will match it before delivery. If you work for Network Rail subcontractors, we can cross-check an existing fleet vehicle as the reference build.
Short-term lease and hire options are both available. For a project of six months or less, short-term hire usually works out cleaner, since there is no end-of-term depreciation risk and the unit goes back when the job finishes. For projects over 12 months, a finance lease or contract hire agreement typically costs less per month. We run through both routes with you and match the finance term to the project length. We are not FCA authorised. For UK limited companies and larger partnerships, we introduce you to an FCA-authorised broker who shops finance across a panel of lenders. We cannot introduce sole traders, individuals or small partnerships to a broker or lender.
Servicing covers both the base vehicle and the welfare conversion. The chassis runs on the manufacturer service schedule through the main dealer network. The conversion work (generator, boiler, solar, water system) is covered by the converter's warranty, typically 12 to 24 months, with servicing carried out by the converter or a nominated engineer. On contract hire and finance lease we can bundle a maintenance package so conversion servicing, tyres and routine repairs are all included in the monthly payment.
Further reading
Guides for this industry
Ready to spec a welfare van?
Talk to our Porthcawl team about seat count, toilet type, generator spec and the finance that fits. Honest pricing, free UK delivery, no pressure.