---
title: "mobile office: Definition and Meaning | NPSA"
description: "A mobile office is an office space that is built and finished off site, then delivered ready to use."
url: https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/mobile-office
publisher: National Portable Storage Association (NPSA)
phone: "(816) 960-6552"
email: info@npsa.org
---

Mobile offices and modular

# mobile office

A mobile office is an office space that is built and finished off site, then delivered ready to use. It can be a converted storage container, a trailer or a modular building. Standard units typically come with insulation, finished walls, flooring, electrical wiring, lighting, a personnel door and a window.

## Why it matters

NPSA notes that mobile offices suit sites with limited space or awkward access. A 20 foot unit takes about the space of one parking spot and can be moved with a forklift. They serve both temporary uses, such as a construction site or an event, and permanent uses such as a business headquarters. Options include extra windows, partition walls, ramps and awnings. A common mistake is to forget the site needs: power, a level pad, a ramp or stairs and a permit. Rules for occupied buildings differ by city and county, so check with local officials before you order.

[Read: Mobile offices](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/mobile-offices)

Definition source: [npsa.org](https://www.npsa.org/mobile-offices.html)

## Related terms

[### container office A container office is an office made from a shipping or storage container. A builder cuts in windows and doors and adds insulation, finished walls, flooring, electrical and lighting. It sits directly on the ground and can be moved with a forklift or a truck.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/container-office)[### ground level office A ground-level office is a mobile office that sits directly on the ground, usually a converted storage container, so that visitors can enter from the grade with no tall steps. It is quick to place on a job site or lot and does not need a raised foundation.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/ground-level-office)[### office trailer An office trailer is a mobile office built on a trailer-type frame and delivered by truck. It has an office layout inside, with electrical, heating and cooling. Providers rent it for construction sites, events and other uses when space is needed fast.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/office-trailer)[### site office A site office is a temporary office placed on a work site, most often a construction site. It gives managers, supervisors and inspectors a dry place to work, hold meetings and keep plans and records. It may be a trailer, a container office or a modular unit.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/site-office)[### job-site trailer A job-site trailer is a trailer used as an office or storage space on a construction or work site. People also call it a construction trailer or a site trailer. A contractor rents or buys it, a truck delivers it, and it is removed when the project ends.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/job-site-trailer)[### modular building A modular building is a building made in sections called modules in a factory, then moved to the site and joined together. The Modular Building Institute says the work happens in controlled plant conditions, uses the same codes and standards as site-built buildings, and takes about half the time.](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/modular-building)

[All 220 terms](https://npsa.preview.multisites.ai/glossary)

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