Contractor accommodation vs hotels: what a crew really costs per week
Most site managers default to hotels because they are easy to book, then discover halfway through a long job that the accommodation line is the part of the budget that got away.
This guide sets out how the two options compare for a crew of four to eight people on a job lasting more than a couple of weeks.
The weekly maths for a crew of six
Six hotel rooms in a regional UK city typically run £75-£110 per room per night midweek, before breakfast and before evening meals. Over a five-night week that is roughly £2,250-£3,300, and nobody has a kitchen.
A whole four to six bedroom house takes the same crew for one weekly figure with bills, council tax and broadband inside it. The team cooks rather than eating out every night, which quietly takes a large chunk off the subsistence claim as well.
The gap widens the longer the job runs, because weekly and monthly rates fall while hotel rates rise on event weeks.
Things that matter more than the nightly rate
Parking. Vans and pickups with tools inside do not belong in a paid multi-storey. Driveway or allocated parking at the house is worth real money and real peace of mind.
Check-in times. Shift patterns rarely match a reception desk. Self check-in with a keysafe or smart lock means a 4am finish or a delayed drive is not an incident.
Laundry and drying space. Work clothes need a washing machine, not a hotel service charge per item.
A kitchen and a table. Cooking, eating together and doing paperwork in the evening changes how a long job feels for the crew.
What changes after 28 nights
UK VAT rules reduce the effective rate on a continuous stay of more than 28 nights, so a booking that runs past four weeks costs less per night than the same rate over a fortnight. It is worth booking the realistic length up front rather than a series of short bookings.
Longer bookings also unlock monthly pricing, mid-stay cleans and linen changes built into the invoice instead of billed ad hoc.
Getting it through procurement
Ask the operator for gas safety certificates, electrical installation reports, PAT testing, a fire risk assessment and public liability and professional indemnity cover before sign-off. A professional operator has these ready.
Ask for one itemised invoice per month, in the company name, with your purchase order number on it, and confirm who to contact out of hours.
Frequently asked
Is contractor accommodation cheaper than hotels?
For a crew staying more than a few nights, usually yes. One house for four to eight people with bills included generally costs less than the same number of hotel rooms, and the kitchen cuts the food spend too.
Can the company be invoiced directly?
Yes. We invoice the business rather than the individual, with itemised invoices suitable for expenses and a purchase order number where you need one.
Do you have parking for work vans?
Most of our homes have driveway or allocated parking, so tools and vehicles stay with the crew rather than in a paid city car park.
Get a free valuation for your property
See exactly what your home could earn on full-service Airbnb management or as a 5-year Guaranteed Rent contract. Free, no obligation, 48-hour turnaround.