A guard shack is a small factory-built building where staff check vehicles and visitors at a gate. Common sizes run from a 4'x6' booth for one attendant to an 8'x12' unit for two guards, with 12'x20' guard houses when a restroom and break area are needed. Delivered unit prices for those booths run about $4,800 to $33,600+, following $100 to $350+ per square foot by finish grade, and bullet-resistant units rated to UL 752 cost more. The concrete pad, setting, electrical hookup and permit are usually priced separately.
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Guard Shack Guide: Types, Sizes, Placement and Prices
Quick Answer: Guard Shack Prices and Sizes
A guard shack is a small building, but buying one is rarely simple. The booth is only part of the bill. The pad, the power, the delivery and the permit are usually priced by someone else, and any one of them can stall a project that looked finished on paper.
This guide is for property managers, security directors, HOA boards and plant or yard owners who need a guard shack at a gate or entrance. Some sites call it a guard house. It explains what these buildings are, the three main types, which size fits your staff, where to set the booth and what each finish grade costs. Bullet-resistant booths get their own section. So do permits.
What Is a Guard Shack?
A guard shack is a small, staffed building at a gate, entrance or checkpoint. Guards use it to check vehicles, log visitors, run a gate arm and watch the property. You will also hear it called a guard booth or a security booth. The names overlap. "Booth" usually means a small unit for one person, while "guard house" tends to mean a larger building with a restroom or break area.
A modern guard shack is usually built in a factory and shipped finished. A typical unit has a welded steel frame, insulated wall panels, a door and windows on three or four sides. Inside are a counter and wiring for lights, outlets and a heating and cooling unit. It arrives on a truck, is set on a prepared base and gets connected to power. Some stay for one job and move on. Others are anchored for good.
You will find them at gated communities, factories, distribution yards, parking facilities, hospitals, campuses, utility sites and construction entrances. What a guard shack needs comes down to three questions. How many people staff it? How long are they inside? How exposed is the post to weather, traffic and threats?
Guard Booth Types: Prefab Steel, Modular and Bullet-Resistant
Nearly every guard shack on the market falls into one of three types. Knowing which one you need narrows your quotes quickly.
The Three Main Types
- Prefab steel booth: a one-piece welded unit, usually 4'x4' to 8'x12', shipped assembled with glass, door and electrical. It is the usual choice for a single post at a gate.
- Modular guard house: a larger building made from one or more factory-built modules, often with a restroom, break area and room for several staff. It sits on a foundation much like a modular office building.
- Bullet-resistant booth: a steel booth whose walls, glass and door are rated to stop specific rounds. It costs far more and is chosen after a security review.
Some buyers also look at a converted container, covered in our guide to the shipping container office. A container is a rugged shell, but it needs cut-in windows, insulation and wiring before it works as a staffed post. Others build on site. For one guard at one gate, a prefab guard house usually wins on cost and schedule because it arrives finished. A site-built checkpoint makes more sense when the building must also hold equipment, lockers or a larger staff room. The trade-offs are laid out in modular vs. traditional construction.
For steel units, ask about the coating. Galvanized sheet is specified under ASTM A653 and aluminum-zinc coated sheet under ASTM A792. The paint over either coating weathers first, so plan on touch-ups long before the steel itself needs work. Ask how the warranty treats the structure, the finish and the equipment, since each can be covered differently.
Common Sizes and What Fits Inside
Size is the first thing a supplier will ask you. Start with the people, then the equipment, then the extras.
| Size | Floor Area | What Usually Fits |
|---|---|---|
| 4'x4' | 16 sq ft | One attendant standing or on a stool; ticket or parking booth |
| 4'x6' | 24 sq ft | One seated guard with a small counter |
| 6'x8' | 48 sq ft | One guard with a desk, monitors and a wall heating and cooling unit |
| 8'x12' | 96 sq ft | Two guards, or one guard plus a small restroom |
| 12'x20' | 240 sq ft | A guard house with restroom, break area and storage |
Plan the equipment before you settle on a footprint. Monitors, a radio base, a key cabinet, a printer and a gate controller all need counter or wall space. The HVAC unit takes wall space too. So does the electrical panel.
A restroom changes more than the size. It adds a water line, a sewer or holding tank connection, and a plumbing permit. It is usually worth it when guards work long shifts with no other building nearby. When the post is a short walk from a staffed building, it often isn't.
Height matters on truck lanes. A guard shack set at grade puts the guard well below a truck driver's window. Some sites raise the booth on a platform or choose a taller unit with a sliding window at cab height.
Guard Shack Prices by Size and Grade
Price follows floor area and finish grade. The ranges below use the grades this site publishes for other modular buildings. Basic relocatable runs $50 to $100 per square foot, insulated mid-grade $100 to $200, and premium or custom $200 to $350+.
Small booths bend that pattern. The door, windows, counter, electrical panel and HVAC unit cost about the same on 24 square feet as on 96. On a tiny footprint those fixed items push a heated and cooled booth into the premium grade. That is why a 4'x6' costs far more per square foot than a 12'x20'.
| Size | Floor Area | Insulated and Wired ($100–$200/sq ft) | Premium or Custom ($200–$350+/sq ft) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4'x6' booth | 24 sq ft | Rarely sold this low | $4,800 – $8,400+ |
| 6'x8' booth | 48 sq ft | Rarely sold this low | $9,600 – $16,800+ |
| 8'x12' booth | 96 sq ft | $9,600 – $19,200 | $19,200 – $33,600+ |
| 12'x20' guard house | 240 sq ft | $24,000 – $48,000 | $48,000 – $84,000+ |
The basic relocatable grade fits an uninsulated shelter or a plain temporary guard house at a construction entrance. It rarely buys a booth with heating, cooling and wraparound glass. Bullet-resistant units sit above the premium column, priced by their rating.
These are guard shack unit prices, delivered or ready to ship. They leave out the pad, setting, trenching, electrical hookup and permit. Use the table to check whether a quote is in the normal range. It is not a final budget.
Why Two Quotes for the Same Size Differ
One supplier may quote a shell with rough-in wiring, while another includes HVAC, lighting, a counter and a transaction window. Ask each for an itemized list before you compare totals. The lower number is often the shorter list.
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Options That Change the Quote
Options are where two guard shack quotes for the same size split apart. Decide what the post actually needs before you ask for bids.
Options Worth Pricing Separately
- Heating and cooling: a wall unit or mini-split sized for a glass-heavy box in full sun
- Windows: fixed, sliding or wraparound glass, tint, and a pass-through or transaction window
- Doors: swing or sliding, with locks and closers, opening away from moving traffic
- Electrical: a load center, interior and exterior LED lighting, outlets, and conduit for cameras and gate controls
- Interior: a counter, shelving, a key cabinet and flooring that handles wet boots
- Exterior: a roof overhang, gutters, paint matched to nearby buildings, and lifting points for relocation
- Restroom: toilet, sink and a small water heater, with water and waste connections
Climate control deserves a hard look. A box with glass on four sides heats up fast. OSHA's heat exposure guidance notes that heat hazards occur indoors as well as outdoors, including in buildings that are not cooled properly. A guard working a full shift inside needs a unit sized for that glass and sun, not just the floor area.
Wiring is the other common gap. If cameras, an intercom, card readers or a gate arm will connect to the booth, lay conduit for them before the pad is poured. Adding it later means cutting concrete.
Placement at the Gate: Sight Lines, Traffic and Protection
Where the guard shack sits decides how well the guard can work. A good spot gives a clear view of approaching vehicles, pedestrians and the gate itself.
Many sites put the booth on the driver's side of the inbound lane, or on an island between the inbound and outbound lanes. An island lets one guard serve both directions. Leave room for vehicles to wait outside the gate so a line does not back onto a public road. Your local transportation or planning department can tell you what applies.
Protect the booth from the vehicles it serves. Steel bollards or a raised curb around an island booth take the hit that would otherwise land on the wall. Keep the door on the side away from traffic where you can.
Placement Checklist
- A clear line of sight to the gate, the approach and the exit lane
- Window height that matches the vehicles you check most
- Bollards or a curb between the booth and traffic
- Short, direct runs for power, data and any water line
- Drainage that carries water away from the pad and the door
- Outdoor lighting that lets the guard see out at night without glare on the glass
Foundation, Delivery and Installation
A prefab guard shack needs a level, solid base. Most are set on a reinforced concrete pad slightly larger than the footprint and anchored through the base frame. Pad thickness, reinforcement and anchor bolts should come from the manufacturer's anchoring details and, where loads are high, from an engineer. Our concrete slab calculator helps you estimate the concrete.
Anchoring is not optional. A small, tall box full of glass catches the wind. Wind, snow and seismic loads are site-specific and are set under ASCE 7, the load standard building codes adopt by reference. A pad and anchor layout from one site may not suit another.
Delivery is usually its own line. A guard shack ships on a flatbed and is set by forklift or crane, depending on weight and access. Confirm who owns each step: unloading, setting, leveling, anchoring and final hookup. A supplier that only delivers to the curb leaves you hiring the crane and the electrician yourself.
| Line Item | In the Unit Price? | Who Usually Handles It |
|---|---|---|
| Booth, glass, door and wiring rough-in | Yes | Manufacturer |
| HVAC unit, lighting and counter | Depends on the package | Manufacturer |
| Freight to your site | Often quoted separately | Manufacturer or carrier |
| Concrete pad and anchor bolts | No | Local concrete contractor |
| Setting by forklift or crane | Sometimes | Supplier or local rigger |
| Trenching, power and data hookup | No | Licensed electrician |
| Water and sewer for a restroom | No | Licensed plumber |
| Building and trade permits | No | Owner or contractor |
Get the Scope in Writing
Ask every supplier the same question: what is included in this price, and what is not? Put the answer in the purchase order. It is the simplest way to avoid a booth sitting on a pad with no power.
Permits, Codes and Accessibility
Plan on a permit for any staffed guard shack. Nearly every jurisdiction requires one for a staffed, wired building, and the size thresholds are set locally. Electrical work, and plumbing for a restroom, usually need their own trade permits. Start with our guide to metal building permits and codes, then call your local building department.
Commercial modular buildings are built to the same codes as site-built ones, usually the International Building Code as adopted locally. Many states run a modular or industrialized building program with plan review, in-factory inspection and a state label. The rules vary by state. Ask whether the unit you are pricing carries the label your state expects.
How the booth is set matters too. A relocatable unit on blocking or a skid is treated differently from a modular guard house on a permanent foundation. Permitting and financing both follow that line, so say which one you plan when you apply.
Questions for the Building Department
- Is a permit required for this size and use?
- Do electrical and plumbing need separate permits?
- What foundation and anchoring documents will the inspector want?
- Does the unit need a state modular label?
- Are there setback or sight-line rules near the road?
Accessibility is often misunderstood. Under the 2010 ADA Standards, a space used only by employees for work must let a person with a disability approach, enter and exit it. Most other requirements inside that space do not apply. Areas raised mainly for security, such as guard towers, are exempt. If visitors come inside or the booth serves the public, more of the standards may apply, and local codes can add their own rules.
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Bullet-Resistant Security Booths and UL 752 Ratings
Most sites do not need a bullet-resistant guard shack. Some do. Government facilities, cash-handling operations, some energy and industrial plants, and posts with a history of threats are the usual candidates.
Bullet-resistant booths are rated to UL 752, the standard for bullet-resisting equipment. It tests glass, panels, doors and enclosures against specific rounds and shot patterns. The current edition groups ratings by weapon type: handgun, rifle and shotgun. Many product sheets still list the older numbered levels.
Which level you need is a security decision, not a sales one. Get a threat assessment from your security director or consultant first, then ask suppliers to quote to that rating. Every part of the envelope has to match, including wall panels, glass, door, frames and any pass-through or vent. A rated window in an unrated wall protects nobody.
Cost climbs with the rating. Rated glass is heavy, the frame must carry it, and the door needs matching hardware. Expect a bullet-resistant booth to price above the premium column in the table above. Budget for a heavier pad and anchors as well.
Don't Mix Ratings
Ask for the UL 752 rating of each component in writing, not just a "bullet-resistant" label in a brochure. If one part is rated lower, the whole booth is only as strong as that part.
Guard House and Security Booth FAQs
Common sizes run about $4,800 to $33,600+ as a delivered unit. A premium 4'x6' booth is $4,800 to $8,400+, and an 8'x12' is $9,600 to $19,200 insulated and wired or $19,200 to $33,600+ at a premium finish. The pad, setting, hookup and permit are extra, and bullet-resistant units cost more.
One attendant fits in a 4'x4' or 4'x6' booth. A guard with a desk and monitors is more comfortable in a 6'x8'. Two guards, or one guard plus a small restroom, usually need an 8'x12', and a 12'x20' guard house adds a break area and storage.
The terms overlap and there is no strict line. A shack or booth usually means a small unit for one or two people. A guard house tends to be larger, with a restroom, break area or more finished interior.
Plan on it. Nearly every jurisdiction requires a permit for a staffed, wired building, and the size thresholds are local. Electrical and plumbing work usually need separate trade permits, so check with your building department before you order.
Most are set on a reinforced concrete pad and anchored through the base frame. Pad and anchor details should come from the manufacturer and, where wind, snow or seismic loads are high, an engineer. The pad is usually priced separately from the booth.
If someone works inside for a full shift, usually yes. A booth with glass on several sides heats up quickly, and OSHA notes that heat hazards occur indoors as well as outdoors. Size the unit for the glass and sun exposure, not just the floor area.
UL 752 is the standard for bullet-resisting equipment, including glass, panels, doors and enclosures. The current edition rates protection by weapon type, handgun, rifle and shotgun, while older product sheets use numbered levels. The level you need should come from a security assessment.
Under the 2010 ADA Standards, a space used only by employees must let a person with a disability approach, enter and exit it, and most other requirements inside do not apply. Areas raised mainly for security are exempt. Booths that visitors enter or that serve the public may need more.
Many can. Prefab booths with lifting points can be unbolted, lifted and reset on a new pad. Confirm with the supplier that the unit is designed for relocation, and remember that a new location needs its own pad, hookup and permit.
Put it where the guard can see the approach, the gate and the exit lane, usually on the driver's side of the inbound lane or on an island between lanes. Leave room for waiting vehicles, and protect the booth with bollards or a curb.
Choosing the Right Guard Shack for Your Site
Choose a guard shack by starting with the post, not the catalog. Count the staff, list the equipment, pick the spot at the gate and decide whether the site needs a ballistic rating. Those four answers set the size, the grade and most of the price.
Then pin down everything outside the unit price: the pad, the setting, the hookup and the permit. Get it in writing. A clear scope and several comparable quotes turn a security guard shack from a guess into a budget you can defend.
Related Resources
- Metal Building Planning Guide
- 20x20 Metal Building: Sizes and Costs
- 24x24 Metal Building: Sizes and Costs
- Metal Building Articles and Buying Guides
- Contact a Metal Building Specialist
- Metal Building Cost Estimator Tool
- 3D Metal Building Designer
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