Used jackleg cabins for sale
Adjustable legs, so the unit sits level on ground that is not. Useful where laying a base is not worth it or not possible yet.
Second hand jackleg cabins, also written jack leg, in sizes from 10ft up to 32ft. Used and ex-hire units both come through and we will describe the actual cabin rather than a general specification.
The practical case
What jacklegs save you, and what they cost you
The saving is groundworks. Instead of laying and curing a base before the cabin can arrive, the unit lands on its legs and is wound level in under an hour. On a site where the programme is tight or the compound is temporary, that is genuinely useful.
The cost is maintenance. Four legs carrying several tonnes across four small footprints will find any soft spot in the ground you have put them on. Through a wet winter, unspread legs work their way down and the door stops closing properly.
Spread the load. Paving slabs, sleepers or proper spreader plates under each leg take five minutes and prevent almost every problem people have with these units. It is the one thing we would insist on if it were our cabin.
Siting
Getting a jackleg unit to stay level
Look at the ground honestly
If it holds standing water after rain, it will not hold a cabin leg through February. Choose the firmer end of the compound even if the layout is less convenient.
Put something under every leg
Slabs, sleepers or steel spreader plates. Not scaffold boards on their own, and not bricks.
Level it properly on day one
Doors and windows tell you immediately if it is out. A unit levelled by eye will cost you a callout later.
Re-check after a month
And after any prolonged wet spell. Two minutes with a spirit level saves a jammed door and a twisted frame.
No catalogue — a conversation
Tell us what you are looking for
Used stock turns over too fast for a price list to be honest for long. Give us the shape of what you need and we will tell you what we can put our hands on, what condition it is in and what it costs, with the transport priced separately.
If you have a unit to trade in against it, tick the box — part exchange usually improves the number in both directions.
- We will say if we cannot source it, rather than string you along
- Cabin and transport priced separately, so you can see both figures
- Refurbishment to your spec is usually possible before delivery
Questions about jackleg cabins
What is a jackleg cabin?
A cabin supported on four or more adjustable legs, one at each corner and sometimes along the sides. Winding the legs up or down levels the unit on ground that is not flat, so you avoid the cost and delay of laying a base first.
When is a jackleg unit the right choice?
When the ground is uneven, when the unit is only staying for a while, or when you cannot lay hardstanding — a field, a verge, a compound on made ground, or a site where the groundworks have not happened yet.
Do jackleg cabins sink into soft ground?
They can, and it is the single biggest practical problem with them. The legs concentrate the whole weight of the unit into four small footprints. Spreader plates, sleepers or paving slabs under each leg make the difference between a unit that stays level and one that needs re-levelling every few weeks through a wet winter.
Can the legs be adjusted after the cabin is sited?
Yes, that is the point of them. Ground settles, particularly in the first weeks. Re-checking the level after a month, and again after a hard spell of rain, is sensible and takes very little time.
Are the legs removable for transport?
On most units the legs retract or come off, so the cabin sits flat on the trailer. It is worth confirming for a specific unit, because a fixed-leg cabin can affect the load height and therefore the route.
Jackleg cabins to clear?
Tell us how many, where they are standing and what state the legs are in. Seized legs are not a dealbreaker.