Semi-Permanent Workforce Housing for Multi-Year Projects
Semi-permanent workforce housing from Cotton OneLodge is a manufactured lodge built for projects that run 12 to 36 months. Every worker gets a private room with a full-size bed and ensuite bathroom, and Cotton runs the dining, housekeeping, laundry, security and camp management around it under one contract.
The Gap Between a Crew Camp and a Permanent Lodge
A mobile crew camp can put beds on the ground in the first month. A permanent lodge takes far longer to design, permit and build. Projects that run 18 months or more need something in between: sturdier and more livable than trailers, ready sooner and easier to scale than a permanent build.
Most companies selling into that gap are manufacturers. They ship modular workforce housing, set the units and leave. The building is only part of the job. Someone still has to clean 500 rooms, feed two shifts, run the laundry, staff the gate and answer the phone at 2 a.m.
Cotton builds the camp and then runs it. That is the difference between a set of units and a place your crews can live for two years.
The OneLodge Room Standard
Every semi-permanent camp is built on the same room standard used across OneLodge workforce lodging. There are no bunks and no shared rooms.
- 100% single occupancy. One worker per room, every room.
- Full-size beds. Never bunks.
- Private ensuite bathroom in every room.
- Individual PTAC climate control so each worker sets their own temperature.
- Streaming-enabled TV in every room.
Rooms come in three lodge unit sizes, so the camp can be laid out for the site and the headcount:
| Lodge unit | Private rooms | Unit footprint |
|---|---|---|
| 5-bedroom unit | 5, each with ensuite bath | 756 sq ft |
| 6-bedroom unit | 6, each with ensuite bath | 1,140 sq ft |
| 7-bedroom maximum-density unit | 7, each with ensuite bath | 1,600 sq ft |
When Semi-Permanent Workforce Housing Is the Right Fit
A semi-permanent camp makes the most sense when the program is too long for trailers and too uncertain or urgent for a permanent build:
- 12- to 36-month projects where crews need stable housing for the full build.
- Phased campuses, such as data center builds that add buildings and headcount over several years.
- Sites that may become permanent, where the owner wants the option to keep the lodge after construction ends.
- Headcount that follows the construction manpower curve, adding lodge units as the workforce grows.
For short jobs, storm response or a first wave of workers, mobile crew camps are the faster fit.
What Comes With the Camp
Manufacturers stop at the building. A OneLodge semi-permanent camp arrives with the people and services that make it work.
Dining
Dining halls seat 500 plus per sitting, with meal schedules matched to shift rotations. Food is included and provided by our sister company, Cotton Culinary.
Housekeeping and Laundry
- Housekeeping twice weekly
- Linen exchange weekly
- Wash and fold laundry with 48-hour turnaround
- Janitorial service daily
Recreation
Fitness centers, game rooms, media lounges, covered pavilions and grilling areas, with Wi-Fi throughout the camp. A workforce that rests well performs well, and recovery time between shifts shows up in retention.
Security and Medical
Perimeter fencing, controlled access gates and badge access, with 24/7 security officers, CCTV monitoring and a security command center. On-site EMT or paramedic medical support is available.
Camp Management
A Program Manager is your single point of accountability, supported by a Site Manager, HSE Officer and QAQC Supervisor. Every new arrival goes through the same process: check-in, credential verification, room assignment and orientation.
An RV Village Delivered With the Lodge
Some crews bring their own RVs. Cotton can build an RV village in step with the lodge, set apart from the main housing area. The site plan uses a wraparound layout with dedicated pedestrian pathways and parking outside the housing area, so vehicle traffic stays away from where people sleep.
How Semi-Permanent Camps Fit Phased Deployment
Semi-permanent camps are the middle stage of Phased Deployment, Cotton's approach to housing a workforce from day one to the end of the program under one operator:
- Day 1: Notice to Proceed and mobilization under unified leadership. Modular housing on the ground within 96 hours.
- Day 1 to 30: Initial Operating Capability with 200 operational beds, plus temporary power, water, food, security and connectivity live from the first night.
- Phased build: The semi-permanent lodge goes up alongside the manpower curve while crews are already housed.
- Full capacity: Lodge beds plus RV spaces, fully operational.
If the site becomes permanent, the camp can transition into a turnkey workforce lodge without changing operators or contracts.
Proof From Years of Deployment
- Cotton has been providing critical solutions since 1996, beginning in disaster response.
- 96 hours from contract approval to 306 beds installed after a Category 4 hurricane.
- GSA contract holder with a fleet Cotton owns and operates.
FAQs
What is semi-permanent workforce housing?
Semi-permanent workforce housing is a manufactured lodge built to house crews for 12 to 36 months. It sits between a mobile crew camp and a permanent lodge. With OneLodge, every worker has a private room and ensuite bathroom, and Cotton runs the camp's dining, housekeeping, laundry, security and management.
How long can a semi-permanent camp stay in place?
Most semi-permanent camps support programs of 12 to 36 months. The camp can expand as headcount grows, and on sites that may become permanent it can transition into a turnkey lodge under the same operator.
Is this the same as modular workforce housing?
The lodge units are modular. The difference is what comes with them. Most modular workforce housing providers deliver the building only. Cotton also staffs and operates the camp, including dining, housekeeping, laundry, recreation, security and camp management.
Do workers share rooms or sleep in bunks?
No. Every OneLodge camp is 100% single occupancy, with a full-size bed, private ensuite bathroom, individual climate control and a streaming-enabled TV in each room.
Can crews move in before the semi-permanent lodge is finished?
Yes. Under Phased Deployment, Cotton brings 200 operational beds online within 30 days of Notice to Proceed, then builds the semi-permanent lodge while crews are already housed.
Plan a Semi-Permanent Camp for Your Program
Tell us your peak headcount, site location and program length. We will lay out a semi-permanent camp sized to your manpower curve and run it from the first bed to the last day of operations.
