What is a shipping container home?
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Shipping containers are a functional modular building block for constructing useable living spaces at a modest price. Storage container homes are homes using versatile shipping containers to provide the structural components of the house. Container homes vary from tiny houses using one or two shipping containers to multilevel dwellings with plenty of space for a growing family. Container houses' appeal includes a shorter construction time and a significant cost saving in many projects.
Steps to Start Building Your Container Home
If you think a shipping container home may be ideal for you as a primary residence or a holiday cabin in the mountains, there are some essential planning stages:
1. Choose Your Location
Before you can start your container home build, you need a plot of land. Land costs vary depending on the desirability of the location and the access to amenities.
Points to consider in choosing the location include:
Sufficient access for delivery and positioning of the shipping containers &#; you need truck access and possibly a crane for larger containers.
Ground quality &#; a steeply sloping sight will need more work on building a suitable foundation than a flat piece of ground.
Available utilities &#; some remote areas may mean planning an off-the-grid home because you cannot easily access a power supply.
Before buying your plot of land, check it is possible (in principle) for you to get permission to build on the site.
2. Plan Your Project
Most construction projects work best if you have a plan for the finished project. You may choose to work with an architect, structural engineer, or contractor with experience in container home build or draw up the plans yourself. Because you are working with modules, it is relatively simple to draw up a three-dimensional model of your proposed container home build using cardboard boxes. The advantage of creating a 3-D scale model as part of your planning process is that you can see where the shipping containers need to be modified and where you will connect and weld the blocks together.
At the planning stage, you need to establish:
3. Get Approval for Your Building Plans
Before you purchase your containers and get started on your project, get all your legal paperwork in place and make sure you know what needs to be inspected and certified at each stage. The best approach is to talk through your plans with a local planning officer as they can give you all the guidance you need.
Building codes cover the details relating to a safe home &#; structurally sound, fire safety, and other areas that meet relevant local building standards. Container home builders must meet all the applicable building codes for occupancy. Zoning regulations cover where you can build and the type of permitted buildings. Your State may have a category for storage container homes, or it may come under non-traditional structures.
4. Prep Your Site
Before you start your container home build, you need a stable, level foundation that supports your home. The foundation protects you from ground movement &#; the earth beneath your feet rises, sinks, contracts, and expands. Plus, the ground is not uniform &#; rocks, clay, sand, and other materials with different properties.
Your shipping container home needs a stable foundation to keep your floors level, protect your structure from moisture and corrosion and evenly distribute weight. The basic types of foundation are:
Concrete piers or blocks at strategic points &#; minimal ground excavation, DIY friendly, and you can use to level up a sloping site.
Pile foundations &#; expensive as you hammer in solid steel tubes to reach the bedrock, but the only solution for soft, shifting ground.
You need a professional to install a pile foundation.
Slab foundation -reinforces concrete slab just larger than the footprint of the building. More expensive than the pier foundation and takes more work. It fully supports the building with no voids underneath for potential pests. Potentially increases heat loss and makes it challenging to access utility lines.
Strip foundation &#; a concrete slab or channel one or two feet wide and four feet deep lies under the container's edges. More affordable alternative to slab foundations with less concrete pouring. It has less earthquake resistance. Better for small to medium-sized builds in stable climates.
It is better to anchor the shipping container to the foundation rather than relying on the container's weight to keep it in place. Intense floods and high winds can move a container with devastating consequences if it is your home. The best foundation depends on your land, budget, and project, but a sound foundation is essential for a successful container home.
5. Lay the Foundations and Buy Your Containers
All buildings need the right foundations, and it makes sense to plan and lay your foundations before your containers arrive on your site. Meanwhile, you can source your shipping containers (read our guide to buying shipping containers) and arrange for modifications &#; removing panels, cutting the door and window spaces before delivery onto your site. Careful selection of your container for house building can save modification costs and allow you to save money on base containers. For example, a container with a hole in the side will be cheaper than one without &#; if your building plan includes cutting away that side of the container, then the gap is not an issue for you.
6. Await Delivery and Installation
The final stage before you can get on with your shipping container home project is waiting for delivery. Careful planning means each container installs in the correct position to connect to the other modules. Shipping containers stack and connect along the edges and at the corners. Once the shipping containers are in place and fastened to the foundations and each other, you are ready for your container home build.
How Much is it Going to Cost You?
Unless you buy a prefinished home, any calculation of shipping container homes cost is an estimate covering the following factors:
Cost of land and preparing the site for your container home.
Number of shipping containers and extra costs to modify.
Delivery and off-loading costs.
Cost of employing contractors for some or all the build.
Levels &#; multiple levels mean building stairs.
Regulation costs including permits, fees, and inspections.
Build quality &#; materials for finishes, floors, roof, and insulation.
Utilities, wiring, plumbing, and other infrastructure.
Part of the planning process is working out what you can afford within your budget. The total cost of a storage container home depends on your build quality and proposed design.
Consider Purchasing a Shipping Container Home Already Built. There are two types of shipping container homeowners &#; the enthusiastic designer and builder and the person who wants an affordable home with minimal effort.
A prefabricated home's massive advantages are that you know how much you will spend, get it delivered and ready to use, and meet local building codes. Shipping container homes for sale arrive prepared for occupation. You save time, and you minimize the risk that the costs on your affordable container home build will spiral out of control.
You contribute to the design decisions because you choose the modules, fittings, and finishes to suit your budget and style. You delegate the project management and installation. You provide the site, finance and accept the key to your new shipping container home.
Last Word
Container houses cover the whole range from single container cabins to five-bedroom container homes with a rooftop garden and container pool. You can self-build or commission the work depending on your inclination. Some people choose shipping container homes for affordability, and others because they want to design a spectacular home. You can be on-grid, off-grid, in the heart of a town, or on a mountain top &#; a shipping container helps you build quickly and to a high standard whatever your housing dreams.
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Today&#;s prospective homebuyers have a plethora of choices when it comes to architectural home styles &#; ranch, Cape Cod, bungalow, colonial and contemporary are just the tip of the iceberg. Many want a home that fits their functional needs, style, and budget.
While most buyers ultimately choose a more common or popular style, some dare to be different by embracing home designs that are unique or trendy. One option gaining momentum is converting a shipping container into a residence. According to a study by Allied Market Research, the global shipping container homes market is expected to reach $73,070.5 million by , up from $44,768.6 million in .
This blog will discuss some of the benefits and advantages of building shipping container homes and provide a step-by-step guide on making it happen.
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In addition to owning a home style that probably no one else you know does, building a shipping container home has some practical benefits and advantages.
These include:
Now that you&#;re convinced that a shipping container home is the way you want to go, how do you get started? Making this new dream house a reality will take some planning, preparation, and purchases.
Step 1: Permits and planning
While you might be able to cut corners during the construction part of the project, you have to go by the book when it comes to getting the initial paperwork for your shipping container home. Before you even order a shipping container, make sure you have all the necessary building code permits and planning permission from the local entities. Ensure you&#;re allowed to build a home and that a shipping container home complies with local and state policies.
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Work with an architect and structural engineer to ensure that the floor plan you have in mind for your shipping container house is structurally sound. It&#;s a good idea to find an architect who has worked with shipping containers in the past because building with them is entirely different than a typical wooden, steel, or brick building. Also keep in mind that anything you can put in a custom home, you can put in a container home.
Step 2: Purchase a container
So, you&#;re allowed to build your shipping container home. Great. Next, you&#;ll need a shipping container. The scale of your plans will dictate the size, type, and condition of the shipping container you&#;ll buy. The most popular shipping container size used for homes is a 40-foot, high-cube container, which offers about 320 square feet of living space. That&#;s enough for one bedroom, one bathroom, and a decent-sized kitchen/living room combo space.
To make your shipping container house the best it can be, you&#;ll want to do your homework before you buy from just any company. Think about cost, delivery options, the vendor's reputation, condition of the shipping container, warranties, and past customer feedback.
Learn more about buying a suitable shipping container for your home here.
Step 3: Prepare your land
You&#;ve ordered your shipping container, so the next step is to decide where you&#;ll build your home and then prepare the land. That means thinking about the ground itself and the type of foundation you&#;ll want to use for the home to keep it elevated from the ground. This will keep it safe from moisture, which could affect the contents and possibly lead to corrosion.
A foundation can range from concrete or wooden supports on the ground for a single shipping container up to a full basement for multiple shipping containers. Your decision will need to consider both what is structurally required and your personal preferences. If you decide on a poured concrete foundation, then plan on embedding steel plates into the concrete where the container corner blocks will rest. This will allow the shipping containers to be welded directly to the concrete foundation.
While it's best to consult with an expert, particularly if you plan on using multiple storage containers, you'll probably consider options like a concrete slab, steel plates, concrete piers, or concrete strips. You should also ensure there's a clear path for your shipping container to be delivered.
Step 5: Place the containers
The easiest methods to place shipping containers on the foundation is with a crane and by delivery truck. Nothing beats the ease, speed, and safety of a crane. If you don&#;t have one, you&#;ll probably need to hire a local builder or rent a rough terrain forklift for a few hours.
Once your shipping container has been placed on the foundation, it&#;s relatively easy to make any final adjustments with a large crowbar.
Step 6: Cut your openings
Removing metal from shipping containers is necessary to add window and door openings to the container walls. There are many ways to cut through shipping container steel, including a plasma cutter, cutting torch, grinder, and even a jigsaw (for small openings). For removing an entire wall, a plasma cutter or cutting torch works best.
Note: Before starting to cut openings, make sure you&#;ve discussed it with your structural expert. Removing structural components of a shipping container can quickly create a dangerous situation if not done right.
Assuming you&#;re good to go, start cutting holes for windows, doors, skylights and accessories to start making your shipping container look like a home. Depending on your skills, you might want to hire someone to do this for you.
If by cutting in your openings, you create any gaps, they will need to be sealed to protect the inside of the house from the outside elements.
Step 7: Add doors, windows, and framing
It&#;s time to add doors, windows, and flooring. You can go as basic or fancy as you want &#; regular, sliding or French doors, and standard or cranking windows. Whatever style you prefer should work.
To save as much interior space as possible, consider using 1 1/2&#; steel studs to frame the shipping container's inside. They secure pretty well to drywall and are stiff enough if you end up using spray foam insulation. In areas that foam did not connect the wall and studs, steel studs might be needed. An extra layer of drywall, or narrower spacing of the studs, might help.
Whichever method you choose, try to include a thermal break between the studs and the shipping container's metal walls. This is especially important when using steel studs as they efficiently conduct heat from the interior spaces.
Step 8: Install electric and plumbing
Even if you don&#;t know how much electric wiring you&#;ll want yet, it&#;s easier and cheaper to wire most of it at this point. One potential difficulty in wiring is getting the wire past some remnants of the removed container walls. One option is to run the wire around the steel and make a custom nail protector &#; it&#;s an easy and cheap fix.
When considering electric wiring and plumbing, think about if you&#;ll be adding HVAC systems or an outside AC unit. Also, consider solar panels for electricity. If you place panels on your roof, as well as add in a glass door, you&#;ll be able to capture more of the natural sunlight and its energy.
Step 9: Insulation and temperature control
You&#;ll need insulation to help control the interior temperature of your shipping container house. Keep in mind that you&#;ll lose a little bit of living space if you insulate the inside.
You can insulate on the exterior if that is a concern. Cedar, vinyl, and even log siding can be applied over a shipping container's insulated exterior. Having the outside insulation also allows you to utilize the entire space of the shipping containers, as long as you like the look of corrugated steel walls in your interior.
The type of insulation you use &#; spray foam, panels, etc. &#; will also depend on where you live or what you prefer. Spray foam insulation is commonly used, but it&#;s the most expensive type. Learn more about insulation options here.
Step 10: Landscaping and decorating
Now that your new shipping container home looks good, think about the space around the shipping container. Consider adding a nice deck to extend the living space or landscape area to ensure that your home fits in with its natural surroundings. You can also start painting the interior, lay floor coverings, and make your new container house a home.
Step 11: Inspection and sign-off
Here&#;s the test. All your planning and hard work is about to pay off. Your new shipping container house is ready for inspection to see if it&#;s up to building code. Before calling the inspector, have your engineer and other structural experts take one final look so you can address any needed changes to the shipping container building. Keep your fingers crossed.
Building a shipping container home takes much planning and preparation, but it's totally worth it. It's cost-efficient, mobile, and customizable. Begin the process of building your new shipping container home by browsing containers near you.
Infographic courtesy of REthority.com, "Shipping Container Homes"
Sources
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NS-thd1A-C0
https://www.mygreenhomeblog.com/checklist-step-step-guide-building-shipping-container-home/
https://www.themodernhomeproject.com/process
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/shipping-container-homes-understanding-the-pros-and-cons#what-are-the-advantages-of-shipping-container-homes
https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/container-homes-market#:~:text=Container%20Homes%20Market%20Overview%3A,trains%2C%20trucks%2C%20and%20ships.
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