What is Container Housing Manufacturer and Why Do We Use Them?

Shipping Container Homes

Shipping container homes are becoming ever more popular. Stephanie and Clark Evans built their shipping container home in the Chicago suburbs over the span of three years. They turned seven 15-year-old cargo containers into a 3,200-square-foot home. The home design plan initially attracted much negative feedback but was eventually seen as a masterpiece. &#;In the beginning, people just didn&#;t understand it, and no one 100 percent supported it,&#; Stephanie said. &#;But as progression goes on, a lot of people who hesitated about it at first started to come on board. People came to see it for what it was, and not just an extravagant trash can.&#;

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5 Benefits of Shipping Container Homes

1. Cost-Effectiveness &#; Shipping container homes can go for as low as $10,000. They are able to be purchased for so low because they require fewer building materials and less labor is needed to construct. Customization costs can also be lowered by DIYing different parts of your home.

2. Building Time &#; Homes can be built by experienced contractors in under a month. In contrast to this positive, hiring a professional to build your home can increase build costs significantly. To avoid these costs, you can purchase a prefabricated container home and modify it to fit your home preferences.

3. Customizable Home &#; Shipping container homes are easy to modify. Using a mix of different-sized containers, you can create any layout possible. You can also adjust your home size as time goes on by adding containers to increase living space. This is perfect for growing families!

4. Sturdy Architecture &#; Corten steel is often used by manufacturers to support the homes. This steel is self-healing and protects cargo during transport. This material is also more likely to withstand poor weather than the traditional house.

5. Mobile Abilities &#; Shipping transportation services such as FreightCenter can ship your containers to your preferred destination. This makes moving a breeze!

5 Difficulties of Shipping Container Homes

1. Building Permits &#; With the idea of shipping containers being relatively new, it can be difficult to obtain the necessary building permits. Contact your local city planning office for information on their building codes, zoning restrictions, and permitting requirements for container housing.

2. Electrical Applications &#; When dealing with electrical components of a shipping container home, they often are easily visible inside of the house due to the lack of space in between the &#;walls&#; (space between the containers). Electricians can often prevent the aesthetic look from being negatively affected by the electrical components by using coverings and tubing throughout the ceiling and walls

3. Reinforcements Needed for Expansion &#; The more expansion done to the container homes, the more 4×4 steel beam reinforcements you&#;ll need. If the lower container has cut-outs for windows or doors and there are plans to place more containers on top of it, then steel beams will also be needed.

4. Lack of Insulation &#; Shipping containers do not have insulating properties. When the homes are being built, there is no space for insulation materials. To insulate a shipping container home, you can use spray foam, cork board, and wool or cotton.

5. Potential Hazards &#; When shipping containers have been used, they can contain harmful chemicals or other materials. They often are also treated with zinc paint coat to prevent corrosion. Shipping containers spend most of their lifetime (before being used for homes) near the ocean, which is a perfect recipe for corrosion and rust.

Container Home Plans

Expected Shipping Container Home Build Cost

Shipping container homes range in size and cost. The average cost to build is around $10,000 to $35,000. Larger, more complicated designs can reach upwards of $175,000. Desired amenities or materials can also increase costs.

Land Costs

While building costs are relatively low for a shipping container home, you still need to consider where the home will go. Unlike tiny homes, which often remain on a trailer, a shipping container home typically stays in one place. With that being said, you will need to own the land to place the house on.

According to the USDA, the average cost for an acre of farmland in was $3,160. This average number increases significantly when looking at land in more populated areas.

Keep in mind that not all types of land are convenient. Raw land lacks road, sewer systems, and electrical grid access. It is also crucial that your home is placed in a residential living zone, not a commercial structure or farmland zones.

Laying The Foundation

Once you have purchased your land, the foundation can be laid for your shipping container home. A trench foundation is often found to be more affordable, where the concrete is poured into a shallow hole in the ground. A slab foundation is laid when the ground is soft and extra reinforcement is needed.

A pier foundation is another option that can be used. It includes a series of cylindrical columns to support the home placed on it. This causes the house to be elevated a few feet off the ground while preventing it from sinking into the ground. About $5,000 can be expected to be spent on laying the foundation.

Acquiring Containers

The next step is to find your container. You can choose between new and used containers. New being a &#;one trip&#; container (the trip to your house) and used being in service for a few months up to a few years. Used containers can be purchased for about $2,000. New containers range up to $8,000.

Tools Needed to Make The Home

Shipping container homes often are placed on their foundation using a crane. Using a crane has many benefits, such as safety, ease, and speed. You can hire a local builder or rent a rough terrain forklift to use if you don&#;t have access to a crane. You can use a large crowbar after placement for final adjustments.

You will need to remove metal from the containers to place windows, door openings, electrical sockets, etc. There are many options for cutting through steel, including using a plasma cutter, cutting torch, grinder, or even a jigsaw.

It is crucial to contact professional help when removing parts of the container because too much removal can affect stability and safety. All gaps made by cutting will need to be sealed to protect the home from potential outside elements.

Final Touches

After the shipping containers have been delivered, modified, and secured into place, there are several steps left before your shipping home is move-in ready. These steps usually include finishing off windows and doors, including framing, flashing, thermal breaks, and glazing. All openings should be framed with steel to ensure durability and not be weaker than any other points in the home.

After the house has been fitted, insulation, heating and cooling, plumbing, and electrical systems should be installed, including all necessary fixtures. Oftentimes, Supertherm ceramic coating is applied to the outside of shipping container homes to help insulate them.

Plywood is used to build the flooring, which is then covered with the desired tile or carpet. The walls are finished with drywall as if it were a regular home. Only after all of this is it time to install large fixtures and appliances and start outdoor landscaping.

A Few Companies That Specialize in Container Homes

Photo Property of Zack Smithey

Current Shipping Container Homes

In Zack and Brie Smithey constructed their three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom, 3,000-square-foot shipping container home. The Smitheys were attracted to shipping containers because they offered a chance to recycle and to show off the couple&#;s unique style. But keeping the project on a budget meant doing almost all the work themselves&#;their work resulted in a gorgeous 8-container home full of quirky, fun, upcycled details.

Considering Shipping a Container Home?

No matter your experience, a shipping container home is a fast-to-construct, cost-effective, and sturdy yet mobile home that you can customize to your heart&#;s desire. Before building, it is essential to remember all the difficulties of constructing a shipping container home.

There are permits, wiring, plumbing, appliances, and even health hazards, all of which can make the building process more difficult than expected. Whether starting from scratch or enlisting professional help, shipping container homes are eco-friendly options where you can live big in your small home.

Once you have located and purchased your shipping containers, that&#;s where FreightCenter comes in. At FreightCenter, we can help you move everything, including your shipping containers and even container homes. Our carriers and freight agents can help you through the shipping process, ensuring a smooth ride for you and your shipment. Use FreightCenter&#;s free online quote tool to begin, or call one of our shipping experts at 800.716..

If you&#;re looking for an easy, compact way to live in a home of your own without causing as much environmental impact, shipping container homes may be for you. Explore everything you need to know about owning one of these unique houses in Michigan and what to expect when buying one.

What Are Shipping Container Homes?

Shipping container homes are houses made of new or upcycled shipping containers. Because these containers are made with corrosion-resistant steel and other heavy-duty materials, they make great building materials for houses after they&#;re done hauling cargo across the ocean and the country.

These unique homes are easy to customize, as they&#;re stackable and combine like other types of modular and manufactured homes. However, because they use existing materials and keep containers out of the scrap piles, they&#;re also considered sustainable housing.

As experts in creating safe, modern homes of all types for residents in West Michigan, Preferred Homes is proud to offer shipping container houses from Blox, one of the top manufacturers in the industry.

Shipping Container Home Building Process

Design Discussions

We offer container homes in multiple sizes and styles, but suppose you want to add onto an existing home or pair multiple units together to make a larger living space. We can help you out with the logistics and tell you what to expect, no matter what you have in mind.

Factory Prefabrication

Much like other types of modular homes, shipping container houses are converted in large, enclosed facilities that give workers complete control over their workspace. Whereas traditional homes are subject to weather conditions and the availability of crews and materials, these facilities are climate-controlled and have equipment available on site.

Meanwhile, a crew will prepare your foundation to make the next steps as smooth as possible.

Module Delivery

Once you&#;ve chosen your dream house design and the builders have finished converting your container into your future home, our staff will deliver it. Delivery times vary depending on availability.

On-Site Assembly

Once your shipping container home is on site and placed on its foundation, the rest of the setup tasks will begin. Among other things, this includes:

• Hooking up utilities

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• Installing stairs and handrails, if applicable

• Finishing drywall and repairing any cracks from transport

• Installing cabinetry and furniture

• Testing utilities

• Laying flooring

How Much Is a Shipping Container Home?

Generally speaking, this is one of the most affordable housing options available today. While they typically cost less than other home types, pricing depends on several factors:

• Size:

  Stacking or attaching multiple containers for a full-size container home will generally cost more than buying single-unit tiny homes.

• Design:

  Generally speaking, intricate layouts and custom floor plans will cost more than some of the standard options we have available.

• Customization options:

  Including bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen layouts, and appliances in your converted container space will generally cost more than buying one unfurnished.

To learn more about the pricing options for specific models, reach out to our staff and we&#;ll help you know which options might be best for you.

Pros and Cons of Shipping Container Homes

If you&#;re thinking about making a house out of recycled shipping containers, it&#;s important to get familiar with the pros and cons of using them to build your dream home. 

Benefits of Choosing a Shipping Container House

Some of the reasons why you might choose a shipping container home include:

• Affordability:

  Container homes cost a fraction of the price of regular homes while still offering many of the same amenities and benefits. This makes them an ideal solution in markets experiencing a shortage of affordable housing.

• Sustainability:

  Instead of scrapping shipping containers at the end of their service, converting them into container homes allows people to upcycle them for better energy efficiency while using fewer resources.

• Customization:

  Even true tiny homes made from single shipping containers can be customized to include the comforts you&#;d expect from a designer home, such as balconies, multiple floors, and modern interiors.

• Mobility:

  Much like other manufactured houses, shipping container homes are as easy to move as putting them on the back of a semi and taking them to your new property.

• Quick delivery:

  Compared to traditional homes and even some types of modular or manufactured homes, container houses are usually available with faster delivery times, making it easier to move into your new space.

Challenges of Choosing a Shipping Container House

Like any other housing type, shipping container homes come with a few unique drawbacks you might not experience with other types of housing:

• Smaller space:

  Shipping containers may require more customization if you desire a larger layout.

• Zoning difficulties:

  Shipping container homes typically require very specific types of zoning permissions and permits, since most agencies consider them non-permanent structures.

• Additional requirements:

  Shipping containers may require reinforcement and installation of hookups for plumbing and electricity.

However, it&#;s important to note that at Preferred Homes, we can work with you to accommodate these drawbacks. We have years of experience helping people move into homes of all sizes and types. We&#;re proud to work with Blox, a dedicated shipping container home manufacturer, to make sure these drawbacks aren&#;t a problem.

How Long Do Shipping Container Homes Last?

As mentioned, these containers are designed to survive some of the worst storms the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans have to offer. Because they&#;re durable, homes made from shipping containers can last 25 years on their own at least.

However, this estimation assumes that you aren&#;t carefully maintaining your home, or you let the steel exterior be the only siding on the house. If you add external siding or take other steps to prevent rusting, they can last even longer.

What Makes Shipping Container Homes Safe?

Shipping container homes offer great security compared to traditional and manufactured homes. They&#;re less likely to experience the wear and tear manufactured homes might experience during transit and are easier to move than traditional manufactured housing. 

Are Shipping Container Homes Safe in a Tornado?

There&#;s a reason why converted shipping containers are also frequently used as emergency shelters in tornado-prone areas. Unlike traditional manufactured houses, shipping container homes can withstand tornadoes because they&#;re too heavy for most winds to move.

Shipping containers were built to withstand 50-foot waves and winds exceeding 130 knots per hour on massive ships. While we still recommend sheltering in a basement during a tornado warning, your shipping container house is far more likely to withstand a tornado than a traditional home.

Pre-Built Shipping Container Homes in Michigan

Pre-built and new shipping container homes are allowed in Michigan, and we have years of experience navigating the regulations and local requirements throughout our service area. While there may be some local zoning regulations in place, Michigan does not have any statewide laws preventing the construction of container homes.

Why Choose Preferred Homes?

At Preferred Homes, we understand that your home is your sanctuary&#;a place perfect for your growing family and an ideal spot to relax after a long workday. We strive for excellent service and an incredible experience while you&#;re looking for your new home. We&#;ll work with your budget and requirements to customize the perfect shipping container home for all your needs.

Find Shipping Container Homes for Sale Near You

Ready to find a shipping container home to call your own? View our available container home floor plans and then schedule a tour with us to get started.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Are Shipping Container Homes Hot?

Although their exteriors are usually steel, container homes can be easy to keep cool during the warm summer months, especially when they&#;re outfitted with heating and air conditioning units, awnings, and a larger roof to insulate the house from the heat during Michigan&#;s hottest August days.

What Building Codes Do Shipping Container Homes Adhere to?

Shipping container homes are subject to state-level building regulations. While some local governments may have specific requirements for homes that aren&#;t set on permanent foundations, Michigan&#;s state-level requirements for manufactured and modular homes also apply to container houses.

Are you interested in learning more about Container Housing Manufacturer? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!