How Much Does a Shipping Container Home Cost?
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Shipping container homes aren't a new trend, but with soaring real estate prices, they're having their moment in the spotlight. For potential homeowners looking for a potentially cost-effective alternative to a traditional home, a shipping container home might be an appealing option. But how much does a shipping container home actually cost? The answer, of course, depends on the specifics of the home. For instance, an off-the-grid, tiny-house-style shipping container home might cost as little as $25,000, per the home services resource site Angi. But a luxurious custom build featuring four bedrooms and two bathrooms across two stories can easily increase that cost estimate tenfold or more. If you're interested in building a shipping container home, here's what you need to know about the cost.
What Is a Shipping Container Home?
A shipping container home is exactly what it sounds like—a house built from repurposed steel shipping containers, also known as intermodal containers. Yes, the ones that are loaded up onto cargo ships, trains, and truck beds and sent around the world! Because the containers are already weather-resistant, as they're often exposed to the elements on their voyages, they're a reasonably sound choice as a building material. Plus, they're modular, so it's pretty easy to add rooms to your shipping container home.
How Much Do Shipping Container Homes Cost?
Ah, the million-dollar question—although it'll likely cost far less than a million dollars to build a shipping container home! But there are countless variables to consider when it comes to figuring out the cost. In general, shipping container homes start around $25,000 for a single-container tiny home. Add additional containers to your build, and the price climbs quickly. The sky is truly the limit when it comes to shipping container home costs. To help you set your budget, here's a breakdown of average costs by various metrics.
Cost Per Square Foot
On average, shipping container homes cost between $150 and $350 per square foot, per the home resource site Home Guide. Shipping containers come in several standard sizes:
8 feet wide by 8.5 feet tall by 10 feet long (80 square feet) = $12k to $28k
8 feet wide by 8.5 feet tall by 20 feet long(160 square feet) = $24k to $56k
8 feet wide by 8.5 feet tall by 40 feet long (320 square feet) = $48k to $112,000
Given that info, it's pretty easy to do the math to figure out what size your shipping container home will be, based on the size of the containers. For example, an 80 square foot container would run you about $12,000 to $28,000. Note that if you wanted additional head space, you'd have to purchase a high-cube container, which is 9.5 feet high, increasing the bottom line cost.
Cost Per Container
A lone shipping container—not one tricked out to be a home—usually costs between $1,200 and $10,000, according to Angi. Here's some general guidance as to how many containers you'll need for various home sizes, though you can often do more or less, depending on your design.
Studio: 1 container = $1,2k to $10k
1 Bedroom: 1–2 containers = $1,2k to $20k
2 Bedroom: 2–4 containers = $2,4k to $40k
3 Bedroom: 4+ containers = $4,8k to $40k
4 Bedroom: 6+ containers = 47,2k to $60k+
Shipping Container Home Cost vs. a Traditional Home
Where do shipping container homes fit in among other popular home types? They're on the lower end of the spectrum. Because traditional homes are often larger than shipping container homes, they tend to cost more. A shipping container home is usually more similar in price to a tiny home, a prefab or modular home, or a manufactured home.
Shipping Container Home Cost Factors
As you're pricing out your shipping container home, here are some of the many factors you need to consider. For each category, the pricing can vary greatly due to the location your home is in or the materials you choose to use.
Prefab vs. Custom
A prefabricated, or prefab, shipping container home essentially comes turn-key or close to it. Overall, prefab shipping container homes are often less expensive than custom ones, but it all depends on the specifics of your project.
Size
As previously mentioned, the size of your shipping container home largely dictates the price. Naturally, smaller shipping container homes cost less than larger ones.
Land and Site Preparation
Before you build your shipping container home, you need a suitable plot of land for it. Depending on the lot, you might need to do some pretty intense work in order to place your shipping container home on it, from clearing trees to land grading to pouring a foundation. (Your contractor can will be able to advise you on what needs doing.) And you'll also need to figure out utilities, such as septic or sewer, electricity, water, and gas. Finally, don't forget that you'll also need to pay for permits and labor!
Structure
A lot of work goes into converting a shipping container into a shipping container home, and that comes at a cost. At the very least, you'll need to install roofing, flooring, insulation, drywall, windows, doors, electrical, plumbing, and likely HVAC. For all of these things, you're looking at both material and labor costs, unless you have a background in general contracting, electricity, or plumbing and can save a little via DIY.
Finishes
Now for the fun part! How you want to finish your shipping container is up to you, but this is where things can get really expensive if you opt for luxury. We're talking about paint colors, fixtures, appliances, furniture, and decor. All these fun interior design choices add personality into your shipping container home, but can drive up its cost. Again, it's possible to save on labor costs via DIY, depending on the project. The bottom line: A shipping container is likely to be a bargain compared to a traditional home, but will range in price according to size, location, and the level of luxury involved.
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