Shipping Container Home Builders: Our Top 7 Picks
2046 shares Did you know that shipping containers can be turned into luxury homes? They can! In fact, upcycled shipping containers can become many things,…
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Did you know that shipping containers can be turned into luxury homes? They can! In fact, upcycled shipping containers can become many things, including affordable homes, backyard accessory dwelling units, or even energy-efficient commercial structures! With storage containers, your imagination is the limit.
So how do you get your hands on an amazing shipping container home?
Well, just stick with us because today we’re exploring the best shipping container home builders and all you’ll need to know to understand the entire process of getting one of these container homes for yourself or your business!
Are you ready to meet the best shipping container home builders?
Need help building your own shipping container home? This guide will help:
- Recommendations on building elements like foundations, insulation, walls, roofs, and more
- Instructions on how to correctly prepare your site for the delivery of your containers
- End of chapter checklists to help keep your planning/building on track
- An example budget with pricing breakdowns
Plus, you can add on a book of plans for 50 container homes to get started with your dream build.
Backcountry Containers Container Home Builders
You might recognize this team of shipping container home builders from season four of Tiny House Big Living!
After owner Jon Meier built the Rustic Retreat XL (pictured above) for his sister-in-law, on the show, this Oregon City family banded together to full-throttle into the container business!
If you want to buy a shipping container home, the Backcountry team offers many models that range from standard to custom floor plans.
No matter your environment, these custom container home builders can create your dream home layout by joining and/or stacking 20′ and 40′ shipping containers in endless ways!
The Rockne Shipping Container by BackCountry Containers
Looking for something small? Suppose you have a business property that needs a small office. In that case, Backcountry Containers has an office floor plan called the Rockne, a 20′ container with a workspace, storage cabinet, and Bluetooth speaker system. And with a base price of just 42k, the Rockne is an affordable way to put an office in any location!
Alternative Living Spaces Container House Builders
Whether you need a backyard office or an alternative home with two rooftop decks, Alternative Living Spaces could be the container home builders for you!
Their muted metal exteriors pair beautifully with minimalist interior elements in a way that makes this builder one of our favorites. And their range of services is extensive! They can create a shipping container house, an A-frame cabin, a campervan, or even a tiny house on wheels!
The website says that their standard build time is 14-18 weeks, but contact the company to get the current time, as it could take additional labor to customize your project.
Alternative Living Spaces is a great shipping container building company, but when you contact them, please note that they do not build their container homes to any sort of standard.
This could make permitting one of their homes tricky, so their container models could be a better fit for rural areas with no zoning restrictions.
Shipping Container Home Airbnb
Do you want to test out a shipping container home before you buy one for your family?
Check out this epic tiny home village with a shipping container Airbnb cluster!
The Cliffside Cabins & RV Park lies between Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon in Orderville, Utah. And it features five shipping container Airbnb rentals built by Alternative Living Spaces!
So this is one container home builder whose homes you can try before you buy!
Custom Container Living Container Home Builders
Custom Container Living is a shipping container home builder located just an hour from Kansas City, Missouri. They can deliver any style of project you’re interested in, thanks to the many floor plans and upgrades this company offers!
Their custom options even extend to exterior siding, so you can choose what you want your container to look like before you go through the process of putting one in your yard. And their options aren’t limited to traditional homes!
If you want a shipping container builder whose models range far beyond a residential house, Custom Container Living could be the team for you.
In addition to their residential floor plans, they also offer commercial shipping container buildings like bunk houses and even commercial bathrooms!
Shipping Container Home Certification
When it comes to building traditional residential homes, the rules are more clear, but when it comes to alternative things like custom container homes, tiny homes, or other unusual dwellings, the regulations get murkier.
Custom Container Living made our list of best builders because they build to IRC building code and issue a state-certified manufactured home seal with all their shipping container homes.
This makes it much easier to live in a container legally!
And we are all about that!
Relevant Buildings Shipping Container Home Builders
Before you scour the country looking for someone who can tackle your container project specifications and provide delivery to the Pacific Northwest, you should know that Relevant Buildings is building shipping container homes in your backyard. And yes, they can do custom designs!
Like Custom Container Living, this team has done its homework when it comes to its construction services. They build to IBC code and provide a state seal.
That means these shipping container houses can be permitted and installed on ANY lot zoned for a residential home in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho!
And to add to the good news, all of Relevant Buildings models are built to Oregon Energy Trust Standards. (They can provide certification if desired.) Plus, their construction location is also net 0 solar, meaning that their shop’s solar panels produce enough energy to cover the electricity usage inside!
Teahouse Shipping Container Home
Love a modern space? Relevant Building’s Teahouse container home (pictured above) offers a spacious floor plan with an open-concept kitchen and living area. It also features luxury upgrades you might find in traditional homes, like barn doors, recessed lighting, and stainless steel appliances.
Are you ready to build a shipping container home? Learn how to find a location for your house here!
Honomobo Container Home Builders
Love luxury? Excellent. Then you won’t want to miss Honomobo’s container homes!
Honomobo is one of the few luxury shipping container home builders in Canada. Want to buy a shipping container home in the USA? Honomobo will deliver their modern homes to any location in either country!
Honomobo H-Series Shipping Container Homes
Honomobo’s signature H-Series ranges from a 96 square foot office to their H05, which is a 1600 square foot 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom home!
So how much does a Honomobo shipping container home cost?
Honomobo’s Shipping Container Home Cost
Well, the office version starts at $25,767, and the H05 begins at $404,819 for one of these luxury container structures. And with clean lines, giant windows, and a striking interior and exterior design aesthetic, we think it’s well worth the price tag, especially once you consider this next part:
Shipping Container Home Installation Process
As a plug-a-play shipping container home building company, the Honomobo team handles all steps of the construction process including local engineering requirements, permit submittals, and even on-site installation!
This will relieve a massive amount of stress if you plan to buy a shipping container house!
A bit more info on choosing a Shipping Container Home Builder
Whether you plan to turn used containers into backyard guesthouses or high-end container homes, we hope you’ve discovered some new favorite builders! But as you shop for one of these unique and affordable structures, it’s important to ask questions about a builder’s services.
Researching a Container Home Builder
In addition to inquiring about a specific model, you’ll want to ask a builder about the standards they build to, the warranties they offer, how delivery will be handled, and how many shipping container homes they’ve successfully built and placed.
You’ll also want to look into how you’re going to pay for the project.
Financing a Shipping Container Home
The good news is, yes, you can finance a shipping container house. But what kind of container home financing you’ll be eligible for depends on which builder you choose.
To get started, you’ll likely have to begin with a personal loan, construction loan, or home equity line of credit (HELOC), but certain homes, like those built by Honomobo or Relevant Buildings, might qualify for a traditional mortgage at the end of the project. This is thanks to their strict adherence to building standards and rigorous due diligence processes.
Shipping Container Home Building Guide & Plans
This article is designed to help you find a builder who specializes in building container homes for you, but if you want to build one yourself, we can help with that too! Just check out our Shipping Container Home Building Guide & Plans!
That’s all for now, but thanks for joining us here at The Wayward Home! Is there a container home in your future?
If I have my own shipping container how does this work? Do I have the container delivered to you or on site where I what the container home to go?
I need the price including the container if possible a 45 ft with the loft , it’s. For Chickamauga Georgia, we own the land,if you can please send me the information I will appreciate.