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Shipping Containers For Housing
Boxhub's shipping containers can be used to build the house of your dreams — big or small. Shipping container homes are durable, modular, and, can be modified to fulfill any home design or living needs.
Shipping Containers For Housing
Constructed using durable COR-TEN steel, shipping containers make a stable and secure environment to build your home in. They can be customized with insulation, plumbing, and other modern comforts and amenities, and adapted to deal with any climate.
On top of that, since shipping containers are modular, they can be configured to create all kinds of imaginative structures — just one of the many reasons that container homes have become a popular alternative to traditional housing.
Choosing the Best Shipping Container for Housing
Shipping Container Sizes
Shipping containers come in several different sizes with standardized capacities. The two most common shipping containers are 20-feet and 40-feet long.
20ft Containers
A 20 ft container has an internal volume of 1,172ft³. It can store the equivalent of 200 standard mattresses, two compact cars, or 9,600 wine bottles.
20 ft containers are ideal for tiny homes or cabins, home offices, or accessory dwelling units (ADUs).
40ft Containers
A 40 ft container has an internal volume of 2,385ft³. It can store the equivalent of 400 standard mattresses, four compact cars, or 19,200 wine bottles.
A 40 ft container is ideal if you're looking for a larger shipping container home.
Shipping Container Conditions
Shipping containers come in a variety of different grades, or conditions, however when purchasing with the intention to make into a home, new or “one trip” containers are best for housing.
These units have only been used once to ship a single load of dry cargo overseas. They're the newest, best condition containers you can buy, built to last 25-30 years. Though Cargo-worthy or Wind and Watertight are less expensive but also not as durable or structurally sound and not recommended for homes.
The Benefits of a Shipping Container Home
Shipping containers make great homes for a number of reasons; they can be stacked, arranged, and configured in an infinite number of ways, they can also be fully modified and adapted to any climate, environmental conditions, or living preferences.
Endless Design Configurations
Adaptable to Any Environment
Completely Customizable
Build with Any Budget
Frequently Asked Questions
Shipping containers are a great option for alternative housing. Since they're made of COR-TEN steel and designed to be wind and watertight, they're extremely durable and can withstand the elements. Additionally, shipping containers can be stacked and configured myriad ways, so you can build a home that's large and complex or keep things simple with a single-container dwelling. Because they require less new construction materials than a traditional home, shipping containers tend to provide a more affordable housing alternative. That said, you can still customize and kit your shipping container home out with all the comforts you want or need.
Shipping containers are available in several standardized sizes and conditions, making it easy to choose a container — or containers — to use as housing. The most readily available sizes are 20-foot shipping containers, which have an internal volume of 1,172ft³, and 40-foot shipping containers, which have an internal volume of 2,385ft³. Choosing the right size and condition of your containers depends on your intended home design and budget. If you're building a single-container home, it really comes down to how much square footage you want.
For a more detailed breakdown of container sizes and conditions, check out this helpful guide to choosing the right shipping container
You can buy shipping containers directly through Boxhub's website or by speaking to a member of our team via phone, email, or live chat. To buy a shipping container online:
Step 1
Visit our online store and enter your delivery zip code.
Step 2
Pick the size and grade of container you'd like to purchase
Step 3
Review your shopping cart and choose your preferred payment method.
Step 4
Validate and complete your purchase.
Questions? Reach out to us on 888-356-2954 at any time.
Boxhub's shipping containers can be delivered to your property or picked up from a local depot. If you choose to have your container delivered, an experienced truck operator will inspect your container to confirm it meets your order's size and condition requirements before loading it onto their truck. Then, they'll drive the shipping container to your property and carefully offload it in your preferred location.
You need to make sure that your drop-off site is safe and accessible for the delivery driver.
They will need enough space to maneuver the truck and offload your shipping container. They will also need a smooth, solid road — surfaces like sand, mud, snow, and loose dirt won't work for a delivery.
When choosing where you want your shipping container placed, keep in mind that shipping containers used for storage should rest on level, stable surfaces. This prevents the doors from warping and becoming difficult to close. A cement or asphalt foundation is best, as it will provide a firm, level surface for the container and will stop water from pooling around the bottom.
You can also protect your shipping container self-storage unit from groundwater by raising it on level wooden blocks or iron plates.
If you notice something unexpected with the container, call us at 888-356-2954.
Technically, anybody can turn a shipping container into a home — you don't need a construction background. Boxhub's affiliates — such as Alternative Living Spaces — offer courses to educate consumers on how to create a shipping container home, DIY-style. We also sell a variety of container modification kits to help turn your shipping container into a home. For a full breakdown of what's available, please call 888-356-2954.
Standard shipping containers are 8 feet, 6 inches tall. This measurement is true for standard 20-foot and 40-foot containers. High-cube shipping containers are a foot taller than standard shipping containers, measuring 9 feet, 6 inches tall. We typically recommend high-cube shipping containers for housing, in order to ensure your shipping container home has ample vertical space.
Standard shipping containers are 8 feet, 6 inches tall. This measurement is true for standard 20-foot and 40-foot containers. High-cube shipping containers are a foot taller than standard shipping containers, measuring 9 feet, 6 inches tall.
The price of shipping containers varies based on their size, condition, and where they're located. For example, a 20-foot container will typically be cheaper than a 40-foot container. A new “one-trip” container — which has only made one trip across the ocean — will be more expensive than a wind and watertight container, which has been retired from shipping after 12-15 years.
To get an estimate of how much your ideal shipping container will cost, request a quote from our team.
Wondering, "where can I find shipping containers near me?" -- look no further. Boxhub is your number-one resource for shipping containers in the United States. Boxhub offers new and used shipping containers across the US in a variety of cities and states. Visit our online store here.