This trend of constructing with shipping containers isn’t surprising considering that container homes are Eco-friendly, affordable, and incredibly strong.
When you look at examples of shipping container homes, you find homes that were built extremely fast and for a small amount of money.
However, there are also examples of container homes that have failed because their owners have made simple mistakes that could have been avoided.
Here are a few common mistakes you can make when constructing a shipping container home.
The biggest mistake people make when building their shipping container home is purchasing the wrong size shipping container. In fact, this was the most common response we received when interviewing dozens of shipping container homeowners.
Most of the people constructed their building using regular height shipping containers, only to find out later that there are high cube containers which are an additional foot in height.
High Cube Container Height Difference
Standard shipping containers are 8 feet 6 inches in height, whereas high cube containers are 9 feet 6 inches tall. An extra foot in the height of your container is perfect for people looking to insulate the ceiling of their container without sacrificing on headroom.
In a standard container, if you insulate the ceiling, the remaining interior ceiling height is only about 7 feet. Using a high cube container, you can install insulation and still have an 8-foot ceiling height.
High cube containers do cost a bit more, but they are quite popular and not too difficult to find. Considering the benefits they offer, it’s usually money well-spent.
Other people are surprised to find out that containers come in lengths other than just 20 and 40ft, including, 10, 45, and 48 ft lengths. There are even some containers that are a few inches wider than most, including 53 ft containers and so-called ‘pallet-wide’ containers.
Check out our Shipping Container Dimensions article to learn about the sizes, weights, and more for all the common (and not so common) container varieties.
Another crucial mistake people make is not accounting for the condition of the containers they purchase. While purchasing used containers is a great way to increase the sustainability of your home, you need to be prepared to do some refurbishing.
At the low end, you’ll often need to some do touch up painting. But more heavily used containers may require cutting out dented or rusted metal and welding in a patch. Containers naturally experience significant rust and corrosion due to their hard lives at sea and in busy ports, and it must be dealt with.
If you’re prepared for this work going in, that’s one thing. But people purchasing their containers online or by telephone without seeing the containers in person may be surprised at the condition of the containers when they arrive.
Even if you have pictures beforehand, a shady dealer could conveniently crop out bad places from the pictures, or make them hard to spot with lower quality images. Seeing the containers in person is preferable, but at least get numerous high-quality images and videos if you can’t physically be there. Ensure all the corner joints are shown, and underneath and above the container is ideal if possible.
We have a ton of great information about choosing the best containers for your project, how and where to buy containers, and also how to handle container delivery that is sure to help you avoid any surprises.
Just about the worst feeling in the world is when you’re told that your already built house doesn’t comply with local planning regulations and that you need to take the house down. You don’t want to end up like this person, who had to take down their $1.5 million home because they didn’t apply for a permit. And even if things don’t get THAT far, you can still face significant delays and cost impacts from regulatory hurdles you didn’t expect.
Always contact your local public works building division, zoning office, and other applicable officials as early as possible in your project before you start construction. Be prepared by having a very good idea of what it is you want to build and where you want to build.
This normally means having scaled architectural drawings and foundation plans drawn up before you meet your local planning department. The planning application can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months and can cost hundreds or potentially even thousands of dollars depending on local fees and other required assessments.
Unfortunately, each area has its own rules and standards, so there is no one standard approach that fits all situations. Note that in the US, there are some areas that fall outside of city zoning. In these areas, a permit is not needed for building. If you are in such an area, consider yourself very lucky! But in most cases in the US you will need permits. Make sure you do your research first.
Luckily, we have a detailed article about zoning and building regulations to help you navigate these issues!
A mistake people make with insulation is not considering their local climate. For instance, in areas with lots of rain, you need to ensure your insulation provides you with a seamless vapor barrier. The best option would be to use spray foam insulation.
Courtesy of Larry Wade
In very warm, dry climates your insulation should focus on keeping your container home cool. Generally, in this case, you wouldn’t want a seamless vapor barrier.
There is no one correct approach when it comes to insulation. It depends on many things like the local climate, your budget, the container’s age, and the style of home you want.
Most people agree that spray foam insulation is the best to use in most circumstances. It certainly isn’t the best choice for every situation. There are many other types of insulation such as insulation panels, blanket insulation, and even Eco-friendly insulation such as recycled newspapers.
Choosing the correct type of insulation to use is crucial. If you are using the wrong type of insulation, or worse yet, don’t have any insulation, you are going to face lots of problems. Your container home will be freezing in winter and too hot during summer. However, your biggest concern is condensation and dampness.
Condensation can cause your containers to rust. This is very expensive to repair and can take a lot of time.
If you aren’t familiar with insulation methods and techniques, read our beginner’s guide to insulating a shipping container home.
Additionally, a common mistake people make is cutting too much steel from their shipping containers.
A key feature of shipping containers is that they are incredibly strong. In fact, they can be stacked up to eight containers high when they are fully loaded! Shipping containers are the perfect building block to use for fast, affordable construction.
Unfortunately, some people over-modify their containers. By cutting out large sections of steel from the container you are reducing its strength and thus the structural integrity of the container. Doing this will also require you to incur additional costs, because you will need to reinforce the containers with steel beams. You will also need to weld the steel beams in place, which can further add to your costs and includes time-consuming preparatory work.
You can remove sections of steel for your windows and doors without much problem, but when you remove entire walls, you will need to use support beams.
The last mistake we are going to look at is people choosing the wrong contractor to construct their shipping container home.
Many people like to build their shipping container home themselves. People without the time or DIY experience will need to hire a contractor to construct the building.
When you choose a contractor, make sure that they have experience building with shipping containers, or, at the very least understand shipping container homes and are enthusiastic to construct one.
The last thing you want is a builder who doesn’t understand shipping containers. This will cost you time, money and certainly won’t be exceptional quality.
Also, make sure you choose a contractor who is able to follow the build all the way through the project. You don’t want to use multiple contractors during the build, if possible.
Let us know in the comments section below any mistakes you made while constructing your shipping container home.
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