How to build your shipping container home

O Suddath presents BUILD HOW TO YOUR SHIPPING CONTAINER НOME Building a shipping container home is an affordable and environmentally friendly option for homeowners who don't require a lot of space. You can personalize your container home to match your design style and preferences. Here is a look at the process of transforming a shipping container into a home. PLAN YOUR HOME 1 Find a site for your future home. Hire an engineer or construction company to draw plans for plumbing and wiring. These may be necessary to get any permits from city or county authorities. 22 60 FIND A CONTAINER 2 Purchase the container(s) that will become your home. Most containers are purchased from a dealer, who acquires them from a shipping company and re-sells them to regular people. Here are a few size options: 20' Container L19'4" x W7'8" x H7'10" = 1,175 cu ft (33.2 cbm) 40' Container L39'5" x W7'8" x H7'10" = 2,300 cu ft (65.1 cbm) 40' High Cube Container L39'5" x W7"8" x H8'10" = 2,694 cu ft (76.2 cbm) CREATE A FOUNDATION 3 The site of your shipping container home may need to be graded or compacted so that the soil is uniform and flat. After that, you can have a concrete foundation poured to anchor and stabilize your home. INSTALL WINDOWS, 4 DOORS AND SKYLIGHTS Windows and skylights are an important part of your home because they add light and dimension to your space. Consult with a structural engineer or architect to find the best places to put windows and skylights without damaging the structure of the container. FRAME THE INTERIOR Framing allows you to set up separate rooms or areas within the shipping container space. Some container homes have several bedrooms, closets, bathrooms and sleeping lofts. HAVE IT INSPECTED City or county authorities will want to inspect the home to make sure it is livable before you can move in. They will check the structural integrity and ensure plumbing and wiring are up to code. If you need help moving into your new container home, contact the experts at Suddath°. suddath.com O Suddath ©2015 Suddath Van Lines, Inc. U.S. DOT No. 29609 Fla. IM No. 1411