The sad truth about building a container home and why I'm giving up 

What people don’t realize is what makes a container home cheap is people building it themselves not hiring out to contractors

This is why you should just build it yourself. That’s where the real savings come in. When you have to pay so many different specialists, your budget disappears quickly.

Yes, these are the issues that apply to container homes. However, with the housing market being such a disaster, I honestly don't think we have any other choice but to explore this option. But thanks ❤

Luckily my dad is a welder, my neighbor is an electrician, our county has no building codes outside of town and the 40' container I just purchased was $4,500.

I think the misconception here is not everyone wants a “luxury” shipping container

These issues apply to people who cannot, or do not want to build themselves, or have land in an area that has restrictive build codes. That's why doing the research before you build is important. Ideally, building a shipping container on your own, on land that has little to no building codes, without a mortgage, is key for this kind of life to work.

Sounds like we had a very different experience researching container homes. I found an architect/engineering combo firm that's done a ton of these homes before and it's been a super easy design process.

I'm almost done with my first container home. I had way more issues than I expected, but I think the end product is going to be worth it. I'm working on plans for another one already. I'm on my third contractor in the first one. You definitely need someone who knows what they're doing.

About 2005, a contractor friend and I talked about using shipping containers for emergency housing after hurricanes. We, like many, thought that it might be a cheap way to build a living space. I looked into the concept pretty thoroughly and and even went as far as a rough design and manufacturing concept. The design process revealed several stumbling blocks, very much along the same lines as what Rob pointed out. We had the skills and factory space to make it happen. Even with the most utilitarian construction, in the end, we found the issues made the concept unviable. It wasn't particularly cheap, the moisture management was a big thing, and the internal space confined the design beyond what we felt was a reasonable living space. We're in South Florida and at the time we could by 40' containers for about $1500 for a weathertight container. Ones with holes could be had for a bit less but then you've got to weld them up. Add in the construction costs and the costs would be about the same as a panelized prefab. We had plans to build the living space somewhat akin to a box and then slide it into the container which would serve as the main structural member. Because of our low cost criteria and construction concept, moisture was a big problem that we didn't have a good answer for and what really killed the whole idea. Spray foam against the metal would solve the sweating problem but would jack up the construction cost beyond what we thought we could bear. The interior of a shipping container, if memory serves me, is about 7'8". Even at the thinnest insulation of a couple of inches per wall, your finished living space is just over 7' wide. If you are of average proportions, when you stretch your arms out to your sides, your wingspan (fingertip to fingertip) is approximately same as your height. I'm 6'2". That means my fingertips are only a couple of inches away from the walls when stretched out. A twin bed is 39" wide. If you put two of them side by side, you'll have about 8" between them. The space is tiny. Arranging all the things you need to make a livable space (bed, bath, cooking, storage) is a challenge, to say the least. So, if you've read this far and you're still interested in a container home, just be aware that you'll need to have a very flexible idea of what a comfortable living space is and, if you want it nice, an open checkbook wouldn't hurt either. 😳

I'm having trouble finding shipping containers for the prices quoted in this video. In 2022 I'm still seeing containers for $2800 to $5000. Maybe they're having them shipped long distances?? I just can't see a container costing 20 to 30k before customization

As someone who is just beginning serious research on this topic I appreciate having someone willing to point out the possibility of issues. There are tons of videos on how happy people are with their homes and that is great but if your actually doing research then you want both sides of the story.

Yeah bro, I'm with you, I bought one partially built 3 years ago, and I know construction well, but working with metal and unusual materials and construction methods has turned into a absolute nightmare, not to mention figuring out where to put it or who to sell it to 😔 It'll all work out, but deffinatly not the way I wanted or the speed for sure.

I love this channel! I'll watch more videos before asking questions.

Well Rob, I stand by what I said before, if you build it, they will come. I have considered 🤔 all you and Kai have spoken about. Yet I still see myself living in 2 of my favorite builds, the container and the A-frame.

I'd love to see you build a container home! After watching this video, I'd be curious to see how long it would actually take (and also how much!). Thanks for another awesome vid.

Wow this video was EXTREMELY helpful and educational. I'm a rad chick who likes to do her own yard work but have no real storage. I was gonna invest in decent shipping container just keep the critters from chewing through a dinky wooden shed. Who knew about the condensation dripping down and ruining any equipment inside. Thanks a bunch for this video.

love the personality in this

Duh - you should TOTALLY build a container home ! Insulate the outside and then clad with similar material. Or make access only external and glass over the ends (sliding glass doors) in an arid climate. You can find a way !

Heck yeah man. Build it! I’d love to see you do it.

I found an excellent company who specializes in container homes (and this is in Maine) and I am having them engineer my plans for me. I could use them to build but My husband and I are building it ourselves. Containers here are not nearly that expensive, a brand new 40 ft is less than 10k (I’m going used) and frankly you just have to learn how to do things. Don’t know how to weld? Learn! Don’t know how to build a foundation (because who does?!) research and learn! The quotes for my container home I’ll be starting soon is about 1/3 of the price of the old not so great house I bought that’s has foundation issues a few years ago.

Oh wow 😳 Hard core reality. Thank you gentlemen. The ending was good to know.

Just listened to the podcast you did with Think!! Good stuff. I appreciate the wisdom you share!

This is great thank you! Also love the delivery lol

I work at a container yard, helped build the very gate office i work in. i know exactly how to fix everything structural wise. sadly i think a container home is all i could afford for a time, can always add on tho too

Hey Rob! I think you should definitely start a container home build. You could also document the steps on RU-vid which would be great content!

So good, thanks for the Inspo

Whenever I see people making shipping container homes, I think, "that's cool, maybe I should do that." Then when I think it through, I'm always like, "why wouldn't I just build a pole barn."🤔

Wow. One of the first videos I watched when I began my shipping container home journey. I'm glad I didn't put much stock in your video. Thank you for your videos, though.

Very informative, editing was great, not as many tangents. Thank you.

I think one thing that will definitely help is being handy yourself I’ve been building cutting welding you name it my whole life but definitely enjoyed the content and gave me something to think about for sure

Well I just spent $50k on all my preliminary plans and site studies for a container home. Oh well... here we go

Thanks for the video

Hi Rob! We just sold every thing we owned back in Canada last year our farm and moved to Costa Rica 8 months ago, with just 7 suitcases that is it. We bought two pieces of land here. The bare piece i am wanting to build something totally out of box for a Rental, We are on a mountain in the jungle less than a 10 minute drive from the beautiful Pacific Ocean. Right now i am scouting out a good architect or at least i hope to find one here. I had considered a container build but to be honest there are just so many of them around now i do not look at them as a unique concept anymore. So i am still rattling my brain trying to come up with my own unique idea something that blends in with the surroundings here and totally out of the box. So wish me luck ;)

Great info!

What about pre built ones? I always see them for super cheap and the thought has crossed my mind of getting a plot of land, get plumbing/ electric hooked up, and just using it as my starter home to live well below my means so I build my finances for later in life. Do you think there's major things I'm overlooking?

I agree. You CAN build a container home but you cannot start modifying the container. The cheapeadt simplest way is a container home barn style home. If you take 2 x 40 ' high cubes on each side and cover them with a roof, that would be the easiest and simplest way. Do not start cutting holes/openings in the container.

Tus videos me han abierto los ojos al mundo de renta vacacional y principalmente a encontrar la manera que tu propiedad no sea la del montón si no que sea única, así que definitivamente como inversión de STR seria una excelente elección talves un poco más adelante, si te lo recomiendo. Saludos Roger Erosa

Thanks for the video. Any idea what the color code is for the paint on your walls?

Building a container home can be an appealing and cost-effective option for many, but it's important to carefully consider the challenges involved, including permitting, financing, and building codes, as well as the potential for unexpected delays and expenses. Ultimately, the decision to give up on a container home project is a personal one, and it's important to prioritize your own needs and resources in making that choice.

Gonna build a container home once I have the funds. I’m always drawing plans and watching RU-vid on containers homes.

Shipping containers here in Seattle are $6500 for one trips... they are not $20k

Watch Out for by-laws. I just got stopped from storaging a 20 foot container in a parking lot inside a storage facility which is an industrial area. Was told its a violation of city by-laws.

I feel for you. seems like the place you live gave you a hard time. it helps so much to have an absolute arsenal of skills to make a container build work. if you cant build it yourself, you have no business "building one".

Point 1 of it going out of trend I don’t see happening anytime soon and if it does, add siding. No biggie. The rest are good points. Biggest deal with a container build is finding a place that allows them and having the electrical inspected before adding spray foam. Must be closed cell spray foam. It’s absolutely not cheap. You can build stick built for the same price and have way less regulation, more freedom, and more space. Fyi

Great info. 👍👏

Hey Rob, do you think unique stays like cottages, treehouses, and or tents is overall better investment for airbnbs than like tiny homes and conventional home Airbnbs ?

Integrity... Don't hurt yourself.

Rob, What is the lowest price and best unit to start with? Yurt, Belle tent, A frame, Tree house, etc..? Thank you, love your channel. Rob C.

Don't do it, its going to cost more to install all the over-engineering required once you cut holes into it versus just doing a house ground up the traditional way. The container is only as good as being an container. It would seem then, with all the costs involved to try to turn it into a real house and rust proof and fill in all the gaps to remove moisture entrance (you dont want it rusting), this is really the dumbest idea in a place that gets a lot of rain. I know this because I live in a tropical climate and i've seen containers and warehouses get fk'd up by the moisture and rain leaks that literally destroy the structure. Sure it might last maybe 10 years, but once that rust eats into the structure in too many areas, that's a lot of reinforcement you need to do, which means you need to cut into your gypboard and insulation to repair it versus a wooden / stucco/ concrete home. That also assumes you even noticed there was a problem, all of it should have been hidden behind the insulation and rustproofing as intended. BUt you don't know of the leaks from errors of sealing all gaps. Wooden homes suck too, once there's a termite infestation GOOD LUCK.

Speak for yourself, I LOVE my container home, which is actually two containers conjoined by a glass atrium. Total cost, under $100,000. Now go buy a house for that price. LOL! I'll take my container home over what you live in any day.

Clearly things are more expensive in the US. I am in South Africa and I am building a 4 x 40ft container home and including land that is 600 meters from the beach, I am working on a budget of $45000.

I've done enough metal work to know that cuts and simple tasks like drilling holes and using fasteners take multiple times longer than with wood so I don't get too excited to jump in on this but I've seen some pretty nicely done ones for sure.

Was that Franish or Spench? I enjoy seeing what some enterprising folks have done with these containers, but have not personally thought it to be a great idea. Thanks for the insightful videos!

I inspected containers in the military to certify them to ship. The only load bearing portion of containers is the floor and corner posts. All the weight of all the containers stacked up is on the posts only. The tops of containers can’t hold that much weight at all

Rob, instead of building a container home, why don’t you build a home similarly shaped but with isotex material? I honestly think it would be the best option and you’d probably get a good return on the investment if you ever decided to sell. Give it a thought and let me know what you think.

Holy cow you saved me from myself. Thank you.

You are spot on about contanor home. Not worth it. Resale will be bad, insurance will be nonexistent or high. There are better options out there. The only application I can see is to build a funky air b&b that you have no intention of living in.

I live in tornado alley and I chose a single shipping container to serve as a guest house/tornado shelter anchored to peers in the backyard. Before i ever purchased my home i searched in rural counties arround me with no building permits required. Im a 11 yr electrician by trade and I work for myself and i know plenty of other contractors to lead me in the right direction... If you're strategic about land and have some know how then you could have yourself a pretty affordable home/whatever your turning it into... Overrated? maybe to some who aren't truly interested or expected a "cheap home". But for me, our little hang out spot could save my families life one day.

You offer valid points but one doesn't have use spray foam. There are other alternatives. I used heat proof insulation and styrofoam sheets. It just sounds scary the shipping container builds. One just has to be patient. Another thing that I realized is that everyone wants all of the fancy stuff at first but it is not necessary. One just needs the basics at first. Once that is done, you can change in the future. The reason why I went with a shipping container home is because just incase I ran out of money on building a traditional house and push-come-to-shove I could have still lived in the container home until it was finished because I would technically still have a "roof" over my head. I have been living it for almost 2 years now. I'm on my 2nd build for a home office out of another 40ft high cube. I think the person just has plan it out and decide what they want. There are a number of books out there and RU-vid videos that offer assistance.

Dude... Thank you bro...

One thing a lot of people over look is that containers are designed to be stacked on top of each other, so the corners of the containers are really the only strong parts before any doors or windows are even cut out. So if anyone is thinking they can burry one, you can’t without putting in a bunch of supports.

My buddy just bought a container and it was pretty expensive and hard to get. That could be because of where he lives but it seems like demand is just going up up up so prices will probably follow.

Good info, ty! This concept as you know has been around awhile and I agree it is trendy. With that being said do you believe the pole barn " barndo" is also a trend? Ive been researching the idea of a modern farm house barndo for some time. ( not sure how one would do comps when there arent comparitvely many pole barn homes) Ref: Levi Kelly shows Barndos in Hocking Hills, OH. I think your viewers would enjoy your views! Thanks again for the incredible content!!!! Lori in Ohio

Everything about container houses 🏘 I love them and to beside the Caribbean has no limits

Definitely will need a "private provider special inspector" for a lot of the inspections such as the welds and bolts.

You’ve only touched on the most obvious of problems with a SC home. There are problems with moisture buildup inside the container from body heat that then causes rust. There is heat transfer issues from the sun heating up the metal on the outside and making the home uber hot inside. There are permitting issues, footing or pad issues, and much more. You’re better of purchasing a prefab or trailer home and being done with it. And the trailer home will cost you CONSIDERABLY less.

Containers aren't $30-$40K. I just looked up reefers and found most for around $6K. I'm live on an island and there are at least 20 container homes within 5 miles from me. That said, I was told to only use reefers. My neighbor had a double container home built with full finishes and plumbing for $25K. Plus, because containers are considered "trailers," they don't require any building permits where I live. Long story short, I think it is doable. Right now I'm trying to make a decision between concrete, container, or Lok-N-Blok.

Thanks. Many times I’ve been tempted. But you are not the only one pointing out these realities. Oh, and delivery to the mountains should be cheap, right?

It makes me wonder how much these people are spending to build these 10-20 container buildings? I saw many in the Netherlands around Amsterdam.

Can't say you didn't know after this video. Proceed with knowledge!

sad truth is every experience is different I started with a rammed earth design went to the city for approval they were interested but then added in stuff that drastically increased the cost I then went with earth ship type style they were against this in one area for it in another county they guy who turned me on to the idea had built one up north with ease they loved the idea but at best Im getting an ok so depending where you are is really how easy it will be but if your going ahead use a company that has a track record on doing it and let them design it you just guide it will be so much easier

I have built several. I found it easy. If you know anything about building and codes. But then again I live in Virginia and was able to build everything myself. It is also helpful my father hauls out of the ports. So I can get containers dirt cheap. Like almost free.

Container homes are not for everyone. The fact that I am an engineer and contractor and my son is a former ship builder means we find the endeavor to be right up our alley. Others should take the video's warnings to heart. Permitting is the single biggest problem legal builds have to deal with. Familiarity with container homes is not widespread and cities and counties vary widely in ease of permitting.

I would much rather live in a container home than in a tiny room, paying $800 in Toronto

In Arkansas, building in the county, you can literally build your home from a storage shed! Container homes are easy here and Im looking forward to mine .. Want a 2 container large room..

Rob are domes trendy as well?

SIPS and ICF construction costs the same, allows for a more flexible floorplan and footprint, and you can buy scores of ready-made plans online. I went down this rabbit hole in pursuit of a hurricane-proof structure, and discovered all the facts covered here.

So everything was really informative and well put. What I noticed though is in fact everyone is basically scared to work on container homes because it’s a new concept to them, an those that have it’s still a learning curve. The other thing is it “could” be a really cheaper build than a home most of the time and I know a lot of variables come to play just like anything else. So i feel if you know what your doing an you understand what your getting into….it could be cheap, and if you know what you want but don’t really understand what your getting into than it definitely will be pricey. People should understand that there is two sides to this, it could be a really cheap build and it could be a really expensive build. If you look at the bigger picture, is that if no one was scared to work on container homes, permits and regulations were easier an more inclined to specifically container homes than they definitely would be cheap. Now if that were to happen everyone would just go that route but guess what now the price would skyrocket an it be a whole collateral mess. So in a way it works out that only a few people know what there really doing an could do the builds for really cheap. Just my thoughts make of it as you wish. Respects to anyone’s opinions and thoughts.

Who says the container home needs to be steel? Try a Tupperware container home!

Hey, is there a lifespan using this container? Does the owner will facing any issues such as rusty structures, heat issues? containers should only be low, tiny concept houses and for me it's just temporary, if the construction is a luxury, the cost will still be hefty.

keep it going Rob! You do know what you're talking about. I got you :) Also, here's a vote for you to build a container home. Otherwise...who will do it???

Some good points in your video but I think you need more video footage of the things you talked about, maybe your expert showing what he went through. Building stick frame homes onsite makes no sense for so many reasons. Pre fab or factory build will become the norm, I hope. Maybe not from containers but maybe so. Codes need to change, people have to lower their expectations and the whole process sped up if we want affordable housing. I live in Ontario Canada and a custom home is coming in at around $400/ square foot and takes on average 14 months to build. A 40 foot one trip container is currenty $5400 CA (just over 4 grand US) plus delivery. Cheaper than a decent garden shed at Home Depot. All the best, Jim

Build it! They will come.

Thanks for the WAKE-UP call! I have the containers on a relatively remote property: probably illegal to start with! But the house has no back-up wood stove heat, and I was wondering, maybe about a container conversion with a wood stove: wood I have! Then i could get snowed in and goodbye world, good riddance. Nope. I'm thinking tepee. Yurt?

Do it! Build it Rob.

Hey Rob I think on an earlier episode you mentioned your spending millions (billions?) of dollars on clothing. My question is, where do you get your pocket Ts? A good pocket T is hard to find.

I have a house in the country side on a 1 acre land .i want to build a second guest house.i think it is a good idea to use a container as the starting shell.

Well I got that husband that can draw up the plans he builds homes and considering most friends built a home it cost them triple the price more hassle and the ones that have a shipping container homes love it

What if you go to a tiny home community does all this apply?

Even if you set your house on fire.. the steel structure would still be standing

I like to look on the bright side... There are problems with every type of accommodation not just containers or tiny homes. The bigger the build the bigger the problems... I speak from experience.

ICF is the way to go!

Love the bit of music at 11:40

Body disposal! You’re a trip bro! LMBO

It appears that in order to turn a shipping container into functional habitat you have to virtually destroy the container then re-build it. If that's the case why use a shipping container as your starting point in the first place? You might as well have assembled your materials on site & built it in the conventional manner, then just bolt some corrugated steel on the outside to give it the recycled industrial look you like.

Informative video. It’s good to lay out all the obstacles. Container homes are a good option for people with knowledge and connections. A well-rounded handyman might make headway in this project, but knowing an engineer, contractor, electrician, welder, plumber, and so on will ensure the most successful outcome. The average person with no connections and limited income seeking affordable housing will not be successful in this endeavor. The labor costs, alone, is unattainable for most people. This was true in 2021. It’s doubly true in 2022. If you’re in desperate need of affordable housing, look into used campers. Seriously. If you’re about to be homeless or are homeless and have a wee bit of money saved and looking for a last resort, used campers are your best option. The last paragraph may seem a bit out of place for this video, but homelessness is growing rapidly in the US. People are desperately looking for housing options.

Rob, I think your looking at the situation wrong, build with just the frames. Frames can be bought separately. That removes the labor to modify the container, a good architect that has experience with a container should be able to get building permits a bit easier

Blasphemy! ;) Great video, Robert. Totally agree with your points. Shipping containers are not for the faint of heart. Lots of things to consider. P.s. I still have pipe furniture too...lol.

If you’re going to hire contractors to build your container house then it better you build conventional but most people will like to put at least a 75% of their work in there so that being said it cheaper to build yourself

I miss my JNCOs...