Why build houses with containers?

Containers are an excellent building material for houses, as they are designed to withstand heavy internal and external loads under the most adverse conditions that a house would ever have to endure. In addition, the container structure is stronger than a traditional wood frame and it is fire, mold and insect resistant. Taking advantage of these qualities, we have created homes that are comfortable, environmentally friendly, and inexpensive compared to traditional construction.
Obviously, containers were not created to be used as homes, but through some creative design we have found practical solutions to all the limitations.

What are the most valued features in our homes?

  • Resistance to hurricanes: the solid steel frame structure, when fixed to the ground with concrete foundations, can resist winds of up to 170 mph.
  • Resistance to earthquakes: being a steel structure designed to withstand forces from all directions, it is extremely unlikely that it will collapse during an earthquake.
  • Resistance to tornadoes: properly anchored, reinforced, and built with a solid foundation, a container house can best respond to the effects of tornadoes.
  • Resistance to severe weather: prepared to withstand long trips overseas, container houses are very resilient to inclement weather and can be located anywhere on the planet.
  • Constructed in accordance with the rules of the IBC: during the design phase and construction phase we have followed all guidelines from the US Residential Building Code.
  • Comfortable: the house design, when partially modified from the original container width of 8 feet to 11 feet, can accommodate similar living spaces to those of a standard house.
  • Insulation and interior trim: a lined interior with wood framing provides the same insulation and interior look that you would find in a traditional house.
  • Easily transported: our houses are built in a factory and transported fully assembled to the site of final installation.
  • Adaptable to uneven terrain: the design, including supporting stilts that can be adjusted independently, provides flexibility for installations on uneven terrain.
  • Easily installed: supported by stilts, the house needs foundation only where these stilts are placed, therefore avoiding costly foundation walls around its perimeter.

Comfort and design features:

  • The functionality of the floor plans, which eliminates unnecessary spaces, is a fundamental design decision when it comes to houses with limited square footage.
  • The porch, many times overlooked because of cost reasons, creates a seamless connection between the inside and the outside living spaces.
  • The heating and air-conditioning equipment, which are both available in all units, provide a better in-home experience.

Containers come mostly in 2 sizes (20′ and 40′) and can be combined in many configurations to generate many different floor plans. Further down you can see some of those models.

MODELS

  • All
  • Houses
  • Shelters
HS01E01 House Sparrow 208

HS01E01 House Sparrow 208

    The House Sparrow 208 is a unit made with one 20 FT High Cube container and one . It's one of our smallest houses with 208 SqFt. It can be configured as a house (t...
Detail
HS10E00 House Sparrow 320

HS10E00 House Sparrow 320

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Detail
HS20E00 – House Owl 640 – 2 Bedrooms

HS20E00 – House Owl 640 – 2 Bedrooms

      House Owl 640 is a unit made with two 40 FT High Cube containers. It's one of our most popular models and the house comes in a two and a three bedroom ve...
Detail
HS20E00 – House Owl 640 – 3 Bedrooms

HS20E00 – House Owl 640 – 3 Bedrooms

      House Owl 640 is a unit made with two 40 FT High Cube containers. It's one of our most popular models and the house comes in a two and a three bedroom versi...
Detail
HS02E02 House Owl 416

HS02E02 House Owl 416

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Detail
HS03E03 House Eagle 624

HS03E03 House Eagle 624

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HS30E00 House Eagle 960

HS30E00 House Eagle 960

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HS42E00 – House Albatross 1760

HS42E00 – House Albatross 1760

HS42E00 – House Albatross 1760   House Albatross 17600 is a unit made with four 40 FT High Cube containers, four 20 FT High Cube containers, and 160 SF of stick built
Detail
SH02E02 Shelter Owl 416

SH02E02 Shelter Owl 416

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Detail
SH20E00 Shelter Owl 640

SH20E00 Shelter Owl 640

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Detail

Interiors

How we work

Design
During the design phase we discuss your housing requirements and either configure one of our standard models or create a concept house that will address those requirements. Estimated cost is one of the deliverables of this phase.
Planning
In this phase we will provide you with an estimate of the time to completion for the unit defined in the first phase. We create a project plan and secure the materials and resources that will be required for the project.
Construction
There are several steps involved in the construction of a container house. First step is the 'metal work' (openings and 'bump-outs'), then the framing, plumbing, electricity, and finishing details.
Quality Control
When the construction is finished, we check to make sure that everything is working properly and according to the specifications, and that the unit is ready to pass the inspections required by the local government.
Delivery
The house is now ready to be transported to your designated site. Even though this is your responsibility, we can help you decide on a suitable company, and we will arrange all the pick up details with them.
Installation
Congratulations! Your house has now arrived, and it has to be installed following our check list. We will take care of connecting the modules and finishing the interior, but you will need to hire a local company to hook-up the house to the services.
How much does a container house cost?
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You can spend from as little as $8,000 for a DIY project to hundreds of thousands of dollars for a custom design home with multiple containers. Typically a small single 20' container house will cost between $40,000 and $50,000 depending on the appliances and options, and a 2 x 40' container house between $110,000 and $130,000.
Are there any other costs associated with buying a container house?
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Yes, aside from the plot to install the house, you may incur in the following costs:

. Build a foundation for the house.

. Hook-up services like electricity, natural gas (if applicable), water supply and sewer.

. Local permits, if applicable. This will usually depend on your county or township.

Can I build a container house myself?
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You certainly can, and the total cost will depend on how much work you are willing to put yourself. But do your due diligence, there are a few things you need to be aware of before you start the construction:

1. Find out the kind of local permits you need.

2. Make sure the container you use is approved for construction (not all of them are).

3. Involve a structural engineer if you plan to change the structure of the container (and you will as soon as you cut any opening on the container!)

4. Make sure you comply with all RBC (Residential Building Code) regulations, including the state amendments.

A standard shipping container is 8.5ft high, what's the height of the ceiling inside the container house?
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Normally the roof insulation and drywall will take about a foot of space, so you end up with a 7.5ft ceiling which is lower than the standard 8ft ceiling. That's the reason we use HC (High Cube) containers for our houses. High Cube containers are 9.5ft high, so you end up with 8 ft ceilings, or we can pack extra insulation in case the house is installed in climate zones 6, 7 or 8.
A standard shipping container is 8' wide, what's the width inside the container house?
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Insulation may take 1 foot or more, depending on the climate zone, so you may end up with a room of less than 7 feet, which is not compliant with the IRC (International Residential Code). Our addition of a 'bump-out' measuring 16ft x 3ft on one of the sides of the container results on a 10ft wide (measured on the inside) room, even on a single container house.
How is cell phone reception inside a container home?
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Every construction material, even a shingle roof or a stucco wall, will degrade the cell phone signal inside a house, but steel will degrade it slightly more than other materials. However, cellular signal comes normally through the walls, and there are enough glassed areas so impact on reception should be minimal. Also new phones are less prone to be affected in enclosed spaces because they have higher gain antennae, so it all boils down to how strong the signal already is in that place. I haven’t noticed any difference between inside or outside the container home, but the phone may be a factor as well.

CW Dwellings LLC

  • +1(484)580-9014
  • info@cwdwellings.com
  • www.cwdwellings.com
  • 489 Pugh Rd
    Wayne, PA 19087
    USA