Container homes & tiny houses, priced honestly
Real builds with the prices their owners actually paid. Complete shipping container dimensions. Guides that include the lines the ads skip — and delivered quotes on the box itself.
- 17 container types documented
- 37 questions answered straight
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Featured storyContainer pools: what they cost and 5 setups worth copyingThree ways in
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Container home tours, tiny house galleries and pools — every image saveable, every build priced.
Browse the ideas →PlanningRun the real numbers
The full cost guide plus a calculator that itemizes the box, conversion, site work and delivery.
Read the cost guide →BuyingPrice the box itself
20ft, 40ft, reefers and offices — delivered quotes from up to three vetted dealers in your region.
Get a delivered quote →From the journal
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Matte black exteriors are the strongest trend in container housing. Seven builds with the paint systems and heat-management details behind them.
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9 ways to turn a 20ft container into a cabin you'd actually live in
Small box, real home: 20-foot container cabin layouts with the glazing, insulation and layout moves that make 160 sq ft feel livable.
Read the story →What a container home really costs in 2026
The whole invoice, line by line — including foundation, delivery, utilities and permits.
Read the guide →37 questions, answered →The 2026 price sheet →Shipping container dimensions, all of them
Standard containers are 8ft wide and 8'6" tall in 20ft and 40ft lengths; high cubes add a foot of height. Exact external and internal dimensions, weights and capacities for every type — free to cite, in feet and meters.
20ft Standard
- External
- 20' 0" × 8' 0" × 8' 6"
- Capacity
- 1,172 cu ft
- Used price
- $1,500–3,000
40ft Standard
- External
- 40' 0" × 8' 0" × 8' 6"
- Capacity
- 2,390 cu ft
- Used price
- $2,000–4,500
40ft High Cube
- External
- 40' 0" × 8' 0" × 9' 6"
- Capacity
- 2,694 cu ft
- Used price
- $2,500–5,000
20ft Refrigerated
- External
- 20' 0" × 8' 0" × 8' 6"
- Capacity
- 1,000 cu ft
- Used price
- $4,500–9,000
Where the money actually goes
Every “container homes from $30k!” ad hides the same four line items. Here is the whole budget of a turnkey 40ft one-bedroom — and a calculator that recomputes it for your build.
- The box (one-trip 40ft HC)$4,000–7,000 · ~7%
- Conversion & interior$38,500–64,000 · ~70%
- Site & utilities$8,000–22,000 · ~20%
- Delivery & crane$800–3,000 · ~3%
Run your own numbers
Pick containers, finish level and site type — the same bar recalculates live.
Open the calculator →How delivered quotes work
- 1
Tell us what and where
Type, size, new or used, your ZIP and timeline — one minute, no account.
- 2
We match vetted dealers
At most three dealers who actually deliver to your area. Never a list-broker blast.
- 3
Compare delivered prices
Real totals including delivery — the 15–40% the yard price hides. Reply by email unless you ask for calls.
Asked constantly, answered straight
Every answer leads with the number, not the sales pitch.
All 37 answersHow much does a shipping container cost?
In the US in 2026: used 20ft $1,500–3,000; used 40ft $2,000–4,500; new (one-trip) 20ft $2,500–5,500; new 40ft HC $4,000–7,000. Delivery adds 15–40%. Working 40ft reefers run $8,000–12,600 used.
How much does a container home really cost?
All-in US figures: a DIY-heavy 20ft cabin $15,000–48,000; a turnkey 40ft one-bedroom $70,000–110,000; multi-container customs $150,000–300,000+. The four lines the '$30k home!' ads skip: foundation, delivery, utility hookups, and permits.
What are the standard shipping container sizes?
The two worldwide standards are 20ft (20' × 8' × 8'6") and 40ft (40' × 8' × 8'6"), plus the 40ft high cube at 9'6" tall. Around them sit 10ft, 20ft HC, 45ft HC and — in North America only — 48ft and 53ft domestic boxes. All ISO boxes are exactly 8 feet wide.
Do you need a concrete slab for a shipping container?
No. A container needs support only at its four corner castings: concrete blocks, poured piers or railroad ties work for storage. A full slab is only worth it for permitted buildings or point-loaded multi-box stacks. What matters is level — more than 1–2 inches of twist and the doors stop closing.