There’s a growing trend on the internet with posts showcasing custom-built shipping Container Houses

There’s a growing trend on the internet with posts showcasing custom-built shipping Container Houses Construction Solutions. You’ve no doubt seen the headline: “A shipping container costs $2,000 – what these people did with them is beyond epic!” or something like that. These posts go on to feature pictures of amazing homes built from containers. Truly, they are amazing. And we applaud them. But the thing is that even though a used container might cost $2,000 – there are certain things that have to happen to make the container inhabitable which affect price.

Here at Boxman Studios we’ve spent the last five years honing the art of creating amazing container structures for brands that are as safe as they are cool. Here are four things to consider before you go out and buy a shipping container to build your next house.

We’ve had the privilege of doing some amazing work for global clients. And sure, while some of our ideas start off on the back of a napkin, all of our concepts are put through some serious tests before ever seeing the light of day. Our team approach to design means that we look at each project from a range of disciplines. Traffic flow, electrical needs, and structural reinforcement are just a few of the variables we take into consideration before our design team gets to work on on creating the coolest (and safest) shipping container structures possible.Click here to download our Design ebook.

Did you know that the second a welding torch comes into contact with a shipping container, the integrity of the original intention of the container changes? And here’s the thing – the original intention of a shipping container was never to house humans, but rather boxes of sneakers and other items for transport across oceans. Yes, shipping containers are tough. Yes, they’re durable. And yes, they can be ‘stacked.’ But they were never intended for human inhabitation. Not in a house. And not in a one-off brand immersion experience. That’s why we design and build our creations to the highest building code in the US, and all of our projects are “wet” stamped by engineers before any human enters them.

As with most things, there’s a right way and a wrong way to do things. And too often, the right way costs more than the wrong way. Can you buy a $2,000 used shipping container and cut it up with a blowtorch? Absolutely. However, if you intend to spend any time in the structure we recommend doing things right. Which means doing things safely. Here at Boxman Studios we have not only developed best practices based on proprietary techniques, but our professional fabricators are skilled in crafting shipping container structures that are structurally sound and as safe as possible for human beings. Click here to download our Develop ebook.

So you’ve built your container home and you’re ready to move in. But wait – have you built it to code? Did you pull the proper permits? Did you utilize proven fabrication techniques? Did you check with your insurance company to ensure that it’s even insurable? These are all important questions to ask before you get too far down the road when it comes to your container dream home.

Do you think that all of the cool shipping container houses you see on the internet have gone through these rigors? Maybe. But probably not.

We admit it – the shipping container Sentry Box you see on the internet these days are pretty fantastic. We love that containers are being used for so many different things. We just encourage that when you do build your container home, you do it right.