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The amount you’ll send on the shipping container or containers you use to build your home will depend on the size and condition of those containers. You can buy two different types of shipping containers—regular and high-cube. Regular containers are cheaper, since they’re more common than high-cube containers. They’re also easier to find. They generally come in either twenty-foot length or forty-foot length. Both of these lengths are eight feet wide and eight feet tall. So a twenty-foot regular container will provide you approximately 160 square feet in living place, and a forty-foot container will give you around 320 square feet in living space.
Like regular shipping containers, high-cube containers come in either twenty foot or forty foot lengths. The difference is that high-cube containers give you an additional foot in ceiling height. As you probably know, higher ceilings in a home give that home a much larger feeling, even without additional square footage. High-cube containers, however, are more expensive than regular containers.
Another factor in the cost of your shipping container is the age of the container. Newer containers are more expensive than older containers. Many shipping container home owners find it worth the extra expense to buy a new or newer shipping container, though, because they will last longer, be less likely to contain harmful chemicals, and may present fewer complications during construction.
So how much do all these cost? In my experience, a used 20 foot container will start at around $2,000 USD. A new 20 foot container will cost you around $3,000. A used standard 40 foot container will run about $2,850. A new standard 40 foot container will cost $5,600. For high cube containers, a used 20 foot container will start at around $2,200, and a new 20 foot container around $3,000. A used high-cube 40 foot container will be about $3,000, and a new 40 foot container approximately $6,000.
