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Example plans · 2 plans

Shipping container home plans

A shipping container home is built from one or more steel containers; a 40-foot container is about 7 feet 8 inches wide inside, so rooms are long and narrow. We measure the inside after insulation, which is the space you live in, and the outside size as well. See the shipping container home plans below, drawn to scale and measured room by room.

Plans
2
drawn to scale
Sizes
640 to 960 sq ft
finished area, ANSI Z765
See the plans Open the first plan in the editor

· How we calculate · Example plans, not real addresses

40′16′BEDROOM 1128.4 sq ftBATH36.2 ft²KITCHEN132.2 sq ftLIVINGROOM102.2 ft²BEDROOM 2128.4 sq ftHALL38.8 ft²
2 bed home from two 40 ft containers

The plans

Shipping container home plans, 2 examples

Each plan is drawn to scale and measured room by room. Open one in the editor and change it to fit your lot.

2 bed home from two 40 ft containers

Two containers side by side with the wall between them taken out: a bedroom at each end and the kitchen and living room in the middle.

Finished area
640 sq ft
59 m² · ANSI Z765
Not counted
Nothing
all of it is finished space
Layout
2 bed, 1 bath
one floor
Open in the editor Download the plan file

Opens as your own plan with the same numbers. Save the drawing (PNG)

2 bed home from two 40 ft containers floor plan: 640 sq ft (59 m²) finished, 2 bed, 1 bath · one floor, drawn to scale with every room labeled.
40′ × 16′ outsideExample floor plan, not a construction drawing

Rooms · 2 bed home from two 40 ft containers

Room areas, 2 bed home from two 40 ft containers
RoomFloorSq ftCounts as
Bedroom 1Floor 1128Finished, counts
BathFloor 136Finished, counts
HallFloor 139Finished, counts
KitchenFloor 1132Finished, counts
Living roomFloor 1102Finished, counts
Bedroom 2Floor 1128Finished, counts
Finished area, ANSI Z765640outside the walls

3 bed home from three 40 ft containers

The bedrooms and baths line up in one container; the other two make a wide living room, kitchen and primary bedroom.

Finished area
960 sq ft
89 m² · ANSI Z765
Not counted
Nothing
all of it is finished space
Layout
3 bed, 2 bath
one floor
Open in the editor Download the plan file

Opens as your own plan with the same numbers. Save the drawing (PNG)

3 bed home from three 40 ft containers floor plan: 960 sq ft (89 m²) finished, 3 bed, 2 bath · one floor, drawn to scale with every room labeled.
40′ × 24′ outsideExample floor plan, not a construction drawing

Rooms · 3 bed home from three 40 ft containers

Room areas, 3 bed home from three 40 ft containers
RoomFloorSq ftCounts as
Bedroom 2Floor 177Finished, counts
BathFloor 141Finished, counts
Bedroom 3Floor 178Finished, counts
Walk-in closetFloor 134Finished, counts
Primary bathFloor 144Finished, counts
Living roomFloor 1256Finished, counts
Kitchen and diningFloor 1166Finished, counts
Primary bedroomFloor 1169Finished, counts
Finished area, ANSI Z765960outside the walls

What counts

What counts in the square footage

Two containers of 40 × 8 ft make 640 sq ft measured outside; inside, after 6 inches of insulated wall, the rooms add up to 565 sq ft. Both numbers are on this page.

Each room is measured inside its walls. The finished area of a house is measured to the outside of the exterior walls (ANSI Z765), so it is larger than the rooms added up.

More plans

Related plans and sizes

Questions

Shipping container home plans: questions

About these container home plans. Can’t find your answer? Send us a message.

Can you provide some plans for a 20-foot shipping container home?

A 20 ft container is about 160 sq ft outside, enough for a studio with a small bathroom. Open the two-container plan here and shorten it to 20 ft to see what fits.

What are the downsides of a shipping container house?

The rooms are narrow (about 7 ft 8 in inside one container), the walls need insulation that takes up space, and cutting large openings needs extra steel. Check local building rules too.

Can I use these container home plans without paying?

Opening and changing a plan is free; exporting it as a PDF, DXF or FML file costs $5 per home.

Can I change these plans?

Yes. Click Open in the editor under a plan and it opens as your own plan in the Squaremetry editor, with the same numbers as on this page. Move a wall and every area and the total update.

Is this a construction drawing?

No. This is an example floor plan, not a construction drawing. The Squaremetry team drew it for this page; it has no address. For a permit you need drawings from a qualified designer.

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