Short answer
A container house price is built from six parts: the unit type (expandable, folding or flat pack), the size (20, 30 or 40 ft, about 35, 54 or 69 m² inside for an expandable unit), the fit-out, the exterior finish, the freight to your site and the work on site. We quote each project FOB China, with a layout drawing and a container loading plan, so you see every part before you order.
1. Unit Type Decides How Much Is Done in the Factory
The three unit types split the work differently between our factory and your site, and that is the first thing that moves the price. An expandable unit leaves the factory fitted out and folded to about 2200 mm wide, then opens on site in about 2 hours. A folding unit (5900 × 2450 × 2500 mm, 50 mm walls) travels as one folded piece and stands in about 3 minutes. A flat pack unit (5975 × 2435 × 2810 mm) ships as frame and panels and is assembled by 4 workers in about 3 hours.
More factory work means a higher unit price but less site labour; flatter packing means lower freight per unit but more assembly.
| Unit type | Size | How it ships | Set-up on site | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expandable | 20, 30 or 40 ft; about 35 to 69 m² inside | Folded, about 2200 mm wide | about 2 hours | Homes, rentals, staff housing |
| Folding | 5900 × 2450 × 2500 mm | One folded piece | about 3 minutes | Site offices, dormitories, fast camps |
| Flat pack | 5975 × 2435 × 2810 mm | Frame and panels | about 3 hours, 4 workers | Large camps, multi-unit blocks |
Our catalogue figures. The exact model is confirmed on your quote drawing.
2. Size and Floor Plan
For expandable units, the price follows the size and the number of rooms. All three sizes have 2240 mm of inside height and a 6140 mm inside width once opened; only the length changes. Each size comes in one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts, 9 standard floor plans in all, and every plan has a kitchen and a bathroom.
| Size | Inside area | Opened outside size | Weight | Layouts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 ft | about 35 m² | 6300 × 5900 × 2480 mm | about 2,500 kg | 1, 2 or 3 bedrooms |
| 30 ft | about 54 m² | 6300 × 9000 × 2480 mm | about 4,000 kg | 1, 2 or 3 bedrooms |
| 40 ft | about 69 m² | 6300 × 11800 × 2480 mm | about 6,000 kg | 1, 2 or 3 bedrooms |
Model 700 is a 20 ft expandable unit that folds to only 700 mm wide for loading and opens to 5900 × 4800 × 2480 mm. It suits buyers who want more units in each container.
3. Fit-Out, From Office Shell to Full Home
The same frame can be a plain office or a full home, and the fit-out is often the biggest swing in the unit price. Each wet room adds plumbing and fittings, so a 20 ft unit with a kitchen and bathroom costs more than a 20 ft office of the same size.
Our expandable units are built with a galvanized steel strip frame, rockwool sandwich panel walls, a calcium silicate board floor, a steel door and UPVC windows. Flat pack units use EPS or rockwool sandwich panels.
- Office or dormitory: open room, lighting, sockets, windows and door
- Home: bedrooms, living room, kitchen and bathroom fitted in the factory
- Camp support units: toilet, shower and guard house units quoted on the same order
4. Exterior Finish
There are 8 standard colours. Wood grain, stone grain and metallic paint panels, balconies and canopies are options, each priced as its own line on the quote, so you can see what the finish adds before you decide.
5. Quantity and Mixed Orders
Standard sizes can be mixed in one order, for example 20 ft and 40 ft expandable units with folding offices and a toilet unit. The number and mix of units decides how each container or truck is filled, which is why every quote comes with a loading plan that shows where each unit goes.
6. Freight and Import
Freight depends mostly on how many units share the space: a 17.5 m truck carries 17 folding units against 9 flat pack units. What decides the freight bill, and what you pay at your destination port, is answered in full on our shipping cost page. Container houses are classed under HS heading 9406, and your customs broker confirms the duty for your country.
7. Work on Site
Plan for a level, firm and drained base, a crane or forklift to unload, a small crew and the utility connections. Flat pack units need no hardened foundation; for a 20 ft expandable unit, plan a level area of about 6300 × 5900 mm.
- Folding unit: about 3 minutes to stand, then connect power
- Expandable unit: about 2 hours to open and fix
- Flat pack unit: about 3 hours with a crew of four workers
Folding and flat pack units can be taken down and set up again more than ten times, so a contractor can spread the cost over several projects.
8. Permits and Local Rules
Check with your local building authority before you order, especially for a permanent home or a rental. Some countries ask for local residential certification that an imported unit may not hold. Our layout drawing gives the sizes and rooms to take to that meeting, for example a 20 ft expandable home at 6300 × 5900 mm opened with 2240 mm inside height.
9. How Our Quote Is Built
We are the factory, with production bases in Shandong and Guangdong. Contractors use our quotes for worker camps and site offices, dealers for porta cabin stock to resell, and individuals and small developers for prefab homes and rental units.
- Unit price FOB China, by unit type and size
- Fit-out and exterior options as separate lines
- Layout drawing for your site
- Container loading plan for the whole order
- Reply within one working day
Send us your site size, unit count and nearest port, and we reply with all three. A video factory tour or a factory visit is welcome before you order.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you publish container house prices?
No. Size, fit-out, quantity and destination change the price, so we quote per project and reply within one working day.
Is a container house cheaper than a regular house?
It depends on your local building costs, freight and site work. Our answer page on whether a container home is cheaper walks through the comparison item by item.
What do you need from me for a quote?
The unit type or use, the number of units, the layout or number of rooms, and your nearest port. If you are not sure of the type, send the site size and we suggest one on the layout drawing.
Can I order different sizes together?
Yes. Standard 20, 30 and 40 ft sizes and other standard units can be mixed in one order and planned on one loading plan.
Why Buyers Choose Cabinrise
We are a container house manufacturer with production bases in Shandong and Guangdong, China. Expandable, folding and flat pack houses, offices, guard houses and toilet units all come from our factories - so a whole camp, office block or home can be one order, drawn on one layout and shipped to your port. Every quote comes with a layout drawing and loading plan, standard sizes can be mixed in one order, and you are welcome to visit the factory or tour it by video first.
- Factory-direct from Shandong and Guangdong
- Layout drawing and loading plan with every quote
- Mixed sizes in one order
- Factory visits and video tours welcome
- Written and video installation guides