Short answer
Choose expandable when you want one large fitted room from each unit: 20, 30 or 40 ft, about 35 to 69 m² inside, opened on site in about two hours. Choose folding for the fastest set-up and the most units per load: about 3 minutes per unit and 17 units on a 17.5 m truck. Choose flat pack for large camps and multi-storey blocks: 5975 × 2435 × 2810 mm units that four workers assemble in about three hours each.
The Three Types Side by Side
| Expandable | Folding | Flat pack | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard outside size | 20 ft opened: 6300 × 5900 × 2480 mm | 5900 × 2450 × 2500 mm | 5975 × 2435 × 2810 mm |
| Space from one unit | about 35, 54 or 69 m² inside (20, 30, 40 ft) | one room, about 14.5 m² footprint | one room; units join into larger rooms |
| How it ships | folded as one unit, about 2200 mm wide | folded flat as one piece | steel frame and wall panels, packed flat |
| Units per 17.5 m truck | confirmed on the loading plan | 17 | 9 |
| Set-up on site | about 2 hours per unit | about 3 minutes per unit, two workers | about 3 hours per unit, four workers |
| Fit-out | done in the factory | done in the factory | parts supplied, assembled on site |
| Reuse | folds back for moving | folded and reused more than 10 times | taken down and rebuilt more than 10 times |
| Stacking | confirmed per project | confirmed per project | built to stack into multi-storey blocks |
| Best for | homes, guest houses, offices | site cabins, guard rooms, temporary rooms | worker camps, office blocks, classrooms |
Sizes, times and truck loads from our catalogues. Final sizes and container loading are confirmed on your quote drawing.
Five Questions That Decide the Type
1. How much room do you need from each unit? An expandable unit opens from about 2200 mm wide to 6300 mm, so one 20 ft unit gives about 35 m² inside and a 40 ft unit about 69 m². Folding and flat pack units each give one room of roughly 5.9 × 2.4 m; you get larger rooms by joining flat pack units side by side.
2. How many units, and how far do they travel? Freight per unit drives the budget on a large order. A 17.5 m truck carries 17 folding units against 9 flat pack units. Each expandable unit ships as its own folded unit, so fewer travel per load; we work out the count on your loading plan.
3. How much time and crew do you have on site? A folding unit stands in about 3 minutes. An expandable unit opens in about two hours. A flat pack unit takes a crew of four about three hours. We supply a written and video guide for each type.
4. Will you stack or join units? Flat pack units are the standard choice for multi-storey dormitory, office and classroom blocks. For expandable and folding units, stacking is confirmed per project on the drawing.
5. Will you move the units again? Folding and flat pack units can be taken down and rebuilt more than ten times; an expandable unit folds back for transport.
Expandable: One Large Fitted Room per Unit
Expandable units come in 20, 30 and 40 ft, with nine standard floor plans from one to three bedrooms, each with a kitchen and bathroom. Wiring, lighting and an air conditioner position are fitted in the factory; rooms are 2240 mm high inside. For bedroom counts and insulation, see the two answers linked below.
Model 700 is the space-saving version: a 20 ft unit that folds to 700 mm wide for loading and opens to 5900 × 4800 × 2480 mm.
Limits: each unit weighs about 2,500 kg (20 ft) to about 6,000 kg (40 ft) and ships whole, so plan site access for delivery and lifting. We confirm both on your drawing.
Folding: The Fastest Unit to Stand
A folding unit is 5900 × 2450 × 2500 mm outside, with 50 mm rockwool sandwich panel walls, a galvanized steel strip frame, calcium silicate board floor, steel door and UPVC windows. It ships folded as one piece and two workers set it up in about 3 minutes.
Limits: each unit is one room, so it suits offices, guard rooms, dormitory rooms and small guest units rather than family homes.
Flat Pack: Built for Camps and Blocks
A flat pack unit is a 5975 × 2435 × 2810 mm steel frame with EPS or rockwool sandwich panel walls. Units bolt together side by side, end to end and on top of each other, which makes them the base of most worker camps, site office blocks and modular classrooms. How many levels a block can have depends on the structural design for your site; see our answer on how many container houses can be stacked.
Limits: assembly takes a crew of four about three hours per unit, so a large camp needs a planned crew and schedule.
Which Buyers Choose Which Type
- Contractors building worker camps and site offices: flat pack for dormitory and office blocks, folding units for gate cabins and short jobs
- Dealers and porta cabin resellers: folding units for stock that sets up in about 3 minutes, plus flat pack for larger orders
- Individuals and small developers buying prefab homes and rental units: expandable units with one to three bedrooms in 20, 30 or 40 ft
Mixing Types in One Order
Many projects mix types: flat pack dormitories, a folding gate cabin and an expandable unit for the site manager. Standard sizes can be mixed in one order, on one layout and one loading plan.
We are the factory, with production bases in Shandong and Guangdong. Send us your site size, number of rooms and destination port, and we send a layout drawing and a container loading plan with the FOB China quote within one working day. You are welcome to visit the factory or tour it by video first.
One honest limit for all three types: if the building will be a permanent home or an occupied multi-storey block, check permit and building rules with your local building authority before you order, and send us any requirement so we can confirm it on the drawing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which container house type fits the most units on a truck?
Folding. A 17.5 m truck carries 17 folding units against 9 flat pack units. Expandable units ship one folded unit at a time; we confirm the count for your order on the loading plan.
Which type is quickest to set up?
Folding, at about 3 minutes per unit. An expandable unit takes about two hours, and a flat pack unit about three hours for a crew of four.
Can I use expandable units for a worker camp?
Yes for small camps that need finished rooms fast. For large camps and multi-storey dormitory blocks, flat pack units are the usual choice because they join and stack.
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