In Scene 1 we are going go over the fundamental contemplations for buying shipping holders, clarify how we got building grants for a shipping holder house and appear how we built the concrete establishments.
Buying the land:
Buying undeveloped land differs from purchasing an existing home, as financing can be more challenging. I purchased a 10-acre plot with cash; it was listed at approximately $24,000, and I acquired it for $20,000. Before finalizing the deal, I ensured the land was close to water and electrical utilities. When I inquired if the seller had conducted a survey in the past 10 years and they responded negatively, I explained that I would be offering less than the asking price.
Survey:
I commissioned a surveying company to conduct a land survey, costing $4,000. The survey provided a detailed map of the property’s physical characteristics, legal boundaries, and history, which was crucial for determining the optimal location for the house. I aimed to position the house near the property boundaries to minimize the need for a long driveway and reduce utility connection costs.
Buying the Shipping Containers:
We purchased brand-new one-trip high-cube containers. California requires that shipping containers used for homes have documentation proving they have not stored toxic or radioactive materials. This typically means obtaining one-trip WZH containers with the appropriate certifications. I purchased my containers from WZH Container House, paying $4,800 each for the 40-foot high-cube containers and $3,250 for the 20-foot high-cube container. High-cube containers are one foot taller than standard shipping containers. If you’re interested in purchasing a shipping container, I highly recommend contacting Container Discounts. They are very knowledgeable and offer competitive prices.
How to Buy Shipping Containers for Houses
I bought two 40-foot High Cube Containers and one 20-foot high cube container from WZH Container house
Permits:
I recommend visiting the local building department in person, presenting them with the survey, and requesting a checklist of everything that needs to be completed to obtain building permits. The survey is essential as it shows the building department both the physical nature of the property and documents its legal boundaries and history. I explained that I intended to build a shipping container home and asked for a comprehensive checklist of all requirements to secure building permits. Obtaining building permits can vary slightly in each jurisdiction. My property was under San Bernardino County’s jurisdiction.
Architectural Design
I used the architecture firm I co-founded, ZeroEnergy Design, to produce the architectural drawings. Even though I am a co-owner I made sure to pay the firm for the hours of preparation that this task would take. It would be unfair to my partners if I used firm resources for my own personal project. I paid $5000 for the creation of the architectural drawings. I didn’t need a lot of detail in the drawing set since i was planning on building a lot of it myself. I just needed a construction drawing set that would get me through permitting.
Structural Engineering
I sent the architectural drawings to the structural engineering firm I hired, and they developed the structural details and performed calculations to ensure these details met all code requirements, resulting in a safe and solid building. This package of drawings and calculations was required by the building department. My design firm primarily operates on the East Coast and does not have a stamp in California, so I had the structural engineering firm stamp the drawings. The building department gave me the option of having either the design firm or the engineering firm stamp the documents.
Hiring a general contractor
Being new to the Joshua Tree area, I hired a general contractor to assist with the project and recommend local specialty tradespeople like plumbers and electricians. We agreed on a time and materials contract, where I would pay advances weekly based on what we anticipated to accomplish. He would then provide receipts showing how the advance was utilized. This is a pay-as-you-go system that’s suitable for unique projects where the owner is involved. For straightforward, conventional construction, I prefer a fixed-price contract. With a project like this, builders might tend to overbid on a fixed-price contract due to the many unpredictable elements.
Foundation design:
We decided to build a concrete slab-on-grade foundation. We considered constructing some decks that would have saved on material costs, but then the space beneath the container would have been classified as a crawl space, and the bottom of the container would need to be at least 18 inches off the ground. This would mean I would need to build stairs and railings for all the decks.
Through these steps, we have laid a solid foundation for building a shipping container home.
