As housing costs rise and sustainable construction gains momentum, 2-story container homes are becoming a smart alternative for builders and designers. By stacking shipping containers, you can create modern, space-efficient homes without the high costs of traditional construction.
In this guide for home builders, contractors, and designers, we’ll explore exactly what you need to know to get started with stacked container home designs.
Why trust us? Here at Cedreo, we’ve got 20+ years of experience working with housing pros in the home design space. So we know what it takes for home builders, contractors, and designers to create stacked shipping container homes that land them more jobs!
Two-story container homes offer several advantages for both builders and homeowners from maximizing land use, reducing costs, and promoting sustainable construction.
One of the biggest advantages of stacked container homes is their ability to make the most of small lots. Instead of expanding outward, stacking containers lets you add square footage without increasing the overall footprint. This is especially useful when the house is built in urban or high-demand areas where land costs are high.
Compared to traditional homes, shipping container houses can be more affordable to build. Pre-fabricated steel containers reduce the need for expensive framing materials, and their modular nature speeds up construction. Additionally, delivery and installation of prefabricated units is usually quicker and less labor-intensive, which cuts costs even more.
Reusing shipping containers for homes helps reduce construction waste and supports eco-friendly building practices.
You can also easily incorporate green features such as:
Shipping containers are designed to withstand harsh conditions, making them naturally resistant to wind, earthquakes, and heavy loads. Their steel construction provides durability, and with proper reinforcement, they create a sturdy, long-lasting home.
So the benefits are easy to see. But how do you design a stacked container house? Check out the next section to see key design considerations.
Designing a 2-story container home requires careful planning to ensure structural stability, efficient layouts, and compliance with local regulations. Below are the most important design factors to consider when building a home out of stacked containers.
How you position shipping containers affects the home’s natural lighting, energy efficiency, and privacy.
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Proper container orientation enhances comfort, energy efficiency, and overall livability.
Shipping containers are designed to be incredibly strong, particularly at their corner castings, which are engineered to bear heavy loads. Some unmodified containers can be stacked up to 9 high when fully loaded.
However, structural modifications, such as cutting openings for doors and windows or not stacking them on their corner posts, can compromise their structural integrity.
IMPORTANT! Anytime you are stacking multiple containers or making structural modifications to containers, it is important to consult with a structural engineer or architect.
To maintain structural integrity and ensure safe stacking, here are some things you may need to do:
A well-designed shipping container home floor plan ensures a functional, comfortable living space with smooth traffic flow between rooms. Here are a few general guidelines.
*See specific layout ideas later in the article!
Staircases are a must-have in a two-story container home, but they can take up a considerable amount of space. The key is choosing the right design to keep your layout functional and open. Here are some smart ways to make the most of your space:
Different container configurations impact the size, style, and usability of a 2-story container house. Common layouts include:
PRO TIP! – Use 3D design software like Cedreo to create shipping container mockups that you can easily move around and stack in different combinations.
Before starting a 2-story shipping container home project, it’s essential to check local building codes and zoning regulations. Some areas have specific requirements for multi-story container homes, including:
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IMPORTANT! Always consult with local authorities or a structural engineer early in the process to avoid costly revisions later.
Here are five layout ideas to consider.
This layout stacks two shipping containers directly on top of each other, creating a traditional two-story home. The lower level typically houses shared spaces like the kitchen and living area, while the upper level is reserved for bedrooms and private spaces.
This two-story container home stacks a 20-foot container atop a 40-foot base to create a spacious rooftop deck. An exterior spiral staircase leads to the upper level which adds privacy to the 2nd story master bedroom while also conserving valuable floor space.
By slightly shifting the upper containers forward or backward, this design creates a built-in overhang for a covered outdoor space. The lower level benefits from shade, making it ideal for warmer climates. It can also create a space on top of the lower containers for a rooftop deck.
For a modern aesthetic, containers can be stacked perpendicular to each other, with the second story extending out on both sides. This design creates covered areas for patios or carports while allowing for creative interior layouts.
This modern U-shaped container home features two parallel ground-floor containers with a spacious open area in between. A perpendicular second-story container bridges the two, creating a cohesive, multi-level layout with a central courtyard feel.
Building a stacked container home comes with unique design challenges, from structural reinforcements to space optimization—but Cedreo design software makes the process easier. Whether you’re creating a classic stacked layout, an offset design with balconies, or a hybrid configuration, Cedreo provides the tools to bring your vision to life.
With Cedreo, you can:
A two-story container home is a cost-effective and sustainable way to build modern housing. With the right layout and reinforcements, designers and builders like you can create stylish, functional homes from shipping containers.
Container homes are exactly what they sound like; homes made from the steel shipping containers that you see carrying goods everywhere on trains, trucks, and ships. From these giant Lego blocks, people are building homes of all shapes and sizes.
Shipping containers are generally available in 10ft, 20ft, and 40ft. The smallest shipping container can provide about 100 square feet of floor space for a shipping container home. Eight larger containers together can make a two-story house at about square feet. Hundreds of container micro-apartments together can make a huge apartment building.
Why are shipping containers being used to make homes, studios, cabins, and offices? Well, with about 14 million ‘out-of-service’ containers in the world, there are lots of them available. And playing with giant blocks has a definite appeal!
Besides trendiness, interest in container homes is also part of a wider interest in saving money with prefabricated and modular homes. Many potential homeowners are looking for lower construction and maintenance costs. There is also a perception that container homes are contributing to recycling.
Could a container home be a good choice for you? Here are some pros and cons to consider.
Many shipping container homes are available as prefabricated modular homes, making construction time shorter. Some companies advertise delivery within 10 weeks! Most of the building code inspections are done at the factory, which makes things simpler and quicker. Or if you are designing a custom home or building a do-it-yourself project, the container gives you a fun prebuilt structure to work with.
A worldwide system exists for moving containers around. Once they reach your site, they are relatively simple to set in place on a prepared foundation.
Most of the work is completed on a factory floor for a fixed price. Delivery to the site, site preparation, foundation, assembly and utility connections are the only variable costs. That said, container homes are not always less expensive. Estimates vary, and some put the savings at 5-10%, depending on what you’re comparing against.
The environmental appeal of a container home is the idea that you are re-using a leftover product of the shipping industry to make a home. This can be a good thing, but as we will see, it’s not always true or the best thing.
Some of the advantages, like short construction time and predictable pricing, are the same for all prefabricated and modular homes, not just those made with shipping containers. But container homes benefit uniquely from the worldwide infrastructure built to move shipping containers. Even container home skeptics admit they can be useful where local building expertise is lacking or for emergency shelters that can be moved easily. In these scenarios, the versatility of container transport is a huge advantage.
Container homes are often marketed as being environmentally friendly because they are said to be made from used containers, thus conserving metal resources. There are lots of old shipping containers out there, no longer in circulation, and repurposing them into homes has a strong appeal. But is a container home really the best use of a container, from a sustainability perspective? Many would disagree.
Most factory-built container homes are built from ‘one-use’ containers that have only had a single trip. These containers tend to be in good shape, without dents or rust, so they are nice for building with, instead of containers that have gone ‘out-of-service’ and may be damaged from years of use. Taking a box with lots of shipping life out of service after a single use isn’t effective recycling. And there is way more steel in a container than you need to build a house - if recycled as steel, it could make enough steel studs for 14 framed houses the same size.
A shipping container is very strong at the corners, but the roof is not that strong, so typically you need to build another roof over it, especially where there will be snow. Also, the corrugated steel walls are essential to the strength of the structure. This means anywhere you cut out a large window, or door opening requires new reinforcement. And when they are stacked together to make larger homes, welded (expensive) reinforcement is needed wherever two containers join at a spot that is not a corner. Any later renovations require significant engineering and welding.
Suburban and rural areas tend to be more open to shipping container homes; however, some states are visibly more open to alternative living. Texas, California, Tennessee, Louisiana, Missouri, Oregon, and Alaska are among the more progressive states that have, to some level, opened their doors to shipping container homes. Texas already plays host to many container homes. Even though California is known for its red tape, it has been open to container homes and hybrid container homes. Louisana and Tennessee experience some of the most lenient and forward-thinking zoning regulations in the United States. As alternative living options continue to grow, it's only a matter of time before more states in the country begin to allow shipping container homes in designated areas.
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