Are you looking for a sturdy home that is much faster to build, quite affordable, and with various modular options?
If the answer is yes, then a shipping container home is the ideal solution for you, especially in a state like New Jersey where construction costs are remarkably high!
Building shipping container homes in NJ can be a little tricky, but this guide should put you on the right track with information on shipping container house costs, the best builders that operate in the state as well as great homes that you can buy there!
How Much Do Shipping Container Homes in New Jersey Cost?
The cost of building Jersey container homes can vary significantly depending on whether you build it on your own or you buy a pre-built container home.
For instance, if you plan on going the DIY route and building the container home on your own, you can expect to pay around $130 to $175 per square foot.
On the other hand, if you’re buying a pre-built container home, it’ll cost you a little more, which is around $250 to $300 per sq ft.
Of course, going for a pre-built shipping container house comes with the additional benefit of getting the house built faster and saving you the hassle of designing and building the container home yourself, as well as any unexpected labor costs that you didn’t plan.
With that being said, both options are still more cost effective than building a regular house in New Jersey, which can cost up to $500 per sq ft.
4 Shipping Container Homes for Sale in New Jersey
To give you a better insight into the average cost of New Jersey container homes, here’s a quick look at some container homes and projects that you can buy immediately from the state’s best providers:
1. Seto 1960
- Price: Starting from $392,000
- Number of containers used: unspecified
- Container sizes: 40 ft long x 8 ft wide x 8 ft 6 in high
- Interior Size: 1,960 sq ft.
- Number of bedrooms: 3
- Number of bathrooms: 2.5
- Standout Features: combines kitchen with living room for a large interior
- Manufacturer: Logical Homes
If you’re looking for extra space for a larger family, you should go for the Seto 1960. Using multiple containers, this container home combines the kitchen and dining room along with the family room to create a large room in the center of the house.
The shipping container house sits on a 48 ft wide lot and features a single floor, but you can upgrade to the Seto 3580 if you want to increase the livable space by having a second floor.
2. Elbar Estate
- Price: $165,000
- Number of containers used: unspecified
- Container sizes: Standard
- Interior Size: 960 sq ft
- Number of bedrooms: 3
- Number of bathrooms: 2
- Standout Features: Comes with various appliances
- Manufacturer: Elbar Tiny Living
Elbar Tiny Living is based in Connecticut but they ship their shipping container homes all over the world! This house is ideal if you want a sturdy house that is made from 100% corten steel shipping containers along with excellent insulation (R-21 in the walls and R-35 in the ceilings) and protection from the elements.
The house comes ready with sliding doors and windows as well as custom made cabinetry and even a small outdoor deck.
The Elbar Estate also features premium interior wiring, laminate flooring, and CustomCraft laminate countertops.
Moreover, the house also features a variety of appliances, including air conditioning, kitchen devices, bathroom and bedroom fixtures, etc.
3. Family Matters
- Price: $180,900
- Number of containers used: 4
- Container sizes: 2 x 20 feet containers combined with 2 x 40 feet containers
- Interior Size: 960 sq ft
- Number of bedrooms: 2
- Number of bathrooms: 2
- Standout Features: Offers a variety of interior and exterior upgrades
- Manufacturer: Custom Container Living
Built from four shipping containers, the Family Matters shipping container home design is one of the largest layouts offered by Custom Container Living. The house is ideal for anyone looking for an aesthetically pleasing design and ample living space.
You can also get a variety of upgrades to maximize space efficiency and give the home a premium feel. Of course, these extra features will come at an additional cost from the core package.
What I love about this container home design is the walk-in closet and the walk-in rain shower, which you wouldn’t expect from a 960 square foot home.
The flooring also adds a nice touch, as it’s sheet vinyl, but looks just like wood flooring.
Overall, the Family Matters shipping container home gives you a premium interior feel without breaking the bank, making it an ideal NJ container home for under $200k.
4. K640 Shipping Container Home
- Price: starting from $195,000
- Number of containers used: 2
- Container sizes: 2 x 40 feet containers
- Interior Size: 640 sq ft
- Number of bedrooms: 2
- Number of bathrooms: 2
- Standout Features: Excellent choice for budget buyers
- Manufacturer: Kubed Living
Built using two high-cube shipping containers, if you’re looking for a 2 bedroom/2 bathroom container house that won’t break the bank, you should consider the K640 by Kubed Living.
In addition to the basic 640 sq ft plan, you can increase the size of some rooms while maintaining the same design, which nets you around 800 to 960 square feet in total, with only a slight price increase.
What I like about this Kubed Living container home is that prefabricated does not mean cookie-cutter. You’re able to fully customize the interior of the home, including the flooring, windows, lighting, cabinetry, and more.
So, if you want a shipping container home that you can really make your own, the K640 is a great option.
Related: Building a container home in New Hampshire
5 Best Container Home Builders in New Jersey
1. JPW
JPW is a small container home builder that is based in New Jersey. The company specializes only in container home building and offers a wide variety of related services, including repairs, inspections, maintenance, and more.
JPW doesn’t offer particular floor plans online but they do have various commercial and residential options that you can choose from in addition to custom container homes with the help of highly experienced designers.
2. Kubed Living
Kubed Living is originally based in Los Angeles, but they ship their container houses to New Jersey.
The company is known for its budget friendly homes, despite being relatively limited in floor plan layouts when compared to other options.
However, they make up for it by giving you full control over the interior of the container home.
3. Elbar Tiny Living
Elbar Tiny Living is based in Westport, Connecticut, but they deliver to all mainland states. The company is ideal if you’re looking for a small yet highly efficient and durable container home.
In addition to using premium materials when building their shipping container homes, the company also sells its container homes fully equipped and ready to go, making them ideal if you need something constructed quickly and aren’t overly concerned with having customizations.
4. Logical Homes
Logical Homes is a large container home builder that is originally based in Austin, Texas, but the company also has offices in New York, New Jersey and California.
Logical Homes offers a huge variety of shipping container home floor plans that suit all budgets and buyers’ tastes.
If a mixed use construction style is more your speed, combining shipping containers and traditional construction, Logical Homes in New Jersey is probably your best bet.
5. Custom Container Living
Custom Container Living is based in Missouri, but they ship to all states, including New Jersey. The company has a highly energetic and skilled team of craftsmen.
Custom Container Living has a huge catalog of container home plans, ranging from studios all the way to 3 bedroom family houses and commercial designs.
If prefabricated shipping container homes is the way you want to go, you can’t go wrong with Custom Container Living, as they have the most options to choose from.
Are Container Homes Legal in New Jersey?
In order to build a container home in New Jersey, you have to gain approval from multiple authorities and not the state alone.
For example, the New Jersey government itself doesn’t have any laws that prohibit the construction of container homes in the state.
However, some state codes and local ordinances within the state may prohibit you from building a shipping container home, which varies from one location to another.
This is because some neighborhoods refuse to have shipping container homes established there believing that they may bring the resale value of properties in the region down.
Also, there might be specific codes regarding the size or the design of the house. For that reason, it’s usually best that you consult the local authorities about building container homes before attempting to build or buy one to avoid going into legal trouble.
Some also may recommend hiring a lawyer who specializes in this line of work to make things more streamlined.
Financing Your Container Home in New Jersey
Although container homes are quite affordable, you might still need some help financing your new home.
Luckily, there are some options that you can consider if you need a loan to build or buy your container home, such as:
- Asset Based Lending LLC
- Personal and Construction loans from any local bank or mortgage company, such as Fairway Mortgage Corporation
- Financing options from builder companies, such as LoanGlide.
Another option is going through the container home builders themselves. They often have financing options available, which might be the easiest route.
Conclusion
In conclusion, shipping container homes are a cost-effective and sustainable housing option for New Jersey residents.
They are also durable and can withstand extreme weather conditions. If you are considering alternative housing options, shipping container homes should definitely be on your list.
