Are you tired of living in traditional homes or apartments in Hawaii? Maybe you just want a breath of fresh air in a living space. Well, Hawaii container homes might just be what you need! Having your own home and living on this beautiful island is a perfect recipe for a good life.
So if you want to build a unique and cost-efficient home in this tropical paradise, you’ve come to the right place! We’ll discuss the cost, benefits, and legality of owning a container home in Hawaii.
We’ll also provide financing options and a list of container home builders. So whether you’re just starting your research or are ready to take the plunge, this guide has everything you need!
How much do container homes in Hawaii cost?
In a survey by Statistica, Hawaii was the most costly state in terms of rent in 2022, requiring renters to work nearly four full-time jobs just to afford living in a two-bedroom apartment. But what if you opt for something simpler? Something tiny, yet livable and affordable. It’s possible if you know your way around container homes!
[su_panel color=”#22173D” border=”1px solid #22173D” radius=”3″ text_align=”left”]Generally, container homes in Hawaii cost approximately $250-$300 per sq ft, depending on the scope of the project and the type of materials used. But if you choose to do a DIY container home, it will be significantly cheaper than purchasing pre-built options. This can range from $130 – $175 per sq ft. Both prices are almost the same with building container homes in other states.
[/su_panel]Choosing a contractor to build a container home for you might cost a bit more. But the quality of your container home is guaranteed because professional contractors built them. If you opt for a DIY container home, you can save more money.
However, it’s important to consider that with DIY projects, you may incur additional costs such as tools, supplies, and other labor expenses that could increase the total cost significantly.
Hawaii container homes for sale you can buy right now
If you have decided to hire a container home contractor to build for you, there is a list of available tiny homes you can choose from. To give you an idea of what’s on offer, here are some of the best Hawaii container homes for sale:
The Oasis
- Price: $259,000 USD
- Container: 1 container
- Container size: Custom 8×24′
- Home size: 260 sq ft
- Bedrooms: 1 loft bedroom
- Bathrooms: 1 bathroom
- Standout feature: Glass windows, breakfast bar, and skylight above shower
- Manufacturer: Paradise Tiny Homes
This might seem pricey at first, but when you buy The Oasis, you get a modern design layout that’s fully furnished with a custom kitchen and staircase storages, furniture, flooring, insulation, and everything you could ask for!
The best part? You can enjoy breakfast outside with fresh air because it has a built-in breakfast bar. This custom home is perfect for enjoying the tropical vibes of Hawaii.
Mauna Kea
- Price: starts at $44,900
- Container: 1
- Container size: 2”x 6” tubular steel 3 axles’
- Home size: 355 sq ft
- Bedroom: 1 loft
- Bathroom: 1 with 48″ shower (60″ shower or tub shower available)
- Standout feature: Comes with a lot of add-ons options such as the mobile porch shown in picture
- Manufacturer: Tiny Pacific House
This lovely 355 square foot tiny home boasts a large kitchen with plenty of cupboards and counter space, as well as a separate living room on the main floor. Even more amazing is it can readily accommodate a dishwasher, refrigerator, and other appliances that are apartment-sized!
If you won’t be living alone or you’re the type to host overnight guests, don’t worry! This container home has spacious lofted bedrooms. That’s right! It could easily house 4 people. Pretty amazing considering its size, right?
Maui Beach Model
- Price: $103,000 (inclusive of delivery and installation)
- Number of containers used: 3
- Container sizes: 7.5 x 20 ft
- Size of the container home: 390 sq ft
- Number of bedrooms: 1
- Number of bathrooms: 1
- Standout feature: This home can be expanded. It can also come with a waste management for self sustaining sewage treatment and solar panel for added costs
- Manufacturer: Aloha Tiny Hales
If you like an expandable container home, then this Maui tiny home is totally for you. It is made from a 20-foot-long container that can be extended to create a total floor space of 390 square feet inside.
It comes with a strong steel frame all around, kitchen with stone countertop, double sink and faucet, vanity with mirror, vinyl flooring, among the many of its features. You can also include an optional solar panel system and sustainable waste management for green living.
5 best container home builders in Hawaii
If you liked the house plans you saw above, then it’s time to check the best Hawaii container homes builders. We’ve compiled a list to make it easy for you when shopping for shipping container homes for sale in Hawaii.
Paradise Tiny Homes
Location: Keaau, Hawaii
Contact number: (808) 747-6028
Email: paradisetinyhomes@gmail.com
A top shipping container home builder since 2019, this brother-sister team established Paradise Tiny Homes with the goal of building unique spaces for people who want to invest in alternative living spaces.
Their container homes are usually built-to-order accessory dwelling units. These custom units can be used for rental, guest house, vacation home, office space or even a coffee shop. Currently, they have four models of container homes ranging from $165,000 – $269,000 all furnished.
Tiny Pacific Houses
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Contact number: (808) 757-3495
Email: brandon@tinypacifichouses.com
Tiny Pacific Houses promotes Tiny Home Movement to prove that tiny houses can provide affordable housing in the island state. The company aims to challenge Hawaii’s expensive housing market and cost of living.
They have three container home models, but they also offer a variety of excellent standard amenities for their homes. They also provide a wide range of upgrade features for their customers. If you’re interested, you can browse a selection of their configurable features for their tiny homes here.
Aloha Tiny Hales
Location: Wailuku, Hawaii
Contact number: (808) 866-6968
Email: info@alohatinyhales.com
Aloha Tiny Hales offers container homes that can be used as a full-time tiny house or a guest house. All of their models are made to order, so you can get anything from a 100-sq ft studio in a single container to a 65-foot-long or 14-foot-wide tiny home on wheels.
They also promote sustainability with their additional services such as solar panel system installation and self sustaining sewage treatment. If you wish to go green with your container home, you should definitely check out this builder.
Mockingbird Tiny Homes
Location: Kealakekua, Hawaii
Contact number: (808) 339-7892
Email: info@mockingbirdtinyhomes.com
The owners of Mockingbird Tiny Homes lived in a 250-sq ft studio. This was the start of a minimalist lifestyle that inspired them to kickstart a company dedicated to building tiny homes in Hawaii.
This builder offers fully customizable tiny homes built with quality, functionality, and comfort. Their model home, known as the Palila, is named after an endemic species found only in Hawaii. If you’re interested in their container home, you can contact them to schedule a tour of their model homes!
Island Container Homes
Location: Maui, Hawaii
Contact number: (808) 757-3495
Email: islandcontainerhomes@gmail.com
This builder has served every Hawaiian island for over 3 decades now. Their team has recently centered on helping Hawaii’s housing community, building affordable homes for its residents. Currently, they have three container home models available, some of which feature an extended patio, electric water heater, marble kitchen, and more.
[su_panel color=”#48A9A6″ border=”1px solid #48A9A6″ radius=”3″ text_align=”center”]Related:
- Container homes for sale in Arizona
- California container homes – complete guide
- Florida shipping container homes and top builders
Are container homes legal in Hawaii?
Like container homes laws in other states, it is legal to build container homes in Hawaii, but there are several regulations you will need to understand before building one. For instance, to get around typical zoning issues and permits, container home builders must apply for an extensive building permit with the county in which they intend to build.
Unless you are on certain areas zoned farm/ranch or agricultural area, you are required to acquire a building permit. Also, many container homes have a smaller carbon footprint than standard constructions and therefore could be exempt from certain rules or can even qualify for incentive programs such as energy cost credits or conditional use permit (CUP).
With container homes becoming more popular, the state’s container regulations are sure to evolve over time.
Financing your container home in Hawaii
Are you worried about paying for your dream Hawaii container home? Don’t worry, there’s a workaround for this. Think of it this way: container home financing isn’t just a one-time expense but an investment in yourself and your dream of Hawaiian living!
If you’re keen on investing on container homes, here are some of the lenders you can check out:
Liberty Bank of Utah
Liberty Bank generally asks for a 20% down payment of the total price. For tiny home loans, you need a FICO credit score of at least 680 . Interest rates will vary based on many things, such as the applicant’s income and credit history. Rates at the beginning can be anywhere between 6% and 10%.
Acorn Finance
If you need fast financing for your new shipping container house, Acorn Finance can help. Interest rates, monthly payment amounts, and loan terms may be quickly sorted through to help you find the best shipping container home loan option. They service anywhere in the US.
Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation
This lender uses a conventional loan for container homes financing because it’s a more widely available loan type, and there are low down payment options available. It requires 3% down payment as a first-time homebuyer or 5% for repeat home buyers and a credit score of at least 620.
Conclusion
This complete guide offers everything you need to know about Hawaii container homes. Whether you’re interested in building and buying one for 2025, we hope this article has served its purpose in helping you plan and prepare.
Remember, luxury living doesn’t always mean big houses. Sometimes, what you just need is a tiny and comfortable space with a bit of everything. So good luck on your container home building journey!
