The most important element of a container home foundation is that it is level. If the foundation is level, a container home can be set there. With that said, there are quite a few options for foundations available. Choosing the right one for your container will depend heavily on the following considerations:

• Your preferred price point

• How permanent you would like your structure to be

• The ground conditions for your geographic area

• Depending on site location, there could be engineered foundation requirements required by your county

Based on your answers to the above considerations, we provide you with a recommended foundation plan that we think most closely fits your needs.  Some common foundations for container homes (listed in order of price point) are:

1. The ground: As long as the ground is flat, you can place a container on it

2. Railroad ties: Easily installed, cost-effective, and non-permanent so your container can be easily picked up and moved if the need arises. Can cost-effectively be coupled with a gravel pad base for aesthetics and leveling.

3. Helical piers/screws: We love to recommend this style of foundation to our customers for a number of reasons. This option is more cost-effective & easier to install than a traditional concrete slab. They are reliable, long-lasting, and suitable for all soil conditions. They can be installed at varying depths to make your foundation level regardless of how uneven your property (or mountainside for that matter) might be. This option is considered by us to be 'semi-permanent' in that your container home will be permanently affixed to the ground just like any other permanent foundation but if you wanted to, you could remove the helical piers and transport your container home to a new location and reuse the same helical piers as the foundation, mitigating the cost of having to purchase a foundation twice.

4. A concrete slab or concrete piers: This option, coupled with metal plates embedded within the concrete allows the container to be permanently welded to the foundation. This is typically a more expensive option than others but is widely considered the most permanent option.

5. Crawl space: If you are in a colder climate, we recommend you have the container slightly raised above a small crawl space to allow access to the plumbing and add additional insulation to the flooring. However, if a crawl space is not the style you are looking for, we can always spray foam under the container for you to winterize your container home.

In short, the right foundation depends on your situation and preferences - but we will be here along the way to help you pick the one most suitable for your needs.