Process for Building Container or Modular Homes with Us

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Process for Building Container Home with Us

About container structures New! Simple home while building

Double-wide Container Home Legal Single Container Apt.

Your first decision is choosing to either permit your container home as owner-builder or to work exclusively with a licensed general contractor. Either way, we will do what it takes to make the process work well. If you choose owner-builder and want to work with us, you have two choices to make- Hire us as consultant or hire us to manage the job. Choosing us as consultant gives you the option of having us attempt to line-up potential labor to help you if you wish. We recommend this consultant option as it will help you the most for the least amt of money. That being said, you would be wise to be on-site to work with your labor directly as much as possible.

Financing your home requires hiring a general contractor, which raises your costs significantly, and is next to impossible right now because mortgage lenders do not want to lend on this kind of project, they do not want to do anything unfamiliar to them. There are private lenders, but the rates are quite high due to a tight credit market. Some are even considering options from lovemoney.com. Our clients are choosing to do things in phases, and once the containers arrive, many are living in them while they build their home rather than spend money renting a place.

Phases of building a container structure

Phase 1- Clear land while drafting home plans, plot plan and septic or cesspool plans depending on your subdivision’s requirements. Our team walks your plans through the County and obtains a permit.

Phase 2- Order containers from our Co. to be modified and outfitted while constructing your post and pier foundation. Interior walls are left open so inspection can take place on site.

Phase 3- Modified containers are trucked to your home site, forklift carefully places them on post and pier foundation. Multiple container homes will bolt containers together. Roof structure is built, plumbing is finished, inspection performed, drywall installed and painted, kitchen cabinets and countertops installed. Call for final inspection. This process is light years faster than conventional stick construction, but guess what- it still takes time, action and patience. We get calls everyday from folks that think this process is supposed to be super dirt cheap, incredibly simple and hassle free. We wish it was but it ain’t. Our process is as simple as you can get, but please do not forget that you are building a home and dealing with the county, so a little patience and faith in our Co. is most appreciated.

If you can avoid borrowing money from a Bank, you will save a lot of money and stress. The whole beauty of container homes is saving money hiring labor yourself and getting involved in the process as much as you can. It all starts with deciding on a design, either one we have already or creating your own custom design. We work with you directly and supervise the drafting and permitting processes. We are working with and have had two major meetings with Hawaii County bldg and planning dept chiefs, trying to work things out. Our hopes of fast tracking the permitting process have been dashed for now. The county would like us to become a manufactured home entity so we can prefab as much as possible, and have almost everything signed off on before the modified containers leave the manufacturing site on Oahu. That is a major mission that we think would be great, but until we achieve that position, which is no small task, we plan to do as much as possible on Oahu, leaving the walls without drywall so the homes can be inspected in the normal manner. This means we would cut out and weld for doors and windows, install them, weld steel studs inside to hang drywall onto, run wiring and as much plumbing as possible, flooring installed and ship or truck out at that stage. From this point, the containers would be trucked or shipped to whatever island the home is to be on, and have them fork lifted onto the post and pier foundation already in place. From there, the rest of the construction takes place on site, with the usual inspections. Your other option is to purchase our containers and not have us do any modifications. We are available to help you line up a welder and other labor, and consult with you and your labor help throughout the entire process if you wish. We do charge for our time and expertise. We speak with all kinds of professionals all day long on the subject, communicating clearly and effectively with contractors and sub-contractors. We have general contractors that we can recommend who know something about the process if you wish to go that route. Again, the more you get involved as owner-builder, the more money you save and the more control you can exercise. If you can afford to take it in stages and avoid borrowing from a bank, you will be much better off. Don’t forget- once the containers have landed, if it rains, you have the option to work on the interior. That option does not exist with stick construction. If time is money for you, having us do as much as possible will save much time for you. Hiring your own labor with our help will save you money vs hiring on a general contractor. Either way, the cost per square foot is much less than traditional stick construction.
We are in the process of writing a manual on how to do the entire process, but that will take quite some time. For now, we can consult with you or act as your construction manager. Give us a call from the Big Island at 866-591-2224, and all other islands can reach us at 953-2005.

Any container or container structure we sell outright that the client installs on his property is as is, where is. Client is 100% responsible to follow the laws and covenants, we are not in any way liable for our clients zoning and/or permit related violations should they occur. It is clients responsibility to know what the rules are where they are placing such structures. We can show you how to find out this information specific to your property.

It is much advised to let our people create and submit your plans through each dept. for a bldg permit. They know all these people very well, and know how to keep things moving nicely. The folks at planning and bldg do not really enjoy dealing with the public because they don’t like explaining everything in detail over and over again to people that are not well versed in this system. Because of this tendency, it is to your great advantage to let our team go thru this process for you and hand you your bldg permit. It costs very little, and can save you a lot of grief and frustration. We receive calls all the time from folks upset because the bldg dept shot them down. If that has happened to you, it is not too late, we can still get it done. People are amazed that they were told NO by the bldg dept, and we get permits every single time. We know about the desire to save money, but in this part of the process, it is greatly advised to go with those who know the process, and the people.

We now offer a low-cost structure to live in while building your primary home! We even help you sell it when you’re done.

Give us a call (see contact numbers below), or shoot us an email. We really appreciate your reading our posted info before contacting us as we are getting many lengthy inquires every day, and our time Is getting stretched thin, so read first so our consultations can be efficient and not take up too much time. If you are serious about working with us, we will give you the time it takes to satisfy you. Thank you.

Affordable Portable Housing

Oahu headquarters- 14 Aulike St. #909, Kailua, HI 96734 808-953-2005
Container modification facilities at Kalaeloa, Oahu yard. (Near Campbell Industrial Park.)
By appointment only.

Big Island- 866-591-2224. Containers on the ground in Hilo, but no B.I. office.

Direct sales to all Hawaiian islands and the Pacific Rim.