Article

Prefab Container Homes 2026: Finished Units Ranked by Price

October 21, 2026

Written by

Kai Andrew

If you want a finished shipping container home with a kitchen and a bathroom in the price, the lowest price per square foot is the Bob’s Containers Alpine: $58,643 for one 40-foot high cube container, or $183 per square foot. Its page does not say whether delivery is included. The cheapest unit with delivery in the price is the Boma Sapling at $55,000 for 160 square feet. Bob’s Containers is the only maker here that publishes a shell price and a finished price for the same unit.

The ranking is on published starting price divided by published size, from the maker’s own page. Where a maker does not publish a figure, the cell says so. Ask for it before you pay a deposit.

The Ranked Table

Rank	Unit and maker	Price as published	Containers	Size	Price per sq ft	Beds and baths	What the price includes, as the maker states it
1	Alpine, Bob's Containers	$58,643	One 40 ft high cube	40 by 8 ft exterior, 320 sq ft	$183	1 bed, 1 bath	Spray foam insulation, mini-split heating and cooling, shower, 2-burner cooktop. No refrigerator
2	Boho, Boma	$125,000 with delivery	2, size not published	640 sq ft	$195	2 bed, 2 bath	Kitchen, bathrooms, and delivery. Appliances not listed
3	Elgin, Bob's Containers	$64,241	One 40 ft high cube	40 by 8 ft exterior, 320 sq ft	$201	2 bed, 1 bath	Spray foam insulation, 2 mini-splits, shower, 2-burner cooktop. No refrigerator
4	Deer Run, Custom Container Living	$137,900	Two 40 ft high cube	640 sq ft	$215	2 bed, 1 bath	Range, microwave, refrigerator, shower, mini-split heating and cooling
5	White Birch, Boma	$75,000 with delivery	40 ft, count not published	320 sq ft	$234	1 bed, 1 bath	Full kitchen cabinets and delivery. Appliances not listed
6	Clark, Backcountry Containers	$170,000	Two 40 ft high cube	640 sq ft	$266	2 bed, 2 bath	Spray foam insulation, 2 mini-splits, 2-burner cooktop. Other appliances are an upgrade
7	Huntington, Backcountry Containers	$220,000	Two 40 ft high cube and one 20 ft	800 sq ft	$275	2 bed, 2 bath	Spray foam insulation, 2 mini-splits, 2-burner cooktop. Other appliances are an upgrade
8	Pioneer, Custom Container Living	$89,900	One 40 ft high cube	320 sq ft	$281	1 bed, 1 bath	Range, microwave, refrigerator, tub and shower, mini-split heating and cooling
9	Kennedy, Backcountry Containers	$95,000	One 40 ft high cube	320 sq ft	$297	1 bed, 1 bath	Spray foam insulation where code requires it, mini-split, shower. No cooktop; appliances are an upgrade
10	Sapling, Boma	$55,000 with delivery	20 ft, count not published	160 sq ft	$344	Studio, 1 bath	Kitchenette, bathroom, and delivery. Appliances not listed
11	Ezra, Backcountry Containers	$65,000	20 ft	160 sq ft	$406	Studio, 1 bath	Spray foam insulation, mini-split, 2-burner cooktop. No refrigerator

Bob’s Containers does not publish square footage for the Alpine or the Elgin, so the 320 square feet is the 40 by 8 ft exterior size printed on each page. Backcountry’s Ezra page gives 160 square feet in its specs and 130 in its introduction, and the table uses 160. The Boma models page lists closed-cell spray foam insulation and a mini-split system as standard on every Boma. Custom Container Living’s model pages do not mention insulation.

Shell Price and Finished Price

Bob’s Containers sells the Alpine DIY Kit at $44,050. The maker calls it a partially completed unit, with windows, doors, electrical, plumbing, and spray foam insulation included according to the package or configuration you select. The page says the buyer completes “the remaining finish-out” but does not list it, and it does not mention a kitchen, a bathroom, or heating and cooling. Ask for that list in writing before you compare the 2 prices.

The finished Alpine costs $14,593 more. Get a local contractor’s quote for the remaining work before you choose the kit.

Backcountry Containers also sells rough-in models, built to inspection and partly finished in its facility, and publishes no price for them: “Price varies based on floorplan and scope of project.”

Code and Delivery by Maker

Check with your county building department before you order, because each county decides whether it will permit a container home.

Maker	Code, as the maker states it	Where it delivers	Lead time, as published
Backcountry Containers	Built to the International Building Code (IBC) and International Residential Code (IRC), adjusted for local rules. Prepares the plan set for permitting	From its build site in Texas or Wisconsin. Shipping about $3 per mile, quoted at purchase	6 to 16 weeks for standard models
Custom Container Living	Built to the IRC. Standard plans are state certified or ready to be state certified as modular homes	From Butler, Missouri. No delivery radius published	4 to 6 months for standard plans
Bob's Containers	Not stated	Customization services "to the entire US"	8 to 12 weeks on the Alpine page, 3 to 6 weeks on the Elgin page
Boma	Not stated. The buyer is responsible for inspections and code compliance	Delivery area not published. Delivery is included in model prices	100 to 110 days from deposit to delivery

Ask for the lead time in the contract.

What Each Price Leaves Out

Delivery. Boma includes it. Custom Container Living’s starting prices exclude delivery and installation, and Backcountry quotes shipping at purchase. As an example only, at Backcountry’s $3 per mile, a site 600 miles from its Texas build site is $1,800 in shipping.
Site work. Custom Container Living excludes foundation, site preparation, permits, and utility connections. Boma lists site preparation, foundation, and utility connections as the buyer’s job. Backcountry excludes site development, utility installation, decks, exterior cladding, stairs, and sales tax.
Appliances. Only Custom Container Living lists a refrigerator and a full range in the price.
Access. Custom Container Living asks for 14 ft 6 in of road clearance and about 150 feet of nearly level ground at the site.

No maker publishes revenue figures. Earnings depend on your market, your nightly rate, and whether your county allows short stays.

What the Table Says

Compare finished prices only where the inclusions match. The Alpine is $183 per square foot without a refrigerator. The Pioneer is $281 with a range, microwave, and refrigerator.

A second container lowers the price per square foot. At Custom Container Living, the 2-container Deer Run is $215 per square foot, and the 1-container Pioneer is $281, because the larger unit still has 1 kitchen and 1 bathroom.

Check the code statement before you check the price. 2 of the 4 makers state a code standard, and Boma puts code compliance on the buyer.

Before You Order

3 checks before a deposit, in order.

Price the ground. Run the lot through the site-prep cost estimator. For the costs after the unit, read the cost of prefab homes.
Confirm the loan. Start with the lender locator. Ask the lender whether it finances a container unit built to the IRC or only a state-certified modular home.
Read the zoning. Use the zoning rules guide before you buy. Ask the county whether it permits a container home as a dwelling and whether short stays are allowed.

Wood-framed units are in the 8 best prefab cabins, rated, and a business built on small units is in the Evergreen Cabins playbook. For related comparisons, see small prefab homes and cheap prefab homes.

Host Camp is not a licensed tax, legal, or financial adviser. Confirm figures for your situation with a professional.

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