Container Modifications

Not only is it possible to modify a shipping container, these simple metal boxes are almost built to be customised. Shipping containers can be modified to fit virtually any purpose you can think of. Storage, site offices, pop-up retail spaces, workshops, garages, garden sheds, galleries, tiny homes; if you can think of a use, there’s probably a way to make it happen. In fact, someone has probably already done it.

Yes, floor replacement is a simple job, and can be a great way to increase the functionality, extend the lifespan, improve the safety and enhance the look of your container. Flooring types include:

• Timber flooring: The default option sees marine-grade plywood sit on steel cross-members. It’s load-bearing and durable, great for shelving, bolting, internal builds and general site use.
• Steel flooring: No splinters, no swelling – steel flooring is flat, robust and fully sealed. Ideal for industrial use, wet areas and where hygiene and robustness matter.
• DG/hazmat flooring: Designed specifically for dangerous goods containers, these welded, liquid-tight steel floors are fully compliant with Australian standards.

As a hot country, one of the most important shipping container modifications in Australia is insulation. We recommend sandwich panels, which can feature different cores for different applications:

• Expanded polystyrene (EPS): The most common and cost-effective option, EPS is great for storage and temporary offices and workspaces, though it’s not ideal for long-term or high-spec builds.
• Polyurethane (PUR): More robust and efficient than EPS, but also more expensive and less recyclable, PUR is used in higher-spec container fit-outs, like long-term site offices and workspaces.
• Polyisocyanurate (PIR): Ideal for high-performance applications like tiny homes, cold rooms and highly regulated commercial builds. PIR is more expensive again but offers excellent thermal insulation and handles fire better than the other options. We can also trade these plastics for sustainable materials like mineral wool, wood fibre boards or natural fleece. Get in touch with our friendly team to find out more.

You can also trade these plastics for sustainable materials like mineral wool, wood fibre boards or natural fleece.

The length of your container customisation project will depend on the complexity of your conversion. Simple mods, like adding a window, can be completed within a few days. More extensive customisations, like adding flooring, doors and insulation, might take a week or two. Total office or tiny home fit-outs with plumbing and electricity naturally take longer again. Our team can guide you on how long a DIY conversion might take, while our modification partners can advise expected lead times for your custom container.

The average container home will last 20-30 years. But if you build a high quality home and maintain it well, it can essentially last as long as you need it to, so you can enjoy a comfortable, functional space for decades to come. Our vetted modification partners are ready to help, or, if you are considering undertaking a DIY container home build, our expert team can advise you on how to approach it.

Shipping containers are intermodal: they can be transported on sea, rail and road. This means that your custom container can be delivered almost anywhere in Australia. And by accessing our sprawling network of local container modification partners, delivery of your personalised container can be completed in quick time.