Shipping Container Homes

By Jason Boone

BEND, Ore – If you’re a fan of tiny houses, or alternative forms of housing, you will then also be aware of the global trend to build homes out of shipping containers.

We may soon be seeing more homes and businesses built from shipping containers across Central Oregon because the Crook County Planning Commission is set to have a public hearing on June 24th at 6:00 pm to discuss if building codes should be changed to regulate this.

Perfect Use for Old Shipping Containers?

Shipping containers are a durable container for shipping goods around the world and they typically last for about 10 years before they are melted down for scrap.

Turning old shipping containers into homes or dwellings is and old concept dating back to the late 1980’s and over the years it’s caught on around the world as more people have purchased old shipping containers for $900 or less, and turned them into offices, studios, office spaces or apartments.

How Will This Affect Central Oregon?

In a recent interview with the Bend Bulletin, Ann Beier, the assistant planning director with the Crook County Community Development Department said that she’s received calls from people over the last year who are interested in using shipping containers for their personal needs.

Beier said that if shipping containers were approved in Bend and across Central Oregon they would still have to be modified for use in neighborhoods and include some of the common features that we see in homes like windows and roofs.

About Shipping Container Homes In Central Oregon 

The goal of the planning commission meeting on June 24th is to make sure that residents are using shipping containers safely, providing the container can stand on its own.

In some unincorporated areas of Central Oregon shipping containers are already being used for homes, especially in Prineville where the building commission is very open to the concept of shipping container homes since they view them as stick built homes vs. manufactured homes.

Learn More!

To learn more the Central Oregon Real Estate market, or to view homes for sale across Bend, contact me today by calling (541) 383-1426.