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When you think of Illinois you probably think of Chicago. That's really no surprise, given that the Chicago Metro Area (known to locals as Chicagoland) makes up well over 50% of the state's population.
Yes, Chicago has its famous deep-dish pizzas, huge high-rise buildings, and beautiful Lake Michigan waterfront. But, there's more to Illinois than just Chicago.
We can think of several reasons that compel people to move to and live in Illinois. First, Illinois is a state full of economic promise and opportunity.
Almost the entirety of the western border of Illinois is formed by the Mississippi River. And the northeastern part of the state touches Lake Michigan. Finally, the Illinois Waterway cuts through the center of the state with a system of locks, canals, and rivers. Thanks to these three water resources, Illinois is connected via water to both the Atlantic Ocean (via the Great Lakes Waterway and the St. Lawrence Seaway) and the Gulf of Mexico (via the Mississippi River).
Due to its central location in the continental United States and the breadth of its waterway connections, Illinois developed into an economic powerhouse of manufacturing, agriculture, and other industries. Now, large companies like Walgreens, State Farm, and Archer Daniels Midland call Illinois home.
But it’s not just financial opportunities that you’ll have access to in Illinois. There’s also the proximity that comes from that central location previously mentioned. Illinois is just an hour or two drive from some of America’s thriving cities like Milwaukee, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Nashville, and Cincinnati. So even if you’re far from Chicago, you’re not far from other significant metro areas.
In fact, the Illinois Department of Tourism labels Illinois as “The middle of everything,” a descriptor with two meanings. Yes, Illinois is certainly close to a lot of other states. But within the borders of Illinois are plenty of diverse things to see and do as well.
You’ve got powerhouse educational institutions like the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Chicago, and Northwestern University. Illinois is also home to sporting institutions like Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, and many others.
Clearly, there are great places to work, learn, and enjoy free time within Illinois. But what about living in a container house in Illinois?
Illinois has long embraced unique architecture, after all, it is where famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright spent much of his life and built many of his famous projects. So, it’s no surprise that shipping container architecture feels quite at home here.
Yes, Illinois allows shipping container homes. You can scroll down and find several Illinois Container Homes in our Project Database.
There are no statewide rules that prevent you from building a container home in Illinois. But you will have to abide by the regulations in your area.
We've made the case for why you should consider building a container home in Illinois, but you might be wondering how to actually do it. Whether you do it yourself or work with a professional, you'll more than likely need to get permission from the government.
When it comes to regulation, Illinois has a bit of a reputation as a state with a lot of rules. But don't worry, this doesn't mean that container homes are in any way forbidden.
It just means you'll need to work with local officials to come up with a way to ensure your project complies with all the requirements that will help keep you and your family safe. The most common requirements you will face are building codes.
Building codes in Illinois are implemented at the city, county, or village level like most places in the United States. However, the state of Illinois' Capital Development Board maintains some limited oversight on the implementation of the codes by local entities.
As in other US locations, the building codes in Illinois are based on the model codes from the ICC, like the International Residential Code. Local entities are then able to tailor the code to local requirements with their own amendments.
There is nothing particularly unique about Illinois that would affect container homes other than its cold midwestern winters. And this deep seasonal cold has a few effects worth noting.
First is snow accumulation, which can affect the design and structural support of roofs in locations where the weight of winter snow must be accounted for. This is especially true for container homes without secondary roofs, as the top of a container is flat (holds more heavy snow without sliding off) and weak (not designed for significant weight-bearing).
The second main factor that ties in with the cold is foundation design. With cold weather comes ground freezing and lower frost lines. The design of a container home foundation, like all building foundations, needs to take these weather conditions into account.
The third factor is the one you may have had in mind from the beginning: container home insulation. Insulating your home well will ensure it stays at a comfortable temperature throughout the year while working to eliminate condensation.
There are a couple of unique issues that may affect the cost of an Illinois container home. First, is additional insulation that may be needed if you’re in an area with particularly extreme weather. The second is structural design and enhancements needed for roof snow loads.
Other than these issues, a container home in Illinois won’t be much different than one in another area with a reasonable climate. But there are quite a few factors that affect the design of your specific container home design.
With so many variables at play, it’s difficult to give a one-size-fits-all price range for container homes in Illinois. Instead, we recommend using our free Container Home Calculator to get some rough costs based on the specifics of your project.
Below are some of our favorite Illinois shipping container homes, restaurants, apartments, offices, and other container projects.