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Missouri is a geographically diverse state at the crossroads of east and west. There is also abundant history here, from Native American tribes to the starting point for westward trails. So, let's examine why it makes sense to build your shipping container project in Missouri.
The state of Missouri is home to bustling cities like St. Louis and Kansas City along with the tourist mecca of Bransom, plus the tranquil lakes and mountains of the Ozarks. But whether you choose to live in an urban area or be closure to nature, Missouri offers a lot of amenities and opportunities for residents.
Let's start with career options. Missouri is home a number of large companies, like Emerson Electric, Express Scripts, and O'Reilly Automotive. And with loads of natural resources and farmland, there are plenty of jobs in different agricultural sectors as well.
There are also tons of activities in Missouri for you to do outside of work. If you like nature, you can explore caves, visit the Mark Twain National Forest, hike in the Ozark Mountains, or relax on the Lake of the Ozarks.
Yes, Missouri is a great place to build a life and a home. You have to live somewhere, so why not a container home!
Yes, Missouri does allow shipping container homes. You can scroll down and find several Missouri Container Homes in our Project Database.
There are a number of famous container homes in Missouri. And given that the state has a reputation of somewhat lax regulations, it makes sense that enterprising individuals would pursue unique shipping container structures here.
There aren't rules at a state level preventing you from building a container home in Missouri. But you do have to follow the regulations in your area.
Missouri is a good place to live, and a great place to have a container home. But you may be wondering how to actually build a container house in Missouri. Whether you do it yourself or work with a professional, you'll more than likely need to get permission from the government.
Like many other states, Missouri doesn't have statewide building codes. Each local government is free to adopt and modify the model ICC codes as they see fit. So you'll need to contact your city and county officials for details on construction requirements.
As far as unique aspects of Missouri that might affect the cost of a container home, there aren't many. The state is relatively flat and doesn't touch the ocean. And it has good access to labor and building materials.
The two things we encourage you to keep in mind are climate related: wind and cold. You might remember the horrific tornados in Joplin, Missouri in 2011 that caused billions of dollars in damage and killed over 100 people. This event proves storms with high winds are possible, and you need to ensure your container home foundation as well as secondary roofs, awnings, and other attachments are strong enough to endure these stresses.
Second is the cold. While Missouri isn't known for the intense winters of states further north, it does have seasonal snow storms and freezing temperatures each year. You'll want to ensure you have good insulation that addresses condensation, as well as a foundation below the frostline.
With all of these variables at work, it’s tough to give a one-size-fits-all price range for container homes in Missouri. 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 Missouri shipping container homes, restaurants, apartments, offices, and other container projects.