Oregon Container Construction Information

Oregon is one of the most unique, beautiful states in America. But despite its narrow reputation for forests and rain as a part of the Pacific Northwest, Oregon has remarkable geographic diversity. While sometimes overshadowed by California and Washington, its neighbors to the south and north, Oregon is a compelling destination for both visitors and new residents.

Why would you want to build a container home in Oregon?

Perhaps the most distinctive thing about Oregon is the assortment of landscapes you encounter as you cross the state. In the west, you start off in the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean that wash ashore onto everything from towering cliffs to pristine beaches to famous landmarks like Haystack Rock.

As you move inland from the coast, you cross the Willamette Valley in the north, but the land starts to rise as you encounter the Cascade Mountains are other smaller parts of the Pacific Coast Ranges. In the eastern half of Oregon, you find yourself in the Columbia Plateau to the north and the semi-arid high desert to the south. Each region has a distinct topography and selection of plant and animal life.

Despite having such a wide variety of land to settle in, most of Oregon's population is clustered in just a few areas. Over 70% of residents live in the previously mentioned Willamette Valley, a 150-mile-long river valley that includes Oregon's five largest cities: Portland, Eugene, Salem, Gresham, and Hillsboro. Other than a few cities in the south that are built along Interstate 5 like Medford, the only other city with over 50,000 people is Bend in central Oregon.

This clustered population in Oregon has its pros and cons, but one advantage is that it has increased the density of people such that a maturing of the economy was possible. For much of Oregon's history, agriculture and especially logging were the most important industries. While those activities are still important today, newer options like tourism, hydroelectric power via the state's many waterways, technology via the Silicon Forest, and huge international companies like Nike are now prominent parts of Oregon's economic landscape.

Oregon proves that a state blessed with abundant natural resources doesn't need to depend on them exclusively. Instead, Oregon continues to attract new residents because it marries a strong economy with access to so many beautiful places.

Does Oregon Allow Shipping Containers Homes?

Yes, Oregon as a whole is welcoming to shipping container houses. With a reputation for people that are both free-spirited and independent, it's no wonder that Oregon has many shipping container homes already built. Whether you build a container home in Oregon on the coastal plains, the mountain sides, the river valleys, or the desert flatlands, you'll find many reasons to be delighted with the opportunities here.

Getting appropriate regulatory permission to build a container home in Oregon is simplified by the fact that there are statewide building codes. Oregon's Building Code Division is the administrative office tasked with adopting model codes from the International Code Council for use in the state. For residential structures, this comes in the form of the Oregon Residential Specialty Code.

Building an Oregon Container Home: What to Know

Oregon's many elevation changes create a number of different climate zones that can affect the design and construction of your container home. In some areas near the coast, you may experience an almost Mediterranean climate with little heating or cooling needed throughout much of the year. In other locations, you'll face intense heat in the desert summers, or several feet of snow in the winter.

You'll want to ensure you have sufficient thermal insulation in your container home to account for the variations in weather. In addition, a strong foundation and adequate structural modifications may be necessary to account for snow accumulation and seismic activity, where relevant.

How much does it cost to build a container home in Oregon?

We just mentioned a few key items to focus on that will make your Oregon shipping container house more safe and livable. These things could also affect the cost of your container home as well.

You'll be best served by talking to your local government officials and even contractors to find out information like frost depth, soil bearing pressure, typical snow accumulation, and other geographic factors. Then, with the help of a design professional (if needed for regulatory approval), you can come up with the specific design modifications needed to bring your contain home idea to life. Only with a mature design for your container home can an accurate construction cost estimate be given.

But, if you're on the front end of your project just thinking about ideas, this may seem like a chicken-or-the-egg problem. So, we've created a tool to help you with figuring out a range for the cost of a container home in Oregon.

Simply visit our free Container Home Calculator and after providing a few quick inputs about the overall scope of your container home project, you can get a factored cost estimate. This will get you started on making the decision of if a container home is right for you.