Menu
Utah isn't usually a state that's high on people's "must visit" list, but it's actually a wonderful place with a high quality of life. Whether you're visiting or living, there is much to see and do in Utah.
Utah is full of interesting places and things. The mountains offer incredible hiking and snowsports options.
The famous Bonneville Salt Flats is home to stark scenery and attempts at land speed world records. And there's everything from sand dunes to pine forests for other outdoor adventures.
Similar to other western states, Utah has a ton of public land. In fact, about 70% of the land area is either federal or state land, offering almost endless opportunities for the public to enjoy the outdoors.
But if you're looking for culture, Utah has that as well. Home to everything from the Sundance Film Festival to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Utah has plenty of things to do in its cities in towns.
And in those more urban environments, there's a strong economy that is supported not only by tourism but natural resources, agriculture, and technology companies. And the secret is out because Utah is one of the fastest-growing states in the US.
If you're thinking about building a container home in Utah, you'll find the state generally welcoming to the concept. And you won't have to be the first person, because several already exist!
Utah has an incredibly diverse geography, so you'll have to adjust your container home design based on the altitude and precipitation in the area. But many people have found that the rugged yet welcoming appearance of container homes blends well with the scenery, and attitudes, in Utah.
As hinted at above, Utah allows shipping container homes. So as far as a general prohibition on them, you have nothing to worry about.
However, you will need to ensure compliance with local building regulations. Luckily, Utah is slightly better than other states in that area.
Unlike many other states, Utah has a statewide building code. In a set of laws known collectively as Title 15A, Utah codified a set of building codes for use across the state.
These codes, known as the Uniform Building Codes, incorporate the standard ICC codes seen in most other locations by reference. And as usual, there are some amendments as well.
But the good news is that thanks to the uniformity of its building codes across the state, building a container home in Utah will be pretty much the same regardless of where you do it. Of course, as usual, if you're in an extremely rural area, a lot of these rules don't necessarily apply to you.
You won't find too many issues with building a container home in Utah that are different from other places. There are really just two considerations, and they are both arguably overgeneralizations. Nevertheless, we'll share them.
First is the mountainous, elevated terrain of most of the state. If your container project falls in an area like this, you'll likely need additional funds for an adequate foundation and thermal insulation.
The second issue is related to labor. Utah has a fairly low population, and if you're building in a more rural area of the state, you may face increased costs for mobilizing contractors and equipment to your building site.
Again, these issues only apply to a subset of the areas in Utah, so get to know your specific area carefully to better understand if these issues, or others, might affect your budget.
In general, our free Container Home Calculator is a good place to start with creating a cost estimate for your container house project. It enables you to adjust for the factors we've just discussed and hopefully end up with a reasonable idea of the costs that you can further refine with site-specific estimates and details.
Below are some of our favorite Utah shipping container homes, restaurants, apartments, offices, and other container projects.