Shipping container garden office

[Phil_D]

Morning chaps!

Im in the process of buying a new place that ill need to sort out some sort of home office and i'm interested in converting a shipping container. Probably a 15ft high cube (if i can find one) where i'll fit windows and doors, stud the inside out and insulate with 3 inch PIR board all round inc the floor. Probably then go for a plasterboard finish.

I've experience building a couple of high end campervan conversions (which essentially start out as a very similar metal box in the back!) and have done a fair bit with electrics in the past so none of that is much of a concern. To be honest i could probably get a prefabbed glorified garden shed for what itll end up costing but I havent got any projects on at the moment so think it could be a fun one. Probably go for something like below but maybe break it up with a bit of external cladding:

Anyone done similar in the past? There's a lot of info out there on converting these but my main concern is this will be within 2m of a boundary so shouldn't be taller than 2.5m for permitted development. The high cubes (the slightly taller variant) are 2.56m high and id need one of these for the internal ceiling height after I insulate and board out the ceilings and floors. For those that have experience with this kind of stuff is the extra 90mm going to be a show stopper in reality? Like do councils actually come out with measuring tapes for this kind of stuff?

Thinking perhaps i could dig out the ground a bit and make sure the tops of the concrete corner pads are about 100mm lower than the original ground height?

 

[Agroshield]

What happens to the water that falls on the roof? Does the container roof have a natural fall to it when its base is level? If rain just runs off in all directions, where the door and windows are might not be very ergonomic. If rainwater management is needed, it is possible that more height will have to be added, so bear that in mind when sinking into the ground.

If you do sink it into the ground, drainage around that local low area might need thinking about.

 

[Arc Tourist]

.......................................... Thinking perhaps i could dig out the ground a bit and make sure the tops of the concrete corner pads are about 100mm lower than the original ground height?

So, how do you plan to drain the rain water that will inevitably fill up below the surrounding grade ?
Edit: Beat to the reply.

 

[zzr1200]

https://www.bpiauctions.com/auctions#/auctions/17e052a4-5939-459b-8bd5-b19e54f0cef4.......... .............

 

[Phil_D]

What happens to the water that falls on the roof? Does the container roof have a natural fall to it when its base is level? If rain just runs off in all directions, where the door and windows are might not be very ergonomic. If rainwater management is needed, it is possible that more height will have to be added, so bear that in mind when sinking into the ground.

If you do sink it into the ground, drainage around that local low area might need thinking about.

Fair point and something i hadnt really though about however I suppose its no different to your typical site office however. But a quick bit of research shows the roofs have a bit of a camber to them to stop walter pooling and it looks like the water fills up channels on the long sides before eventually overflowing. Nothing a bit of guttering couldnt solve.

Yeah drainage in the dug out area would need looking at.. ill have a good look next time 'im at the property. In an ideal situation id just risk the additional 90mm height and not have to deal with digging anything out,in reality i should likely just apply for planning permission

 

[Bullet2012]

nicer one on bidspotter as well as the ones @zzr1200 has pointed out

Container House/ Office 13Ft x 7Ft x 8Ft Container House/Office - Dimensions: 13Ft x 7Ft x 8Ft -

Bid Live on Lot 30 in the MANY UNRESERVED LOTS Plant & Machinery, Cars, Vans Containers & Gates. Excavator attachments. - January 2025 Sale (TIMED) Auction from Dunn Bros Auctions.

www.bidspotter.co.uk

 

[Agroshield]

In an ideal situation I'd just risk the additional 90mm height and not have to deal with digging anything out.

It is a big risk. What happens if one of the neighbours moves house and the new person is fussy? It would cost you more to rectify the problem than to do it right in the first place.

Do you have a document showing the 2.56m height?

I ask for two reasons: 2.56 is only 60mm more than 2.5, not 90mm. Also, from what I can see, hi-cube are 2.89m tall (so 390mm more than 2500mm). Standard ones are 2.59m tall.

Please verify your numbers from a few independent sources.

 

[zzr1200]

Lay a french drain around the outside 60mm deep, raise the base ground level......

 

[Kayos]

I designed, sourced all the gear and nearly ordered a container

Then I built it out of wood because I knew I would end up in a proper office. It is now shed no2

 

[Phil_D]

It is a big risk. What happens if one of the neighbours moves house and the new person is fussy? It would cost you more to rectify the problem than to do it right in the first place.

Do you have a document showing the 2.56m height?

I ask for two reasons: 2.56 is only 60mm more than 2.5, not 90mm. Also, from what I can see, hi-cube are 2.89m tall (so 390mm more than 2500mm). Standard ones are 2.59m tall.

Please verify your numbers from a few independent sources.

Youre right but i also had a bit of a type there, i was meaning to put 2.59m (90mm too high!) but yes the high cubes are higher than this so probably no chance of sneaking it through. I guess planning permission route it is!

 

[Matchless]

The permitted development height rule is from the highest ground near to the building, is the site dead flat? what if you put a pitched roof on it that was wider than the container, so the container sat up inside the roof??? insulate the walls on the outside so the effective eves height was lower...... not sure if any of that works but a thought, I think 4.5 mtrs with a pitched roof, but 2.5 eves height.

 

[gaz1]

your under 2m from boundary height and thats under 2m if you have a shed or even a fence most of them are over the height range for fencing

as goes for building even a shed based is only 2m in height at eves point dont use apex height as highest point nearest a boundary

so your shipping container fails imediatley

 

[Agroshield]

your under 2m from boundary....

Please read the words written above: "within 2m of a boundary".

Please read the words in here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5d77afc8e5274a27cdb2c9e9/190910_Tech_Guide_for_publishing.pdf