What Permits Are Required to Build Container Homes in Texas

[Nomad]

I have relatives living in Texas. Since they don't have a lot of savings and they do not want to get a loan, they are looking for alternative living space. They have decided to build container homes. They live in Houston, so acquiring a shipping container from the Port of Houston will be cheaper for them. What kind of permits are necessary to build container homes in Texas, or Houston so to speak?

 

[Eric]

Hi Nomad - good question! According to this source, container homes are very popular in Texas because of the relaxed zoning laws in many parts of the state. They're especially popular in Houston and other areas along the coast. However, although your relatives shouldn't have much of an issue with zoning, they would still need to ensure they're complying with Houston's building code requirements. They can find information on building code/permitting requirements on the Houston Permitting Center website or by calling the Permitting Center at 832-394-9000.

If they're planning on fashioning a raw shipping container into a house themselves, believe it or not there are solutions for that. For example, the company Bob’s Containers offers a DIY package in which the company completes the initial cutting, insulating, framing and wiring and you do the rest. The company also designs the homes to be code compliant, which is good peace of mind in terms of building permitting.