Great video! For all those complaining about permit costs.... I opened a bar in downtown Los Angeles and it cost nearly $75000 in permits alone (to include the price of a "glorified" permit expediter - $25K). Look, California is not cheap, but videos like this are invaluable because it demonstrates the importance of being financially prepared to start any new construction and/or buildout in California. Be prepared for hidden costs by at least 25%. Once again, great video Ben.
I live in Chicago, it's called responsible building. Cooper plumbing, electrical lines in metal conduit, hurricane roof clips, 2x6 structure... People wonder why homes cost 350k+ ... Safety
@bla blahblah you people miss out on how shitty your housing market becomes if you don't have proper regulations. Besides, I bet the required planning for this project helped him to avoid costly mistakes.
This is some next level RUclips. I feel like you could make the episodes a little longer. This way better than anything on TV. There is so much good stuff here. Great job Ben 😁
To each their own, but I enjoyed how concise yet detailed the video was. Too many vids on youtube are bloated and filled with useless fluff. Maybe a bit more info on the septic design though, eh? I'm just glad this isn't some kind of family vlog and we have 30min of pet and kid filler.
Finally an actual detailed video to help those interested in the nuts and bolts of the project. Well explained, good detail (don’t be afraid to show more). I think those who are watching this type of video are really interested in every step. Great work. Truly a good example for others when doing videos online
@@hardworkingsloth Californian: We got Earthquakes and Fires. Floridian: We got Tornadoes, Hurricanes, insane Florida men. You can't beat that! California: Well... your stupid!
Licensed California architect here - Slab on grade was the way to go. Just bolt the container to a raised perimeter curb, and use the bolts to level it. You have to anchor it anyway. My concern is with having mild still / galvanized steel in direct contact with concrete. You should be fine up in the high desert, but this would pose corrosion issues in a damp environment. ...and I'm gonna go ahead and guess this ended up costing significantly more than traditional type 5 construction on a per-square foot basis. That's fine, but people should know what to expect from a cost standpoint.
William Hogan ...this was an exercise in millennial cuteness, in pursuit of repurposed utility. A conventional interior, built in a steel oven in the desert at enormous cost, relative to market value. The nature of the foundation type and reactive metals on concrete, not withstanding.
@@AS-mv7tm but you wouldnt be in california!!! I've been in most states of the U.S and cali is one of the best to live in...every state has its positives and negatives..
@@MUGGLE137: If I were offered to live in California in exchange for five million dollars, I'd spend minutes in serious consideration. Ultimately, I'd agree because I'd need the money, but I'd hesitate for a great deal of time. Anything less than five million and I'd probably counter-offer suicide.
I pour and finish concrete. Have worked with concrete for over two decades, growing up around the trade. You did a VERY neat and accurate description of all the processes involved. I hate the heat and the filth, and the dry skin. But I love seeing a finished slab I installed, perfectly measured and neatly troweled. I look forward to seeing the following episodes!
I have a container shop here in Alaska. It's a 20 and a 40 jointed together side by side. I just have it sitting on rail road ties and it lived through a 6.0 earth quake last November. Only a few things fell over
@@squigglewacks it's bc he has it sitting up on railroad ties. U could do radiant heat in the floors. The guy in T.N. knows wat he's doing & his builds r 20k if u don't want granite & things like that.
@@squigglewacks ck. Out Incredible Tiny Homes out of T.N. owner Randy Jones. His video this week shows 7 new one & a container that he has the floor out of to be shown at a later date. He has a FB acct. Too, but I don't do fb. There's also Container Acre, just found them. Don't know when they did their build but r about to do another one. Wasn't alot of info out there when they did the first one. A new insulation made just for containers called insofast.com with a r-11 rating & cuts out condensation inside. Hope this helps!!
That is actually really expensive for land that has no real resources. Can’t grow anything or mine anything. Can’t even move dirt on your property without paying for even more permits and studies.
It has been a few decades, but farm land in central New York State was going for $100 an acre (or rather, 10,000 acres for $1,000,000). I remembered Michigan as being cheap a few years ago, and a quick search shows 1 acre lots for $45,000 but also 40 acre parcels for $200,000-$400,000. 200 acres for $1.4m, 400 acres for $12m, so it can vary widely. Rule of thumb: land gets cheaper in bulk. This is partly because large parcels are generally far from cities and schools, and being close to those things makes land worth more, and partly because large parcels will include some land that can't be built on (too swampy, no water, bad drainage, unstable soil, etc) and would thus be hard to sell. Bonus for you if the reason you wanted that land was to prevent someone from building something ugly in the middle of the pretty view. :)
The construction codes and rules in Nevada are trying to catch up with California. It's ridiculous. We wanted to put up a metal garage for storage on our 1.25 Acre lot and they forbid it because there was no house on the property.
This is great. I’ve been listening to you talk about this for months and I’m so stoked to finally see it in detail. Bravo! I can’t wait for the next video.
Ben, fantastic video! I do shipping container projects myself and I still learned a lot from your video - extreme helpful and informative. For of the people focused on how expensive and what a pain in the ass California is to when building: You are 100% correct with respect to both. That said though, do the quick numbers. Assuming you’re $100k all in on this house: -You can easily AirBNB it for $275 in Joshua Tree -It’s booked less than 1/3 of the time (120 days a year), again, no problem in Joshua Tree -You pay it off in 3 years -Starting year 4, you’re bringing in $30k+ per year with that property minimum; you can realistically book more nights and/or increase the rate and get closer to $50k+ Food for thought.
i love micro housing, especially shipping container homes, but there are so few start-to-finish filmed documentaries about the process. this is exciting! i wouldn’t build one myself, but i love witnessing the elements of building that i’ve never considered, like the rebar grid for the concrete foundation, requirements for the container quality, etc. excited to see more of this series!
only thing I didn't like about the video was there wasn't another to watch right after!!!! ahhhh!!! now I'm waiting anxiously. keep up the great work. love your vids
For a shipping containers we usually go with pillar foundation design, depending on the environment and frost line depth we drill about 1,5m in depth and ~10-20cm in diameter, put in concrete and metal bases just like in your initial drawings. There is also full metal screw in type of pillars, some people use them because they are cheaper alternative, but I am not sure if they are better, those are basically big and long metal screws, they just go in the ground and thats all. These foundations are usually used for smaller constructions. The foundation you used here would be considered as too much in most of the countries, we usually use these foundations for a traditional houses, although we make them deeper, that probably depending on a frost line, usually we dig in ~1,5m depth here in Lithuania.
You should look into Helical Piers. They are very easy to install and perform better than concrete under seismic loads because they allow movement. This would give you fast installation, adjustability, and a steel connection to your cargo containers.
this is going to be a great series. the project looks great, the site looks inviting, and the concept of the three separate buildings is cool. Not a new idea, but definitely one that makes a lot sense with a stable weather climate. cant wait to see this one unfold.
If you're gonna have multiple containers, it would make sense to lay them out as a perimiter to form a courtyard. You can then erect shade cloth over this courtyard to create a sort of greenhouse where you could have a nice garden which may even provide a haven from the dry heat of the environment. Also, I would have put cyclone bolts into the concrete slab and tied the containers to them.
@5:22 is the best part of the video. You've done an amazing job detailing and explaining the process of erecting a house on an empty property. Great video!!
Price was quite reasonable, actually. It included all of the engineering and design drawings and construction documents. Architectural and Engineering (A&E) services are typically 25 to 35 percent of the total construction value. If a "stock" design were used, the A&E team would have used already proven plans that can be site adapted. The cost would have been 40 to 50 percent lower for the package.
CA: HEY STOP!! Builder:? What? CA: Do you have a permit? Builder: Sure right here. CA: No No No my friend I need the permit for this permit to be permitted.
sounds like California is even worse than Germany/most of Europe because we slapped a container on our property , needed no real building permit but a pointpermit like you need for a garage or a new driveway and it did not have to have any foundation, we put some welded railway rail frame and a few pieces of concrete tiles/bricks below we just needed to prove that it is removeable without any pollution and that the chimney and sewage dont leak - e just use it for storage and workroom but you could live in there you should have taken a coolingcontainer, they are already isolated and got some electronics installed you can repurpose get some old windows from a demolition site-just be there at the rigth time and ask if you can cut some windows with the framework out to repurpose them, here you get your windows almost for free As if a container would collapse from a earthquake, just ask those people if they are capable of breatheing and thinking at the same time what do they imagine? a landslide with the container skiing and rolling down a mountain
Now THAT'S a concrete project! I've been so excited for this to come out, Ben! I really like the format and how you explained why you landed on the slab on grade style foundation...that is the kind of information that almost all building shows seem to lack. Can't wait for episode 2!
This is great. I particularly liked the detail in the foundation construction. I live on the east coast and when building on a sloped site, we struck a large continuous seam of rock. So we decided to anchor one corner of the house basement on this bedrock, poured the slab , built up the walls and used floating “I” beams to act as a dish type bearings to support the weight of the house on top, in case of earth quake. It was actually cheaper to build like this and people thought I was crazy. 2 earthquakes later, the house has settled nicely into the sloped site. In a container this would simply look like a single independent pedestal post under each corner with a cast iron dish and a corresponding twist lock with a cast iron ball. The whole structure “ floats “ on the four corners.
I'm curious about what why you spaced out the containers the way you did, as opposed to connecting all of them to create one space. Wouldn't keeping them separate make it more complicated to heat and cool? I'm excited for the next episode!
This was my dream I rented a house in Joshua Tree for three years with the plans on buying land and building my own shipping container house. After dealing with San Bernardino permit department and the state of California in general I said eff it. I’ve now bought a retired SnapOnTruck that I’m converting into a tiny home on wheels
Nomad News, can you give me your input about building in San Bernardino, I'm buying a house on one acre lot in Hesperia and hoping to have an ADU as a container house. Much appreciated if I can hear from you soon.
mglmouser I wouldn’t think so? Depends how much the containers cost and then compare that to the average cost to bet sq. Foot of a traditional build. Honestly I think some of those surveys are not necessary. But who knows, $25k might be a bargain compared to other parts of CA and traditional builds?
I am so happy to have found your channel. I'm not sure I can go thru what you have gone thru. It is a lot of work for DIY, but I will try very soon. The house I am buying has more than 1 acre of flat land, it has a beautiful existing home and 4 car garage, circular driveway and fully landscaped with one shed and one 40ft container already there. I was going to have a huge workshop for my business but now I could do what you do to rent it out. Thanks for sharing this video.
What I found interesting to see, that the plastic foil that was used to cover the floor area before the pouring, was covered with sand. In Western European countries, the plastic barrier is used to prevent sand, or dirt being near, or at risk of getting in contact with the concrete, as it could comprise the concrete mixture. It is also common to put the plastic all the way underneath the concrete, and not just underneath the thinner floor area. The small prefabricated concrete blocks, are used to highten the rebar but serve to keep the plastic in place. Also it is mandatory in our area to use a vibrating surface or penetrating compactor, to increase concrete strength. Using the slab on grade seems a sensible compromise, I was wondering if insulation (HD graphite EPS e.g.) was considered placing underneath the slab. NIce vid!
This is exactly what I was looking for but I want to double the size and go underground! I live in central LA where house prices are $1M minimum. In the next few years I would like to get a little more privacy and create an artist commune in the desert for musicians, producers, film makers, dancers, painters, photographers, designers, engineers, etc. Having enough spaces for people to come and go and create music and projects would be crucial. Thanks again! :D
I'm very surprised at the size of the foundations for such a small and considerably light dwelling. And of course you answered the question later in the video :) The raised piers are good for airflow and accessing pipework in the future. I also find you get a little less creepy crawlies.
Nice work! I’m also a designer in Los Angeles and I know exactly how rigorous the permit process is. I Just finished my detached new 1200sq. ft. ADU in the back of my house I had to go through additional requirements like Low Impact Development Design..It wasn’t easy but got the Final Inspection approval yesterday 🙌👍🤜. For the 18” min. Crawlspace I believe there is an exemption to that rule if you use a naturally durable or preservative-treated structural floor system. But going with a monolithic slab foundation is a good choice and Engineers prefer to use it when designing a new house for is structural reasons. I can’t wait for the next episode!
I'm building what I call a hybrid container home, in Upstate South Carolina. The basic permit was about $1100.00. I'm making 2 stacks of 2, 24' apart, on two end piers each stack, foundation wall on the inside facing sides, and 2 cylindrical piers, 12" diameter, starting with 2'wide x 1' thick footings all around. Add to that a foundation wall riser, 12" wide, 12" high, then narrowed to 7" wide, total rise 36". The entire foundation wall, with change in thickness was a monolithic pour. The inside has a 4" ledge, upon which the garage floor is poured. In each end of the end piers (18" wide by 81/2' x 40" high), are steel plates 1/2" thick x 12" x 14", with 5/8-11 threaded anchor "L" bolts in each plate, 4 each, embedded in the piers. Other plates are similarly embedded in the foundation walls and side piers. The bottom containers are to be welded to the plates. Top containers attached using standard shipping lockdowns to bottoms. Roof over entire structure, second floor uses I beams, bar joists, etc. This design does away with room width limitations between upper containers. Only openings in containers are for doors and windows. Rectangular tubing frames for all openings. Main living space is on upper floor, 1600sq/ft. Lower level is garage, workshop/ utility bottom left container, entrance hall and office/ den for right side. Stairway is alongside inner wall of right container. The ends are to be structural steel standard metal building design. With the rebar, I welded all risers, etc. This house will last for generations, weather storms, etc. Compared to the stick built on slab houses popping up around here, they are as a cheap car compared to a dump truck, structurally. BTW, I'm doing most of the work myself. I have an older Bobcat to be my workhorse. I would NEVER consider building in a high overhead, control freak state like Kleptifornicatia. And... I'm on 3 acres, with a creek running along the south boundary. The Smokies are 20 minutes north of here, Asheville 55 miles north. I will have water, no matter what happens in the desert out there. Water was one of my must haves. One more thing: this isn't meant to be cheap to build. It is meant to be solid shelter, not a temporary sticks and osb "tent."
My son is stationed at 29 palms and just bought a beautiful home near the Joshua tree. We were able to come out there finally and visit. He took us to the Joshua tree. Amazing place.
So glad you made this second channel! It really does feel like a legitimate television series is being born! Thank you Ben And I will see you next week in Atlanta. This time I won’t make you sign my hat.😂 Chris
I think that your thought process and building method is very sound. I wish i had found you when i was in school. I think that the SOG was a good system. The lateral support you get from the horizontal plane of the top of concrete at the top of grade spanning between the grade beams, it is a thinner volume than that of a structural slab on void, or slab on crawl space and allows for less concrete. Though the slab on crawl space mitigates the need for trenching for MEP lines so a cost analysis is generally the best way to do it; which is what you did, and since you are paying for the service, the engineers can figure out what is the most cost effective. Good job, well done and i think you got a great product out of it.
The corners of containers are strongest, all the weight up to 20+ tonn rests on those 4 points. I'd just have dug 4 corner holes in the ground, compacted them and poured in concrete, and made sure it was all leveled. Also put container-shoes (Twistlock) in/on the concrete to better keep the container in place during windy conditions, they do grab alot of wind these big boxes.
I would have hired a piling/foundation drill, then inserted used carpet roll tubes then fill with various size aggregate + compact at each stage + insert reinforce rods and pour concrete using air pokers to reduce air pockets, but it important to remember that the altering/cutting out of container walls does compromise its structure if not supported underneath, so I would have the container resting on 8 points ( 4 each side on 40 ft container to possible reduce flex),...the `Twistlock` is a great idea.
Seeing all these building related comments for California is killing me LOL! But more importantly, I think this is such an AMAZING resource for people considering building container homes. I for one am a very detail fascinated person, who also loves to learn in general. Excited to see the rest of this process
@@geothr33 idk but usually sprinklers destroy almost as much of your inventory as a housefire would - the difference being that the sprinklers saves the house itself which the fire could easily burn to the ground. In this case, what is there really to save? The shipping container which is effectively the house? What do you really need sprinklers for here, I mean worst case you go and buy another shipping container lmao. Everything inside it will be ruined by the water anyways.
As a brit I think I would feel the need to riot if I had to pay $25000 for permits to build a simple shipping container house. I would definitely consider living in another state over something like that.
this isn't the norm. only in the shithole from hell known as leftist progressive california. trust me, people are migrating out of CA in droves. it's an absolute hellhole of marxist propaganda and unbelievably corrupt bureaucracy
Good idea. Stay in your cold place with -70F winters, while we grow lemons. There is a reason for rules. This is earthquake country, wildfires too. This is paradise. We want to keep it that way.
@@ArtKrishnamurti And as for you, where do you live? In India? Your neighbor Pakistan just shot down two of your jets. Nice place. Can't fly on a plane without getting shot down. What a great place to live - shortage of everything, rations, queuing up for basics, and cannot even breathe the air for pollution. Keep on living there. I have nice sea breezes so clean and pure.
@@strohdog242 Where do you live? What do you like about it? I'm genuinely curious. I like the weather here, no snow mostly. I also like the laws that protect you in many ways. But yes, it is hard for permits, earthquake design, eco design, etc
Hey Ben! My colleagues and I are actually making a container project based on all of your videos. You inspired us to make a difference, and now we are making a portable research station that will have multiple uses and be sent around the world. We fabricated the windows and doors out of steel and will set up the interior. It would be great to hear from you and show you some of our progress.
A non sarcastic comment from Jackman?! Are pigs flying?! :-) Really love the maker community encouraging one another. That can't always be said about other industries.
@@jaredstarnes6668 oh man, I don't remember leaving this comment, I must have been half asleep looking at the lack of sarcasm. Let me try again... Hey Ben, could you please wear a tighter shirt next time?
This was great, thanks, been searching for "building your own shipping container home" for a while now, and I think this has helped. You ever tried - Panophia Nonpareil Principality - (Have a quick look on google cant remember the place now ) ? It is an awesome one of a kind product for discovering how to build a shipping container home fast without the normal expense. Ive heard some pretty good things about it and my partner got cool success with it.
The house plans i used are now available for sale here: gum.co/WLXVe Link to the company i bought my shipping containers from: www.containerdiscounts.com/shipping-containers-for-sale-home-made-modern Follow us on instagram for project updates: instagram.com/benjaminuyeda/ We are still working on getting the website for this project up and running so please be patient.
@@b-annm5571 you see people this is a GREAT idea in south Africa- it makes sense people to fill it with all supply's, a generator, beds, a scooter,tools, a gas grill, 4x4s to set it on and build a bug screen surround, a water reservoir,plumbing etc and etc. ship all this on a freighter and call it a cheap home but in America?? not as sensible of a choose in my book ;) but to each his own.
What I learned: Shipping containers = $12850 Groundwork = ~$1400 (didn't say how many days the excavator worked) Concrete = $6000 Handwork+ Pipes+ Rebar+Beer= ??? Permits = $25000+
Very good video. Nicely laced with a great level of detail. I liked the explanation of why you went for the slab foundation and the summary of (and I paraphrase) “It was the most pragmatic solution”. Would a six pile foundation with a central crossbeam in the middle have worked ? That should give a combination of depth and lateral support to address all of the issues highlighted.
Hello there. I popped in your videos and I pretty enjoy them. Well done for your effort. I am an engineer myself having a background in Greek building code (very tough stuff due to intensive earthquakes over the continent) but also worked and still working on projects for California. I need to note at this point that the building codes all across California are way too overestimated to the point that are not cost effective at all. Owners just financially suffer to finish off their investment without actual "engineering reasons" I dare to say. In the meantime your engineers are afraid of undertaking the responsibility (due to the strict and sometimes unclear codes) so they come up with solutions that definitely cost a lot more than it should. I will give you an example on the "lateral movement" that you mentioned. Just let the self supported element "container" freely move on a leveled surface. It won't go anywhere..You could have implemented supported slabs that could be either screwed in the ground (technology used for PV projects in open spaces) or just deep hammered vertical steel slabs in the ground adding some self expanding concrete to fill up any gaps between the slabs and the soil. I hope I managed to give you an idea of how that could work according to my knowledge. Many Regards from Greece! Andreas.
@@alexfromoz thanks for the comment. I reckon that setting limiters around the support won't cause any problem. it's quite a popular method and I propose you could have a deeper look in it. It's like a restricted support instead of fixes like when calculate cantilevers.
I see a lot of negativity around here, and I’ll just say you DID IT GREAT! It’s inspirational to see how some people actually come out and take the things even when it is challenging and many don’t dare to even think of it, mediocrity or fear, or just broke people. Claps to you and great documentary, subscribed and supporting ❤️❤️!!!
You were soo friggin informational. THANK YOU FOR YOUR AWESOMENESS! Please, keep this up. You're inspirational and educational, in other words YOU ROCK 😎👷♂️👨🏫🤙🏾
Thank you for sharing your information about building home from containers. I really appreciated your detail information about the build from permit, to foundation, to framing, and etc. lots of great insight information on what works or not. You should write a book on home container build.
I thought the whole idea of Shipping Container House is to minimize work, time and money for constructing a home... and I don't think you saved any of those for it to matter
@@davidjose2193 - hey David - did you know you can go into your original comment and edit it? Off to the right are 3 vertical dots. One will say 'edit'. Click that and you can fix anything you wrote.
To be fair, the actual construction of the home was far cheaper than a 'normal' home would be. The permits and taxes wouldn't be factored into the cost of materials and labor. Realistically, even with all the permits and taxes, its probably still cheaper than constructing a regular home in the same location.
How did you handle the flashing with the container and the slab? The beam that runs from each corner is not usually flush with the bottom of the corners, so did you flash or caulk that joint? My concern would be water ponding under the container, maybe you solved this by just sloping the slab? The project looks awesome and I've been following along from the start on IG, so I'm pumped to see you post the videos. Awesome content, and I appreciate you sharing the details of your experience!
I am a geotechnical engineer. Considering the stiff soil conditions, I would simply excavate about 50 cm of soil and replace it with gravel followed by compaction. Nothing much, There are 2 main risk scenarios while laying a structure above a soil 1) Settlements 2) Bearing capacity. I do not think there are any risks since the soil conditions within the site are already too damn good and drainable. Sorry to say but the structure engineer fooled you to earn some cash.
Exactly what I was thinking, that foundation was way way way over the top, and they never even ran his popups through it, that ground is solid probably hasn't moved for thousands of years, he was taken for a ride indeed
Gravel was my first thought too, but I use to live in louisiana, where everyone was cheap, and all the ground was mushy and wet... so thick layers of gravel are used all over the place, foundations, roads, parking lots, walk paths, etc anything where you don't want it to be a puddle tomorrow.
Not at all. I come from the land of floods and there is gravel everywhere. If you are really worried about it you can make sure to set up barriers to route the water around the structure, and to stop the gravel from being carried off. Even just sandbags works for this, if you want something temporary you can store for less of an eye sore when you are using the structure.
imran zafar just gravel ? Earthquakes can / will shear off plumbing and electrical stubs , ground squirrels, prairie dogs , hedge hogs will burrow through edge of gravel creating a massive rodent network to live on , which brings snakes , you'd be dealing with rodents and snakes constantly
Cross bracing of the I-beams would likely have provided the stability needed. That would tie the two I-beams together and prevent them from rolling due to lateral movement. This type of cross-braced I-beam frame used to support large industrial cooling towers mounted on spring vibration isolation mounts, which in turn would be bolted to the concrete. This type of equipment is located at ground level and on building roof tops where seismic anchorage requirements are greater. Cheers
Really good, great you've gone in to more detail and the thinking behind decisions you made. Like other have said been listening to the podcast and following along on Instagram and great to see the video. Thanks.
Awesome video. Love the project. But why not do the obvious and place one of the containers on top, shifted 45-90 degrees so its resting and connecting the two others, to make one big house? (so much more potential imo)
I have spent months researching into building container homes and discovered an awesome resource at Magic Container Plans (google it if you're interested)
sdushdiu ...agreed! An insulated conventional interior...built in a steel oven...in a desert! Because “repurposed” is hip among millennials? Given time, they also will learn. Bless them for being creative at this base of their young lives.
So far I've seen one suggestion for a different foundation and about 200 gripes about California. I would agree with that one suggestion: use piers at each corner. To deal with the lateral stability issue, make the piers sit on massive footers. Or use the box itself as a structural element. The connection between the pier and the box would have to be totally rigid in all directions, which might call for some additional steel welded to the outside of the box. I could see I-beams welded vertically to each corner, and then extending downward and embedding in the piers. Or something. Can't wait to see how he insulates this thing.
@@toothlessgrin7540 That's right, he said that. And he wanted to keep the floor level with an outdoor deck, so that would have to be raised too. Hm. Not to argue with his priorities, but I think I would have gone with a raised house and deck. That might also have helped the house adapt to the site, which isn't totally flat, it appears. I don't recall why he rejected a perimeter wall foundation.
Just saying ..... A wise man on the street said that : " ... GOD created every living thing to breathe free air because GOD cares for everyone and that is why the Air is free." In other words ...no permits to breathe the air ... "Everyone gets to breathe air..... Ask the trees !". Happy Days !
If I do this, I'm going with the crawl space option; much easier to run and hide and access all the mechanical, electrical and plumbing; and much cheaper.
I was thinking the same. Plenty of room to run plumbing, electrical, etc. with a house of that size. Though I wonder how difficult it would be to change plumbing, electrical, etc. later on if done this way. I'm not very experienced in that so I don't know.
I have been interested in shipping container living for awhile now, but couldn’t find much info on the actual build. Thank you for this! So informative! What is your IG account called?
Me, too. I have no problems with railings if I want to build decking 18 inches above the ground. In fact, I plan on making the tops of the containers usable as decks so there will have to be railings on the containers, too.
The amount of paperwork (and its cost!) is crazy. In Poland, if the land is generally accepted to build there anything, you can build something up to 35m2 and 5m hight without any permit. And permits takes time but cost closer to $250 than $25000.
Thank you of sharing your video. I been interested in building container home for years. There just wasnt much information out there. Im saving up money to build my dream container home now. Thank you again for sharing the important information.
@@MrClarkisgod It wasn't just permits in the 25k, it was surveys, drawings, etc. and it sounds like he had to have the drawings updated which is also expensive. This is why subdivisions are cookie cutter houses, it is way simpler to get going if you don't have a ton of variations.
Jarbear - Brawl stars yeah just buy a 3 room 1300 square foot house for $400k. That’s much better. Oh and don’t forget the taxes out the ass. Living in California sucks
Regulations and prices in parts of CA can definitely be a turn off. But I don't want to live in the south again. I've lived in CA twice. There's a reason people still move there.
Very good, specific and informative videos!!! Great great job! Probably best video report about shipping containers homes on RUclips ! Good luck man! ✌🙂👍
@@TheLegendaryFolklore I get that, I'm just wondering what the problem would be structurally if you did that. It seems like it would be perfectly fine in a saner state.
@@andrewmalone8709 it would be, but considering it's Cali, I think seismic waves would just kick the house into waves and shred the container one pillar at a time instead of a solid platform.
@@Jsalcedo23 I have no doubt the weather and landscape is beautiful, California has always been a pretty state. Unfortunately it's politics are ugly. I'm watching it happen to my own pretty state of Colorado right now.
Chris Lord it’s not big of a deal. California is also the only state that can fully support itself.. really it could be it’s own country that’s how great the states economy is
@@Jsalcedo23 Theoretically? Sure. Realistically? Hell no. Scenario: The northern half of the states tried to secede how many times? Twice I think? The second Cali tried to break from the Union, the state of Jefferson would emerge as the 31st state to take Cali's place. The real question is now, can the Country of California support itself without its massive food production in the North. The amount spent on buying food (and other things Cali would lose) from the US after hundreds of embargoes and tariffs on the Country after seceding would cripple the economy. Then Cali would have to stand up a defense force, and I guarantee Uncle Sam would strip every ounce out of the bases and armories there. Another crippling act. So now, you have a huge population that can't feed or defend itself. Then the majority of your trade goes out the window because other countries wont violate the Embargoes. So now the lack of exports slowly destroys companies and growth further reducing the economy. So naturally following the California trend, taxes will sky rocket because Cali strongly believes you can tax a country into prosperity. So now people don't have jobs, they can't feed themselves, they aren't guaranteed protection, what money they do get is taxed into oblivion, and all the while the state is slowly burning to the ground because the infrastructure can't support the thousands of people and equipment required to fight wild land fires. Oh ya lets tack on water shortages because that seemingly happens annually. Oh and how much of the countries power supply is from out of state? They wouldn't have the economy to support everything above plus buying power from another country, if one was willing to sell. So now some form of production has to be created to generate the billions of kilo-watt/hours needed. In the current state could the country afford to invest billions it doesn't have into clean energy or would it tap into oil and coal effectively pissing off half the population begging for clean energy. Now some 20 million people are starving, undefended, unemployed, burning to death, lacking power, dehydrated, taxed to death, and guess what happens now. An earthquake. The big one? Probably not, but big enough to cause widespread destruction in some of the major cities, it could be. Now to combat rioting and extreme civil unrest, the entire state enacts martial law to try and regain some semblance of stability. So now a collapsing government is using firearms to suppress unarmed people into submission . Sounds like something the rest of the majority of the world would frown upon, don't you think? Now being such a threat to its own people, the backing of the international community and the simple act of secession, the US musters its forces, moves in, takes California back without hardly any fight and the state is forever in shambles because of its own ignorance and rash decisions. But sure, California could be its own country.
Thank you for this and the following videos! The first question that immediately popped up in my mind: Why are you building this tiny home at that location? The soil doesn’t look very fertile, there doesn’t seem to be any water nearby, it seems like in the middle of the desert with no oasis anywhere close. I was just wondering if you’re planning to really live there sort of minimally and sustainably or is it ´just an architectural project´?
Projects like this are built for resale and then they are resold over and over again because the new owners eventually realize that it makes no sense to live in the desert and they get tired of trucking water in.
@@markman63 i realize that but in this case this guy is paying dearly to make this a permanent dwelling, now that he has all the details of doing such a build out there he may find some other rich people who want to live off the land out there also, ( and up sell this lifestyle)but this aint 4 the average container person to spend dearly on a permanent build, just sayin! no hate :)
@@NomadicSociety I believe the project was sponsored by home depot, so I'm sure that offset much of the costs. Although people do live out there full time, JT has become a popular weekend getaway for people from the city. Theres a national park, so people go biking, hiking, camping. There are lots of air bnb's in the area.
I think concrete slab is a really good idea. There are of course more effective ways but your method is the most cost efficient. I would dig a hole big enough for another container, put them on top of each other then weld them together. then put steel reinforcements to the side corners. That way you would get a basement but it would cost more.
Great video! For all those complaining about permit costs.... I opened a bar in downtown Los Angeles and it cost nearly $75000 in permits alone (to include the price of a "glorified" permit expediter - $25K). Look, California is not cheap, but videos like this are invaluable because it demonstrates the importance of being financially prepared to start any new construction and/or buildout in California. Be prepared for hidden costs by at least 25%. Once again, great video Ben.
The liquor license alone is like $500,000 not to mention zoning permits etc...
I live in Chicago, it's called responsible building. Cooper plumbing, electrical lines in metal conduit, hurricane roof clips, 2x6 structure... People wonder why homes cost 350k+ ... Safety
You could also just not live in California lol
Can I work at your bar or have half ownership?
@@olegk11 350k is cheap, try 1.5m for a home in SF
This is the great thing about West Virginia:
"I want to build a house on my land."
"Okay."
End of process.
@bla blahblah New Mexico is the ghost town of the United States.
thats alot of states if the land is removed. the closer you get the city the more strict it gets.
@bla blahblah you people miss out on how shitty your housing market becomes if you don't have proper regulations. Besides, I bet the required planning for this project helped him to avoid costly mistakes.
That sounds pretty great until you get someone who doesn't know where they are doing. Now the city potentially has a lot of problems on it's hands.
bla blahblah Bernie 2020. A true populist for the people.
This is some next level RUclips. I feel like you could make the episodes a little longer. This way better than anything on TV. There is so much good stuff here.
Great job Ben 😁
Crafter Maker I was thinking the same I want it longer 😂
I just saw 2 minutes and i'm horrified with the steel, 10 milimiters instead of the 10 mil (million) and more
@@Danirio96 What do you mean? What is wrong with the steel? Iam asking because I really want to learn more. Thanks
To each their own, but I enjoyed how concise yet detailed the video was. Too many vids on youtube are bloated and filled with useless fluff. Maybe a bit more info on the septic design though, eh? I'm just glad this isn't some kind of family vlog and we have 30min of pet and kid filler.
Finally an actual detailed video to help those interested in the nuts and bolts of the project. Well explained, good detail (don’t be afraid to show more). I think those who are watching this type of video are really interested in every step. Great work. Truly a good example for others when doing videos online
Wow... You really explained everything in detail... especially the part about not building anything in California. Lol
👍🏾👍🏾
Exactly. We are a very regulated state
I found myself adding..." so we moved to Nevada"....
@@davidmurphy5571 facts lol
First minute and I've heard the word "permit" like 85 times. California sounds ssoooooooo aweeeesssommmmeeee.
Try building a house in any state.
It's a hell of a lot more than just putting sticks together.
Yeah tell that to a city without strict building codes after an earthquake or any other natural disaster you dumb fuck
When I restored and lifted my AMC Jeep basically every mod had a disclaimer saying its illegal in California
The state of California has found that permits may cause cancer.
@@hardworkingsloth
Californian: We got Earthquakes and Fires.
Floridian: We got Tornadoes, Hurricanes, insane Florida men. You can't beat that!
California: Well... your stupid!
Heavens. All for sitting a steel box on the ground.
Try building a warehouse, 4500 psi concrete minimum, and I've been on a project that was well over 1000 cubic yards
Welcome to Commiefornia, worst state in the union.
These days governments will charge you just for sitting in a box.
*That human's live inside of.
@@KILLASAURUSFLEX that would be texas lol
Licensed California architect here - Slab on grade was the way to go. Just bolt the container to a raised perimeter curb, and use the bolts to level it. You have to anchor it anyway. My concern is with having mild still / galvanized steel in direct contact with concrete. You should be fine up in the high desert, but this would pose corrosion issues in a damp environment.
...and I'm gonna go ahead and guess this ended up costing significantly more than traditional type 5 construction on a per-square foot basis. That's fine, but people should know what to expect from a cost standpoint.
Or you could pay half of that in a different, less ecologically-unstable state.
William Hogan ...this was an exercise in millennial cuteness, in pursuit of repurposed utility. A conventional interior, built in a steel oven in the desert at enormous cost, relative to market value. The nature of the foundation type and reactive metals on concrete, not withstanding.
@@AS-mv7tm but you wouldnt be in california!!! I've been in most states of the U.S and cali is one of the best to live in...every state has its positives and negatives..
@@MUGGLE137 - you are correct, it is the best state. If you don't mind bending over for CA law and being left with less money in your name.
@@MUGGLE137: If I were offered to live in California in exchange for five million dollars, I'd spend minutes in serious consideration. Ultimately, I'd agree because I'd need the money, but I'd hesitate for a great deal of time.
Anything less than five million and I'd probably counter-offer suicide.
I pour and finish concrete. Have worked with concrete for over two decades, growing up around the trade.
You did a VERY neat and accurate description of all the processes involved. I hate the heat and the filth, and the dry skin. But I love seeing a finished slab I installed, perfectly measured and neatly troweled.
I look forward to seeing the following episodes!
I have a container shop here in Alaska. It's a 20 and a 40 jointed together side by side. I just have it sitting on rail road ties and it lived through a 6.0 earth quake last November. Only a few things fell over
Also good for California where a huge earthquake is imminent
@@squigglewacks the worst I see is -20 F .. yes it gets cold
@@squigglewacks it's bc he has it sitting up on railroad ties. U could do radiant heat in the floors. The guy in T.N. knows wat he's doing & his builds r 20k if u don't want granite & things like that.
@@squigglewacks ck. Out Incredible Tiny Homes out of T.N. owner Randy Jones. His video this week shows 7 new one & a container that he has the floor out of to be shown at a later date. He has a FB acct. Too, but I don't do fb. There's also Container Acre, just found them. Don't know when they did their build but r about to do another one. Wasn't alot of info out there when they did the first one. A new insulation made just for containers called insofast.com with a r-11 rating & cuts out condensation inside. Hope this helps!!
+John T Coleman THAT'S WHY YOUR STATE IT'S NOT GREAT AS CALIFORNIA DUMB ASS PUTA MAMAVERGAS!
how is land so cheap? 10 acres for $20,000, that's crazy ~40,000m2
edit: holy fck the permits cost more than the land it's on? WTF
Welcome to the desert. You can get 5 acres of land near the Salton Sea for 5,000$
That is actually really expensive for land that has no real resources. Can’t grow anything or mine anything. Can’t even move dirt on your property without paying for even more permits and studies.
@@osomxl it's only real "resource" is that it's in California, barely
It has been a few decades, but farm land in central New York State was going for $100 an acre (or rather, 10,000 acres for $1,000,000).
I remembered Michigan as being cheap a few years ago, and a quick search shows 1 acre lots for $45,000 but also 40 acre parcels for $200,000-$400,000. 200 acres for $1.4m, 400 acres for $12m, so it can vary widely.
Rule of thumb: land gets cheaper in bulk. This is partly because large parcels are generally far from cities and schools, and being close to those things makes land worth more, and partly because large parcels will include some land that can't be built on (too swampy, no water, bad drainage, unstable soil, etc) and would thus be hard to sell. Bonus for you if the reason you wanted that land was to prevent someone from building something ugly in the middle of the pretty view. :)
I live 20 mins away from Joshua Tree, in some areas you purchase 10acres but you can only disturb 1/2 acre, do to zoning laws.....
Holy cow. 25,000 just in permits ! Starting to crush my hopes
Are you building in CA?
Yes I would like to
@@StacheCam Gotta move outta state to make it happen on a budget unfortunately =(
James Hansen sucks :(
I believe with those permits, a road or street is paid by the city from your residence for access to Cali.
I’ve been looking for an EXACT step by step process with pricing and I am so glad I found you!!! THANK YOU!
Those workers wondering why this guy wants to live in boxes in the middle of the desert
First comment after 100 likes
It’s a good location if a bunch a nukes drop no one will drop nukes in a empty desert
Gavanater 7 good place to test them though
First comment after 219 likes
@@shiezo Yeah but they don't do that anymore.
Man you're so close to Nevada. You were *this* close to greatness
The construction codes and rules in Nevada are trying to catch up with California. It's ridiculous. We wanted to put up a metal garage for storage on our 1.25 Acre lot and they forbid it because there was no house on the property.
My thoughts exactly.
This is great. I’ve been listening to you talk about this for months and I’m so stoked to finally see it in detail. Bravo! I can’t wait for the next video.
thank you! should be up next week!
Ben, fantastic video! I do shipping container projects myself and I still learned a lot from your video - extreme helpful and informative. For of the people focused on how expensive and what a pain in the ass California is to when building:
You are 100% correct with respect to both. That said though, do the quick numbers. Assuming you’re $100k all in on this house:
-You can easily AirBNB it for $275 in Joshua Tree
-It’s booked less than 1/3 of the time (120 days a year), again, no problem in Joshua Tree
-You pay it off in 3 years
-Starting year 4, you’re bringing in $30k+ per year with that property minimum; you can realistically book more nights and/or increase the rate and get closer to $50k+
Food for thought.
What has been your experience with deterioration?
i love micro housing, especially shipping container homes, but there are so few start-to-finish filmed documentaries about the process. this is exciting! i wouldn’t build one myself, but i love witnessing the elements of building that i’ve never considered, like the rebar grid for the concrete foundation, requirements for the container quality, etc. excited to see more of this series!
i felt the same way! so many tours and pictures but so little information on cost and process
only thing I didn't like about the video was there wasn't another to watch right after!!!! ahhhh!!! now I'm waiting anxiously. keep up the great work. love your vids
Been waiting the whole build for these videos.
Thank you for being transparent with cost and fees. That’s good stuff to know.
yes thanks but it shows its out of reach for people legally trying to live on the cheap
@@NomadicSociety In California it is, it's much cheaper in a free state.
For a shipping containers we usually go with pillar foundation design, depending on the environment and frost line depth we drill about 1,5m in depth and ~10-20cm in diameter, put in concrete and metal bases just like in your initial drawings. There is also full metal screw in type of pillars, some people use them because they are cheaper alternative, but I am not sure if they are better, those are basically big and long metal screws, they just go in the ground and thats all. These foundations are usually used for smaller constructions.
The foundation you used here would be considered as too much in most of the countries, we usually use these foundations for a traditional houses, although we make them deeper, that probably depending on a frost line, usually we dig in ~1,5m depth here in Lithuania.
CA: Do you have a permit to get a permit?
If you dont have a permit to get a permit. Go to the permit office and ask for a permit to permit you to be considerd for a permit for your permit.
@@sergiotheg13 "Ohhhh so you want to get a permit to get a permit? That will be $5000.00 please." :P
This is going to permit me to chose another state 😆
I live in Miami. You have to get a permit to replace a light switch.
did you get a permit to post this comment?
You should look into Helical Piers. They are very easy to install and perform better than concrete under seismic loads because they allow movement. This would give you fast installation, adjustability, and a steel connection to your cargo containers.
this is going to be a great series. the project looks great, the site looks inviting, and the concept of the three separate buildings is cool. Not a new idea, but definitely one that makes a lot sense with a stable weather climate. cant wait to see this one unfold.
In South Chicago they turn homes into shipping containers.
nice
If you're gonna have multiple containers, it would make sense to lay them out as a perimiter to form a courtyard. You can then erect shade cloth over this courtyard to create a sort of greenhouse where you could have a nice garden which may even provide a haven from the dry heat of the environment.
Also, I would have put cyclone bolts into the concrete slab and tied the containers to them.
That right there is exactly my goal. To buy permits, buy the containers, buy trees if permits are needed for that as well, and start crops.
@5:22 is the best part of the video. You've done an amazing job detailing and explaining the process of erecting a house on an empty property. Great video!!
25,000 dollars for permits in the desert. Awesome.
Really sad isn't it?
25K for the shiny bums to keep their bums nice and shiny
Price you pay for trying to be productive in COMMIEfornia
Maybe he should have registered as a mobile home...and then he could have had 1bedroom +guest
Price was quite reasonable, actually. It included all of the engineering and design drawings and construction documents. Architectural and Engineering (A&E) services are typically 25 to 35 percent of the total construction value.
If a "stock" design were used, the A&E team would have used already proven plans that can be site adapted. The cost would have been 40 to 50 percent lower for the package.
Saw Episode 1 & 2 and love all the tiny details, pricing and set backs during the build, great job. Will continue watching your channel.
CA: HEY STOP!!
Builder:? What?
CA: Do you have a permit?
Builder: Sure right here.
CA: No No No my friend I need the permit for this permit to be permitted.
😂😭😂 I am screaming. This comment is golden. I use to be a planner in California.
Don't forget the Conversation Tax and the Breathable Air Tax.
HaHaHa:)))) I am laughing too hard right now!!!!!! DO NOT Ever build anything in Sunny CAli !!!
@@GrafDevelopments HaHaHa:))))))))
sounds like California is even worse than Germany/most of Europe because we slapped a container on our property , needed no real building permit but a pointpermit like you need for a garage or a new driveway and it did not have to have any foundation, we put some welded railway rail frame and a few pieces of concrete tiles/bricks below we just needed to prove that it is removeable without any pollution and that the chimney and sewage dont leak - e just use it for storage and workroom but you could live in there
you should have taken a coolingcontainer, they are already isolated and got some electronics installed you can repurpose
get some old windows from a demolition site-just be there at the rigth time and ask if you can cut some windows with the framework out to repurpose them, here you get your windows almost for free
As if a container would collapse from a earthquake, just ask those people if they are capable of breatheing and thinking at the same time what do they imagine? a landslide with the container skiing and rolling down a mountain
Thanks for showing whole process. So anobody can use it for his own building and can learn from your exprience. You are awesome!
Now THAT'S a concrete project! I've been so excited for this to come out, Ben! I really like the format and how you explained why you landed on the slab on grade style foundation...that is the kind of information that almost all building shows seem to lack. Can't wait for episode 2!
This is great. I particularly liked the detail in the foundation construction. I live on the east coast and when building on a sloped site, we struck a large continuous seam of rock. So we decided to anchor one corner of the house basement on this bedrock, poured the slab , built up the walls and used floating “I” beams to act as a dish type bearings to support the weight of the house on top, in case of earth quake. It was actually cheaper to build like this and people thought I was crazy. 2 earthquakes later, the house has settled nicely into the sloped site. In a container this would simply look like a single independent pedestal post under each corner with a cast iron dish and a corresponding twist lock with a cast iron ball. The whole structure “ floats “ on the four corners.
I'm curious about what why you spaced out the containers the way you did, as opposed to connecting all of them to create one space. Wouldn't keeping them separate make it more complicated to heat and cool? I'm excited for the next episode!
Dumb liberal thinks its hip. They rarely make any sense.
@@rahenkamp1 Wow you're politicizing a design choice on a home you're ridiculous.
@@rahenkamp1 there may be a legitimate reason for it.
Probably because the weather is really nice out there. It's an indoor/outdoor lifestyle
@@ot505 That'd be a good reason. it just looks really hot there.
You should have used a shipping container as foundation for your shipping container!
Basement
😆
This was my dream I rented a house in Joshua Tree for three years with the plans on buying land and building my own shipping container house. After dealing with San Bernardino permit department and the state of California in general I said eff it. I’ve now bought a retired SnapOnTruck that I’m converting into a tiny home on wheels
Nomad News, can you give me your input about building in San Bernardino, I'm buying a house on one acre lot in Hesperia and hoping to have an ADU as a container house. Much appreciated if I can hear from you soon.
GREAT video. I love how detailed it is, but still understandable for the average person. I've wanted to build my own for years, and this really helps.
so excited for this new channel. Thank you for being so detailed and including all your costs.
25k$ before even a shovel strike is made pretty much defeats the purpose of using containers at this point, no?
mglmouser I wouldn’t think so? Depends how much the containers cost and then compare that to the average cost to bet sq. Foot of a traditional build. Honestly I think some of those surveys are not necessary. But who knows, $25k might be a bargain compared to other parts of CA and traditional builds?
It's for people who are rich and want a "unique" design. They'd pay $100,000 in Beverly Hills if they had em
IDK, if anything having to pay $25k to put down anything makes me want to spend even less on what I'm putting down. Thank god I don't live in CA
I agree, and all the permits.
yea the permits and land negate the point of building your own cheap home.
Thanks for sharing; I'm looking forward to the whole series. Thanks for sharing the pricing too
I am so happy to have found your channel. I'm not sure I can go thru what you have gone thru. It is a lot of work for DIY, but I will try very soon. The house I am buying has more than 1 acre of flat land, it has a beautiful existing home and 4 car garage, circular driveway and fully landscaped with one shed and one 40ft container already there. I was going to have a huge workshop for my business but now I could do what you do to rent it out. Thanks for sharing this video.
Your first mistake was trying to build anything in California.
omg lol, was going to post this.
Pro tip!
You mean Commiefornia
Caliberal
Worst state in the Union. We should pay them to leave.
I do give you a boat load of credit dealing with CA laws! and Not giving up. Congrats Bro!!!
What I found interesting to see, that the plastic foil that was used to cover the floor area before the pouring, was covered with sand.
In Western European countries, the plastic barrier is used to prevent sand, or dirt being near, or at risk of getting in contact with the concrete, as it could comprise the concrete mixture. It is also common to put the plastic all the way underneath the concrete, and not just underneath the thinner floor area.
The small prefabricated concrete blocks, are used to highten the rebar but serve to keep the plastic in place.
Also it is mandatory in our area to use a vibrating surface or penetrating compactor, to increase concrete strength.
Using the slab on grade seems a sensible compromise, I was wondering if insulation (HD graphite EPS e.g.) was considered placing underneath the slab.
NIce vid!
chalky940 ....wind blows plastic around prior to pour. Mexican technology is sand.
This is exactly what I was looking for but I want to double the size and go underground! I live in central LA where house prices are $1M minimum. In the next few years I would like to get a little more privacy and create an artist commune in the desert for musicians, producers, film makers, dancers, painters, photographers, designers, engineers, etc. Having enough spaces for people to come and go and create music and projects would be crucial. Thanks again! :D
Please just stay in LA
I'm very surprised at the size of the foundations for such a small and considerably light dwelling. And of course you answered the question later in the video :)
The raised piers are good for airflow and accessing pipework in the future. I also find you get a little less creepy crawlies.
Nice work! I’m also a designer in Los Angeles and I know exactly how rigorous the permit process is. I Just finished my detached new 1200sq. ft. ADU in the back of my house I had to go through additional requirements like Low Impact Development Design..It wasn’t easy but got the Final Inspection approval yesterday 🙌👍🤜. For the 18” min. Crawlspace I believe there is an exemption to that rule if you use a naturally durable or preservative-treated structural floor system. But going with a monolithic slab foundation is a good choice and Engineers prefer to use it when designing a new house for is structural reasons. I can’t wait for the next episode!
I'm building what I call a hybrid container home, in Upstate South Carolina. The basic permit was about $1100.00. I'm making 2 stacks of 2, 24' apart, on two end piers each stack, foundation wall on the inside facing sides, and 2 cylindrical piers, 12" diameter, starting with 2'wide x 1' thick footings all around. Add to that a foundation wall riser, 12" wide, 12" high, then narrowed to 7" wide, total rise 36". The entire foundation wall, with change in thickness was a monolithic pour. The inside has a 4" ledge, upon which the garage floor is poured. In each end of the end piers (18" wide by 81/2' x 40" high), are steel plates 1/2" thick x 12" x 14", with 5/8-11 threaded anchor "L" bolts in each plate, 4 each, embedded in the piers. Other plates are similarly embedded in the foundation walls and side piers. The bottom containers are to be welded to the plates. Top containers attached using standard shipping lockdowns to bottoms. Roof over entire structure, second floor uses I beams, bar joists, etc. This design does away with room width limitations between upper containers. Only openings in containers are for doors and windows. Rectangular tubing frames for all openings. Main living space is on upper floor, 1600sq/ft. Lower level is garage, workshop/ utility bottom left container, entrance hall and office/ den for right side. Stairway is alongside inner wall of right container. The ends are to be structural steel standard metal building design. With the rebar, I welded all risers, etc. This house will last for generations, weather storms, etc. Compared to the stick built on slab houses popping up around here, they are as a cheap car compared to a dump truck, structurally. BTW, I'm doing most of the work myself. I have an older Bobcat to be my workhorse. I would NEVER consider building in a high overhead, control freak state like Kleptifornicatia. And... I'm on 3 acres, with a creek running along the south boundary. The Smokies are 20 minutes north of here, Asheville 55 miles north. I will have water, no matter what happens in the desert out there. Water was one of my must haves. One more thing: this isn't meant to be cheap to build. It is meant to be solid shelter, not a temporary sticks and osb "tent."
How is your project going? (Resident of WNC here)
I would very much like too see this shelter. PLEASE!!!
@@gloriaharris5356 Just look up Andrew Camarata's youtube channel which is what I thought he was describing at first.
I like it - great job of following through on the red tape and for having the big picture view - looks great!
I’m impressed more with the video organization than its content. Very concise
so much actually useful information rather than feelings and PR. Thank You!
I plan on building my own place and everytime I consider doing it in California ,,, I watch this video :
My son is stationed at 29 palms and just bought a beautiful home near the Joshua tree. We were able to come out there finally and visit. He took us to the Joshua tree. Amazing place.
Glad this series is starting, have been looking forward to this!
So glad you made this second channel! It really does feel like a legitimate television series is being born! Thank you Ben And I will see you next week in Atlanta. This time I won’t make you sign my hat.😂
Chris
Does this mean Ben has another channel? I am new to following this build and also very excited to watch the process!
@@NoStringsRunning ruclips.net/user/HomeMadeModern
Excellent descriptions and explanations for your project. Great video!
I think that your thought process and building method is very sound. I wish i had found you when i was in school. I think that the SOG was a good system. The lateral support you get from the horizontal plane of the top of concrete at the top of grade spanning between the grade beams, it is a thinner volume than that of a structural slab on void, or slab on crawl space and allows for less concrete. Though the slab on crawl space mitigates the need for trenching for MEP lines so a cost analysis is generally the best way to do it; which is what you did, and since you are paying for the service, the engineers can figure out what is the most cost effective. Good job, well done and i think you got a great product out of it.
buy a good camper van and live where ever you want
Buy a sprinter van, and build it out to be the perfect (hidden, because it just looks like a van) camper
How much is a top of the range camper van ?
How much would a California permit be for that? lol
The corners of containers are strongest, all the weight up to 20+ tonn rests on those 4 points.
I'd just have dug 4 corner holes in the ground, compacted them and poured in concrete, and made sure it was all leveled. Also put container-shoes (Twistlock) in/on the concrete to better keep the container in place during windy conditions, they do grab alot of wind these big boxes.
I never heard of a twistlock but just looked it up, great advice.
Was thinking the same!
The civil guys really worked him over here. Does anyone know who stamped these drawings?
@Benzo Thats Cali for you, I don't see how any normal person can live there at the cost of living rate.
I would have hired a piling/foundation drill, then inserted used carpet roll tubes then fill with various size aggregate + compact at each stage + insert reinforce rods and pour concrete using air pokers to reduce air pockets, but it important to remember that the altering/cutting out of container walls does compromise its structure if not supported underneath, so I would have the container resting on 8 points ( 4 each side on 40 ft container to possible reduce flex),...the `Twistlock` is a great idea.
This is exceptionally well done. Thank you for putting this out!
Seeing all these building related comments for California is killing me LOL! But more importantly, I think this is such an AMAZING resource for people considering building container homes. I for one am a very detail fascinated person, who also loves to learn in general. Excited to see the rest of this process
"Sprinklers for fire suppression" you got a single bush every like 5 feet from each other
But, but...they might gang up on you!
I died laughing on your comment dude 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@pendejo6466 1- build a defensive wall around your house
2- make the bushes pay for it
3- ???
4- profit
Did he mean sprinklers inside the building?
@@geothr33 idk but usually sprinklers destroy almost as much of your inventory as a housefire would - the difference being that the sprinklers saves the house itself which the fire could easily burn to the ground. In this case, what is there really to save? The shipping container which is effectively the house? What do you really need sprinklers for here, I mean worst case you go and buy another shipping container lmao. Everything inside it will be ruined by the water anyways.
As a brit I think I would feel the need to riot if I had to pay $25000 for permits to build a simple shipping container house. I would definitely consider living in another state over something like that.
California is a socialist hell hole. They want you to pay taxes 12 years after you move out.
Gotta love California.
this isn't the norm. only in the shithole from hell known as leftist progressive california.
trust me, people are migrating out of CA in droves. it's an absolute hellhole of marxist propaganda and unbelievably corrupt bureaucracy
California for you. It's a joke
Right especially on your own land you purchased, California is not worth to build in bit I did like the video and the results
This is going to be a great series. And I think I'm never going to move to California! ;)
Good idea. Stay in your cold place with -70F winters, while we grow lemons. There is a reason for rules. This is earthquake country, wildfires too. This is paradise. We want to keep it that way.
@@lass-inangeles7564 "This is earthquake country, wildfires too. This is paradise." Yeah... keep that.
@@ArtKrishnamurti And as for you, where do you live? In India? Your neighbor Pakistan just shot down two of your jets. Nice place. Can't fly on a plane without getting shot down. What a great place to live - shortage of everything, rations, queuing up for basics, and cannot even breathe the air for pollution. Keep on living there. I have nice sea breezes so clean and pure.
@@lass-inangeles7564 Paradise? HA. The state government ruined california long ago. I moved out and will never go back...even to visit.
@@strohdog242 Where do you live? What do you like about it? I'm genuinely curious. I like the weather here, no snow mostly. I also like the laws that protect you in many ways. But yes, it is hard for permits, earthquake design, eco design, etc
Hey Ben! My colleagues and I are actually making a container project based on all of your videos. You inspired us to make a difference, and now we are making a portable research station that will have multiple uses and be sent around the world. We fabricated the windows and doors out of steel and will set up the interior. It would be great to hear from you and show you some of our progress.
Great stuff! Looking forward to the rest of the series Ben.
A non sarcastic comment from Jackman?! Are pigs flying?! :-) Really love the maker community encouraging one another. That can't always be said about other industries.
@@jaredstarnes6668 oh man, I don't remember leaving this comment, I must have been half asleep looking at the lack of sarcasm. Let me try again...
Hey Ben, could you please wear a tighter shirt next time?
😆😂👌🏼
This was great, thanks, been searching for "building your own shipping container home" for a while now, and I think this has helped. You ever tried - Panophia Nonpareil Principality - (Have a quick look on google cant remember the place now ) ? It is an awesome one of a kind product for discovering how to build a shipping container home fast without the normal expense. Ive heard some pretty good things about it and my partner got cool success with it.
@@emilyboada6640 😂
$25K in planning and permits!!! I was thinking this whole thing would cost $25K (less land).
california shake down
*ahem* frick CA.
A+++ Video, Great information and delivered well, I am looking forward to watch the next video, and thumbs up for putting in the costings. Thanks.
I appreciate your explanations about the structural part of the building, its a lot of learning. Thanks for sharing most of the related information
10 years from now this California home will be ALMOST complete!
The house plans i used are now available for sale here: gum.co/WLXVe
Link to the company i bought my shipping containers from: www.containerdiscounts.com/shipping-containers-for-sale-home-made-modern
Follow us on instagram for project updates: instagram.com/benjaminuyeda/
We are still working on getting the website for this project up and running so please be patient.
Good evening, I'm thinking of doing the same in south africa next year if the cost will be reasonable .how can we keep in touch please?regards bam
Holy crap you are a twin of my cousin
@@b-annm5571 you see people this is a GREAT idea in south Africa- it makes sense people to fill it with all supply's, a generator, beds, a scooter,tools, a gas grill, 4x4s to set it on and build a bug screen surround, a water reservoir,plumbing etc and etc. ship all this on a freighter and call it a cheap home but in America?? not as sensible of a choose in my book ;) but to each his own.
You are an angel
Angle the beams toward each other ,and one post on the open side. W your original foundation.
What I learned: never build anything in CA. lmao.
What I learned:
Shipping containers = $12850
Groundwork = ~$1400 (didn't say how many days the excavator worked)
Concrete = $6000
Handwork+ Pipes+ Rebar+Beer= ???
Permits = $25000+
Not to mention collecting rainwater is illegal and can be jailed
Bwahahhahahah
And yet Californians wonder why housing is so unaffordable.
Step 1- Move as far away from California as possible.
Step 2-????
Step 3 Profit!
@@Unconventional03 try kansas or some other amazing conservative -paradise- hellhole
Very good video. Nicely laced with a great level of detail. I liked the explanation of why you went for the slab foundation and the summary of (and I paraphrase) “It was the most pragmatic solution”. Would a six pile foundation with a central crossbeam in the middle have worked ? That should give a combination of depth and lateral support to address all of the issues highlighted.
Hello there. I popped in your videos and I pretty enjoy them. Well done for your effort.
I am an engineer myself having a background in Greek building code (very tough stuff due to intensive earthquakes over the continent) but also worked and still working on projects for California.
I need to note at this point that the building codes all across California are way too overestimated to the point that are not cost effective at all. Owners just financially suffer to finish off their investment without actual "engineering reasons" I dare to say.
In the meantime your engineers are afraid of undertaking the responsibility (due to the strict and sometimes unclear codes) so they come up with solutions that definitely cost a lot more than it should.
I will give you an example on the "lateral movement" that you mentioned. Just let the self supported element "container" freely move on a leveled surface. It won't go anywhere..You could have implemented supported slabs that could be either screwed in the ground (technology used for PV projects in open spaces) or just deep hammered vertical steel slabs in the ground adding some self expanding concrete to fill up any gaps between the slabs and the soil.
I hope I managed to give you an idea of how that could work according to my knowledge.
Many Regards from Greece!
Andreas.
hmmmm......letting the container move freely opens up the risk of severing electrical/water/sewer lines
@@alexfromoz thanks for the comment. I reckon that setting limiters around the support won't cause any problem. it's quite a popular method and I propose you could have a deeper look in it. It's like a restricted support instead of fixes like when calculate cantilevers.
I see a lot of negativity around here, and I’ll just say you DID IT GREAT! It’s inspirational to see how some people actually come out and take the things even when it is challenging and many don’t dare to even think of it, mediocrity or fear, or just broke people.
Claps to you and great documentary, subscribed and supporting ❤️❤️!!!
You were soo friggin informational. THANK YOU FOR YOUR AWESOMENESS! Please, keep this up. You're inspirational and educational, in other words YOU ROCK 😎👷♂️👨🏫🤙🏾
Thank you for sharing your information about building home from containers. I really appreciated your detail information about the build from permit, to foundation, to framing, and etc. lots of great insight information on what works or not. You should write a book on home container build.
Thank you for taking the time to film it all!
I thought the whole idea of Shipping Container House is to minimize work, time and money for constructing a home... and I don't think you saved any of those for it to matter
99maxa ...it was an exercise in absurdity. A conventional interior built in a steel oven in the desert...only because of the “repurposed” cashe?
Cache
@@davidjose2193 - hey David - did you know you can go into your original comment and edit it? Off to the right are 3 vertical dots. One will say 'edit'. Click that and you can fix anything you wrote.
To be fair, the actual construction of the home was far cheaper than a 'normal' home would be. The permits and taxes wouldn't be factored into the cost of materials and labor. Realistically, even with all the permits and taxes, its probably still cheaper than constructing a regular home in the same location.
@@michaelbaker2495 Now imagine how much cheaper it is to do in EVERY OTHER STATE.
How did you handle the flashing with the container and the slab? The beam that runs from each corner is not usually flush with the bottom of the corners, so did you flash or caulk that joint? My concern would be water ponding under the container, maybe you solved this by just sloping the slab? The project looks awesome and I've been following along from the start on IG, so I'm pumped to see you post the videos. Awesome content, and I appreciate you sharing the details of your experience!
great question! we will show how we used Quikrete precision non-shrink grout in later episodes and how we secured them to the slab
You put so much work into this project and this video. Thank you daddy.
I am a geotechnical engineer. Considering the stiff soil conditions, I would simply excavate about 50 cm of soil and replace it with gravel followed by compaction. Nothing much,
There are 2 main risk scenarios while laying a structure above a soil 1) Settlements 2) Bearing capacity. I do not think there are any risks since the soil conditions within the site are already too damn good and drainable.
Sorry to say but the structure engineer fooled you to earn some cash.
Exactly what I was thinking, that foundation was way way way over the top, and they never even ran his popups through it, that ground is solid probably hasn't moved for thousands of years, he was taken for a ride indeed
Gravel was my first thought too, but I use to live in louisiana, where everyone was cheap, and all the ground was mushy and wet... so thick layers of gravel are used all over the place, foundations, roads, parking lots, walk paths, etc anything where you don't want it to be a puddle tomorrow.
I know the area, it floods once every few years. Wouldn't this cause an issue with gravel?
Not at all. I come from the land of floods and there is gravel everywhere. If you are really worried about it you can make sure to set up barriers to route the water around the structure, and to stop the gravel from being carried off. Even just sandbags works for this, if you want something temporary you can store for less of an eye sore when you are using the structure.
imran zafar just gravel ? Earthquakes can / will shear off plumbing and electrical stubs , ground squirrels, prairie dogs , hedge hogs will burrow through edge of gravel creating a massive rodent network to live on , which brings snakes , you'd be dealing with rodents and snakes constantly
Cross bracing of the I-beams would likely have provided the stability needed. That would tie the two I-beams together and prevent them from rolling due to lateral movement. This type of cross-braced I-beam frame used to support large industrial cooling towers mounted on spring vibration isolation mounts, which in turn would be bolted to the concrete. This type of equipment is located at ground level and on building roof tops where seismic anchorage requirements are greater.
Cheers
Great idea!
Really good, great you've gone in to more detail and the thinking behind decisions you made. Like other have said been listening to the podcast and following along on Instagram and great to see the video. Thanks.
Smart guy - kudos for the mental and emotional flexibility to pull this through
Awesome video. Love the project. But why not do the obvious and place one of the containers on top, shifted 45-90 degrees so its resting and connecting the two others, to make one big house? (so much more potential imo)
Additional permits and drawings are required in most counties of california for multi level dwellings.
Did you get a permit for this video? Ah, now you're in for it.
I have spent months researching into building container homes and discovered an awesome resource at Magic Container Plans (google it if you're interested)
Lol!!!
@@josef.torrealba6992 I was just thinking about doing this in Ohio. Will google that. thanks
actually, anyone reading, don't even bother. All that site wants to do is sell you garbage you can't use.
Cut to the chase - this money-saving DIY project costs "15-20%" MORE than conventional building methods.
sdushdiu ...agreed! An insulated conventional interior...built in a steel oven...in a desert! Because “repurposed” is hip among millennials?
Given time, they also will learn. Bless them for being creative at this base of their young lives.
Out in the open desert you can get away with a cc. Just don't call it a house.
Yes, as I suspected. Thanks for the info.
@@davidjose2193 Should he cut down some trees instead or what?
In cali*
So far I've seen one suggestion for a different foundation and about 200 gripes about California.
I would agree with that one suggestion: use piers at each corner. To deal with the lateral stability issue, make the piers sit on massive footers. Or use the box itself as a structural element. The connection between the pier and the box would have to be totally rigid in all directions, which might call for some additional steel welded to the outside of the box. I could see I-beams welded vertically to each corner, and then extending downward and embedding in the piers. Or something.
Can't wait to see how he insulates this thing.
@@toothlessgrin7540 That's right, he said that. And he wanted to keep the floor level with an outdoor deck, so that would have to be raised too. Hm.
Not to argue with his priorities, but I think I would have gone with a raised house and deck. That might also have helped the house adapt to the site, which isn't totally flat, it appears.
I don't recall why he rejected a perimeter wall foundation.
Sir, you'll need a permit to breathe the air within that 10 acre space.
LOL 😂
For safety reasons of course
And of course theres also going to be a $50 respirator fee .@@jlewsd
Just saying ..... A wise man on the street said that : " ... GOD created every living thing to breathe free air because GOD cares for everyone and that is why the Air is free."
In other words ...no permits to breathe the air ... "Everyone gets to breathe air..... Ask the trees !". Happy Days !
@@MeetTheSmythes It's just a joke. Please don't hit me with your bible.
If I do this, I'm going with the crawl space option; much easier to run and hide and access all the mechanical, electrical and plumbing; and much cheaper.
I was thinking the same. Plenty of room to run plumbing, electrical, etc. with a house of that size.
Though I wonder how difficult it would be to change plumbing, electrical, etc. later on if done this way. I'm not very experienced in that so I don't know.
100k permit fees! still want a basement?????
I have been interested in shipping container living for awhile now, but couldn’t find much info on the actual build. Thank you for this! So informative! What is your IG account called?
Me, too. I have no problems with railings if I want to build decking 18 inches above the ground. In fact, I plan on making the tops of the containers usable as decks so there will have to be railings on the containers, too.
The amount of paperwork (and its cost!) is crazy. In Poland, if the land is generally accepted to build there anything, you can build something up to 35m2 and 5m hight without any permit. And permits takes time but cost closer to $250 than $25000.
Jan Klosowski That's because California is still a communist country.
I’m Polish. and would love to visit soon from Canada. possibly move there. any places of interest you would recommend. thanks !!
17madracki17 Texas or Wyoming.
annndddd thats why people die in a hot fiery mess in poland while playing escape room games :P
@@blaze-JS Nah. It was just an unfortunate fire. I guess it happens sometime here and there in California too… oh wait…
Thank you of sharing your video. I been interested in building container home for years. There just wasnt much information out there. Im saving up money to build my dream container home now. Thank you again for sharing the important information.
If concrete dries too fast it cracks & crumbles. What provision did you make for curing the concrete slabs after they were poured?
Not if he cured it properly.
"Permits costs me over $25,000 and took over 4 months"
Add this to the long list of reasons California sucks.
maglen69 just buy a house already built
Dont have those permits and all of a sudden you have 10k homes that dont fit the code and kill hundreds of people in 20 years.
@@Lawkodi Permits are fine, but they sure as hell don't need to cost $25,000. That's absolutely insane for permits.
@@MrClarkisgod It wasn't just permits in the 25k, it was surveys, drawings, etc. and it sounds like he had to have the drawings updated which is also expensive. This is why subdivisions are cookie cutter houses, it is way simpler to get going if you don't have a ton of variations.
Jarbear - Brawl stars yeah just buy a 3 room 1300 square foot house for $400k. That’s much better. Oh and don’t forget the taxes out the ass. Living in California sucks
Guy did one in the Ozarks here in Arkansas with 4 containers, cost about 60k, including the mountain top he purchased..
Those permits are absurd.
K Sullysvan wow, I’ve heard about that
Regulations and prices in parts of CA can definitely be a turn off. But I don't want to live in the south again. I've lived in CA twice. There's a reason people still move there.
@@JeannineFUNNY yes, it takes a strong stomach to live down here..
K Sullysvan aye I’m from Jonesboro Arkansas 👌🏼
K Sullysvan
$60k.......and he’s in the Ozarks. There’s a reason it’s cheap.
Very good, specific and informative videos!!!
Great great job!
Probably best video report about shipping containers homes on RUclips !
Good luck man!
✌🙂👍
That foundation is way over the top, you've been taking for a ride on that
What would be wrong with having six or eight 12" Sonotubes and putting the shipping container on top of that?
@@andrewmalone8709 seismic activity. It's California.
@@TheLegendaryFolklore I get that, I'm just wondering what the problem would be structurally if you did that. It seems like it would be perfectly fine in a saner state.
@@andrewmalone8709 it would be, but considering it's Cali, I think seismic waves would just kick the house into waves and shred the container one pillar at a time instead of a solid platform.
I doubt the amount of concrete, size of the hole, etc... had a real significant impact on the total cost of the house
7 minutes in and the most important thing I learned was "stay away from California".
It pays to not live in the middle of nowhere my friend
SO CAL is a beautiful location with amazing weather
@@Jsalcedo23 I have no doubt the weather and landscape is beautiful, California has always been a pretty state. Unfortunately it's politics are ugly. I'm watching it happen to my own pretty state of Colorado right now.
Chris Lord it’s not big of a deal.
California is also the only state that can fully support itself.. really it could be it’s own country that’s how great the states economy is
@@Jsalcedo23 Theoretically? Sure.
Realistically? Hell no.
Scenario:
The northern half of the states tried to secede how many times? Twice I think? The second Cali tried to break from the Union, the state of Jefferson would emerge as the 31st state to take Cali's place. The real question is now, can the Country of California support itself without its massive food production in the North. The amount spent on buying food (and other things Cali would lose) from the US after hundreds of embargoes and tariffs on the Country after seceding would cripple the economy. Then Cali would have to stand up a defense force, and I guarantee Uncle Sam would strip every ounce out of the bases and armories there. Another crippling act. So now, you have a huge population that can't feed or defend itself. Then the majority of your trade goes out the window because other countries wont violate the Embargoes. So now the lack of exports slowly destroys companies and growth further reducing the economy. So naturally following the California trend, taxes will sky rocket because Cali strongly believes you can tax a country into prosperity. So now people don't have jobs, they can't feed themselves, they aren't guaranteed protection, what money they do get is taxed into oblivion, and all the while the state is slowly burning to the ground because the infrastructure can't support the thousands of people and equipment required to fight wild land fires. Oh ya lets tack on water shortages because that seemingly happens annually. Oh and how much of the countries power supply is from out of state? They wouldn't have the economy to support everything above plus buying power from another country, if one was willing to sell. So now some form of production has to be created to generate the billions of kilo-watt/hours needed. In the current state could the country afford to invest billions it doesn't have into clean energy or would it tap into oil and coal effectively pissing off half the population begging for clean energy. Now some 20 million people are starving, undefended, unemployed, burning to death, lacking power, dehydrated, taxed to death, and guess what happens now. An earthquake. The big one? Probably not, but big enough to cause widespread destruction in some of the major cities, it could be. Now to combat rioting and extreme civil unrest, the entire state enacts martial law to try and regain some semblance of stability. So now a collapsing government is using firearms to suppress unarmed people into submission . Sounds like something the rest of the majority of the world would frown upon, don't you think? Now being such a threat to its own people, the backing of the international community and the simple act of secession, the US musters its forces, moves in, takes California back without hardly any fight and the state is forever in shambles because of its own ignorance and rash decisions.
But sure, California could be its own country.
@@Jsalcedo23 it's because of ignorant fucks like you, that cali is the shithole it is.
Thank you for this and the following videos! The first question that immediately popped up in my mind: Why are you building this tiny home at that location? The soil doesn’t look very fertile, there doesn’t seem to be any water nearby, it seems like in the middle of the desert with no oasis anywhere close. I was just wondering if you’re planning to really live there sort of minimally and sustainably or is it ´just an architectural project´?
good question
Projects like this are built for resale and then they are resold over and over again because the new owners eventually realize that it makes no sense to live in the desert and they get tired of trucking water in.
@@markman63 i realize that but in this case this guy is paying dearly to make this a permanent dwelling, now that he has all the details of doing such a build out there he may find some other rich people who want to live off the land out there also, ( and up sell this lifestyle)but this aint 4 the average container person to spend dearly on a permanent build, just sayin! no hate :)
@@NomadicSociety I believe the project was sponsored by home depot, so I'm sure that offset much of the costs. Although people do live out there full time, JT has become a popular weekend getaway for people from the city. Theres a national park, so people go biking, hiking, camping. There are lots of air bnb's in the area.
I think concrete slab is a really good idea. There are of course more effective ways but your method is the most cost efficient. I would dig a hole big enough for another container, put them on top of each other then weld them together. then put steel reinforcements to the side corners. That way you would get a basement but it would cost more.