Custom Container Builders is building this project shown Thursday in Fishers. The unit is just south of downtown Fishers and it is planned to be an Airbnb rental. Photo by Richard Sitler | The Herald Bulletin.
ANDERSON — An Anderson company is creating custom designed and built homes from former shipping containers.
Custom Container Builders is located in a former General Motors facility on Jefferson Street and started in business in 2019.
Mike Lewis, a co-owner of the company, said prior to creating the container homes, which were featured at the Indianapolis Home Show, the company built traditional housing.
The company has 11 employees that convert the containers into usable living space that includes custom cabinets, plumbing, electrical and heating and air conditioning units.
The company plans to construct up to 15 homes this year with plans to expand in the future.
The cost starts from $60,000 to $1 million.
“We send homes all over the country,” Lewis said. “We can build about 95% of the homes here and then ship it to the location.”
He said depending on the size of the home the construction can take up to eight months.
Lewis said the company uses a lot of 40-foot containers that can be expanded from the eight-foot width.
“Right now, we have several being built in Indianapolis and Fishers,” he said. “Getting ready to build one in Brown County.”
Lewis said typically the homes are built with more than one container unless there is going to be a corresponding tradit ional structure.
“The nice thing about the containers is you can make them how you like,” he said. “Some people like the corrugated look or we can put siding or an A-frame roof.”
Lewis said people buy a container home for many reasons.
“One is with the structural steel it can withstand a 180 mile per hour straight line wind,” he said. “More structurally sound house for the same price as a traditional one.”
A metal foundation is put in place and the container home is welded to the plate.
“We just did the home show and about 75,000 people came through,” he said. “In a sense I’m surprised at how quickly the business has grown but the big thing was getting people to see and walk through one of the homes.
Potential customers can bring in their own design or the company has a design staff to assist, Lewis said.
“We have models already ready or (we can) build a custom home,” he said.
Most of the homes are made with three to seven containers, depending on the design, Lewis said.
Mark Strack has been a carpenter for 40 years and working at the company for 18 months and recently moved from Indianapolis.
“This is a great concept,” he said. “Helps the environment with what we’re doing.”
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