Will Chicago Zoning Allow For Shipping Container Homes?

[lenniel]

Originally Posted by doodlemagic

I love the design of shipping container homes. Granted you could build boxy houses without using shippingcontainers but they are meant to hold lots of weight and be stacked, can't find a more structurally sound building material or shape than shipping containers. Also, I kinda like the minimalist micro housing movement going on right now. If shipping container isn't in the cards for me considering living on a boat down in Charleston SC or possibly even living out a van and traveling for a while

If Chicago wasn't such a pain in the ass to deal with it would actually be a very affordable way to build a home, $1500 or so per container so wind up with about 1200sq feet for about 4K and then obviously gotta hookup electric, plumbing, etc. Chicago may not allow it but ideally if you built one of these in ohter areas you could do solar and composting toilets and be off the grid so to speak.

I actually have a buddy who used to build prefab houses though he would do a bit of customizing and do bay windows and stuff. He knows how to do pretty much everything building from scratch and I thought he'd make a great guy for this project, also he normally works for me for pretty cheap.

I think you guys are right even though this could potentially be a very cheap way to build a home after bribing alderman and code inspectors and hiring lawyers and of course architects and engineers to prove it's structurally sound even though you really couldn't find a more structurally sound material it would be costly. I'd really prefer not to be out in the sticks but in Illinois I imaigne maybe thats the only way to do this.

In some cities that aren't such a mess they actually encourage shipping container homes as a green and cheap alternative to typical consturction, cities like Portland, Seattle, Vancouver etc love this type of stuff and probably can actually get some subsidies but in Chicago I think you guys are righ probably not doable unless you wanna spend more than it would cost to just build a house.

Please don't move to Charleston and live on a boat. You'd had it. Hot, muggy, bugs, very, very conservative, religious, etc, etc.

You should check out some of the communes in CA. Nice weather, friendly, etc.

[Midwest Revival]

Are you kidding me?

[lycos679]

Originally Posted by doodlemagic

I love the design of shipping container homes. Granted you could build boxy houses without using shippingcontainers but they are meant to hold lots of weight and be stacked, can't find a more structurally sound building material or shape than shipping containers. Also, I kinda like the minimalist micro housing movement going on right now. If shipping container isn't in the cards for me considering living on a boat down in Charleston SC or possibly even living out a van and traveling for a while

If Chicago wasn't such a pain in the ass to deal with it would actually be a very affordable way to build a home, $1500 or so per container so wind up with about 1200sq feet for about 4K and then obviously gotta hookup electric, plumbing, etc. Chicago may not allow it but ideally if you built one of these in ohter areas you could do solar and composting toilets and be off the grid so to speak.

I actually have a buddy who used to build prefab houses though he would do a bit of customizing and do bay windows and stuff. He knows how to do pretty much everything building from scratch and I thought he'd make a great guy for this project, also he normally works for me for pretty cheap.

I think you guys are right even though this could potentially be a very cheap way to build a home after bribing alderman and code inspectors and hiring lawyers and of course architects and engineers to prove it's structurally sound even though you really couldn't find a more structurally sound material it would be costly. I'd really prefer not to be out in the sticks but in Illinois I imaigne maybe thats the only way to do this.

In some cities that aren't such a mess they actually encourage shipping container homes as a green and cheap alternative to typical consturction, cities like Portland, Seattle, Vancouver etc love this type of stuff and probably can actually get some subsidies but in Chicago I think you guys are righ probably not doable unless you wanna spend more than it would cost to just build a house.

I'm just not seeing why you would want to take this on. It would be cheaper and easier to just have a house custom built for you.

Btw, last I heard traditional homes are the most structurally sound.

Sommers is now able to offer customizable green homes priced at $150 – $250 per square foot.

[ChicagoMeO]

I saw a tiny home (thats what they are called)… and someone with a truck was able to steal it right off the land. they are pretty small and so i can imagine your shipping container being stolen by anyone who has a truck.

[Dport7674]

Originally Posted by ChicagoMeO

I saw a tiny home (thats what they are called)… and someone with a truck was able to steal it right off the land. they are pretty small and so i can imagine your shipping container being stolen by anyone who has a truck.

I don't imagine the shipping container houses that you'd see in a city would so easy to steal. What with gas, electric, water, sewer lines. And I assume anchored to a foundation.

[TheFrankA]

Hey all
does anyone know of any towns or villages in Illinois that does allow or encourage container housing?

FrankA

[jmblakemore]

We can do it.
https://www.facebook.com/EverGreenManufacturing/
Innovativehabitats.com

[kyost]

"i want to build a trendy cheap home that violates all city codes in a neighborhood i heard was up and coming on the internet"
realistically, vacant lots in pilsen are going for more than the cost of a finished house in cheaper/less desirable parts of the city, not to mention if youre broadening your scope from chicago to south carolina you can probably just buy a house anywhere else youd like in the US for the same price.