It’s not uncommon to see shipping containers in Oklahoma. People use them as storage in their backyard , for pop-up shops, offices, sheds, saunas, and even as a tiny home! The shipping container ideas are endless. As we’ve seen, there’s a trend in shipping container homes and other alternative living spaces throughout the world. Even right here in Oklahoma City and surrounding areas! Therefore, it’s important to understand all that a shipping container home or any other container real estate requires before you take the plunge and purchase or rent one. For many of us, we get an idea, get excited, and want to start a project right away. But before you start your next project, ask yourself, ” Do I need a permit for my shipping container? “
The short answer is yes, you do typically need a permit to build or modify a shipping container for use as a container home or other habitable spaces in Oklahoma. This is due to the fact that most shipping containers are made from steel and metal materials, which require certain safety requirements.
Moreover, where you live in the United States will play a big part in what type of permit you’ll need. For example, New York will have different laws than San Antonio or Rhode Island.
Not only that but there are many aspects to think about before building yourself a container house or other customer container living space.
Before getting started consider:
- Environment: Are there existing trees or other natural elements that might need to be considered? Will you need additional insulation for hot or cold weather?
- Size: How much space do you need and is it feasible to fit a cargo container in your desired location? What square foot will you need in order to comfortably live in the space?
- Lighting: Will you need additional lighting or natural light? Do you want to use mirrored strips on the walls to reflect more light into the space? Will you add solar panels to your roof?
- Finishing materials: What kind of flooring and wall finishing materials are best suited for recycled shipping container houses? Will you use standard insulation, sprayable insulation foam, or other insulating techniques to keep your housing comfortable year-round?
- Design plan: What will your shipping container home design or office space look like? How will you use the space and what type of atmosphere do you want to create?
- Floor plan: How will you divide up the space inside the container? What rooms do you want and where will they be located in relation to each other? Will you have a modular home with a master bedroom, office or living room? Will there be multiple shipping containers?
- Amenities: Will your home be off-grid or will you need to connect to utilities? If so, how will you do that? What kind of appliances and fixtures will you need in order to live comfortably in your space? Will you need to use steel tubes other, PVC pipes, or materials to plumb your home? Will you need multiple containers?
No matter where you live, laws for adding buildings to your lot vary. This means you need to do in-depth research on the area you plan to place your shipping container. In Oklahoma, you certainly need permits to use a shipping container. The last thing you want is to purchase your storage container and be unable to use it!
So, let’s talk about some of the general laws and permits you’ll need to get to start building!
Do I need a permit for my shipping container? — It depends.
Before you consider what permits you need and what laws you should be aware of, you need to think about how long you plan to have your shipping container on the lot. The law generally classifies this as ‘temporary,’ ‘seasonal,’ and ‘permanent.’ There are different laws for those using shipping containers for ‘residential’ purposes such as residential homes. Remember that if you’re considering shared outdoor spaces, you’ll have to answer different questions about the lot.
Temporary Placement
Temporary placement and use of the shipping container is legal with a permit for places zoned for agricultural, commercial, industrial storage, shipping purposes, and roll-off trash containers. Once the building or trade permit is valid, you will have no problems! Depending on your city, roll-off trash containers do not need a permit for a predetermined set of time. For example, in Choctaw, Oklahoma, a roll-off trash container can remain on a lot for no more than 30 days unless authorized by the Director of planning of his/her designee.
Seasonal Placement
You can use shipping containers seasonally for pop-up shops and any other activities. Cities in Oklahoma will give individuals a 3-month permit to build their seasonal structure within the same calendar year. Some cities do not allow seasonal shipping containers to be vertically stacked or placed in front of the principal structure of the lot. In addition, you cannot place shipping containers in the required parking area. Seasonal containers can only be used on commercial, industrial zoning.
Permanent Placement
Shipping Containers can be permanently placed on agricultural, commercial, and industrial zoned property. You must have a building permit for your specific container! Most importantly, the container must be anchored or tied down on the ground floor of your container. Once the containers are larger than 320 square feet, a permanent foundation is necessary. (However, a single 40-foot container contains just 302 square feet .)
Similar to laws for temporary and seasonal structures, shipping containers must be at the side of the rear of the principal building. However, they must be screened from view, especially when near residential areas. You can choose between opaque and landscaping screening – the specifics vary per city.
Residential Placement
The laws on the placement of containers on residential lots are more strict. You are unable to place any permanent structures. Temporary placement of a shipping container stops at 14 days, with the only expectation being a 14-day extension. You must register this container with your city. Most importantly, each city limits how many times you can have a container on our residential lot.
Container Homes Oklahoma
For those wanting to build tiny homes or single family homes from a repurposed shipping container, it’s important to consider your lot zoning, every building code and any regulations that might come with that.
Though a tiny house may seem unobtrusive, most zoning codes have minimum size requirements that a house must meet. You’ll also need to find out what the setback requirements are for your particular lot – this is the distance the house must be set back from property lines, roads, and bodies of water.
Generally, it’s best to have your own land for a container home. It can be easier to obtain the appropriate permits and avoid issues from your neighbors if you own the lot outright. You’ll even be able to put up a privacy notice to keep people from walking onto your property.
Containers Must Be in Good Condition
Finally, any containers that you use in Oklahoma must be in good condition and well maintained. The extent of this law varies per city. However, generally speaking, your container must be free from rodents, insects, rust, graffiti, and vulgar words or images.
Now, that you are up to date on the legality of using shipping containers in your area for alternative living spaces, custom container living, and overall storage, you likely feel more confident in your purchase decisions!
All that’s left to do is find your perfect steel container and build your custom container living space or storage unit! But don’t worry, Twisted S Containers in Oklahoma has what you need! We offer shipping containers, including 20-foot and 40-foot WWT containers.
Contact Twisted S for pricing and availability.
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