How it works
Nine stages, and a rule that nothing expensive happens before your permit is issued
A factory-built home is a long project with other people's decisions in it. This page shows you every stage, who owns it, what it costs and what happens when something goes wrong.
1. Enquiry and free zoning check
No costSame day
Tell us where the land is. Within one business day we do a desktop look at your parcel: zoning classification, whether a detached dwelling or ADU is permitted, the code edition your county has adopted, and any obvious constraint like a minimum floor area or a flood zone.
We do this free, before you have paid us anything, because roughly one enquiry in five involves land where a container home is difficult or impossible. We would rather tell you in week one.
2. Discovery call
No cost15 minutes
We walk through the model that suits your parcel, the realistic timeline including permitting, and — the part that matters — what our price does not cover. Foundation, crane, utility connections, permit fees and taxes are yours. You should leave this call knowing your whole project budget, not just ours.
3. Proposal
No cost3 days
A written quotation with your delivered price on DDP terms, a full schedule of inclusions and exclusions, your timeline, and a 30-day validity date. Our refund policy and a sample feasibility report come with it, so you can read what you would be buying before you buy it.
4. Reservation
$3,000Credited in full
The reservation fee holds your production slot for 45 days and pays for the feasibility study and preliminary layouts below. It is credited in full against your next payment if you proceed.
If the study finds your lot cannot be permitted, you get all $3,000 back within 10 business days, and you keep the report. If you change your mind before the report is delivered, you are refunded less a $250 administration fee. The full terms are on ourrefund policy page.
5. Feasibility study
15 business days
A written report on your specific parcel covering zoning and permitted use, setbacks, height and lot coverage limits, the adopted code edition, wind, seismic and snow loads, the modular approval route in your state, utility availability, flood zone, wetlands and easements, a desktop assessment of the access route for an oversize load, and an indicative permit timeline and fee for your county.
It ends with one of three verdicts: feasible, feasible with conditions, or not feasible. It is a professional assessment based on published records — it is not a determination by your building department, and we never present it as one.
6. Design and permitting
4–16 weeksThe longest stage
This is the stage most builders are vague about, so here it is in full.
What we deliver, within 15 business days of design freeze
- Stamped structural drawings by an engineer licensed in your state
- Architectural plan set, plumbing and electrical layouts, energy calculations, foundation drawings
- Our modular program approval and state insignia documentation
What you do
You file the application, because in most jurisdictions only the landowner or a locally licensed contractor of record may apply. We give you the portal link, the form reference and the fee. When the plan checker sends comments — they usually do — you forward them and we answer directly. Two rounds are included at no charge.
What it costs you
Permit and plan check fees typically run $1,500 to $8,000 depending on your jurisdiction and project valuation, plus any impact fees. Your feasibility report gives the figure for your county rather than a national average.
How long
Typically 4 to 16 weeks. Rural counties can be three weeks. An urban jurisdiction with modular review and an HOA overlay can exceed six months. We check in every two weeks so you are not chasing us.
If your permit is refused
If your building department refuses a permit after our feasibility study said your lot was feasible, your contract terminates and you are refunded in full, less documented design and engineering costs, capped at the figure written into your contract. That cap is in your contract before you pay anything, and it is why we do the feasibility study before you commit rather than after.
The rule that protects you
Nothing expensive happens before your permit is issued. Production starts at Milestone 2, and Milestone 2 requires an issued permit. We do not cut steel on a home that might never be allowed to stand.
7. Production
5–18 weeks by model
Your home is built indoors at our facility in China, protected from weather, under a third-party plan review and in-plant inspection program approved for your state.
- Every two weeks, a photo log and a written update: what was done, what is next, whether we are on schedule, and anything we need from you.
- At structure complete, a live video walkthrough with you before the walls close, so you can check outlet positions, plumbing runs and the steel reinforcement at every opening. This is your last easy chance to move something.
- Before shipping, an independent inspector — not us — inspects the finished home against your specification. You receive their report and photo set, and nothing ships until you accept it.
You are a long way from the factory. Predictability is the point.
8. Shipping
5–9 weeks
We book the vessel, insure the cargo at 110% of value, clear customs, pay the duty and arrange inland transport. You receive the bill of lading, the insurance certificate and a tracking link.
Two things we need from you at this point: the completed site access questionnaire with photographs of your access road, any overhead lines and your cured foundation with anchor plates exposed; and confirmation that your local plumber and electrician are booked for delivery day.
9. Delivery and handover
One day
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| −30 min | Crane arrives and positions outriggers |
| Start | Transport arrives, rigging and pre-lift check |
| +1 hour | Lift and set on your foundation |
| +2 hours | Structural anchoring by our field technician |
| Afternoon | Your plumber and electrician connect to the external quick-connect panel |
| End of day | Walkthrough, punch list, acceptance form signed, keys |
You sign the acceptance form only when you are satisfied. Your warranty starts that day, and the final 8% is released when the punch list is closed.
10. After you move in
Register your warranty within 30 days. We check in at 30 days. Warranty claims go to warranty@containaura.com — acknowledged within 2 business days, a substantive answer within 10, and a site visit within 20 business days where one is needed, through our US service partner, whose name and direct number are in your handover pack.
Three things we tell everyone early
Container homes are not allowed everywhere
Some parcels will never support one. We check yours free, before you pay us, and we say so plainly when the answer is no.
We do not control your permit
Your building department does. We can prepare a strong application and answer the plan checker, but nobody honest can guarantee an approval.
Our price is not your project budget
Foundation, crane, utilities, permit fees and taxes are yours. We publish ranges for all of them on the pricing page.