Modified containers
A modified container is a shipping container converted into an office, a home, a shop or a café. Our test keeps a listing only if it gives a price for one unit, a use and a length, says it was converted from a used or modified shipping container, and shows no sign of a prefab cabin. In our surveys of 20 October 2026 and 22 October 2026, a 40 ft office passed it, at ₹4,00,000. Most units sold in India as container offices or container houses are prefab cabins, which this site leaves out.
Updated 22 Oct 2026Converted shipping containers listed with a price
| Conversion | City of the listing | Price | Seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 ft office container | Kolkata | ₹4,00,000 | 20 Oct 2026 |
Public listings in India that passed our test (a price for one unit, a stated use and length, a title saying it was converted from a used or modified shipping container, and no sign of a prefab cabin), from our surveys of 20 October 2026 and 22 October 2026. GST not stated. Most units listed as container offices or homes are prefab cabins and are left out. None of these listings details the fit-out (insulation, wiring, AC, toilet): ask for the list of inclusions before comparing.
A conversion starts from the box, whose price this site reads every week: a used 40 ft high cube from ₹1,58,000, a one-trip one from ₹3,00,000, a used 20 ft box from ₹1,04,000. The conversion comes on top, and its price depends on what it includes. Asia Containers does not sell or convert containers: describe your project, its size, use and PIN code, in a quote request, and partner sellers who cover your PIN code can reply.
Prefab container house or converted shipping container?
The same words, “container office” or “container house”, cover two products. A converted shipping container keeps its corrugated steel walls, its corner castings, its door locking bars, the CSC plate on the door and an outside width of 2,438 mm. A prefab cabin is a light frame clad with sheet or panels, built to order. A listing priced per square foot, or describing PUF or sandwich panels, a mild steel portable cabin or a size like 20 × 10 ft, is a cabin. The container or porta cabin page compares the two.
Modified shipping containers: what the conversion includes
The same word covers a box with one door cut in it and a finished office with insulation, wiring, lights, an air conditioner and a toilet. That is why two conversions cannot be compared on price alone. Before you compare two quotes, ask each seller for the list of inclusions:
- openings: doors, windows, vents, with their frames and grills;
- insulation of walls and roof, its type and thickness, and the inside lining;
- floor: the original timber, a cement board, vinyl;
- electricity: wiring, distribution board, sockets, lights, earthing;
- air conditioning, toilet and plumbing, if any;
- paint inside and out, and rust treatment of the base box.
Which container to convert: the 40 ft high cube
For a home or an office, a 40 ft high cube is the box to start from: its 2,698 mm of inside height survive insulation. In most of India the challenge is heat, not cold: a steel box in the sun turns into an oven without roof insulation and shade. A second roof sheet on a light frame above the box, with an air gap, does more than any paint.