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Moon Trailer Leasing and Moon Container Storage have what you need to build a shipping container house in Louisville, KY, but you'll need to get the permits yourself!

Permits and Approvals Needed to Build a Shipping Container Home in Louisville, Kentucky

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If you’re considering buying a plot of property and building a shipping container home on it, or perhaps you already have a plot of land that you want to develop with a shipping container house, then there are a few things to know before you start building. Louisville, KY requires a few permits, approvals, and prerequisites just as they would if you decided to build a traditional house. Considering that constructing a shipping container house is not a DIY project, you’ll need a team of professionals to ensure your home is safe to live in and properly made, and those professionals will be able to help you get the approvals and code compliance that you need to successfully build your shipping container project.

Below, we’ve outlined the general information on the City of Louisville’s “Quick Guide to Permitting Your Shipping Container Project.”

Building Permit

Building permits are one of the most important permits to obtain. They can be issued to a contractor or a property owner and is official, governmental permission to:

  • Construct
  • Enlarge
  • Remodel
  • Remove
  • Repair
  • Or otherwise change the occupancy of a building

Louisville also requires a submittal and drawings to explain the project to be included with your completed building permit application form. Here is the official Residential Building Permit Checklist to check off before you submit your building permit application!

Zoning

Within the link included, you’ll find the Louisville Land Development Code, where you’ll find important zoning information regarding:

  • Unit number and building size for zoning districts (Chapter 3)
  • Fence height and location (Chapter 4)
  • Building height and location (Chapter 5)
  • Front, side, and rear yard setbacks (Chapter 5)

Based on city zoning laws, you may not be able to build a residential structure in an agricultural or commercial zone, and the zone that your property is in will dictate how large, small, or what kind of amenities your house can have.

Preservation Districts and Overlays

Further than zoning, your property might reside in a protected district with specific laws pertaining to design stipulations and restrictions, or in overlay districts, which are defined as, “geographic zoning districts layered on top of another existing zoning district, or districts, that implements additional regulations.” You’ll want to check to see if those restrictions or additional regulations apply to you!

Plumbing

For applications to plumbing permits through the State Department of Housing, Buildings, & Construction Division of Plumbing, check the link above.

Required Inspections

According to the City of Louisville, “all permits require inspections by our department to ensure that all applicable code requirements have been met and that the project has been constructed according to the approved plans. The number of inspections varies according to each project but generally occur at the foundation stage, the framing stage, and a final inspection of everything. It is the responsibility of the permit holder to notify the department when the work is ready for inspection.”

You can request an inspection on the City of Louisville’s website.

Code Compliance

You’ll need to have a plan for code compliance from your contractor and professionals in the construction submittal before building for:

  • Foundations
  • Openings for doors and windows
  • Roofs
  • Attached patios and decks
  • Interior finishes and equipment
  • Electrical and HVAC systems
  • Insulation and energy code requirements
  • Utility connections
  • Snow and roof loads
  • Interior live loads
  • Lateral stability
  • Energy code compliance
  • Interior systems

Utility Easements

An easement, which is defined by the Kentucky government as, “the right to use the real property of another for a specific purpose.” Your property may contain utility easements which may prohibit the property from construction for utility purposes, so you’ll want to confirm the existence of any easements before you plan your shipping container house.

Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) Requirements

Our local sewer district, MSD, has requirements regarding flood plain, sewer connections, storm drainage, & erosion control that may impact your ability or the risk of building a shipping container house on your property.

Once you’ve made sure you have these requirements checked off, Moon Container Storage will be waiting with shipping containers to sell you for your housing project!

If you are looking for shipping container rentals or purchasing options in the Kentucky or Southern Indiana, considering giving Moon Trailer Leasing a call. Our experienced team has decades of experience serving the needs of customers throughout Louisville, Lexington, Clarksville, Jeffersonville, and New Albany. We also specialize in other related services including portable restroom and shower rentals, dumpster rentals, refrigerated container rentals and more. For additional details or to get a fast and easy quote for your project, give us a call at 502-776-2199. “Ask for the Moon, and get it!”

Facts about shipping container homes that you should know before you build

Fun Facts about Shipping Container Tiny Homes

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Shipping containers are one of those things that have a huge impact on everyday life, but are never really talked about. Considering that they transport half of the sea-bound global goods that make their way from different continents, they’re rarely considered when it comes to consumer trends, since they’re out of sight and out of mind. They’ve been here, though, helping us get goods across the sea since the mid-1950s, but it wasn’t until 1987 that the first patented shipping container home came about.

Since then, they’ve grown in popularity, but are still considered a relative rarity when it comes to permanent living solutions. Since used shipping containers sell for cheaper prices than you’d find for most other pre-built materials, they do seem pretty convenient to use as a foundation to your new living situations. If you’re interested in buying or renting a used shipping container, you can always contact Moon for a quote! If you’re still thinking about it, or perhaps you’re just interested in the concept, here’s 5 fun facts about shipping container homes that you might not have known!

1. You never know what it was used for to ship.

One thing that needs to be taken into account when searching and getting quoted for a used shipping container is the materials that it once shipped. Any container that was used to ship hazardous materials won’t be available for the general public’s use, but in regards to allergies or general cleanliness, you’ll definitely want to double check with your contractor what exactly used to reside within the walls of your potential home.

2. The total cost for building shipping container houses are lower than traditional houses.

This being said, when it comes to living quarters, nothing ever should be cheap. Quality materials that will last are of much higher value than those you can get for a quick buck. Insulation, plumbing, HVAC systems, and the like should not include any cut corners since they play an important role in your everyday life at home. This is why there is a big rift in what you’ll find pricing to be on different sites that specialize in shipping container homes, whether they sell pre-fabricated shipping container homes or only provide information on how to build one. An average that it often used for single-container homes is approximately $30,000 – but again, that’s all dependent on the services and materials you choose to employ in your shipping container home.

3. They’re very versatile.

Taking into account the fact that you can easily have as much space as you want with no limit (except for land space, that is) on the number of shipping containers you can use for your house, the modular nature of these homes is entirely customizable based on your desires and budget. The containers that Moon offer come in 20 foot and 40 foot as well as Hi-Cube dimensions to create any size of house you need.

4. They’re already durable and weatherproof.

With an original job that involves transporting goods across bodies of water, these containers have to be up for the job of protecting that which they’re entrusted with, and since most containers are retired after only a few uses, their integrity stands up to the test. Made from heavy-duty metals such as steel or aluminum and meant to withstand all kinds of weather, sea salt, and conditions, shipping containers are waterproof, fireproof, and sometimes even have earthquake and storm-resistant ratings.

5. In order to build one yourself, you’ll need professional training.

If you’re looking to DIY the entire thing, as we mentioned before, these shipping container homes are only as cheap as the materials and labor allow. If you don’t have professional training in plumbing, metalwork, carpentry, or electrician trades, you’ll want to budget for these services. Too many things can go wrong if they are attempted by a novice or guided by online tutorials, and will only make the house more expensive in the long run. Check out the Container Home Hub’s article, Building a Shipping Container Home in Kentucky – A Complete Guide, for more information about Kentucky shipping container homes.

For Your First Steps, Call Moon

If you’re looking for shipping container rentals or purchasing options in the Kentucky or Southern Indiana, considering giving Moon Trailer Leasing a call. Our experienced team has decades of experience serving the needs of customers throughout Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky and in Clarksville, Jeffersonville, and New Albany, Indiana as well. Along with delivering clean, high quality, well-constructed units designed to meet your needs, our team is proud to offer competitive rates and top-notch customer service. Additionally, we also specialize in other related services including portable restroom and shower rentals, dumpster rentals, refrigerated container rentals and more for when you need them during your project. For additional details or to get a fast and easy quote for your project, give us a call at 502-776-2199 or fill out our online form!

“Ask for the Moon, and get it!”