Guides / Container Houses
A 20 ft expandable container house from China is quoted at roughly USD 6,000 to USD 15,000 per unit, FOB China, and that spread is indicative only — it moves with the wall panel core, the wet-area fit-out, the quantity on the order and the port you ship to. Below is what the number is made of, what it leaves out, and how to read two quotes for the same building.
The range above is assembled from published Chinese export listings and trade benchmarks read in November 2026, not from a price list of ours. At the bottom of it sits a 20 ft module: EPS sandwich panels at 50 mm, a galvanised frame, one door, two windows, a bathroom cluster, wiring in place and nothing else. At the top of it sits the same footprint with rock wool panels at 75 or 100 mm, upgraded glazing, a fitted kitchen counter and a partition set for three rooms.
The per-unit figure is also the wrong number to compare on its own. Two 20 ft sets load into one 40HQ and deliver about 74 m² of finished floor, so the freight is spread over twice the area of a single unit shipped alone. On a delivered basis that changes the ranking between suppliers more often than the unit price does.
Two sizes carry most of the export volume, and both open to roughly double their folded width. The table uses the dimensions published on our expandable container house page and the indicative ranges described above. They are ranges, not a quotation.
| Model | Folded size (L × W × H) | Expanded floor area | Indicative FOB China, per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 ft expandable | ≈ 5,900 × 2,200 × 2,480 mm | ≈ 37 m² | USD 6,000 – 15,000 |
| 40 ft expandable | ≈ 11,800 × 2,250 × 2,530 mm | ≈ 74 m² | USD 9,000 – 20,000 |
Ranges only. A 40 ft single-side unit usually prices at 1.3–1.8 times the 20 ft, since one frame carries twice the floor but not twice the wall, door and window count. Converted to floor area, the 20 ft range works out at roughly USD 160–400 per m² of finished space — arithmetic on 37 m², not a published rate.
Where the money actually goes is less mysterious than the spread suggests. The folded module is a steel box: galvanised frame with ISO corners, folding floor and roof panels, sandwich panel walls that hinge out on site. Steel coil, panel core and factory labour are the three inputs that set its cost, and all three are bought in China at prices that move month to month. That is why a supplier who quotes from last year's sheet is either absorbing the difference or will find it somewhere in the specification.
A quoted unit price should name each line below. If a quote arrives as a single figure, ask for it broken out this way — not to negotiate, but to see what you are actually buying.
| Line | Normally inside the unit price | Usually outside |
|---|---|---|
| Main frame | Galvanised steel frame, ISO corners, folding floor and roof panels | — |
| Wall and roof panels | 50 / 75 / 100 mm sandwich panel, EPS, rock wool or glass wool | Non-standard cladding finishes quoted separately |
| Floor | Floor build-up with finished surface as specified | Upgraded floor finishes |
| Doors and windows | Door set, aluminium sliding windows with insulated glass | Security doors, larger glazed openings |
| Electrical and plumbing | Pre-wiring, sockets, lighting, distribution board, pre-installed pipework inside the module | Connection to site power and water |
| Wet areas | Bathroom cluster and kitchen counter when specified | Appliances, sanitaryware upgrades |
| Transport | — | Ocean freight, insurance, destination charges, duties |
| Site | — | Level base, crane or hiab, assembly crew, permits |
The two lines buyers most often assume are included and are not: the base, and the lift. An expandable module is craned or hiab-lifted into position and then opened, and the base has to be level across the expanded footprint, not the folded one. Sizing a foundation to the folded plan is a common and expensive mistake, and no supplier's unit price covers it.
Two 20 ft sets in a 40HQ, or one 40 ft set. Both give about 74 m² of finished floor per container, which is the figure to hold in your head when comparing the two sizes: the 40 ft is not twice as efficient, it is the same efficiency in one lift.
The folded module is smaller than the ISO 668 container envelope of 6,058 × 2,438 × 2,591 mm, so it travels in a standard dry container with the doors closed — no flat rack, no open top. At 2,200 mm folded width there is residual space alongside the module, which is where a mixed load becomes worth planning: if the same project also needs aluminium ceiling systems, the cartons can travel in the same box rather than in a second one.
The count assumes the folded module only. Interior fittings packed inside it do not change the number; loose furniture does. The loading plan for your own layout is issued with the quotation, and the general logic is set out in how many units fit in a 20ft or 40HQ container.
Four lines carry most of the movement, and each one is a decision you make rather than a market you watch.
| Driver | Options | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Panel core and thickness | EPS, rock wool, glass wool at 50 / 75 / 100 mm | Rock wool costs more than EPS and weighs more; thicker panels add wall depth and reduce internal area |
| Frame steel and coating | Galvanised frame, ISO corners; hot-dip or electro-galvanised | Hot-dip adds cost and adds service life on coastal sites |
| Wet-area fit-out | Bathroom cluster, kitchen counter, partition set | The largest single swing inside the module, and the first line trimmed in a cheap quote |
| Quantity | One set, or a project order | Sets the loading plan and whether the order fills a container on its own |
| Destination port | FOB or CIF terms | Changes the freight element, not the unit price |
One driver is not on the list because it is not a choice: steel. The frame is the heaviest purchased input in the module, and coil prices on the Chinese market move within a quarter. A quotation carries a validity period for that reason. If you are budgeting six months ahead, budget a range rather than a point.
Comparing an expandable against a flat-pack unit is a separate question, and the cost structure differs by more than the unit price. The flat-pack cost guide sets out the five factors on that side of the range, and the detachable container page covers the bolted variant that ships flat and assembles on site.
Minimum order quantity is quoted per project rather than fixed for every destination, because a single 20 ft set and a container of modules plus ceiling cartons load differently and are priced differently. If you are testing a market with one unit, say so — it changes which sub-model we propose before it changes the price.
Lead time runs from deposit and drawing sign-off, not from the enquiry. The drawing is what production is matched against, so the clock starts when it is approved. Both the MOQ and the lead time appear on the quotation, next to the specification they belong to.
Send the five inputs — size, quantity, specification or intended use, destination port, and a drawing if you have one — and the answer comes back as a quotation with the loading plan attached. That is the point at which a range becomes a number you can sign.
Published Chinese export listings for a 20 ft expandable module sit between roughly USD 6,000 and USD 15,000 per unit, FOB China. That is an indicative range taken from supplier price pages and trade benchmarks, not a quotation: the low end is a module with EPS wall panels and a basic bathroom cluster, the high end is the same footprint with rock wool panels, a fitted kitchen and upgraded glazing. A 40 ft single-side unit is usually priced 1.3 to 1.8 times the 20 ft because it carries twice the floor area in one frame. Every firm number has to be quoted against your drawing, quantity and destination port.
A quoted unit price covers the galvanised steel frame with ISO corners, the folding wall and roof panels, the floor build-up, doors and windows, pre-wiring and pre-plumbing inside the module, and the internal partition set for the layout you choose. It does not cover freight, the foundation or level base, crane or hiab offloading, site connection of power and water, local permits, duties or loose furniture. Ask for the exclusion list in writing, because a price that leaves out offloading looks lower and is not.
Two 20 ft expandable sets fit in one 40HQ, or one 40 ft set. Both cases deliver about 74 m² of finished floor from a single container, because a 20 ft unit opens to about 37 m² and a 40 ft unit opens to about 74 m². The count assumes the folded module only; interior fittings packed inside the module do not change it, loose furniture does. Confirm the loading plan for your own layout before the container is sealed.
Four lines move it more than the rest: the wall panel core and thickness (EPS, rock wool or glass wool at 50, 75 or 100 mm), the frame steel gauge and whether it is hot-dip or electro-galvanised, the wet-area fit-out (bathroom cluster and kitchen), and the quantity on the order. Steel and rock wool are the two material inputs that carry the cost, so the price tracks those markets rather than a fixed list. Destination port changes the freight element, not the unit price.
Minimum order quantity is quoted per project for a standard export order rather than fixed for every destination, because a single 20 ft set and a mixed container of modules plus ceiling cartons load differently. Lead time is counted from deposit and drawing sign-off, not from the enquiry, and both figures are stated on the quotation you receive.
No. FOB China ends when the container is loaded at the Chinese port, so ocean freight, insurance, destination charges, duties and inland delivery all sit outside the unit price. Freight is charged per container, which is why the sets-per-container figure matters as much as the unit price: two 20 ft sets in one 40HQ spreads the freight over 74 m² of floor, and that arithmetic often beats a cheaper unit that loads worse.