Shipping Containers For Schools and Universities

Shipping Containers are The Perfect Storage Solution for Schools and Universities

There is no construction project so small that it can’t become a major headache. This is doubly true when it comes to government buildings.

Consider something as simple as a storage lockup. Suppose you want to build something no larger than a one-car garage for storing school equipment. The kind of project you and a few friends could put together in a couple of weekends.

Well if you want to build it on school property, with government funds, consider all of the hoops you have to jump through before you can even start building:

• Permits and zoning. You have to match building guidelines set out by local, state and federal permit and zoning authorities, and then you have to wait to get the building design approved, a process which may take months.
• Budgeting. If you were building on your own property, you’d be ready to start as soon as the paperwork goes through. If you’re building on school property, you’ve got to apply to have the project financed, hope it gets approved, and hope there’s nobody with a political ax to grind looking to slow the process down.
• Bidding. You’re not going to be able to hire the guy who installed your second bathroom. You’re going to be given a list of builders who have been approved for government contracts and have them bid on the project. Again, this is going to add days or weeks to the project before you’ve even started building.

With this in mind, is it any surprise that schools and Universities have hopped onto the shipping container trend?

Consider the big advantages:

• There is going to be a lot less paperwork involved in taking a prebuilt structure and dropping it onto school property. You don’t have to build anything, you don’t have to get any designs approved, you just need permission to place the storage container.
• The cost may wind up a fraction of what you would pay to build a whole new structure. Construction costs will vary by state and by project, of course, but Proest puts the number at around $100 per square foot for a typical commercial building project, which would cover something like a storage unit for a school. You will need to get in touch with a seller in order to get a quote, but you can generally bet that a 40-foot storage container is going to cost you less than building a comparable structure from scratch.
• Once the structure is delivered, that’s it. You now have a secure storage facility on campus. End of story. It is a simple transaction.

Even the building of a simple 20×8 foot storage facility can get very political very quickly, becoming a platform on which any number of feuds and agendas may be carried out. A 20-foot shipping container, on the other hand, doesn’t attract that kind of attention. It’s not “a new project,” it’s a simple one-and-done purchase.

If what you’re picturing is just a big metal box, these units are actually highly-customizable. They can come with pre-installed windows and ventilation, or even restroom facilities and drywalling. The basic structure is just a shipping container, but they are made to order and can be fitted with whatever features you need for your storage facility.

If your school or university needs a new storage facility, concession stand or ticket booth, all you really want is to get the structure up fast and under-budget. That’s what a storage container can offer. No bidding, no contracts, no debating, no paperwork, no politics, just call or request a quote, get it delivered, and you’re done.