Buyer guides · 7 min
Container mathematics: how a house fits in 2×40HC
Shipping decides modular economics. The arithmetic of panels, containers and centre of gravity — from a live project.
The strategy decision comes first
For the Missouri residences AeroPodHomes evaluated three delivery strategies against transport limits, crane access and connection count. The panel kit shipped: 69 panels, 2×40HC, with the trade-offs stated in writing.
What 2×40HC actually holds
A 40 ft high-cube gives 12,032 mm internal length. Container 1 carries structure: floor cassettes and the frame and rail sets. Container 2 carries envelope and fit-out: panel crates, glazing, the service core and the deck kit. Every crate position is planned; the loading plan is confirmed with the factory before dispatch.
Centre of gravity and unload order
Loading is not stacking — it is sequencing. Centre-of-gravity compliance and an unload order that mirrors installation are both planned and confirmed with the factory before dispatch. The confirmed plan travels with your shipment, so the receiving team knows what comes off first.
How many units fit in one 40HQ
The question every multi-unit project asks first, across our families: twelve folding units (ten for corrugated models) at 168 m² of floor area · six Small 20FT expandable at 165 m² · four 10FT expandable at 74 m² · two 20FT expandable at 74 m² · one 30FT at 57 m² · one 40FT at 74 m² · and one panelized residence as 2 × 40HC. An apple cabin D1 or D2 does not go in at all — at 3.30 to 4.40 m wide against a 2.34 m door opening it moves as out-of-gauge cargo, as does every manufacturer's capsule house.
The buyer's checklist
Ask: how many containers, which strategy was considered and rejected, where is the CoG calculation, and does unload order match install order? Anything that cannot be answered now becomes a cost later.
Common questions
How many container houses fit in a 40ft container?
Twelve folding units per 40HQ, or ten for corrugated models — 168 m² of finished floor area in one box. Expandable units load six, four, two, one and one for the Small 20FT, 10FT, 20FT, 30FT and 40FT respectively. A panelized cabin such as the Missouri residence ships as two 40HC per residence.
Why can a capsule house not go inside a container?
A 40 ft high-cube door opening is 2.34 m wide and 2.58 m high. A capsule house is 3.0 to 3.3 m wide, so it is 650 to 950 mm over the opening before height is even considered. No manufacturer's capsule fits inside a standard box; the whole category moves as out-of-gauge cargo on a flat rack, and that status carries into the road leg at the destination.
Why not ship complete modules?
Sometimes you should — AeroPodHomes evaluates it per project. For the Missouri geometry, complete modules exceeded shippable dimensions; panelization delivered the same building in 2 containers instead of an oversize-cargo programme.
Who confirms the final loading plan?
The factory confirms the plan against the actual crate weights before dispatch; the plan travels with the shipment.
Does panelization mean more site work?
Yes — that trade-off is stated, not hidden: 45% factory completion and 180 site connections for Missouri, each with a written procedure.