A used shipping container office costs less than a new cabin and stands up better to an open site. MK Portable Cabin buys used shipping containers, cuts them in our own workshop at Mumbra, Thane and converts them into working offices. You get the strength of a sea-going steel box with the layout of a site office — doors where you want them, windows where you need light, insulation on the inside and wiring already run.
We have been manufacturing portable and container cabins since 2007. The unit at Mumbra is ours, not rented, so the cutting, welding, panelling and painting all happen under one roof — and you can come and see your container while it is being built. We are ISO 9001:2008 certified and have supplied over 500 clients across India.
Why buy a used shipping container office instead of a new cabin?
- Lower cost for the same floor area. A second-hand container is already built, so you are not paying for a new shell the way you would with a new container office cabin. We pay only for the box and the conversion work, and that difference comes to you.
- Stronger shell. Shipping containers are made from corten weathering steel to survive years at sea. For a site that is exposed to rain, dust or coastal air, that shell outlasts a light sheet-metal box.
- Secure. Steel walls and a lockable steel door mean a container office doubles as a store for tools, laptops and records on an open site.
- Movable and resellable. It lifts onto a trailer the same way it came off a ship. When the project ends it goes to the next site, or it can be sold on.
- Faster than construction. No foundation, no curing time, no masonry labour on your site.
Container sizes we work with
Used containers come in standard ISO container sizes, and the conversion follows the box you choose:
| Container | Approximate floor area | Typically used as |
|---|---|---|
| 20 ft standard | About 160 sq ft | Site office for 2–4 people, security post, store room |
| 40 ft standard | About 320 sq ft | Site office with cabin and meeting area, labour rest room |
| 20 ft and 40 ft high cube | Same floor area, extra head height | Offices where a false ceiling and ducted AC are wanted |
A standard container is 8 ft 6 in high and a high cube is 9 ft 6 in. Two or more containers can be joined side by side to make a wider hall, or stacked with an external staircase for a two-level site office. Tell us the headcount and we will tell you which box fits.
What the cutting and conversion work includes
Openings
We mark and cut the door and window openings, then weld in a frame around every opening so the shell does not lose its rigidity. Doors can be a standard office door, a glazed aluminium door, or the original container doors kept as they are at one end for loading.
Insulation and inner lining
Bare steel gets very hot. We line the inside with insulation and finish it with panelling so the office stays usable through a Mumbai or Hyderabad summer and an air conditioner does not run all day for nothing.
Flooring
The original marine plywood floor is checked, repaired or replaced, and then finished in vinyl, laminate or tile depending on what the office is for.
Electrical
Light points, fan points, power sockets, AC point, MCB distribution box and earthing are all fitted during fabrication, so the container arrives ready to connect to your site supply.
Windows, ventilation and fittings
Sliding aluminium windows with grill and mesh, roof or wall ventilators, and — where you want them — a work counter, cupboards, partition walls and an attached toilet with plumbing.
Surface treatment and paint
Rust is cleaned off, the shell is primed and then painted in the colour you pick. Standard colours are grey, venetian red, blue and olive green; any other shade can be matched on request.
What we check before we convert a used container
Not every second-hand container is worth converting, and we do not pass a bad box on to a customer. Before a container is bought for your order we check the roof and corners for dents and water pooling, the floor for soft or rotted sections, the door seals and locking gear, the corner castings and rails for cracked welds, and the inside for rust and for cargo residue or smell. A container that fails these checks does not go into an office.
Common uses
- Construction and infrastructure site offices
- Solar and wind project site offices, HSE rooms and induction halls
- Security and gate cabins at factory and warehouse entrances
- Stores and tool rooms that have to be lockable
- Labour rest rooms and canteens
- Shops, counters and kiosks
- Portable toilet and changing blocks
Used shipping container office price
The cost of a used container office depends on three things: the size and condition of the container we source, how much cutting and welding the layout needs, and the fit-out you want inside — insulation, flooring, electrical, furniture and toilet. Because of that we do not publish one figure for it. Tell us the size and what the office is for and you will get a written, itemised quotation the same day, with the specification spelled out so you can compare it line by line with anyone else’s.
Delivery
Containers go out from our Mumbra works by trailer. We regularly deliver across Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Panvel and Pune, and to project sites in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh — we have branches at Gandimaisamma in Hyderabad and at Kurnool. Before dispatch we confirm gate width, overhead clearance and whether a crane or hydra will be available at your site, so the container can be placed on the day it arrives.
Ask for a quotation
Call +91 98676 48337, email sales@mkportablecabin.com, or fill in the form below and we will come back the same working day.
Also read: Container cabin vs portable cabin — which one suits your site. Or see all our cabins for Mumbai and Thane projects.
Moving several cabins to one site? Look at our folding container cabins — they fold flat for transport and open out on site, so the freight cost drops sharply.