QuickSmart® Container Shelters

Yes, we sell containers with our container canopies. Contact our friendly team to discuss pricing and options.

SmartShelters container covers come in various forms, ranging from small and simple to large, permanent solutions. Not sure if you need building consent to install container awnings on your property?

Generally speaking, gaining building consent is the rule rather than the exception, so it’s wise to assume you might. However, exemptions may apply to smaller, simpler applications, including:

• Discretionary council exemptions
• Unoccupied detached building exemptions
• Lightweight structure exemptions
• Size exemptions

Installing a small roof between shipping containers is a popular option and can be used for general storage and creating covered spaces for your teams. In contrast, large container roof shelters can safely store tractors, farm equipment, or industrial machinery. Check your local council or government legislation for peace of mind.

All SmartShelters’ multi-purpose shelters are made in New Zealand— and as such, we’ve designed them to withstand the country’s tough conditions, such as snowy, rainy and very high wind zones. The SmartShelters manufacturing plant is located in Wiri, Auckland.

A container shelter cover usually refers to a roof between two shipping containers or a structure that utilises the shipping containers as side walls. Container roofing can simply refer to the Corten steel material used in the construction of shipping containers.

The SmartShelters' engineered design typically has significant weight-bearing capacity. The exact weight varies depending on span, but many SmartShelters owners have suspended plant and equipment from the main arch framework of the container cover between their shipping containers.

At SmartShelters, we like to keep things as easy as possible. For our container-mounted shelters, simply ensure that your site is level and compacted. To hold the containers in place, you can use either ballast in the containers, concrete footings, or a combination of the two methods, whichever works best for you.

Certainly! If you choose to secure your shipping container shelter with ballast, some space within the container will be occupied. However, apart from that, your containers will continue to function as containers and can be a handy and durable solution for storing tools, products, and site materials.

You can also use the containers as a workshop, garage, or a lockable storage space for dangerous goods. Choosing to fix your containers in place with concrete footings rather than ballast will maximise the available space inside and create a permanent solution offering reliable protection for your equipment.

Container mounting is not necessarily better than ground mounting; it’s just different. Container mounting is suitable for situations that require greater clearance, as the domed design of our structures limits clearance on the sides and encroaches on floor space when mounted directly on the ground.

The other major benefit of container mounting versus ground mounting is that the ground will remain undisturbed (when ballast is utilised). Rather than having to dig into the earth to secure your container shelter, you can place the container in the desired location and simply weigh it down with ballast. This makes installation far easier (and less damaging), particularly when erecting a structure on a hard surface.

Shipping containers are tall, durable, and sturdy structures that are easily movable and readily available. In short, they’re perfect for a SmartShelters canopy! Shipping containers offer the perfect clearance for most applications (although they can also be stacked if more height is needed) and often don’t require permanent footings to remain stable.

While we offer other shelter mounting options at SmartShelters, including ground, pole, and concrete block, shipping containers are our most popular mounting option for all the reasons listed above.

Our durable, multi-purpose shelters are designed for commercial clients and are used for business and commercial purposes, most often on mining and industrial sites, rural farms, or as temporary storage for roadworking crews.

We don’t typically supply container-mounted shelters to private buyers for personal use, such as carports or boat shelters, because our SmartShelters range offers better-suited shelters for these applications.

The smallest container-mounted shelter in the SmartShelters range is 6 metres long (the length of a standard 20-foot shipping container) with a 6-metre span. Our largest container shelter in NZ is 45 metres long. Container canopies can be at any length; typically in multiples of 6m to align with the shipping containers that serve as the supports.