Sourcing guide · 7 min read
What a prefab home really costs: FOB to landed
FOB is only the start. Here's how freight, duty and on-site costs stack into the number that actually matters.
The FOB price a factory quotes is the cost of the unit on the ship. The number that decides whether a project works is the landed cost: FOB plus freight, duty and the on-site costs to stand it up. Here's how the stack builds.
1. FOB: the factory price
Prefab pricing behaves like base + area: a fixed fit-out cost per unit plus a per-m² amount, so small capsules read high per m² and big houses lower. As rough planning bands (China FOB, finished):
| Tier | Indicative FOB / unit | Typical product |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | ~$5k–14k | small expandables, basic container units |
| Mid | ~$10k–30k | capsules, better expandables, light-steel |
| Premium | ~$25k–140k+ | flagship capsules, finished modular houses |
Every model page on All Prefab shows an indicative FOB range and a destination calculator.
2. Ocean freight: driven by how it packs
Freight is per container, so the real question is how many units fit per container. A unit that ships “4 per 40HQ” carries a quarter of the box's freight; an oversize unit on a flat-rack carries all of it, at a premium. Indicative 40HQ ocean rates from China:
| Destination | Indicative / 40HQ |
|---|---|
| US West Coast | ~$2,900 |
| US East Coast | ~$4,600 |
| Europe / UK | ~$3,000–3,200 |
| Australia | ~$1,900 |
Rates are volatile. Treat these as order-of-magnitude, not a quote.
3. Duty and import tax
Prefab buildings clear under HS 9406 at an indicative ~0–5% depending on country, on top of which you pay VAT/GST in most markets (not the US). The duty gotcha for US importers is the Section 301 tariff on Chinese-origin goods. Full breakdown: import duties by country.
4. The on-site costs FOB never shows
- Foundation: pad, piers or slab, engineered for your soil and code.
- Crane / offload: most units need lifting equipment to set.
- Hook-ups: water, power, sewer/septic; permits and local trades.
- Inland delivery: port to site, and customs brokerage fees.
A worked example
A mid-tier 37 m² expandable, 2 per 40HQ, to the US West Coast: FOB ~$16–28k + freight ~$1,450/unit + ~3% duty (~$500–840) lands at roughly $18–30k per unit at the port, before foundation, crane and hook-ups. Order several and the per-unit freight and overhead fall.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a container house cost?
Indicative factory (FOB) prices for flat-pack and folding container houses commonly start around $1,000 to $5,000 per basic unit, with finished expandable container homes running roughly $8,000 to $30,000 depending on size and fit-out. Shipping, import duty, foundation, crane and hook-ups typically add 30 to 60% on top of FOB. The landed price is the number that matters.
How much is a capsule house?
Space-capsule pods typically run in the mid five figures FOB depending on size, shell material and interior finish. Entry pods sit well below premium aluminum-shell units. Add ocean freight (many fit a standard 40ft container), duty and site works for the landed cost.
What's the cheapest type of prefab home?
Flat-pack and folding container units are consistently the cheapest. They ship dense (several units per 40ft container), assemble fast, and start near $1,000 FOB for basic single-room units. Expandables cost more but arrive as a full home; capsules and A-frames sit at the premium end.
Are container homes worth it?
For site offices, camps, rentals and fast guest accommodation, the economics are strong: low unit cost, fast deployment, and stack/splice flexibility. For a primary residence, weigh code approval, insulation upgrades and foundation costs. The FOB sticker is only part of the picture.
Indicative only
Figures here are planning ballparks, freight rates, duty schedules and lead times change. For a firm landed number on a specific model and destination, send a quote request and our sourcing team will confirm with the factory.
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Import duties on prefab homes by country
Prefab buildings fall under HS 9406. Indicative duty rates and the gotchas for the US, EU, UK, Australia, Canada and NZ.