Shipping Container Workshop

What is a bespoke container workshop?

A shipping container workshop gives you a secure, weatherproof working space that goes up faster and lasts longer than a timber shed, all without the build time or cost of a brick outbuilding. 

At BCL, every container workshop is built to order: right size, right spec, right finish. Whether you need a garage for the car, a workshop for the trade, or a creative space at the bottom of the garden, we build it around you.

What’s included in a BCL container workshop?

Every BCL container workshop starts life as a quality steel shipping container and is converted in-house at our UK facility. Here’s what’s included as standard.

Internal fit-out

Inside, your workshop is lined with structural ply and fully insulated to keep the space comfortable year-round. We fit steel durbar or vinyl flooring depending on intended use, and can add workbenches, shelving, and racking to get it job-ready from day one. Partition walls are available for mixed-use spaces.

External features

Roller shutter doors come as standard, as they’re far more practical for workshop use than swing container doors. You also get a secure personnel access door, lockable anti-vandal windows, and a full repaint in your chosen RAL colour. External lighting is available as an add-on.

Electrics and power

Our team handles the full electrical installation: LED lighting, power sockets, and a consumer unit wired throughout. Single-phase and three-phase options are available depending on your requirements.

Container workshop sizes

At BCL, we’re able to work with a range of container sizes. 

20ft container workshop

At approximately 5.9m x 2.3m internally, a 20ft workshop is the most popular choice for home garages, personal workshops, and trade tool storage. Big enough for a car, a full bench set-up, or a dedicated workspace.

40ft container workshop

For larger projects, a 40ft gives you around 12m x 2.3m of internal space. Ideal for commercial workshop use, multi-bay garages, or anyone who needs room to grow. Multiple roller shutters and a split internal layout are both available. Custom cut-down sizes including 10ft and 15ft are also available for tighter plots.

Container workshop and garage ideas

Home workshop

From car restoration to motorbike projects, woodworking to metalwork, a container conversion is more secure and more durable than anything timber-framed. Steel doesn’t rot, warp, or let the damp in.

Trade or site workshop

Builders, landscapers, electricians, and mechanics use BCL container workshops to keep tools and equipment secure on site or at their yard. Pair one with a shipping container office for a complete site solution in two units.

Creative studio or hobby space

Insulated, lit, and powered, a container workshop works just as well as a photography studio, a model room, or an art space. See our shipping container garden rooms for inspiration on interior finishes.

Does a container workshop need planning permission?

In most cases in England, placing a container workshop in your garden or on your land falls under Permitted Development rights, so no formal planning application is required. 

Key conditions apply: it shouldn’t sit in front of the principal elevation of your property, and rights are more restricted in National Parks, AONBs, and Conservation Areas. 

We always recommend checking with your local planning authority before committing. That said, the majority of our customers don’t need to apply.

Container workshop with BCL container

At BCL, we don’t just resell containers, we are specialists in custom-builds and conversions. Every workshop goes through our in-house fabrication process, including shot blasting and paint preparation, and is checked against our quality assurance standards before it leaves the workshop. 

Container workshop FAQs

Do shipping containers make good workshops?

Yes. Steel is weather-resistant, structurally sound for decades, and significantly more secure than timber. With proper insulation and electrics, a container is a strong and reliable workshop. 

How much does a shipping container workshop cost?

The cost of a shipping container workshop will vary drastically based on size and scope. Discussing your goals with BCL containers is the best way to understand the costs involved. 

Can I add electrics to a shipping container workshop?

Yes. All BCL workshops can be fitted with a full electrical installation, including LED lighting, sockets, and a consumer unit, either as standard or as an upgrade.

Is a container workshop better than a shed?

For serious workshop use, yes. Steel doesn’t rot, warp, or need repainting every few years, and it’s substantially more secure against break-ins than timber construction.