A container home used as a permanent main home needs a building permit (bygglov) and must meet stricter insulation rules than a holiday home.[1]
Coming soon
Contentar is coming to Sweden
Contentar shows what a shipping container home really costs before you commit: a cost calculator with VAT, floor plans checked against the building rules, the permit process and a step-by-step guide.
It is live for Portugal and Spain. We are now preparing the version for Sweden: rules, costs and suppliers.
Notify me when it opensWhat we already know about Sweden
Since 1 December 2025, next to a one- or two-family house you can build a secondary dwelling without a permit or prior notification: up to 45 m² in total and 30 m² per building inside a detailed plan, or 65 m² and 50 m² outside one.[2][3]
A container on a plot with a main house can be built as such a secondary dwelling without a building permit, according to a Swedish supplier.[4]
Average price of newly built group-built small houses in 2024, land and VAT included.[5]
A summary of our research, October 2026. Rules change and can vary by region or municipality: check with your local authority before you buy or build.
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Already live
See how it works today, with the rules and costs of Portugal and Spain:
Sources
- Byggahus, building a container house: challenges, prices and rules
- Government Offices of Sweden, new building permit rules (December 2025)
- Östhammar Municipality, changes to the Planning and Building Act from 1 December 2025
- TerraBox, questions and answers about container houses
- Statistics Sweden (SCB), prices for newly built homes 2024 (February 2026)