30ft Expandable Container Home — Spec Sheet for Ireland
The 30ft Expandable steps up to ~52 m² of usable internal floor — comfortable for a two-bedroom layout with full kitchen, separate living room and a proper bathroom. It sits above the new Irish exempted-development envelope (which caps at 45 m²), so it is the model Irish buyers pick when they are pursuing full planning permission for a rural cottage, a holiday let, or a larger family-supporting auxiliary dwelling.
Last reviewed:
- ~52 m² Internal floor area
- 1 set Per 40HQ container
- 4,300 kg Net weight (empty)
30ft Expandable — dimensions & logistics
| Expanded (deployed) | L9,000 × W6,220 × H2,480 mm |
|---|---|
| Internal clear dimensions | L8,540 × W6,060 × H2,200 mm |
| Folded (shipping) | L9,000 × W2,200 × H2,480 mm |
| Internal floor area | ~52 m² |
| Net weight (empty) | 4,300 kg (4.3 t) |
| Container loading | 1 set per 40HQ container |
| Typical Irish use | 2-bed auxiliary dwelling, holiday let, larger granny flat |
What Irish buyers need to know
The 30ft Expandable is the most flexible model in the Ériu range. At ~52 m² internal floor area it is large enough to accommodate a two-bedroom layout with separate living and kitchen areas, but compact enough that the shipping cost per unit and the on-site expansion remain straightforward.
Because the 30ft sits above the 45 m² ceiling drafted in the April 2026 Exempted Development Regulations, Irish buyers using the 30ft model are typically pursuing full planning permission rather than relying on the exemption. The most common application is a rural cottage on a site that already has a dwelling, a holiday-let unit on a working farm, or a larger family-supporting auxiliary dwelling where the buyer wants the comfort margin that the 20ft Expandable cannot quite deliver.
One 30ft unit loads per 40HQ ocean container — the shipping cost per unit is roughly twice the 20ft, but the resulting internal floor area is roughly 50% larger. Same Henan central-China factory base, same QC programme, same on-site expansion process — the 30ft unfolds in the same single day with the same two-person crew.
The Ériu standard, every model
Every model in the Ériu range is built to the same structural specification regardless of size — a 9.0 mm channel steel base frame, 1.3 mm container-grade steel roof plate, 18 mm sandwich panel walls (rock-wool standard, PIR / PUR upgrade on request to bring Irish Part L compliance into reach), and double-glazed aluminium-framed openings. Production is in the Zhengzhou and Xinxiang Henan corridor, the world's primary cluster for this product type. Every order is inspected at the factory by Ériu QC before the container is sealed.
30ft Expandable — questions answered
Can the 30ft Expandable be planning-exempt in Ireland?
No. The 30ft model at ~52 m² internal floor area is above the 45 m² ceiling in the April 2026 Exempted Development Regulations for back-garden auxiliary dwellings. Buyers pursuing the 30ft are typically going through full planning permission — for a rural cottage, a holiday let, or a larger family-supporting dwelling on a site that already has principal accommodation.
Is the 30ft Expandable suitable for short-term let / Airbnb use in Ireland?
Yes — the 30ft is the most popular model among Ériu buyers building holiday-let units. The two-bedroom internal layout suits a four-guest letting profile, the spec can be upgraded to commercial-grade fittings, and the unit ships as a single set per 40HQ container, simplifying logistics for rural-site delivery.
What is the difference between the 30ft and the 40ft Expandable?
The 30ft is 9.0 m long expanded, ~52 m² internal floor area, 4.3 tonnes empty. The 40ft is 11.8 m long expanded, ~70 m² internal floor area, 5.9 tonnes empty. Both ship as one unit per 40HQ container. Buyers pick the 30ft for two-bedroom layouts and the 40ft for three-bedroom or larger open-plan layouts. The freight cost per unit is similar; the price difference is in the additional factory materials.
Compare the 30ft Expandable with the rest of the Ériu range
20ft Expandable
The compact back-garden unit. One to three bedrooms, ~34 m² internal.
Open the 20ft Expandable spec → 40ft Expandable Model40ft Expandable
The full home. Two or three bedrooms, ~70 m² internal.
Open the 40ft Expandable spec → 20FT700 Foldable Model20FT700 Foldable
The shipping efficiency unit. Six sets per 40HQ container.
Open the 20FT700 Foldable spec →Get a quote for the 30ft Expandable
Send your site address, principal-dwelling status, and target finish spec. We come back with a delivered-to-site Ireland quote, Henan factory shortlist, and the foundation drawing for your build team.