40ft Expandable Container Home — Spec Sheet for Ireland
The 40ft Expandable is the full-size family-home model in the Ériu range. At ~70 m² internal it accommodates a three-bedroom layout with proper living spaces, full bathroom, and a usable kitchen — equivalent floor area to many traditional Irish two-bed terraced cottages, delivered factory-direct from central China at a fraction of the build cost.
Last reviewed:
- ~70 m² Internal floor area
- 1 set Per 40HQ container
- 5,900 kg Net weight (empty)
40ft Expandable — dimensions & logistics
| Expanded (deployed) | L11,800 × W6,220 × H2,480 mm |
|---|---|
| Internal clear dimensions | L11,540 × W6,060 × H2,200 mm |
| Folded (shipping) | L11,800 × W2,200 × H2,480 mm |
| Internal floor area | ~70 m² |
| Net weight (empty) | 5,900 kg (5.9 t) |
| Container loading | 1 set per 40HQ container |
| Typical Irish use | 3-bed family home, larger holiday let, modular office |
What Irish buyers need to know
The 40ft Expandable is the full-size flagship of the Ériu range. At ~70 m² internal it delivers a properly comfortable family layout — three bedrooms, a separate living room, a full kitchen and a proper bathroom — within a footprint that still ships as a single set per 40HQ container.
Irish buyers use the 40ft for two distinct projects: rural primary dwellings on serviced sites (where full planning permission has been granted and the brief is for a complete family home at a controlled cost), and larger commercial holiday lets on rural tourism sites. A small but growing segment is modular offices for businesses outgrowing serviced workspace — the same 70 m² accommodates a four-to-six-person team comfortably.
Shipping logistics are the same as the 30ft — one set per 40HQ container. Site delivery requires a flatbed lorry with a HIAB crane to lift the folded unit into final position before expansion. The expansion sequence itself is identical to the smaller models: a single working day for a two-person crew, services connected over the following three to five days.
40ft Expandable — available layouts
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.
40ft Expandable — questions answered
Can the 40ft Expandable serve as a primary dwelling in rural Ireland?
Yes — this is one of its two main applications. With full planning permission granted on a serviced rural site, the 40ft model at ~70 m² accommodates a three-bedroom family layout that meets Irish Building Regs Part L energy performance and Part B fire safety. Many rural buyers pair the 40ft with a small detached utility / boot-room block, giving a total habitable footprint comparable to a traditional Irish two-bed cottage at a fraction of the build cost.
How does the 40ft Expandable compare to a stick-built modular home?
A 40ft Expandable factory-direct from central China is typically 35–50% cheaper than an equivalent-spec stick-built modular home from an Irish or UK manufacturer. The trade-off is on insulation upgrade options — Irish modular manufacturers offer wider PIR / PUR thickness choices off the shelf. Ériu specifies PIR or PUR upgrade as standard for Irish supply to bring the U-values into Part L compliance.
Can the 40ft Expandable be used as commercial office space in Ireland?
Yes — the 40ft accommodates four to six full workstations comfortably with break room, kitchen, and bathroom. Buyers typically pursue commercial planning where the use is non-residential. The build cost makes it attractive for businesses outgrowing serviced workspace but not yet ready to commit to a long commercial lease.
Compare the 40ft 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 → 30ft Expandable Model30ft Expandable
The mid-size unit. Comfortable two-bedroom layout, ~52 m² internal.
Open the 30ft 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 40ft 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.