From backyard studios and detached offices to guest suites, panic rooms, and underground structures — Atlas builds custom container builds across the St. Louis metro. Fully permitted, fully insured, fully finished.
More than you might think. A standard 20- or 40-foot ISO shipping container is one of the most durable, customizable building blocks available — built to stack nine units high and survive ocean crossings. In the right hands, they become something extraordinary.
Home office, art studio, or music room. Insulated, climate-controlled, and fully wired.
A fully plumbed, livable unit for guests or short-term rental income.
Heavy-duty floor, 200-amp service, ventilation. Built for tools, not toys.
Changing rooms, outdoor bar, equipment storage — all in one structure.
Single or multi-container residential builds. Full framing, insulation, and finish work.
Panic rooms. Underground builds. Stacked units. If it's tied to real estate, we can build it.
We visit your property, assess placement options, utility access, and local zoning requirements. You'll leave with a clear scope and a ballpark number — often the same day.
Atlas handles all permit applications with St. Louis City or County. We coordinate structural engineering sign-off where required — you don't have to navigate any of it yourself.
We source one-trip (near-new) or CWO (cargo-worthy) containers depending on your budget and use case. Delivery and crane placement are coordinated as part of your project.
Cutouts for windows and doors, welded reinforcements, spray-foam insulation, framing, electrical, plumbing, drywall, flooring — everything to take it from raw steel to finished space.
We schedule all code inspections and walk through the completed structure with you. You get a fully permitted, inspected space with no loose ends.
Concrete piers, gravel pads, or full slab depending on use and soil conditions.
Window and door openings, header reinforcement, and stacking connections if required.
Closed-cell foam on walls, ceiling, and floor — required for climate control in Missouri summers.
Panel, circuits, outlets, lighting — pulled and inspected to code by licensed electricians.
Water supply, drain, and venting for kitchenettes, bathrooms, or utility sinks.
Drywall or plywood walls, LVP or concrete flooring, trim, paint — to your spec.
Permit handling included — we deal with the city so you don't have to
Liability exposure for you — all crews and subs fully insured
Years of contractor & subcontractor relationships in the St. Louis market
Point of contact from site visit to final inspection — no handoff chaos
In most cases, yes — especially if the structure is intended for human occupancy, has electrical or plumbing, or is permanently placed. Requirements vary between St. Louis City and St. Louis County. Atlas handles all permit research and applications as part of every project.
A basic backyard studio or workshop conversion typically starts around $25,000–$45,000 depending on size, insulation, and finish level. A fully plumbed guest suite or ADU with bathroom and kitchenette generally runs $55,000–$90,000+. We provide detailed, line-item estimates after a free site visit.
Most projects run 6–14 weeks from permit approval to final walkthrough. Permitting timelines with the city or county are the biggest variable — we account for this in every project schedule upfront.
It depends on your municipality and zoning classification. Some St. Louis County municipalities are very container-friendly; others have restrictions. We assess zoning as part of our initial site visit and will tell you upfront what's possible before you commit to anything.
We work with standard 20-foot (160 sq ft) and 40-foot (320 sq ft) ISO containers, as well as high-cube variants that add an extra foot of ceiling height. Multi-container builds can be stacked or placed side-by-side depending on your layout goals.
Atlas is a full-service general contractor. We can handle everything from the container structure itself to surrounding concrete work, fencing, landscaping tie-ins, and any interior remodeling on your existing home — all under one contract, one crew, one point of contact.
Tell us about your project. We'll schedule a free site visit, assess your property, and give you a clear scope and estimate — no obligation.
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