Cladded Shipping Containers

How to make a shipping container not look like a shipping container - choose wood cladding!

Containers Direct are the industry leading experts in providing high quality, visually appealing cladded shipping containers. We use a variety of wood types, to best help blend your container into its surroundings, and fulfill any planning permission requirements in rural locations. We can clad any container, whether it's a simple storage unit, a container office or a unique container conversion.

Cladding can be used to disguise your container, if a metal box is not in keeping with the overall aesthetic of your site. Schools, playing fields, gardens, allotments, rural and Greenfield sites are key candidates for cladded containers. Take a look at our standard cladding types below:

Our 'Rustic' cladding is a rough sawn, spruce cladding. The timber is tanalised to make it more durable and longer lasting. This is our budget cladding option, suitable for a wide range of applications.

'Clean Cut' cladding is the same as our Rustic option, but with one planed edge giving a smoother finish to your container. We would suggest this as a medium upgrade for customers looking for a more polished look for their shipping container.

The 'Shiplap' cladding is slotted together meaning no corrugation is visible, completely disguising the fact that there's a shipping container underneath! This gives a seamless appearance to your container, recommended for bespoke, high end conversions.

Our cladding comes from natural woods, which will produce natural variations of half an inch to an inch and a half in between each section. This replicates the organic appearance found in nature and adds to the charm of a cladded container.

Our Premium Shipping Container Cladding Options

Although we offer three standard types of cladding, we understand that sometimes it's a bespoke and unique finish that our customers are looking for. We also offer the below types of cladding for our shipping containers as premium finishes, and are happy to assist in sourcing any other bespoke requirements.

NB. There will be a supplementary charge applied to cladding around apertures (e.g. for additional doors, windows, vents etc.), and for extra wide containers. Please speak to our sales team for more details on our pricing.

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Cladded Shipping Container Case Studies

Cladded shipping containers are rising in popularity alongside the growth of the "pop up" industry. This trend has seen shipping containers converted for use in retail and catering industries especially, and the better your container looks, the more of a talking point it becomes, which of course is good for business! Wood cladding gives that little bit extra and as you can see from our conversion work on display, it can transform a container from a basic metal box into a unique unit, whatever its purpose! We can clad any size container, whether it's a standard used 20ft shipping container, a used 40ft shipping container, new, or cut down to a specific size, as we do with our 10ft shipping containers.

new build cladded garage container case study

Take a look at some of the most engaging work we have undertaken in recent years. With detailed pictures, step-by-step guides, and in-depth insights into many projects, our case studies cover a wide range of applications.

Our Case Studies

Planning Permission

Wood cladded shipping containers give an aesthetic that blends in with the natural beauty of rural surroundings, and can satisfy most planning permission conditions that may arise from planting a metal box in a the countryside. We have clad boxes for a garden centre shop in Snowdonia National Park, and a large double garage in the beautiful rural village of Beckington Mill, Somerset. We also offer a bespoke matching and sourcing service if you have specific planning permission requirements. For instance, we sourced Larch for cladding the garden centre shop, in order to satisfy the rigorous planning permission conditions. However, we would always recommend checking your council's specific planning permissions before purchasing your container, just in case.

How We Clad Shipping Containers

Our expert fabrication team transforms plain steel containers into stylish, insulated units using high-quality timber or composite materials. Each build is finished to withstand years of outdoor exposure while improving both insulation and appearance.

Timber and composite cladding options available
Improves thermal efficiency and weather resistance
Custom colours and finishes to match your surroundings

Watch the short video to see our process in action — from frame preparation to final installation.

Learn More About Cladded Containers

The Proccess of Shipping Container Cladding

We attach batons to the steel walls of the container, and then attach the timber in vertical sections. The pictures below show the process of cladding undertaken with Larch which we specially sourced for the Camlan Coffi Garden Centre shop. Please note that once cladded, container doors will open to a maximim of 180 degrees.

Optional Extras

We offer a range of optional extras for our cladded shipping containers to help ensure your container is perfect for you.

Testimonials

As a long established and reputable shipping container company, we want to instil confidence in our customers that we can deliver on our promises, and provide high quality products and service.

But don't just take our word for it, see for yourself what our past and present clients have to say about Containers Direct.

Read All Testimonials Here

"From start to finish the experience in purchasing this container has been smooth and seamless. The quality of the container is superb. The delivery was fast and was lifted into place with ease. When we look to buy more in the future, you will be the only place we will go." HTAA
24th July 2026
order - a Refurbished 32ft x 10ft Office Cabin from our Clearance Page

"An excellent service and delivery driver could not have been more accommodating." Roberta Rutherford
24th July 2026
order - a Used 15th Container

"My experience was flawless, from the moment I made my first enquiry up to the moment the container was delivered, communication was excellent. Customer service is second to none. The container itself is exactly as described and if I am being honest, better than I expected with it being a used container. An excellent overall experience." John Clough - Arriva UK bus
23rd July 2026
order - a Used 15th Container

"Fantastic communication and great service from everyone involved in the process, from the initial enquiries to the delivery! Thank you!" Lostock Hall Juniors Football Club
16th July 2026
order - a 'Once-Used' 10ft Container

"We are delighted with our container, which will be used as an office and extra space. We asked for an OSB interior which adds a contemporary feel. The quality of work is really great, I like how fine details have been considered. The team overall were very helpful, from my initial query (and loads of questions) to the delivery. Thank you Containers Direct." Barry O'Neill
13th July 2026
order - a Used 10ft ModiBox Office

"Great, prompt service and communication." Stuart Duncan
7th July 2026
order - a 4m Insulated Flat Pack Store in Green

Committed to Quality

We are ISOQAR Approved and certified to ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems, demonstrating our commitment to excellence. We are also members of MakeUK, who champion British manufacturing, and the Container Self Storage and Traders Association (CSTA), representing global operators and innovators. In addition, we are registered members of JOSCAR, the Joint Supply Chain Accreditation Register.