Shipping Container Roof Kit: How Wide to Leave the Gap
Size the gap for a shipping container roof kit by the widest vehicle that will use it, then match that width to a listed kit.
Size the gap for a shipping container roof kit by the widest vehicle or piece of equipment that will use the covered space, plus clearance on each side, then match that width to a kit on the current listing. A shipping container roof kit turns the unused ground between two containers into covered space: room for a truck to pull through, a dry spot to stage material, or a sheltered bay for equipment that would otherwise sit out in the weather.
Covermore Buildings, a family-run company in Chouteau, Oklahoma, sells container roof kits, container-mounted fabric shelters and tension fabric buildings, and ships them nationwide as prefabricated kits.
How wide should the gap between containers be?
The gap between two containers should be wide enough for whatever needs to drive or fit through it, and it should match the container roof kit you choose. A tractor backing a trailer needs more swing room than a skid steer. A work truck needs enough clearance on both sides to open doors and walk around the bed. If the covered area will double as a loading area, leave room for a trailer to sit level and for someone to move freely along its length while it is parked.
- Measure the widest machine or vehicle that will regularly use the space.
- Add real clearance on each side of it.
- Check the current listing for a container roof kit that covers that width, and set the containers to the kit rather than the other way around.
Settling the width before the containers are placed is far easier than finding out later that a loaded trailer cannot square up under the roof.
What do the containers need before a roof goes on?
Both containers should sit level and square to each other, on ground that will not shift or settle unevenly between them. The containers act as the side walls and the support for a shipping container roof, so their condition and placement matter as much as the roof kit itself. A roof fastened to containers that are out of square, or sitting on soft ground, carries that problem for the life of the setup.
Older containers deserve a close look before anything is mounted to them.
Who installs a Covermore container roof kit?
The buyer or a local crew installs a Covermore container roof kit; Covermore Buildings sells the kit but does not install on site.
If you have two containers and a gap between them going to waste, look through the container roof kits on chuppindustrial.com.
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