Structural work, by outcome
Jump to: side openings · doors & windows · roller shutters · linking & stacking · roof decks, stairs & canopies · reinforcement
Side openings and full side access
We cut out the corrugated wall, weld in a steel frame tied to the top and bottom rails, and hang the doors or shutters you've specified. Part-width or full-length openings, with or without a centre post. Typical use: plant rooms, equipment containers, open-sided stores.
Personnel doors and windows
Openings cut to size and framed, then fitted with steel personnel doors or windows to your spec. Typical use: site units, offices, kiosks and plant rooms that need daily access.
Roller shutters
The opening is framed to take the shutter guides and box, so the shutter runs true and the wall around it keeps its stiffness. Typical use: secure stores, workshops, serving hatches.
Linking, stacking and cut-downs
Units joined side by side or end to end with the shared walls opened and framed, stacked with the top and bottom units each built to their own drawing, or cut to length. We recently cut a 40ft container down and re-worked it to a 30ft unit. Typical use: multi-unit plant buildings, linked site buildings.
Roof decks, stairs and canopies
Steel deck frames on the roof, stair flights and handrails for access, and canopies over doors or along a run of units, fabricated to fit and fixed to the container structure. Typical use: access to stacked units, viewing decks, weather cover.
Reinforcement and internal frames
Extra framing where a unit carries equipment, a stacked load or large openings, plus internal frames, partitions and mounting rails. If your project needs structural calculations, send your engineer's spec and we build to it.
Recent container work
A cross-section of container jobs through the workshop since July 2026. Client names are left off; every job below was built to the client's drawing and invoiced against their purchase order.
| Project | Units | What we did |
|---|---|---|
| Energy project, repeat contractor client | 3 × 40ft | Fabrication and modification to the client's drawings, completed against PO |
| Multi-unit package | 3 units | Top and bottom units plus a third, each modified to its own drawing pack, full paint finish to the agreed specification |
| Structural variation | 1 × 40ft | Container supplied by us, cut down and re-worked to a 30ft unit |
| Container fabrication | 1 unit | Fabricated and painted to drawing |
| Three-unit order | 3 units | Paid in stages: deposit, stage payment, balance on completion |
Capacity is around 8 units a week, more when an order needs it; 12 units went through the workshop in a single week. Recent units have run from about £3,400 to £6,800 each, net of VAT, depending on scope. Multi-unit orders are priced per unit.
How a container job runs
- 01.Send what you have
A drawing, a marked-up sketch or a photo. Tell us how many units, what they're for and where they need to end up. Form, email or WhatsApp.
- 02.Itemised quote in 24 hours
Priced per unit, with the lead time confirmed in writing, so it drops straight into your order.
- 03.Order against your PO
Multi-unit orders are paid in stages: deposit, stage payment, balance on completion.
- 04.Units in
Your haulier drops units at the yard, or we book haulage through our logistics partners. We can also source the containers.
- 05.Built inside our unit
Cut, framed, welded and painted by coded welders in the 8,000 sq ft main shop, with the 4,000 sq ft side shop for fabrication. Around 8 units a week, more when needed.
- 06.Checked and out
Checked against the drawing, then collected by your haulier or one of our logistics partners. Progress photos by WhatsApp or email if you want them.
Paperwork that suits your procurement
- Itemised written quote, per unit or per line, inside 24 hours in the working week.
- Your PO number on every invoice, and the lead time confirmed in writing.
- VAT invoices from DRST Trading Ltd, registered in England & Wales, company no. 15946573.
- Staged payments on multi-unit orders: deposit, stage payment, balance on completion.
- Welder qualification and mill certificates on request.
- One contact from quote to completion: Daniel, who runs the workshop floor.
Commercial and trade only
We take
- Commercial container conversions and modifications
- Structural openings, linking, stacking and cut-downs
- Depot, hire-fleet and site-unit repairs
- Plant, equipment and battery containers
- Single units and multi-unit orders
We don't take
- Container homes or holiday lets
- Garden rooms, home offices or home gyms
- Private residential projects
- Container hire, or sales without work on them
Getting work to and from the yard
The workshop is at Moreteyne Farm, Wood End, Marston Moretaine (MK43 0NY), just off the A421 between Bedford and Milton Keynes. Within 40 miles that takes in Milton Keynes, Bedford, Luton, Dunstable, Northampton, Cambridge, Huntingdon, St Albans, Stevenage, Hitchin and Aylesbury.
We don't run our own lorries. Your haulier can drop and collect units at the yard, or we book haulage through the logistics firms we work with. Outside 40 miles? Ask: containers travel on lorries, and we'll tell you straight whether the haulage makes sense.
Frequently asked questions
Will a big side opening make the container weak?
Not once it's framed. The frame is tied into the top and bottom rails so the unit stays square when lifted. For very wide openings or stacked loads we add a centre post or extra framing, and we build to your engineer's spec where calculations are needed.
Can you work from a sketch?
Yes. Send a photo with the openings marked and rough sizes. We'll mark up a fabrication drawing for you to sign off before anything is cut.
Does it affect CSC plating?
Structural changes can affect a container's CSC certification for shipping. If your units need to stay plated, tell us at quote stage and we'll talk it through before cutting.
What doors and shutters can you fit?
Steel personnel doors, double doors, bi-folds, roller shutters and windows to your specification. Tell us the spec, or ask and we'll suggest what suits the use.
How much does a side opening cost?
It depends on width, door type and finish. Recent container units have run from about £3,400 to £6,800 each, net of VAT, depending on scope, and quotes are itemised per unit.
Do you take residential projects?
No. We take commercial and trade work only: no container homes, garden rooms or home offices.