Container Shelters & Fabric Buildings

Price Guide

If you’re reading this because you’re comparing the cost of a steel shed to a fabric shelter (and you’re hoping the shelter will be half the price) - We hate to disappoint you… shelters aren’t necessarily a ‘cheaper alternative’.

There are actually some pretty specific reasons why people opt for fabric shelters over a steel shed, and we can guarantee you that it’s not always price/budget related (take a look at some of the other reasons).

You see, fabric shelters look pretty simple and straightforward, however there are a few factors which determine the price.

In this guide, we are going to do our very best to explain how fabric shelter pricing works, give you a few examples and then hopefully you’ll have an idea of what to expect and what to look out for.

Factors Which Influence Shelter Pricing

Installation Location

Where is your shelter going to be installed? This location is needed to determine your wind region; as all our structures are engineered to the AS/NZS wind code.

Use & Project Requirements

What are you going to be covering – people, equipment? Do you have a future need to relocate the shelter?

Add-Ons & Extra Protection

Do you need lighting? Have you considered extra protection – endwalls, or doors? Click to view accessories.

Size Requirements & Sizing Considerations

If you’re covering equipment, ensure that you’ve considered the largest possible dimensions of your piece of machinery. Consider safety clearances, and enough space for performing maintenance etc. Also, do you want to cover your containers with the shelter?

Length
of Project

Is your requirement permanent? Or something temporary / semi-permanent? Fabric shelters are typically most ideal for a timeframe of between 2 to 25 years.

Fabric Shelter Approximate Costs & Lead Times

What is the Price of a Container Shelter?

Container shelter pricing varies based on the size of your shelter (the width and height) and the installation location – to identify your wind region for engineering purposes.
Here is a list of a few of the most popular container shelters, with a starting price and lead-time:

CODE: SS661 
DIMENSIONS: 6m wide; between containers, O/A apex height 5m (using standard containers), Length 6m / 20ft long.
STANDARD DISPATCH LEAD TIME: 48HR GUARANTEED DISPATCH*

STARTING PRICE:

$7,450.00*

CODE: SS12122
DIMENSIONS: 12m wide; between containers, O/A apex height 6.1m (using standard containers), Length 12.2m / 40ft long.
STANDARD DISPATCH LEAD TIME: 48HR GUARANTEED DISPATCH*

STARTING PRICE:

$17,830.00*

CODE: CASA1512
DIMENSIONS: 15.5m wide; between containers, O/A apex height 6.54m (using standard containers), Length 12.2m / 40ft long.
STANDARD MANUFACTURE LEAD TIME: 2 Weeks.

STARTING PRICE:

$24,060.00*

CODE: SS17122
DIMENSIONS: 17m wide; between containers, O/A apex height 7.27m (using standard containers), Length 12.2m / 40ft long.
STANDARD DISPATCH LEAD TIME: 48HR GUARANTEED DISPATCH*

STARTING PRICE:

$25,700.00*

CODE: CALS2112 
DIMENSIONS: 16.1m wide; between containers, O/A apex height 8.94m (using standard containers), Length 12.2m / 40ft long.
STANDARD MANUFACTURE LEAD TIME: From 4 Weeks.

STARTING PRICE:

$41,550.00*

CODE: CALT2024
DIMENSIONS: 15.8m wide; between containers, O/A apex height 13m (using standard containers), Length 24.4m / 80ft long.
STANDARD MANUFACTURE LEAD TIME: From 6 Weeks.

STARTING PRICE:

$98,910.00*

*Pricing is for Wind Region A.
*Pricing excludes GST, containers, installation, freight, any accessories such as endwalls.
Lead times can be extended if you add any accessories like endwalls or doors.

All Container Shelters have a 10 Year Warranty on Frame & Cover.

What is the Price of a Post Mounted Shelter?

CODE: SS12122 + SSPMK01122
DIMENSIONS: 12m wide x 12.2m long x 6.1m high (to apex)
STANDARD MANUFACTURE LEAD TIME: From 4 Weeks.

STARTING PRICE:

$25,810.00*

CODE: SS17122 + SSPMBK01122
DIMENSIONS: 17m wide x 12.2m long x 7.28m high (to apex)
STANDARD MANUFACTURE LEAD TIME: From 4 Weeks.

STARTING PRICE:

$33,680.00*

CODE: PMAA2040
DIMENSIONS: 20m wide x 40m long x 8.1m high (to apex)
STANDARD MANUFACTURE LEAD TIME: From 6 Weeks.

*Pricing is for Wind Region A.
*
Pricing excludes GST, installation, freight, and any accessories such as sides or endwalls.
Lead times can be extended if you add any accessories like sides or endwalls.

All Post Mounted Shelters have a 10 Year Warranty on Frame & Cover.

What is the Price of a Ground Mounted Shelter?

CODE: REAA2690
DIMENSIONS: 26m wide, O/A apex height 8.7m, Length 90m long.
STANDARD MANUFACTURE LEAD TIME: From 6 Weeks.

Yeah I’m with you, this is a pretty big ground mounted shelter! But it’s actually one of the most popular ground mounted sizes. This size shelter is used by mining sites in Africa, as they are a fast and cost effective alternative to putting up a traditional building. Plus, it can be relocated on site pretty easily.

Read more.

*Pricing is for Wind Region A.
*Pricing excluded GST, installation, freight, and any accessories such as endwalls.
Lead times can be extended if you add any accessories like endwalls

All Ground Mounted Shelters have a 10 Year Warranty on Frame & Cover.

What is the Price of a Towable Shelter?

CODE: TOWA1512
DIMENSIONS: 15m wide, O/A apex height 9m, Length 12m long.
STANDARD MANUFACTURE LEAD TIME: From 6 Weeks.

The towable shelter is NOT just something you simply leave on site and drag around. These shelters have a very specific use. They’re used to save on crane costs, where you have a piece of equipment too big to move for maintenance. You can simply cover and uncover your asset at any time by moving it easily with any medium sized vehicle.

Please note that this shelter still needs some sort of tie down/anchoring. The weight of the chassis/frame is not enough.

Read more.

*Pricing is for Wind Region A.
*
Pricing excluded GST, installation, freight, and any accessories such as endwalls.
Lead times can be extended if you make customisations or add accessories like endwalls.

All Towable Shelters have a 5 Year Warranty on Frame & Cover.

What is the Price of a Large Span Shelter?

CODE: FSGA2423
DIMENSIONS: 24m wide, 12.8m height to apex, and 22.8m long.
STANDARD MANUFACTURE LEAD TIME: From 8 Weeks.

The Large Span shelters (also referred to as a Free Span Shelter or Fabric Building) are simply a large, custom-sized shelter. The Large Span shelters are the biggest beasts of the Allshelter range, where you need extreme widths, heights or lengths.

Large Span shelters or Fabric Buildings are used in place of a traditional building, but where a more temporary or semi-permanent facility is required. They’re typically used for things like tyre change bays, large on-site workshops, and on-site precast facilities.

Check out our article which covers a comparison between a Fabric Building vs a Steel Shed or Traditional Building.

*Pricing is for Wind Region A.
*Pricing excludes GST, installation, freight, and any accessories such as endwalls.
Lead times can be extended if you make customisations or add any accessories like endwalls or doors.

All Free Span Shelter have a 10 Year Warranty on Frame & Cover.

Cheap Fabric Shelters - The Myth

We hear you, Allshelter is definitely not the cheapest fabric shelter supplier in the market. But our clients have confidence in our products because they’re a fully engineered product (you get what you pay for!).

They’re also made from poorer quality materials –

  • Thin tube framing; which typically contains around 30% of the steel that Allshelter uses (no wonder they turn into spaghetti in high winds!)
  • Inferior fabric; imported structures generally use an inferior fabric which can deteriorate in the harsh UV, and cause the cover to disintegrate. This is why most quality fabric shelter manufacturers use a UV stabilised fabric.

So I’m not saying ‘don’t buy a cheap imported container shelter’ – but consider if this is a risk you’re willing to take.

What Fabric Shelters Are Not A Good Fit For

Allshelter has been manufacturing fabric shelters for over 23 years and we’ve had some pretty interesting enquiries over the years. There have been people who thought that our shelters would make nice houses to live in (!), carports or even a gazebo for their backyard.

Fabric shelters are not an ideal fit for these mentioned uses, as there are different building standards for residential living requirements. But for a backyard gazebo, your best bet would be taking a look at what your local outdoor & recreation supplier has to offer.

We’ve also had some enquiries for horse arenas. Whilst we can make shelters that are similar in size to a standard size horse arena, fabric shelters typically aren’t a competitive option.

We hope this guide has been useful to you.

If you have any questions, or would like to get a quote on a shelter that is not listed here, please reach out to us.