Boxabl Houses

boxabl casita

If you are in the market for a modular, foldable and stackable home or addition that offers impressive versatility, then you will be intrigued by Boxabl Houses.

This guide is going to explain exactly what a Boxabl home is. We’ll give you a tour of the flagship “Casita” model, and go over what you need to know about costs and logistics. Then we will tell you how you can get your own Boxabl house.

What is Boxabl?

A Boxabl is a modular, prefabricated, stackable room. What you do with a Boxabl is up to you. You can live in a single Boxabl full-time as a tiny house, or you can join multiple Boxabl units together to form a larger house or even a multi-family apartment complex.

Another idea is to use a Boxabl as an addition such as an accessory dwelling unit (ADU). You could also put one out in your backyard to serve as a guest house, rental unit, office, art studio or shed.

Basically, the sky’s the limit. And at any point in the future, if you want to expand your Boxabl, you can just tack on more of them.

When your Boxabl arrives at your building site, it can be unpacked within only 1 hour. Full setup can be finished the same day. That is pretty amazing!

Boxabl aims to not only make it faster, easier and more economical to construct small dwellings, but also to make housing more eco-friendly by lowering emissions.

Founder Galiano Tiramani told Forbes Magazine, “The goal of Boxabl is to dramatically reduce housing costs by making building construction compatible with assembly line mass production … Our homes are energy efficient because of building material used, more so than your regularly built homes.”

Introducing the Boxabl Casita

boxable house
© Boxabl

Boxabl’s flagship model is the Casita. At the time of this writing, it is their only model, though in the future they intend to offer additional ones.

The Boxabl gives you 361 square feet of living space with 9’6” ceilings and 8’ doors and windows.

Casita features adaptive insulation so that it holds in warmth on cold days and keeps the home cool on hot days. This, together with the materials and construction used, are what makes it so energy-efficient.

Additionally, Casita features built-in storage cabinets, ensuring that you have a space for everything. At the same time, these built-in storage areas maintain a low profile, keeping the interior open and roomy.

Casita is also:

  • Fire-resistant
  • Water-resistant
  • Mold-resistant
  • Wind-resistant
  • Bug-resistant

While you can live comfortably in a single Casita Box that fills all of your needs, the company can also make Boxabl units that fill a specific purpose, such as a Kitchen Box, a Master Bedroom Box or a Stair Box. So, you can mix and match these boxes in any configuration you want, building the home of your dreams.

If you want just one story, you can do that. Prefer two or more floors? You can do that also. The system is designed to be as versatile as possible.

How Much Does a Boxabl House Cost?

Boxabl Homes
© Boxabl

Of course, the big question on your mind is probably, “What is a Boxabl going to cost me?”

As of 2021, Boxabl listed the Casita with a base price for $49,000. You can find a reference to this pricing in the company’s blog.

Now, however, Boxabl does not list a specific price or price range for the Casita.  

The company explains, “From now on, Casita pricing will be quoted on a case-by-case basis. Due to record-setting inflation and a very long waitlist for Casitas, we can no longer promise a fixed price on our website. For example, if you reserve a Casita today, and it takes a year to receive, we don’t know how raw material pricing could change a year from now, so we can’t lock in a price. When we get to your place in line, we will reach out to confirm pricing and next steps. Even in this frustrating inflationary environment, we still believe Boxabl can be the most cost-effective housing solution ever.”

So, that is understandable, albeit a bit annoying. But $49,000 does give you at least a ballpark idea based on what pricing was like a couple years ago (though inflation since 2021 has been ridiculous).

The Tiny Life has stated that depending on what options one chooses and what costs are involved with installing the house, you could pay anywhere from $54,500 and $99,500. We are not sure when the post was written, but it appears to have been updated late in 2023.

All told, that is a very reasonable price range for one of these energy-efficient, easy-to-build homes.

One more thing to keep in mind is that this is the price range for a single box. Keep in mind that if you decide to start adding more units to expand your space, then you will be paying significantly more.

The Tiny Life also mentions the shipping costs for a Boxabl, which are apparently around $3-10 per mile.

Boxabl Pros

  • Built to order: Boxabl houses are completely customizable. You can decide how many units you want to order, what each one will contain, and how you will stack them together. They come with built-in storage and brand new appliances. So, they are pretty much turnkey units.
  • Fast setup: Once a prefab Boxabl home arrives at its destination, the setup of the house can be completed within a day. After the home is all connected to utilities, you can move on in. This fast and easy setup process also causes minimal disruptions to the environment or with your neighbors.
  • Versatile and adaptable: If you need to increase your space in the future, you can always add more Boxabl units. You can also reconfigure your home years from now if you need to, or change the function one or more of the boxes are serving. It is totally up to you. Perhaps today your mother-in-law is living in your Boxabl, but a year from now, you are going to use it as an art studio. Maybe a few years after that, you will convert it back into an ADU for your adult child to live in after they graduate. Years later, you plan to turn it back into a studio. All of this is possible, and more.
  • Energy-efficient: The energy efficiency of the Boxabl is good for the environment and for your bank account. You will spend less on heating and cooling than you would in another home that is not as effectively insulated.
  • Low-maintenance: Because Boxabl houses are resistant to fire, pests, and weather, they endure less damage than traditional stick-built homes. Less damage means fewer repairs and less general upkeep to maintain the good condition of your home. That translates to less work for you and lower expenses over time.
  • Long-lasting: A house that can remain in great condition with minimal maintenance is one that can do so for many years. The fantastic longevity of Boxabl houses adds to their value.
  • Cost-effective: A Boxabl home is affordable to buy, ship and construct. And as we have mentioned, it is also affordable to maintain and live in. So, over the long haul, you can save quite a lot of money living in a Boxabl instead of in a traditional house.
  • Beautiful: The Boxabl Casita house has a contemporary, minimalist appearance that provides an inviting, serene atmosphere. It should appeal to a wide range of tastes, and integrate well on properties where other structures are already standing. Any style of décor will complement it, making it easy to personalize your interior.

Potential Cons

  • There is a wait list if you want to get a Boxabl. You can sign up now, but you may not hear from the company for a while (possibly up to a year).
  • Pricing information is not as transparent as it was in the past, but this is due to the wait list and inflation.
  • As of this time, the Casita is the only Boxabl to choose from. But the company has stated, “New Box sizes will likely be 20×20, 20×30, 20×40, 20×60. We will announce those new room modules with different floor plans ASAP.”

As you can see, there are numerous exciting benefits to getting a Boxabl modular house, but we could only come up with a few minor drawbacks.

How to Order a Boxabl House

If you want to order a Boxabl house, we can help you get your order placed.