Met Company

Met Company operates one of the largest container-fabrication facilities in the United States, a 25,000-square-foot production complex in Houston that combines metal fabrication, roofing, and full construction expertise. The company is a partnership of two Texas firms: Met Company Inc., established in 1995 with decades of metal-working experience, and ProBuilt Roofing & Construction, which brings residential building expertise founded in 2009. That combination means they handle everything from cutting and insulating raw shipping containers to final finishing work and on-site assembly without relying on scattered subcontractors for the core build. The scale of their operation is unusual in this space: they maintain their own paint shop, maintain inventory of materials, and control their entire supply chain from the Port of Houston. For customers, this matters because the company can absorb variation in shipping schedules and material availability without holding up your project.

The core product line starts with their Tiny House collection. Six pre-designed floor plans fit under 400 square feet, split between 20-foot and 40-foot container bases. These start at around $36,000 and are aimed at backyard additions, guest houses, rental income properties, and buyers ready to downsize. Above that, their Multi-Unit Homes collection is priced starting around $160,000 and includes six floor plans designed for year-round primary residence use. These units are fully customizable: you can rework the layouts, select materials, upgrade appliances, and arrange outdoor decking or parking. All Multi-Unit Homes include on-site assembly as part of the package, so delivery to your property includes the team that will position the container and make final connections. They also fabricate custom kitchens (everything from 20-foot mobile coffee shops to two-story restaurant installations) and commercial studios for offices, gyms, and retail use; these are priced by consultation based on your specifications.

Insulation and weatherproofing come standard across all models. Met containers use spray foam insulation applied to all interior walls and ceilings, bringing the units to code for winter climates and meeting modern energy standards. The company sources one-trip shipping containers (containers that have made a single journey from Asia), which means they start fresh and clean without the wear and odors of heavily recycled stock. The containers are cut, framed, and finished in their own facility, so every step of the transformation from raw steel box to livable home happens under their supervision. Wall and roof penetrations are sealed and flashed properly to prevent leaks, and they finish with drywall, flooring, trim, and paint. Kitchens are modular and include appliances, or can be scaled up to commercial-grade equipment if you need. Bathrooms are pre-plumbed and come with fixtures. All work is inspected in-house before shipping.

The process follows a three-phase model. In pre-construction, you work with their design team to finalize the specs, choose your configuration, and order long-lead materials like appliances and windows. Once materials are committed, construction begins and the container moves through their facility through cutting, framing, insulation, rough plumbing and electrical, drywall, finish painting, and final inspections. This typically takes 8 to 12 weeks depending on the complexity and level of customization. Post-construction includes site cleanup, a final walk-through at your location, and move-in coordination. They handle transport and on-site placement, so you don't have to figure out logistics. The company operates nationwide, with a shipping and assembly network that has grown as their reputation for on-time delivery and quality has spread.

Pricing for the Tiny House collection is straightforward: the starting price of $36,000 reflects the smallest 20-foot single-container models. The 40-foot variants run a bit higher. For Multi-Unit Homes, the $160,000 starting point is a baseline; customization, premium finishes, larger appliances, and extended layouts typically push projects into the $200,000 to $300,000 range. They offer financing and accept multiple payment structures. Nationwide shipping adds cost but is quoted separately based on distance and on-site assembly logistics. The company's pricing philosophy is that containers are a structural shortcut compared to traditional construction, but finishing them to code-compliant, insulated, livable standards is not cheap. You're paying for materials and labor, not for a discount on traditional building; the value is in speed and the repeatability of the process, not in cutting corners.

Within the container-ADU category, Met stands out for pure production capacity and vertical integration. Unlike smaller custom shops, Met has standardized floor plans that work, proven assembly sequences, and the ability to run multiple units through their facility simultaneously. This means less wait time and more consistency between units. They're also geographically flexible: their nationwide shipping network means you don't have to live near Houston to buy from them, though many customers do visit the facility first. The trade-off is that their model emphasis is on the smaller, starter end: their Tiny House collection is their signature offering, and while the Multi-Unit Homes are available, the production line visibly favors the smaller units. If you're looking for a 600-square-foot two-bedroom with elaborate finishes, you'll customize more and spend more; if you want a clean, efficient 300-square-foot studio that's move-in-ready, Met's playbook is mature and reliable.

Met Company serves several overlapping audiences. Buyers seeking a guest house or Airbnb-ready rental unit find the Tiny House plans plug-and-play: drop one on the property, connect utilities, and list it. Primary-residence buyers with tight budgets or small families who like the container aesthetic and want something built faster than traditional construction fit well with the Multi-Unit Homes. Property developers adding accessory units to multi-family sites use Met's commercial studios. Land investors in hot markets like Texas and California, where housing constraints drive demand for additional units, often spec a Met container on a small lot and rent or sell it as-is. The company also attracts sustainability-minded customers drawn to the reuse angle and the lower material footprint. One thing Met doesn't position itself as: the ultra-customized, bespoke end of the spectrum. Their model is mass-produced within a standardized framework, which keeps cost and lead time down but means if you want a one-of-a-kind artistic statement, you'll need to budget more and be patient.

The Houston location and proximity to the Port of Houston is a genuine operational advantage that keeps their costs competitive relative to builders farther inland. Raw container prices fluctuate on global markets, but being near one of the world's busiest container ports means they can source steadily and negotiate well. That advantage translates to the customer. The 27-year track record of the parent companies also matters: building structures is not a new puzzle for Met; they've managed supply-chain risk, scaling labor, material cost volatility, and customer timeline pressure for decades. That institutional knowledge isn't sexy, but it's the reason projects ship on schedule and why their warranty coverage is solid. The company's website emphasizes their large-scale container production operations, and the 25,000 square foot facility, in-house paint shop, and visible assembly lines do indeed suggest serious manufacturing capacity.

Met Company is the choice if you prioritize a proven, repeatable product, nationwide availability, and the confidence that comes from a multi-decade company backing the build. It's less the choice if you want a highly custom one-off design or if you're willing to pay a premium for hand-crafted finishes. The company's straightforward pricing, transparent process, and emphasis on assembly expertise over design novelty make them a reliable option for buyers who value substance over swagger.