What is a container dome shelter?
A container dome shelter is a steel-framed fabric roof that spans between two rows of shipping containers, turning the gap into covered floor space. The containers act as the walls and the footing, so you get a workshop or store without building a shed.
Our domes come in clear spans from 6 m to 16 m, plus custom sizes, for 20ft or 40ft containers. The containers underneath can be plain storage or fitted out as site offices, crib rooms, ablution blocks, workshops or stores.
What's the difference between a dome shelter kit and a supplied-and-installed dome?
With a kit, you buy the dome and then source the containers, the transport, the positioning, the install crew and often a third-party engineer yourself. With a supplied-and-installed dome, one quote and one crew cover all of it, so one business is accountable from the first phone call to handover.
A dome shelter kit looks simple on a product page. On site, it's a chain of separate jobs, and every hand-off between suppliers is a chance for a delay or a part that doesn't fit.
| What has to happen | Buying a dome shelter kit | Supplied and installed by Samahi Group |
|---|---|---|
| Dome | You buy the kit | Included in the quote |
| Shipping containers | You buy or hire them separately | Supplied, or we design around yours |
| Transport to site | You book trucks for the dome and the containers | Included, in one mobilisation |
| Footings and positioning | You arrange placing, levelling and squaring the containers | Precast footings supplied; containers set to the dome's span |
| Installation | You find a crew, or do it yourself | Our crew installs it |
| Engineering | You may need to engage a third-party engineer to verify the works | Site-specific engineering available in the same quote |
| Extras | Sourced separately | End walls, lighting and signage done in the same visit |
| Who answers for it | Several suppliers | One business, one contact |
If the standard unit isn't right, we change the unit. On our Cue job, the containers were upgraded from general purpose to high cube and the ablution block was reconfigured, both handled as variations to the same job.
How is a container dome shelter installed?
The containers are placed on precast footings, set level and square at the exact span the dome needs, then the arches are built off the containers and the cover is fitted and tensioned. We do all of it in one mobilisation, along with any extras such as end walls, lighting or signage.
How we build the arches. We don't assemble an arch on the ground and lift it into place. The first arch piece is attached to the container, then each piece goes up in the bed of the scissor lift, where a worker lifts it into position and bolts it in. Each consecutive piece is added in place, one after the other, until the arch is complete. The arch is built where it will stand, piece by piece, rather than lifted as one large assembly.
Every install finishes with a handover: the wind region certificate for your dome model where one applies, any site-specific engineering, a walk-through and an ongoing contact.
How long does a container dome installation take?
Lead time is typically 2 to 4 weeks from accepted quote, depending on dome size, fit-out and whether site-specific engineering is needed. On site, our gold exploration camp near Cue, with three high-cube containers and a 12 m x 12 m dome, was installed in 5 days.
That Cue job, completed in August 2026, included a high-cube crib room, a high-cube ablution block and a 40ft high-cube office, with the dome spanning between them. Inside the same 5 days we added a custom pulley system for a removable end wall, fitted precast footings, reconfigured the ablutions from four toilets to three toilets and a shower, and applied a vinyl logo to the office.
What size container dome do I need?
We supply domes with clear spans from 6 m to 16 m, plus custom sizes, and each width is available for 20ft or 40ft containers. Pick the width by what has to fit between the container rows, and pick 20ft or 40ft containers by how long the covered area needs to be.
Width is the clear span between the two container rows. A 20ft container dome gives you a shorter covered bay. A 40ft container dome gives you a bay twice as long on the same footprint width. If you're not sure, plan it in our Dome Shelter Planner and send the plan straight to us from inside the app.
Is a container dome shelter rated for cyclones?
Our most common dome sizes come with a generic AS/NZS 1170.2 wind region certificate, with the frame certified up to Region C and D and the tarp certified up to Region B. In Regions C and D the tarp must come off during cyclone alerts, and your invoice states whether your dome model carries a generic certificate.
Australia is split into wind regions A to D, where C covers tropical cyclones and D covers severe tropical cyclones. In WA, wind Region D is a 50 km wide band along the northwest coast, running from around Port Hedland to Carnarvon.
A generic certificate covers the dome design for its wind region. It doesn't assess your specific site. For Region C and D sites, we strongly recommend site-specific engineering, worked to your exact coordinates, terrain and loading, including ballast calculations. Tell us where it's going and we'll confirm the wind region it sits in before we price anything.
How much does a container dome shelter cost in Perth and WA?
The installed price depends on the dome span, the number and type of containers, the wind region, the distance to site and whether site-specific engineering is needed. We price every job in one written proposal, with purchase, lease and rent-to-own options side by side.
Dome shelter kit prices you see online are for the kit. Containers, trucks, a crane or lift, an install crew and engineering all sit on top, and they're usually quoted by different businesses. Our dome shelter prices include the whole scope, so the number in the proposal is the number for the finished shelter.
Do I need a concrete slab for a dome shelter?
No. The dome sits on the containers, so a prepared, level hardstand is usually enough, and we supply precast footings to lift and level the containers.
On our manufacturing job in August 2026, the client already had a hardstand. We supplied the containers and the dome, positioned the containers to the required span and installed the shelter, which gave them covered working and storage space without a shed build.
Can I buy, lease or rent-to-own a container dome shelter?
Yes, all three. Purchase suits a long-term fixture, lease suits a fixed project length, and rent-to-own suits work that might run longer than planned.
- Purchase: you own it outright, and the certification documents transfer with the asset.
- Lease: fixed-term hire matched to your project. We deliver, install and remove it at the end, and extensions can be arranged without remobilising.
- Rent-to-own: hire payments go towards ownership, with the terms set in writing at quoting.
Commercial terms only. Nothing here is financial or tax advice.
Can a container dome shelter be moved later?
Yes. The dome can be dismantled, transported with the containers and reinstalled on a new site as a separate relocation scope, with certification reviewed against the new site's wind region.
Where in WA do you install dome shelters?
Anywhere in Western Australia, from Perth metro to remote mine and exploration sites, with interstate jobs on request. We've completed work at the Australian Marine Complex in Henderson, across greater Perth, in the Goldfields, near Cue, and south of Perth at Greenbushes and Boddington.
We're based in Midland, WA. Our crews are experienced with mine-site inductions, and we carry $20 million public liability and $20 million product liability insurance.
Who will I be dealing with?
You'll deal with Abas Alsamahi, owner and director of Samahi Group, who runs each job from scope and wind region check through to install and handover. Abas also owns SG Equipment Hire and Sales.
What happens after I request a quote?
We get back to you within 1 to 2 business days. For a large scope, that first reply asks the questions we need to build the quote, then we confirm the wind region and send one written proposal.
Send us the location, a rough timeframe and what the shelter is for. The proposal covers supply, transport and installation, priced for purchase, lease and rent-to-own, with the lead time confirmed in writing.
Request a quote or call 1800 726 244.