How to attach wood to a shipping container

Wood is one of the most practical materials for building with shipping containers. It’s affordable, easy to work with, and versatile enough for everything from simple cladding to more substantial structural additions.

The challenge is fixing wood to a container without weakening it. Drilling or welding into the steel can compromise the container’s strength, shorten its lifespan, and make future changes difficult. The methods in this guide show how wood can be securely attached using screws, bolts, and brackets - without cutting into the container itself.

All of the approaches below allow wood to be fixed in a controlled, reversible way while maintaining the container’s structural integrity and long-term value.

What methods can I use to attach wood to a shipping container?

Many people prefer working with wood rather than steel. We offer several simple methods that allow wood and wooden composite sheet materials to be fixed to a shipping container using standard tools, while making use of the container’s existing structural features.

We explain five reliable methods that work for a wide range of applications, from simple jobs to stronger structural needs.

1. Plywood adapter - for lightweight and short- to medium-term fixes
   
2. Bolting to the Domino Clamp - for structural and load-bearing applications
   
3. Angle bracket - for supporting horizontal wood along or on top of the container, and for load-bearing structures
   
4. Framing bracket - for light to medium-duty framing where speed and alignment matter
   
5. Vertical bolt plate - for heavy-duty structures, allowing beams to be bolted on top of the container. 

At the end of the guide, you’ll also find extra tips, including how to support long horizontal beams and how to attach a lumber or timber frame, all still without drilling into the container.

 

Method 1: Plywood adapter

For lightweight applications

Plywood adapters allow you to quickly screw anything to the shipping container in the same way as you would screw to another piece of wood. These 30mm thick birch plywood plates can be reused again and again for lightweight applications such as cladding, signage, posts, shuttering ply, theatre flats, or small frames and decor.

Attaching wood with a plywood adapter - How this method works

The Domino Clamp is fixed into the container’s corner casting. The plywood/timber adapter then bolted to the front face of the Domino Clamp. You can then screw whatever you need onto the plywood adapter using normal wood screws. 

The plywood adapter’s holes line up perfectly with those on the Domino Clamp and are countersunk so that the heads of the countersunk bolts   sit out of the way and flush with the surface of the plywood. This adapter lets you attach pieces of lightweight lumber or wood with the advantage of providing a secure yet non-permanent connection.

What can I attach using this method?

The plywood adapter and Domino Clamp can be used for a variety of lightweight applications, including:

• Exterior cladding
• Lightweight frames
• Signage
• Posts and small decorative structures
• Support rails for insulation
• Temporary or removable wooden attachments

Step-by-step guide

For step-by-step instructions see our article on fixing wood with a plywood adapter.

Video

You can also watch a short video showing the plywood adapter in action.

 

Method 2: Bolting to the Domino Clamp

For medium to heavy-duty applications

Bolting directly to the Domino Clamp is a strong, long-term solution for medium to heavy-duty applications, such as attaching wooden beams, roof trusses, or additional structures beside or on top of the container.

Domino Clamps fixed in the container’s corner castings form sturdy mounting points for ledger boards, sill plates, and the first posts and beams of a timber or lumber structure.

Wood bolted directly to Domino Clamps to create a wooden awning. See more photos in our awning build case study here.

Bolting wood to the Domino Clamp - How this method works

The Domino Clamp is fixed into the container’s corner casting. Wood is drilled to match the hole pattern of the clamp and then bolted directly onto it using set screws.

Because the clamp engages the container’s structural corner casting, it provides a much stronger fixing point than the corrugated container walls or box-section edges. This makes it suitable for weight-bearing wooden structures without cutting, welding, or drilling into the container itself.

Bolting lumber directly to the Domino Clamp creates a neat, rigid connection that is well-suited to permanent or long-term builds.

What can I attach using this method?

Bolting directly to the Domino Clamp is suitable for a wide range of medium to heavy-duty applications, including:

• Wooden frames
• Structural wooden beams, posts, columns
• Roof trusses and roof structures
• Roof decks and platforms
• Additional structures built beside the container

Step-by-step guide

For instructions, drilling patterns, and more, see our guide on bolting structural wood to a shipping container.

Video

Prefer a visual walkthrough? There’s a short video showing how to bolt structural wood using this method.

 

Method 3: Angle brackets

For medium to heavy-duty and elevated applications

The angle bracket extends the options of how to attach the wood to the container by providing a horizontal platform to bolt the wood to. Angle bracket can be oriented so that it has a ledge at the bottom of the Domino Clamps, the top of the Domino Clamp, or on top of the container. 

For projects where wood needs to be supported above container height or where loads need to sit on a steel “shelf” rather than being bolted directly to the clamp, our steel angle brackets combined with Domino Clamps provide a strong and versatile solution.

This method is well suited to heavier structures such as roof decks, overhanging platforms, or raised roof beams built on top of a shipping container.

It can also pair with the vertical bolt plate to secure horizontal beams on top of the container.

Attaching wood with angle brackets – How this method works

The steel angle bracket is bolted directly to the Domino Clamp, which is fixed into the container’s corner casting. The horizontal arm of the bracket then supports the wood from underneath, creating a rigid load-bearing shelf.

Because the bracket connects to the container through the Domino Clamp and corner casting, loads are transferred into the container’s structural frame rather than into the corrugated walls or roof panels. This makes the setup suitable for heavy loads and elevated structures without drilling, welding, or cutting into the container.

When the angle bracket is installed upside down, the top surface of the bracket sits almost flush with the container roof. This allows wooden beams to be positioned slightly above container height — ideal when building decks or platforms on top of the container.

What can I attach using this method?

Angle brackets with Domino Clamps are suitable for a range of medium to heavy-duty applications, including:

• Roof trusses and roof structures
• Roof decks and platforms
• Raised roof beams
• Overhanging platforms
• Structures sitting above container height
• Heavy beams requiring underside support

Step-by-step guide

For more details on the angle bracket, see our detailed bracket guide here.

 

Method 4: Framing Brackets

For light to medium-duty framing applications

The framing bracket is a right-angled steel bracket with three holes on one side and two on the other. It can be oriented to attach vertical posts, or rotated to attach horizontal beams. Two brackets can also be used together when both orientations are needed at the same point.

This method is often used instead of bolting wood directly to the clamp, particularly when positioning multiple beams or studs where precise drilling would otherwise take more time.

Framing brackets therefore offer a similar level of speed and convenience to the plywood adapter, while providing greater strength and a longer service life.

Attaching wood with framing brackets – How this method works

The framing bracket is bolted to the Domino Clamp, which is fixed into the container’s corner casting. The wood is then placed into the bracket and secured using coach screws or bolts.

Because the wood sits inside the bracket rather than being drilled directly to the clamp, the position can be adjusted easily during installation. This allows you to square up frames, level beams, and fine-tune alignment before fixing everything permanently.

While framing brackets are not designed for the same loads as steel angle brackets or direct bolting, they provide a fast and reliable fixing method for medium-duty wooden structures.

What can I attach using this method?

Framing brackets with Domino Clamps are well-suited to applications such as:

• Wood studs and framing members
• Lightweight wooden frames
• Vertical posts for cladding systems
• Non-structural beams and rails
• Temporary or semi-permanent wooden builds

Step-by-step guide

For more details on the framing bracket, see this guide for our shipping container brackets.

 

Method 5: Vertical bolt plate

COMING JAN 2026

For heavy-duty structures on top of the shipping

The Vertical Bolt Plate allows you to bolt horizontal beams directly on top of the container by extending a steel plate upward from the Domino Clamp. This creates a strong fixing point for heavy-duty timber structures such as roof beams, platforms, and solar panel frameworks, all without drilling into the container.

It is particularly useful when a timber beam needs to sit on top of the container rather than beside it, or when the height of the beam must be aligned precisely.

The vertical bolt plate – How this method works

The Domino Clamp is fixed into the container’s corner casting. The vertical bolt plate is then bolted to the Domino Clamp using the matching M12 fixing pattern.

The plate provides two slotted holes that allow a horizontal wooden beam to be bolted securely using coach bolts (lag bolts) or M12 (½“ set screws). When mounted upright, the plate raises the fixing point above the container roof; when mounted upside down, the drilled holes allow you to adjust the height so the top of the timber meets the top of the container exactly.

Because all loads transfer into the container’s structural corner casting, this method creates an extremely strong fixing point suitable for roofs, decks, and other heavy-duty applications.

What can I attach using this method?

The vertical bolt plate, in combination with Domino Clamps, provides a reliable fixing method for applications such as:

• Horizontal roof beams
• Roof decking and platforms
• Wooden rails for flat-roof solar panel arrays
• Structural beams sitting on top of the container
• Projects requiring precise beam height alignment
  

Step-by-step guide

COMING JAN 2026

Video

COMING JAN 2026

Extra tips & relevant information

Some container modifications using wood will involve complex arrangements of structures, parts and requirements. It's worth looking over the following information and seeing if it is relevant to your project.

A) Attaching a horizontal roof beam on top of the top side rail

When fixing wooden beams across the top of a container (e. g. for a roof structure or deck), the load should always be transferred into the container’s structural points rather than the roof panels themselves.

Both the Angle bracket and Vertical bolt plate can be used to do this, although in slightly different ways. The angle bracket will hold the beam slightly above the corner casting, while the vertical bolt plate allows the wood to sit directly on the corner casting.

B) Extra support for horizontal beams along the side of the container

When attaching long horizontal wooden beams, joists, or the top rails of a wooden frame along the length of a container, additional support may be needed to prevent the wood from sagging or bending in the middle, especially on 40ft containers or heavier builds.

Our shipping container roof bracket is designed to attach to the container’s top side rail and provide intermediate support along long spans. By placing one or more roof brackets along each side, long wooden beams can be held securely in position while remaining level and structurally sound.

See our more detailed guide on how the roof bracket attaches and can be used to give extra support.

C) Attaching a wooden frame to the container

When cladding or building out from a container, it’s often best to work with a complete wooden frame rather than fixing individual studs directly to the container walls.

A wooden frame can be securely attached to a container using Domino Clamps, bolted connections, or brackets - allowing insulation, cladding, and services to be fixed to the frame without drilling into the container’s steel panels.

For full details on framing methods, see our dedicated guide on attaching a frame to a shipping container.

D) Reducing damage from long-term moisture exposure

Supporting frames from the ground instead of supporting them from the top side rail can reduce sagging, but wood in contact with the ground is more vulnerable to moisture and long-term rot. Similarly, it can be tempting to “notch” horizontal beams so that they rest on the corner castings as well as the top side rail, but if not properly covered, these long spans of timber can sit for a long amount of time in contact with wet steel, and this can cause warping or damage to the wood over time. Consider allowing the timber to rest on the corner casting as supporting it from sagging from underneath using our roof brackets or blocks of wood.

Why use Domino Clamps as a fixing point for wood?

When building any weight-bearing wooden structure, it’s essential to start with fixings that are straight, secure, and correctly aligned. Shipping containers provide an excellent base for this, as they are large, engineered steel structures with strong, straight edges and a stable footprint.

Domino Clamps create secure, reusable fixing points in the container’s corner castings - the strongest part of the container. These fixing points can be used for primary load-bearing members such as ledger boards, posts, or roof beams, forming a reliable starting point for wooden structures attached onto or around the container.

Without Domino Clamps, options for mechanically fixing wood to a container are limited. Drilling into the container’s box-section edges significantly weakens its structure, while the corrugated side walls are not suitable for structural fixings. Cutting or drilling into the container can also shorten its lifespan, allow water ingress, and reduce resale value.

By using Domino Clamps, wood can be attached without drilling, cutting, or welding the container itself, preserving the container’s structural integrity while still providing a strong fixing point for wooden builds.

Conclusion: Choosing the right method

This guide has shown a range of practical ways to attach wood to a shipping container without drilling, cutting, or welding the steel structure. Each method is suited to different weights, layouts, and construction approaches.

• For lightweight and temporary projects, such as cladding, signage, or small frames, using a plywood adapter with a Domino Clamp provides a quick and flexible solution.
• For medium to heavy-duty structures, bolting wood directly to the Domino Clamp creates a strong, rigid connection suitable for beams, posts, and long-term builds. Where speed, alignment, or ease of adjustment is more important than maximum load capacity, framing brackets offer a practical alternative.
• For elevated or heavily loaded structures, such as roof beams, decks, or platforms, steel angle brackets and/or vertical bolt plates combined with Domino Clamps allow wood to be fixed securely and positioned at or above container height. 
• For long horizontal spans are involved, additional roof brackets can be used to provide intermediate support.
  

Across all of these methods, the same principle applies: fixing wood through the container’s corner castings transfers loads into the container’s structural frame, not the corrugated walls or roof panels. This keeps the container intact and allows wooden structures to be modified or removed later.

More tips & guides for your project

If you’re planning a larger container build, you may also find these guides useful:

• How to clad a shipping container
• How to add a roof to a shipping container