My name is Nicolette Lammers, and I've been working as a sales representative at Kroftman for over 13 years. In these years, I've gained a lot of knowledge about our storage solutions and their advantages and disadvantages. If you're reading this blog, you've decided to purchase a container shelter. The next step is finding a trusted supplier. In this blog, I will cover the following points, which you can use as check questions when searching for a reliable supplier:

1. Make sure you know what's needed to install a container shelter.
2.  Consider which options are important to you for your container shelter.
3.  Reviews from other customers about the container shelter and the supplier.
4.  Is the price for the container shelter reasonable?
5.  What services does the supplier offer?
6.  Does the supplier offer a warranty on the container shelter?
7.  Does the container shelter meet the Euronorm EN13782?
8.  Does it come with a static calculation?
9.  Does the website provide sufficient information?
10.  Is the supplier available to answer questions?
11.  How long has the company been in business?
12.  What is the financial position of the supplier?

1. Make sure you know what's needed to install a container shelter.

Before you purchase a container shelter, you need to be sure you are allowed to install it. In most cases, you don't need a permit for a container shelter on your own property. However, for public spaces or if there's a different zoning plan, you might need a permit. This can apply to both the container shelter and the containers themselves. Since the rules differ by municipality, I can't guarantee whether you can install your container shelter without a permit. If in doubt, I recommend contacting your local authorities before purchasing. Any reliable supplier should give you this answer. If a supplier guarantees you can always install your container shelter without knowing your situation, it's questionable whether they're acting in your best interest. It seems they may prioritize selling over customer needs, which is not a trait of a reliable supplier.

2. Consider which options are important to you for your container shelter.

A good supplier should offer various installation methods to secure the container shelter to the containers. At Kroftman, we offer the following options:

• Welding or screwing the container shelter with your own materials (on various surfaces).
• An anchoring set for installation on concrete walls.
• Special Kroftman fixing clamps for quick installation on containers.

You can understand that this should be done securely, ensuring the container shelter stays in place even during strong winds. Which method you choose depends on whether you're installing on concrete blocks or directly on the ground. If your containers are too close or slightly too far apart, it may also affect your choice. Read about the different distances at which two containers should be placed. A reliable supplier offers various securing options and helps you choose the right one.

The same applies to the choice between two types of tarps commonly used for container shelters: the cheaper PE tarp and the more durable (and expensive) PVC tarp. We help our customers make the right choice by explaining the differences. If you want to attach a front and/or rear wall to your container shelter, make sure the supplier offers these options. The same goes for the color of the tarp. White is often the standard, but if color is important to you, ensure you can choose it. Read about the options Kroftman offers.

3. Reviews from other customers about the container shelter and the supplier.

Reviews from customers can give you great insight into the reliability of the supplier and the quality of the container shelter. It’s important that these reviews are independent and not written by the company itself. At Kroftman, we use reviews collected by Trustpilot. You might also consider asking the supplier if you can contact a customer directly. For us, that's no problem; you can always call me or my sales colleagues to request a reference.

5. What services does the supplier offer?

If you only need a container shelter and can handle the rest yourself, you might not require extra services from the supplier. However, if you'd like the option to hire an assembly team or outsource the permit application, it's a good idea to check in advance what services the supplier offers. As mentioned, you likely don't need a permit to install a container shelter. If you do, we provide free building drawings and static calculations. We do not handle permit applications. For container shelters 7.9 meters or wider, you can hire our assembly team.

6. Does the supplier offer a warranty on the container shelter?

Not least, does the supplier offer a warranty on the container shelter? You should be able to find this information on their website. If not, ask about it. Check how long the warranty lasts, which parts are covered, and the conditions. At Kroftman, we offer a 3-year pro-rata warranty on PE tarps, a 10-year pro-rata warranty on PVC tarps, and a 10-year pro-rata warranty against rust-through on the steel structure.

7. Does the container shelter meet the Euronorm EN13782?

Has the supplier tested the container shelters according to the requirements of the Euronorm EN13782 (temporary structures)? If so, you know that the container shelter is safe.

9. Does the website provide sufficient information?

Does the supplier have a website, and what impression do you get from it? If a supplier is knowledgeable, it should reflect on their website. At Kroftman, we have a separate "knowledge base" page, and this blog is part of it. My colleagues and I share our knowledge about container shelters on this page. If a website raises questions, ask the supplier. Logically, you should see photos of the container shelters the company sells on the website. If these don't give you a clear and complete picture, ask if you can view the container shelter in person. At Kroftman, we offer the opportunity to visit a customer site to see a container shelter.

10. Is the supplier reachable for questions?

Always contact a supplier to get a sense of their accessibility. It’s frustrating if a company doesn't answer calls or emails. How they interact with you and answer your questions gives you a sense of their customer service and reliability.

11. How long has the company been in business?

If a company has been in business for over 10 years, it speaks to their reliability. A company with only unhappy customers won't last. Check how many container shelters they've sold. Perhaps they've been in business for 10 years but only recently started selling container shelters. Kroftman has been around for over 15 years, and I've worked here for nearly 13. It's reassuring to deal with experienced employees who are still there when you need to contact them again.

12. What is the financial position of the supplier?

Especially if you need to make a deposit, it's essential to know if the company is financially stable. For just a few euros, you can download the company's financial statements from the Chamber of Commerce website. Learn more about Kroftman's financial status.

We hope this information helps you make an informed choice. If you want to know the exact cost of your chosen container shelter, please feel free to use our quotation tool. This will generate a quote that will be emailed to you, showing the transport costs for your container shelter at a glance. You can create multiple quotes and try various options to compare them.

Still have questions? We're here to help.