Pittsburgh’s First Shipping Container Home - A look inside

Pittsburgh’s first shipping container home is a 4-bedroom, 2.5-bath, three-story single-family residence at 413 Pearl Street in the Bloomfield neighborhood, listed at $799,900. It was built in 2026 from six new, never-used 40-by-8 foot high cube shipping containers, craned onto the lot, welded together, and finished by Pittsburgh-native architects and developers.

By Mike Pastor — Realtor & Team Lead, The Mike Pastor Group at Realty ONE Group Landmark

Some listings make you stop scrolling. This is one of them.

413 Pearl Street in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood just hit the market at $799,900 — and it’s the first home of its kind ever built in Western Pennsylvania. Not a renovation. Not a conversion. A purpose-built shipping container home, designed from scratch by Pittsburgh architects and developers, constructed on a Bloomfield lot, and finished to a level of quality that will change the way you think about what a house can be.

I toured it personally. I’m going to show you exactly what’s inside.

👉 Watch the full video tour here — then keep reading for the details.

Pittsburgh Has Never Seen a Home Like This

Shipping container homes have been gaining traction in parts of the western United States, the Caribbean, and internationally. But until 413 Pearl Street, not one had ever been built in Pittsburgh or anywhere else in Western Pennsylvania.

This home is made from six 40-by-8 foot high cube shipping containers — brand new, never used. They were craned onto the Bloomfield lot and welded together to create a three-story structure with a rooftop deck that spans the entire length of the building.

Here is what makes this more than a novelty: the people who designed and built it are Pittsburgh natives. This wasn’t imported from somewhere else. It was conceived specifically for this city, this neighborhood, and this lot. Every detail — natural light prioritization, all-electric mechanicals, the rooftop configuration — was a deliberate choice made by people who live here.

Why This Matters for Buyers

There is no comparable. That is not marketing language — it is a literal statement. There is no other property in the Allegheny County MLS that can be compared to this one by construction type, design, or character. The buyer who purchases 413 Pearl Street will own a singular piece of Pittsburgh history.

What You Get: A Floor-by-Floor Look

Four bedrooms. Two and a half baths. Three floors. A rooftop deck. Here is how the home is laid out.

First Floor — Living, Kitchen, and Powder Room

The first thing you notice is the light. Shipping containers read as steel boxes from the outside — so you might assume the interior feels dark or industrial. That’s not what is happening here.

Massive energy-efficient windows run throughout the home. The first floor is open-concept, finished with real hardwood floors, and configured to accommodate multiple living arrangements — sitting, dining, entertaining, or working from home.

The kitchen is efficient without sacrificing personality: stone countertops, current appliances, and a pantry. The first-floor powder room features vintage 1970s Forbidden Fruit accent wallpaper — irreverent, deliberate, and memorable.

Second Floor — Primary Suite and Private Balcony

The second floor holds the primary suite, a secondary bedroom, and the laundry. The primary suite includes multiple spacious closets — a deliberate choice by the developer in a new build of this footprint size.

The primary bath is gold-themed: double vanity, checkerboard tile floor, marble-infused shower. It has a visual identity.

Direct access to a private outdoor balcony off the primary bedroom is rare at this price point in Bloomfield. The secondary room on this floor is built in the compact container proportion — fully functional as a bedroom, office, studio, or nursery.

Third Floor — Bedrooms, Reading Nook, and the Spiral Staircase

Two more bedrooms and a sitting area — a reading nook with natural light — complete the third floor, alongside a full bath with a geometric-tiled tub surround.

And then there is the spiral staircase. Every great home has one detail you remember. This one leads you to the main attraction.

The Rooftop Deck

The rooftop deck runs the entire footprint of the home. End to end. From up here, you have panoramic views of Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods in every direction.

This deck is not a token feature. It is private, it is large enough to gather or to sit quietly, and it changes how the home lives. In a neighborhood like Bloomfield, where outdoor space at the ground level is limited, a rooftop of this scale is a genuine amenity.

Watch the Full Video Tour

I walk every floor of this home on camera — including the spiral staircase, the rooftop, and the primary suite. Watch the full tour at: https://youtu.be/-j96Zxv3WVE?si=_LelLcCp9NMx_ImS.

The Practical Side: Parking, Mechanicals, and Location

Parking in Bloomfield requires a plan. This home has one: a detached one-car garage plus a concrete pad that can function as a second parking spot, a ground-level patio, or a small yard — your choice.

The mechanicals are fully electric. No fossil fuel usage in this building. That is both an environmental decision and a practical one — all-electric systems simplify long-term maintenance and position this home well for the next 20 years of energy standards.

The location speaks for itself. Bloomfield has a Walk Score of 91. You are walking to restaurants, coffee shops, and retail in every direction. The neighborhood sits less than one mile from Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and West Penn Hospital. Downtown Pittsburgh, Lawrenceville, the Strip District, Oakland, and the North Shore are all within minutes.

Pricing and Market Context

413 Pearl Street is listed at $799,900.

In Bloomfield, you are competing against traditional row homes and a limited supply of quality new construction. This home is categorically different from every other listing in the 15224 zip code — in construction method, design, layout, and character.

The developer and architect built this as a serious piece of real estate, not as a stunt. The craftsmanship, materials, and mechanical systems reflect that. The buyer who purchases this home is not just buying square footage — they are buying the first chapter of something that has never existed in Pittsburgh before.

Quick Facts at a Glance

• Address: 413 Pearl Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15224 (Bloomfield)
• List Price: $799,900
• Bedrooms: 4
• Bathrooms: 2 Full + 1 Half
• Stories: 3
• Construction: Six 40×8 High Cube Shipping Containers (New, Never Used)
• Year Built: 2026
• Notable Features: Full Rooftop Deck, Spiral Staircase, Private Balcony, Detached Garage, Hardwood Floors, All-Electric Mechanicals
• Walk Score: 91 — Walker’s Paradise
• MLS #: 1748692
• Listed by Re/Max Select - Rebekah Siegel & Artem Kovalevskiy

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the first shipping container home in Pittsburgh?
Yes. 413 Pearl Street is the first home built entirely from shipping containers in Pittsburgh and in Western Pennsylvania.

Are shipping container homes structurally sound?
Shipping containers are built to ISO specifications to withstand the weight of ocean cargo stacking, ocean transit, and decades of use. When professionally engineered and welded — as was done here — they are exceptionally durable structural elements. The containers used in this home are new and never-used, which means they carry no prior wear, damage, or contamination.

How does the price compare to other homes in Bloomfield?
At $799,900, this is among the highest-priced listings in the 15224 zip code. However, there is no legitimate comparison — this home cannot be evaluated against a traditional Bloomfield row home because the construction, design, features, and character are entirely different. The rooftop deck alone represents a feature that does not exist elsewhere in the market.

Can I schedule a private tour?
Yes. Call or text Mike Pastor directly at 412-214-9494 to schedule an exclusive showing of this property.

Schedule a Private Tour

This is not a home you can fully appreciate from photos or video.

The scale of the rooftop deck. The way the natural light moves through the hardwood floors. The craftsmanship of the welds on the container structure. These are things you experience in person — and they are things that will change how you see this listing.

Call or text me directly at 412-214-9494 to arrange a private showing. This is an exclusive appointment — not an open house.

You can also view the full listing at https://www.pittsburghhometeam.com/search/details/d3k/0/

And if you haven’t seen the video tour yet — watch it before you come in. It will give you the full picture.

About Mike Pastor

Mike Pastor leads the Mike Pastor Group at Realty ONE Group Landmark, helping Pittsburgh-area buyers and sellers navigate the market across Allegheny, Westmoreland, Washington, Armstrong, Indiana, and Butler counties. With a team of 10+ agents and hundreds of transactions across neighborhoods including Fox Chapel, Squirrel Hill, Cranberry Township, Murrysville, Allison Park, Plum, Lawrenceville, and Highland Park, Mike combines deep local knowledge with a direct, no-nonsense approach to pricing, preparation, and negotiation. Connect with the team at pittsburghhometeam.com.