Buying a shipping container is not complicated, but it is easy to buy the wrong one. This guide covers the seven decisions that matter, the questions worth asking any supplier, and the traps that cost people money.
On this page
The seven decisions
Length
10ft, 12ft, 20ft, 30ft or 40ft. Volume needs and site access both point at an answer; access usually wins. See the size guide.
Height
Standard at 8 ft 6 in or high cube at 9 ft 6 in. Choose high cube if you will insulate, line, stand up inside or stack two pallets high.
Condition
One-trip for appearance and conversions, used for storage behind a fence. The condition guide explains every grade.
Door configuration
Standard doors at one end, double doors at both ends for walk-through access, or a full open side for forklift loading anywhere along the length.
Ventilation
Two passive vents are standard. Add more if you are storing anything that suffers from damp: tools, textiles, paper, electronics.
Security
A welded lock box and a closed-shackle padlock is the single best value upgrade. Consider a personnel door if you need daily access.
Delivery method
Tilt-bed is cheapest but needs run-off space. HIAB places the unit precisely. A crane clears obstacles. Decide before you order.
What a container actually costs
There are four numbers in a container purchase and only the first is usually advertised.
- The unit price. Driven by length, height, condition and current market supply. Every container on this site carries its own price rather than a starting-from figure.
- Transport. Priced per journey against your postcode, the vehicle required and the access at the far end. Ask for a delivered total, not a unit price.
- Site preparation. Usually modest. Concrete blocks or timber sleepers under the four corner castings, and hardcore if the ground is soft.
- Modifications. Vents, shelving, a personnel door, lighting or a repaint are all cheaper fitted before delivery than retrofitted afterwards.
Questions to ask any supplier
- Can I see photographs of the actual unit I am buying, not a stock image?
- Is the price you have quoted delivered, and does it include unloading?
- What condition grade is this, and is it wind and watertight or cargo worthy?
- What vehicle will arrive, and how much space does the driver need?
- Is a lock box fitted, and how many vents does it have?
- What happens if the container arrives damaged or leaks?
- How current is the stock list, and when could you deliver?
Red flags
Prices with no unit attached
A single starting-from price across a whole size category usually means the cheapest unit in the yard is the only one at that price, and it may already be sold.
Delivery quoted as a flat fee
Transport genuinely varies with distance and access. A flat fee is either padded for short journeys or will be revised upwards for long ones.
No photographs of the actual unit
Stock photography is fine for illustrating a type. It is not fine as the only evidence of the specific container you are paying for.
Vague condition language
Good as new, tidy and grade A are not standards. Wind and watertight and cargo worthy are. Ask which one applies.
Rent or buy?
Renting makes sense when the requirement has a firm end date inside about eighteen months, when the cost sits neatly in a project budget, or when you want somebody else to own the maintenance. Buying almost always wins beyond that, because a well-kept container holds a strong second-hand value and you can sell it at the end rather than having paid rent for nothing.
Run the arithmetic on your own timeline before you decide, and tell us the duration so we can price both options.
Pre-order checklist
- Size and height confirmed against what you are storing.
- Condition grade agreed in writing.
- Delivered price confirmed, including unloading method.
- Ground firm, level and clear, with blocks ready for the corner castings.
- Approach measured for vehicle length, width and overhead clearance.
- Door orientation decided and communicated to the driver.
- Someone on site at the delivery window with authority to sign.
The delivery preparation guide covers the site side of this list in full detail.
Talk it through before you spend
Tell us the job, the site and the budget. We will recommend a size and grade, quote it delivered, and say so if a cheaper unit would do the same work.
Buying questions answered
Price depends on length, height, condition and current market supply, which moves with global shipping demand. Rather than quote a range that goes stale, every container on this site carries its own live price. Add transport, which we quote against your postcode.
For temporary storage on a commercial site a container is usually treated as a chattel rather than a building. Rules differ by authority and by how permanently the unit is fixed, so if it becomes habitable, a permanent office or sits on residential land long term, check with your local planning department first.
Only if it is genuinely firm. Soft ground causes two problems: the delivery vehicle can sink, and the container settles unevenly so the doors stop closing. Lay compacted hardcore or paving slabs under the four corner castings at minimum.
It depends on stock and haulage availability rather than a fixed lead time. Ask when you enquire and we will give you a realistic date rather than an optimistic one.
If you have suitable transport and lifting equipment, yes. Tell us when you enquire so we can confirm collection arrangements and loading.
As an asset it holds value unusually well for a piece of steel, and it is relocatable, which makes it easier to sell than a fixed building. We cannot advise you on investment decisions, but as a working asset it earns its keep for decades.
Nothing, physically. The terms describe use rather than construction. A shipping container that is no longer certified for sea freight is often marketed as a storage container.
Yes. Standard construction is marine-grade plywood, usually around 1 1/8 in thick, laid over steel cross-members. Steel and bamboo floors also exist on some builds.