Illustrative image Used 20ft Shipping Container
A used 20ft shipping container is a standard 20-foot steel box, 8′6″ (2.59 m) tall, retired from ocean shipping and resold for storage and other uses on land. Prices start at $1,400 this week in wind & watertight grade and $1,550 in cargo worthy, before delivery and sales tax.
Illustrative image Why LandedBox
More choice. Less legwork.
One free request goes to up to 5 sellers serving your address, each checked for licensing and insurance, and you compare their quotes or accept none. How it works
Used 20ft boxes in the same grade still differ in dents, rust and door seals, so ask each seller for photos of the one it would send.
$450Average gap between the highest
and lowest quote on the same request
We’ll help you
compare prices.
Picking a grade for a used 20ft
| Grade | From | What it means | Choose it if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cargo worthy (CW) | $1,550 | Rated sound enough to pass the CSC safety exam, so it could still carry cargo overseas | You might ship goods in it or sell it on later |
| Wind & watertight (WWT) | $1,400 | Seals out rain and wind, with doors that close tight, but isn’t certified for sea transport | It will stay put as storage: the cheapest way into a 20ft |
Cargo worthy costs $150 more this week. Both grades are working boxes with a past: dents, rust spots and old shipping-line markings come with the price, and none of it hurts storage as long as the box keeps water out. Check that when it arrives (delivery-day checklist; what the seller’s guarantee should cover). If it might go back to sea, budget for a fresh CSC exam after the sale.
Good for: storage at home, on a farm or at a job site, with about 150 sq ft (13.9 m²) of floor and room for 9 standard US pallets (48 × 40 in) in one layer.
20ft or 40ft used?
A used 40ft in the same wind & watertight grade starts at $1,900 this week: $500 more for about twice the floor, 305 sq ft (28.3 m²) instead of 150 sq ft (13.9 m²), and room for 20 pallets instead of 9. Near the seller’s depot, delivery usually costs the same for either size. The 20ft wins where space is tight: the tilt-bed truck needs about 60–80 ft (18–24 m) of straight approach for it, against 100–120 ft (30–37 m) for a 40ft. Used 40ft shipping container.
Only need it for a few months? Rent one instead.
Specs in feet and metric
| Measurement | Feet, inches, pounds | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Outside (L × W × H) | 19′10½″ × 8′ × 8′6″ | 6.06 × 2.44 × 2.59 m |
| Inside (L × W × H) | about 19′4″ × 7′8½″ × 7′10″ | about 5.90 × 2.35 × 2.39 m |
| Door opening (W × H) | about 7′8″ × 7′6″ | about 2.34 × 2.28 m |
| Inside volume | about 1,170 cu ft | about 33.1 m³ |
| Floor area (inside) | about 150 sq ft | about 13.9 m² |
| Pallets on the floor, one layer | 9 standard US pallets (48 × 40 in) | |
| Empty weight (tare) | about 4,700–5,200 lb | about 2,140–2,350 kg |
| Max. payload | about 62,000 lb | about 28,100 kg |
| Max. gross weight | 67,200 lb | 30,480 kg |
| Tilt-bed truck access | 60–80 ft (18–24 m) of straight approach, 10–14 ft (3–4.3 m) wide; 14–16 ft (4.3–4.9 m) of overhead clearance, about 20 ft (6 m) where the container tilts off; ground that’s firm, dry and level (5° slope at most) | |
Sources: ISO 668 (1CC, the 20ft standard); dry-container specs from a shipping line and two container lessors. Your container’s exact weights are marked on its doors.
Delivery
Away from the seller’s depot, delivery is usually priced by distance, about $4–$6 per mile.
Delivery cost and site checklist · container foundation options
Options & accessories
Add-ons you can order with this container (see all):
- Shipping container lock box ($94)
- Heavy-duty container door lock (from $200)
- Shipping container leveling kit ($195)
- Shipping container vents (from $104)
- Shipping container roll-up door kit (from $617)
- Shipping container office kit (from $8,301)
Man door, shelving or an installed roll-up door? Ask for a quote. To keep heat and damp out: insulated containers.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I pay for a used 20ft container?
Second-hand 20ft prices move with the depot: this week’s 206 listings for a wind & watertight 20ft ran from $1,000 to $3,040, and our $1,400 starting price sat below roughly 6 in 10 of them. Delivered near the seller’s depot, plan on roughly $1,700–$2,000 before sales tax.
How much can you buy an old shipping container for?
Sold as-is, with no guarantee of condition, an old 20ft can go for less: the lowest as-is listing we recorded this week was $999. Graded wind & watertight, a used 20ft starts at $1,400. Buying a container under $1,000.
How much more is a new 20ft container?
A new (one-trip) 20ft starts at $2,750 this week, before delivery, about $1,350 more than a used wind & watertight one. New 20ft shipping container · compare every 20ft.
How much can a 20 ft shipping container hold?
About 1,170 cu ft (33.1 m³) of space inside; the floor and pallet count are in the specs table above.
Where can I find a 20ft shipping container for sale?
We take requests for used 20ft containers from all of the 48 contiguous states and send each one to up to 5 sellers serving the area. Put your ZIP in the box next to the price to check yours before you send a request.
from $1,400 Best price
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